Aug 28, 2004 09:57 PM
4785 Views
(Updated Aug 28, 2004 09:57 PM)
Simply put, Overdriveis outclassed and one finds little to waste words on it for. Here instead is what I have to say on its rival, Autocar India- the best Indian mag. money can buy on cars and bikes.
Lucky for Autocar India they face no real competition with no. 2 on the list ?Overdrive? spending time boasting and plastering their own names across the mag. wallowing in self praise and displaying a passionate and lusty love for Pune based Bajaj Auto. Overdrive talks eye sapping lengths on topics that don?t merit that.
Autocar India is franchised from world leading Autocar UK and shows class for decent paper and print quality, the best photography in the Country, and accurate and exhaustive car and motorcycle road testing. Incidentally Autocar UK is the magazine that started the term ?Road Test.?
The Indian edition editor Mr. Sorabjee shows talent for grabbing the major automotive stories from around the country for cars or bikes almost always on a scoopa and exclusive basis. One finds only the rare errors that creep into any publication and writing is easy reading, humble, to the point and truthful.
Of late their previously neglected bike section is finding strength as well. I recently bought my two teenaged brothers different bikes each based on their diverse needs and detailed reading up of both Overdrive and Autocar comparison road tests, a Pulsar 180 and Centra, and we now agree and find the Autocar India versions impeccably accurate and surely done with a high degree of expertise.
As my experience with Autocar India and cars go, I have bought my present two cars, a Palio 1.6 and Icon 1.6, as well as one before this via reading them, and can swear it?s a must read before any kind of car purchase.
The only area that one can criticize is the lack of much humor to the magazine, almost too cold and professional in its working, month after month. This is the very bible of Indian motoring in my opinion. A complete and well-rounded professional benchmark to me.
