Motoring magazines are in a bit of a quandary they need to be all things to all men and all women for that matter. Some readers only buy them when they are on the look out for a new car others will buy each week and expect somewhat more from their magazine. I have spent the past few years with my head buried in motoring magazines, not because I enjoy them but they do make a cheap hat substitute. Most of the publications available are surprisingly similar. The standard format goes something like this, Bit at the front, latest road tests, letters page, big road tests, feature on some car accessory that looks suspiciously like the manufacturer paid for, ...  Read the complete review

Being something of a "petrolhead" I subscribe to/buy several car magazines every month and Top gear is one of those magazines. I am a huge fan of the BBC TV show, however the magazine is not quite as irreverent as the TV programme and is not as focused on just the top end performance cars that Jeremy, Richard and James clearly enjoy hooning round the test track and across the globe. It is a quality magazine, with a page count usually running to over 300 pages, which for the cover price of £3.95 is very good value. It is split into several sections consisting of "Metal" which is the news section, then "Faces" ...  Read the complete review

I read just a few of these magazines and I'm afraid I'm not that big a fan. As a comparison, I think Car is much better in terms of the articles it offers, it seems to have morenews of interest to me and less wasting of paper on daft events that I didn't want to watch on TopGear, the program, never mind sit down and read! Thankfully it still has Jeremy Clarkson as one of the columnists. While he may not be enough to make the magazine worth buying instead of some other publication, he does make for at least one sweet-spot in the magzine, something to look forward to. I might have sounded a bit harsh. They are still good magazines and in the absence of ...  Read the complete review

Top Gear is the cosmo of the motoring mag market. It has that trendy, glossy image with big fat photos of scrumptious cars.... mouthwateringly controversial articles from all of the BBC's celebrity motorists...first coverage of all the new cars on the market (however small or inexpensive) and I love it. Beneath all the gloss, Top Gear is an incredibly useful magazine if, like me, you are planning to buy a car. Old or New, they'll give you advice on what to buy, from where, and how to look after it. As I have already mentioned, Top Gear is number one when it comes to reviewing new cars, particularly that flashy number that you are quite ...  Read the complete review

Top Gear is at the top of the pile as far as practical car magazines go. Essentially an extension of the BBC programme it has plenty of articles written by your favourite presenters. Coming in at around three quid it is reasonably priced. You may need help carrying it home! The magazine is often ¾” thick, but you rarely find filler articles. The extra weight is made up by a significant proportion of advertising, which is a good thing – honest. The extra advertising revenue keeps the price down and shows that the industry rates the magazine. The focus is very much on cars and whilst you do find a motorcycle article here and there you ...  Read the complete review