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Favourite LOCAL car magazine?


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Favourite LOCAL car magazine?  

38 members have voted

  1. 1. Favourite LOCAL car magazine?

    • Motoring
      4
    • Torque
      18
    • Wheels Asia
      9
    • Autocar SG/MY Edition
      4
    • Top Gear SG Edition
      8


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When I bought my first car mag about 20 yrs ago, I rem it was a issue abt the S class vs the LS. and when I finish reading the article, I was not better informed of which would be a better car to buy. A month back, I bought the similar magazine and they had an article on 3 German convertibles. After reading, I am $5.50 poorer and still not better informed becoz according to the magazine. Now I will need to buy all 3 to make my life complete.

 

The problem with local car mags is a matter of journalistic integrity. When all cars are declared good in one way or another, credibility is loss. Also, I have always suspected the ability of local car agents to influence the article positively with some creative manipulation of the writers. Furhtermore, if a particular company advertise heavily with the mag, guess which way the report is going? I feel stupid when I pay for advertising.

 

Also, in a comparison test like a drive-off, the parameters and critical factors in that sector are not spelled out clearly. i.e For test of family saloon, the more critical factors will be interior space and comfort for example. And at the end of the test, every car is deemed acceptable with lots of 'IFS' and 'BUTS'.

 

"At the end of the day, Car A is slightly faster than Car B BUT Car C should not be too slow either. IF comfort is more important to your missus, then Car C would make her happier. BUT at $XXXXX, Car B is also proof that it is not too far off the mark and represents value for money. Ultimately, all 3 cars makes a point for themself and deliverys their result albeit in a different way." - Sounds familiar? How useless is this kind of conclusion? Anybody can publish this kind of s--t. Thats why we read car mags on our throne in the morning so that the s--t can pass through directly.

 

I am not trying to be absolute but I dun read the magazines for 'IFS' and 'BUTTS'. I want a definative information from someone with more information and knowledge than me to help me make a decision if I need to buy a car.

 

Morever, the picture quality and writing style of local mags are quite dry. Maybe its trying to play safe. But I find the British more flamboyant and daring in their articles. If a car is rubbish, it will be rubbished, with little regards to reputation or dealer. When was the last time you saw a local mag rubbish a car? Even Protons get pretty much positive reviews in a local mag.

 

Since the local mag 20 years ago, I have hardly bought a local mag. I've got quite a collection of Topgear, Autocar (They've got marvellous road test stats), CAR and the occasional What Car. Its a pity as they cost so much more than the local mags but for the right info and entertaining, local mags dun even come close.

Edited by Bavarian
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Neutral Newbie

NON i think.

 

seriously, randomly bought a few different mags to read like wheels, torque, hotstuff .. all cmi la.

 

mostly is all advertisements by all the workshops, nothing much to read.

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How come no HotStuff? [confused]

That mag give car review meh? I tot they only showcase ah beng's tricked out car & dan put an ah lian in mini skirt, together take photo. Inside also have info on where to zhgn your car & ICE for the musically impaired car owner(no lah , just kidding).

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Autocar Asean is good because they put in a lot of the good UK articles and I only need to buy it once a month. If I buy the UK issue it's like $8-9 a week, go broke man.

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Don't know leh. To me HotStuff still preferred as they show all the local rides which are souped up. Like Civic, WRX etc. Can learn from the parts they used.

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Autocar Asean is good because they put in a lot of the good UK articles and I only need to buy it once a month. If I buy the UK issue it's like $8-9 a week, go broke man.

If really have to choose, then I guess Autocar asean , TG singapore, etc are among the better ones. But I find some of their local reviews disappointing. I still prefer the UK ones....expensive (around $60-$80/mths) but more consistence in their reviews.
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Local car mags can't survive beyond the next issue if they ever rubbish a car. The dealers will never invite them to review or attend any car launch again.

The closest I ever read of a local writer rubbishing a car is the ST Life reviewing the Lancer EX 1.5 as a 'lawnmower'.

Maybe I haven't read enough mags to comment but I do believe that the car dealers will issue some guidelines and obtain some form of agreement from the mags before they release the cars to them for review. Probably, the drafts would have gone thru the dealers first before being published.

 

Recently I noticed that the Pros and Cons of the reviews are useless, especially the Cons - they are either "Price", or "not much", or 'don't have xx version".

 

For the same car, reviewed by 3 or 4 diff local mags, all have the same conclusion. No point buying any local car mags.

 

 

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magazines not invited to test cars = bye bye!

 

singapore market too small, so singapore car magazines must tread carefully to survive ... like someone said .. read to alleviate constipation lor

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i think TG not really fully "local" le... most of the good stuff are from the UK mag...

local, i think Torque is doing a good job, especially after the revamp. they were sux previously

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i think TG not really fully "local" le... most of the good stuff are from the UK mag...

local, i think Torque is doing a good job, especially after the revamp. they were sux previously

 

yup, TG is not "fully local" and its also one of the more expensive local car mag. if u noticed some of the cars reviewed comes with m'sia plate as the publisher is based there

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