What other car magazines do you read?

ddavidv said:

I just don't like reading magazine type stuff on a computer.

The solution is you need a tablet. I thought by now there would be cheap, basic ones on the market with bigger screens. I'm sure the chip shortage won't help that either.

j_tso said:

ddavidv said:

I just don't like reading magazine type stuff on a computer.

The solution is you need a tablet. I thought by now there would be cheap, basic ones on the market with bigger screens. I'm sure the chip shortage won't help that either.

A tablet is still a screen.  There's just a fundamental difference between looking at an electronic image and holding the paper in your hand (at least for us old farts.)

There are other car magazines? 

In reply to stuart in mn :

True, glossy paper is definitely better for looking at photos.  But for just getting words into my brain a black and white e-ink display is not that different to paper for me.

I use a Kindle to read books, which is fine. Magazines are different, largely because photos are a big portion of them. Photos on a screen...just don't like it.

stuart in mn said:

j_tso said:

ddavidv said:

I just don't like reading magazine type stuff on a computer.

The solution is you need a tablet. I thought by now there would be cheap, basic ones on the market with bigger screens. I'm sure the chip shortage won't help that either.

A tablet is still a screen.  There's just a fundamental difference between looking at an electronic image and holding the paper in your hand (at least for us old farts.)

That's funny.  I'm 51 and I used to feel EXACTLY the same way.  I don't know where exactly the tipping point was but there is no way I'd ever go back to paper.  

I used to subscribe to a bunch of them. I'm down to GRM now and I mostly subscribe to it to support the forum. I frequently read the columns but I don't always read the articles. 

I still prefer my subscriptions on paper, but a lot of the subscriptions are electronic these days for practical and financial reasons. The cost of UK magazines basically doubles or triples if you have them shipped to the US, plus I've had a fair amount of issues with getting the physical copies shipped and them actually arriving.

I went to Barnes and Noble after an eye exam Saturday.  Classic Motorsports, Classic and Sportscar, Top Gear and (because) Star Wars Insider...  Then I saw a Lego display and had to have the new imperial probe droid (one of my favorite props).

Like $130 or so later...  Dammit.

Part of the experience of a magazine or book for me is the touch and feel (and the smell) of the paper, it's not just whether one is easier or harder to read than the other.

GRM is the only magazine that deals with cars that I subscribe to.  

As for what I occasionally buy...sometimes I will pick up an issue of Car&Driver, and even tho I pick up random issues I guess I would break even if I subscribed, but I just don't care enough to subscribe. 

In 1971 I picked up my first issue of the British magazine CAR.  The covers back then were drawings/paintings, not photos, and the photographs inside were first rate...as was the writing.  Every now and then I would subscribe, but 90% of the time I would get a copy at the newsstand.   When I lost my job, I became a bit more selective about where my money went so my CAR purchases became spotty, but I do still buy it to read about cars we don't get in the U.S.

I recently threw out several years of Sport Compact Car,  and a few years of the British mags Retro Ford and Performance Ford.

I used to occasionally pick up Fast Fords and Mustangs, but that disappeared right about the time I bought my second Mustang.

I read books on an ereader. Voraciously. But I don't read books on a tablet. It's a very different screen type, a bulkier device and battery level becomes a thing. The last couple of books that I've borrowed from the library that forced me to read through their app instead of on my ereader, I never finished because of the tablet. It's a bit odd, but there you go.

I've tried digital magazine subscriptions on an iPad. Used to get Racecar Engineering that way because of the pricing. It was okay, but of course that magazine is about content first and foremost. It wasn't a compelling experience in any real way for some reason. Might re-up just for the content though.

I used to keep every car magazine I bought/received. Then I got rid of all but the ones that had cars that interested me. Then I got rid of all the ones that didn't have my own actual cars or writing in them. 

Marjorie Suddard said:

NOT A TA said:

GRM  is my only one, but only because of "buy a subscription, get a T-shirt" deals offered here on the forum because more than 1/2 of the issues don't show up anymore since they started saving .003 cents on the glue that holds the address label. The ones I do receive the label has obviously been stuck back on by a postal employee or is barely holding on. If it wasn't for the T-shirt I wouldn't bother subscribing because so few issues per year arrive. 

Oh nooooo! I don't know who's saving on cheaped -out labels, but it sure isn't us. I will have a chat with the printer and see wtf. Thanks for the heads-up.

Margie

I agree that the current mailing labels don't adhere well to the glossy cover. Same case with Classic. It is nice that the labels are easily removable, so you can see what is underneath, but I wonder how many get knocked off in the mail.

I had a similar situation with a magazine that used a mailing label on a clear plastic wrapper. Over two years, I think only one issue made it to me from bulk mailing, and that label was barely hanging on; for all the other issues, I had to call and get them to mail a replacement copy, first class.  They probably didn't get many renewals.

I've been subscribed to C&D for about 20 years. It's changed a lot over time, but still one of my favorites. I've been subbed to R&T and Motor Trend a few times when I got a deal, but never stuck with them. I'm enjoying the newer thick R&T so we'll see how that goes over time. 

I throw them all out when I'm done with them, except for GRM.

FWIW, if you you like technical articles, check out  https://motoiq.com/

Toyman01 + Sized and said:

I used to subscribe to a bunch of them. I'm down to GRM now and I mostly subscribe to it to support the forum. I frequently read the columns but I don't always read the articles. 

 

 

 

 

This. I still get hotrod, as all my subscriptions for other magazines defaulted to them when the other title went away. 

I miss car craft. Where articles about fixing ac, buffing paint in the driveway, etc was prevalent. The articles about bolting on speed parts that i cant afford really don't do much for me.

Grm, can we bring back the low buck, diy, junkyard and driveway tech articles more? Please?

Duuuuh?  What mean "read?"

GRM, S3 and the occasional Hagerty for me.

10+ years ago I really enjoyed Modified, Car Craft, and Street Machine quit them all when the content shifted. Modified was by far my favorite for years until the shift to Super Street type content. I like them for the variety and cars who's owners were passionate about them. Plus there was back to back dyno tests of parts most people would likely be buying, event coverage of drags, drift, rally, etc. Then is went to over the top show car builds, cars that clearly don't get driven, and "parts sponsor fueled" content like Super Street...ruined it for me. Car Craft and Street Machine ended up on the same path of destruction IMO when content revolved around sponsor parts that read like long winded advertisements and LS everything. I don't care how nice,cool, fast, or awesome, a car is if its the 6th on this issue with 80 percent the same parts as the others. Talk about making a 68 camaro, 70 chevelle, 81 el camino, 90 mustang, etc all seem bland and boring. Didn't help every article was written exactly the same way. And don't get me started on EVERY engine article being a Junk Yard build making people believe that machine shops are worthless and 600HP is so easy and cheap....never mind 2 issues later they're reusing those same parts on other engines because the previous one blew up on pull #5 (which was conveniently omitted). Doesn't matter whats left of them now since the online only means I'll never subscribe to it. Count me towards the I want an "in my hands" copy crowd.

S3 is a recent subscription for me (about a year now) and I like it. It is thinner compared to GRM and only 5 or 6 issues a year but where else are you going to get a trophy truck on the cover one month, track car the next, exotic, show, drift, luxury, and so on. There is great variety in them and you can just feel their excitement and passion for each vehicle come out of the writing. Best part is these cars get used by their owners who's passion I can relate to. Each issue seems to have one longer story in it that winds up reading like an adventure. Which they are when the article is on participation in a Gambler event or taking Jeeps on a scenic off road trek across a couple states. 

In reply to ProDarwin :

MotoIQ is good, but their magazine style site layout is annoying.  Maybe they have some readers who are still on dial-up?

In reply to asphalt_gundam :

Super Street was actually pretty good before it got the axe in 2019. It featured a mix of old and new cars and got rid of the T&A that made it embarrassing to carry around in the early 2000s. 

j_tso said:

In reply to ProDarwin :

MotoIQ is good, but their magazine style site layout is annoying.  Maybe they have some readers who are still on dial-up?

I don't follow.  Their layout seems pretty standard for blog/article/online content to me.

Its almost identical to GRM layout.  Content in the center, maxing around 800px, RH column of ads.

The way their projects are organized is so much better than most sites:

Jim Pettengill said:

Just curious, does anyone remember a British mag called Cars and Car Conversions?  It was one of my favorites back in the day ((like, the 1970s and 80s).  I forgot to list Racer as one I read.

I used to pick up C&CC at the newstand all the time. These days I'll pick up Retro Cars to get that sort of content.

In reply to ProDarwin :

I meant the way their articles are laid out. Each one is divided into several pages to click through, but there's only a couple of short paragraphs and a few photos per page so I don't know why they do that other than to save bandwidth.

j_tso said:

In reply to ProDarwin :

I meant the way their articles are laid out. Each one is divided into several pages to click through, but there's only a couple of short paragraphs and a few photos per page so I don't know why they do that other than to save bandwidth.

 Ah, yes that is a fair criticism.

In reply to j_tso :

Extra clicks on more pages with more ads equals profit?

GRM, CM, TRJ, Street Trucks and numerous gun magazines. TRJ sent an apology explaining that they are running behind due to moving printing back to the US at the same time that the printer basically falling apart due to Covid. Bad timing only I hope.