DON'T BE IT'S SUBSCRIBER. Review on Overdrive Cars & Motors Magazine

I don’t know whether OVERDRIVE happens to be the No.1 car and bike magazine but it is indeed a good auto mag.Its contents are interesting and the roadtests are okay.The info about new launches and the yet-to-be-launched products are authentic,but sometimes confusing.And of late I feel in order to be different from other mags they alter facts slightly.If some other publication tells you that the Tata Indica has made its UK debut as the Cityrover,Overdrive tells you that it will do so in November this year(2003).This is confusing for an average reader like me. OVERDRIVE's overall quality has gone down considerably.Sometimes the issues are interesting but there are some very boring issues and you feel it when you read the articles and see the overall presentation of the information in the mag.

Sometimes OVERDRIVE criticises and humiliates other automotive publications and I dislike this attitude(Check the May 2001 issue.).They have no right to do so.They think they are giving AUTOCAR INDIA a run for their money but OVERDRIVE IS NOWHERE NEAR THE LATTER'S STANDARD.In May 2001 issue they attacked all other publications directly and this is a lack of work and culture among the management of the mag.It brings out the aggression of this magazine.The mag is for publishing automotive info,not who is better or who is bad.

Here are some plus points of OVERDRIVE though:

a)Good roadtest reports.(Still nowhere near AUTOCAR INDIA standards)

b)Good quality pages.(Not a great factor.)

c)Excellent photographs(not always)

d)Good travel guides.(well,this is interesting.)

e)Useful info on a particular Indian city(City Guide)(AN IRREGULAR FEATURE NOW)

f)Somewhat timely despatch of the subscriber copies.(earlier my copies used to reach me well within the 3rd of every month;now within the 10th and there have been four times when I did not receive my copy.Write to the subscription supervisor and you know your opinion is not given its due importance.)

g) Detailed 1:18(24—30 cms) modelcar from a reputed manufacturer on subscription.(But do not be a subscriber.You will get less compared to the newsstand copies.)

h)Appropriate replies to each and every letter published in the magazine;earlier I got a personal reply from none other than the editor himself.(This is appreciated.) Here are the things that OVERDRIVE needs to look into:

a)Same presentation.(At a time you will be tired getting the same boring layout month after month.)

b)No change in font.(Dull compared to other publications.)

c)Earlier way of presenting info was much better.

d)Somewhat small amount of photographs accompanying each article.You do not get close-ups of dashboards or other finer features of a vehicle.

e)Not-so-useful buyer’s guide.You will need a magnifying glass.

f)Lots of full page ads.Ads are more in number than the articles.

g)Special free booklets and other freebies(which are standard on newsstand copies) aren't sent to the subscribers,inspite of having made the full payment.

The fact is that,if you become an OVERDRIVE subscriber,you will receive your copies of the magazine which are condensed compared to the newsstand copies.Often you will see that there are free 100-page specials and CDs with the newsstand copies,but you won't get it,inspite of having paid them the full amount in advance.I have written to the subscription department,but got no reply.

You have to shell out extra bucks in order to get the specials which are actually free!!This is very unfair and hence,my advice is don't go for its subscription however lucrative it seems;the modelcar(s) that come free are quite common and you can source them through your local toy shop.Also,you do not get calenders/year planners/posters and other freebies with your copy.Hence you are being given less in the process.You are given something which is compromised.

Personally,I feel OVERDRIVE was better earlier.It contained many interesting columns,regular features,and tech talks which were the good ways of increasing our knowledge base.It also had great full size awesome posters with each issue.Sadly,all these “were”with OVERDRIVE, they aren’t now.

It is difficult for me to say whether I recommend this mag to a friend or not. I would like to make it clear that since all issues aren't interesting you check out one before buying.I do not think this magazine will keep its appeal issues after issues. If you haven’t seen earlier issues, go for it and you wouldn’t be disappointed.But if you are an old reader,you will agree with my view. I hope so. You can get secondhand copies and they are of good value!!

If you want the best auto magazine go foe AUTOCAR INDIA which is 100times better than OVERDRIVE.