Car and Driver

As for the complaints listed in some other reviews here, the one that makes no sense to me is the charge that they are somehow "right wing". True, they are unabashed car nuts, which probably offends the Naderite contingent of the political Left that seems to hate anything related to the automobile, but why these people even bother to read a car mag in the first place is beyond me. They'd be better served reading "Bike & Granola" instead. The other, more serious complaint, is that they favor certain carmakers over others, most notably Honda and BMW. I've no experience with the latter, however, my current car, a 1991 Civic Si (picked in part because of a good review in a C&D comparison test) just turned over 200K on the odometer, has been extremely reliable, and to top it off is a joy to drive. So, if the guys at C&D consistently rate Hondas and Bimmers better than the competition, I tend to take them at their word, especially since I recall how, back in the 80's they were beating up on BMW for routinely selling overpriced, underpowered Yuppiemobilies to poseurs who cared more about impressing people at the golf club than handling, acceleration and braking.

In sum, after two decades of following this magazine, it's still the first one I look to when I want to check out a specific car, or just see the latest trends in the auto world. Rating a car is a fine mix of the objective (test data and so forth) and the subjective (ride quality, handling properties, etc.) and these guys consistently do the best job. And, if they through in some fun and entertainment, so much the better. In fact, I may just have to start subscribing again.


Probably the Most Fun of the Major Automotive Magazines   October 29, 2001
31 out of 35 found this review helpful

I've always enjoyed Car & Driver because it has a solid technical foundation supplemented by great photography and, perhaps most importantly, a great sense of humor about the automotive industry. The "10Best" issue is not to be missed, and aside from being the standard for excellence amongst automotive offerings for the given year, that issue will inevitably include some amusing feature and generally the 10 best stories about something involving hilarious hijinks and so on.

On a monthly basis, C&D is a pleasure because, hey, they feature the coolest cars. Their anti-SUV stance seems to be softening in recent issues, which to me is a travesty of a mockery of a sham. But I see this as an inevitable tip of the hat to the tastes of the American readership. Some readers, in the magazine's amusing letters to the editor section, accuse the magazine of an anti-detroit pro-BMW stance, but I disagree. Their position on the Corvette Z-06 seems to indicate that they favor Detroit when their products deliver the goods (in this case, Porsche Turbo performance at about a third of the price).

Reviews tend to be 3 or 4 pages long with great photography and welcome insight. These guys favor performance and aestheticism first and foremost, but definitely keep a watchful eye on safety and utility. This is an enthusiasts magazine and the staff will readily mock a "Consumer Reports" approach to writing about cars. Nonetheless, when "comparos" are being conducted (a comparison of multiple cars within a given segment), generally the article will show editorial ratings on a 10 point scale for a variety of attributes amongst the cars ("engine," "transmission," "back seat comfort" for example). In the end, however, the winner is often chosen on an independent scale ("best overall") that is influenced, but not determined by the sum of the others.

Technically, the magazine seems to me both thorough and accessible. I learned a lot of my automotive jargon from this rag, and as my understanding has grown I have not found the magazine to be too simple. But I should state that this is not really a magazine for those who want to modify their vehicles. In these cases I would recommend one of the primedia offerings (Sport Compact Car, European Car, and Turbo come to mind).

About the only problem I see with this magazine is that it's fairly obvious which way the editorial staff swings politically (to the right). If you don't share their political positions, sometimes these guys can be aggravating. (...)


Very serious and professional   January 23, 2004
A. Hallaj (Damascus, Syria)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a very serious magazine about cars; suitable to satisfy all your needs of knowledge related to this industry. The general and continuous reading of it will be a great advantage for you in the following points:
A. Buying a new car, since you will be aware about the best options in the market based on the amount you intend to spend and the category of your needs. You shall also be aware about the defects and problems that you would be facing in your choice. The continuous flooding of information about new models and years of changing these models would ensure you avoiding unnecessary losses and disappointments.
B. knowing your own car: you will be sometimes astonished about how much information about engineering, pleasure to drive and solutions to repeated problems are provided in the test of car that you own.
C. Investing in automotive industry: although advices not presented directly, reading this magazine will keep you informed about the surge and tumble of cars manufacturers. You would also get clear picture about trends in the industry and (almost) insiders' information from experts knowing professionally where each of the big names is heading.

One could argue that all cars magazines provide such information. Car And Driver, however, is highly professional, without much dragging customer intention, edited by people who love cars and never hide such passion. The honesty in criticizing and in expressing the passion of the drivers is that remarkable, so as you are never misinformed or misguided. The presentation of the articles, the quality of paper and the clarity of pictures are all additional elements for total satisfaction.
The price offered for subscribers will rate "value" as 10 out of 10, or even higher if it is arithmetically possible.

One minor defect: the articles in the first pages of the magazine are not -all the time- really related to cars rather to rules, regulations and domestic politic, which is an unnecessary alienation ultimately degrading the purpose of the magazine and possibly leads to polarization of opinions. However, the defect is minor and possibly self-adjustable based on the high experience that the magazine is accumulating.


Own the cars before you complain about the reviews   November 19, 2002
12 out of 15 found this review helpful

One thing people forgot is that C&D is an enthusiast magazine. At one time, I actually had subscriptions to C&D, Automobile Magazine (Snobbish!), Motor Trend, and Road and Track. C&D had the most balanced journalism and as a previous review had stated, I also love the humor in C&D reviews. Racing a Ferrari against a plane?! Specifications on a dog sled team?! Some people need to take life less seriously. Now about the bias towards Hondas and BMW's: does anybody complaining about the bias actually own Hondas or Bimmers? I have a 2000 Accord V6 Coupe and a 2002 Bimmer 330 Ci and I have to admit that C&D were right about these cars. The Accord is a great daily car, has ample power and wonderful reliability. The Bimmer 330 Ci...words can not describe the thrill of tossing that thing through Malibu Canyon, truly an Ultimate Driving Machine. Besides, Hondas and Bimmers do not always win. A Civic just got its butt kicked in a comparison test where a Mazda won and the Bimmer did lose out to an Audi A4 in a previous test. The reason why Hondas and BMW win so much is because they make GOOD cars! Don't penalize them because they're good!


be careful of what they say......   March 19, 2002
9 out of 20 found this review helpful

Car and Driver continues to be a decent source of test data for new cars, but it's completely in the pocket of the manufacturers. The writers appear to take every word they say as gospel and completely toe the party line when it comes to whether the federal government should be involved with regulating the auto industry.

Unfortunately, lately some of the columnists have left the automotive path and have attacked some other issues facing society. To say they are right-wing is an understatement.

These people should stick to their numbers and stop telling the readers how to think.