Now WHAT CAR shall I buy
 Feb 3rd, 2002
Advantages:
Great in - depth information on cars
Disadvantages:
Maybe should have a sports section
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Quality of content
Quality of photography
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  Solex
About me:
Guess whose back... Yep, I've had my two months off and (homework forbidding), will be back in the ...
Member since:03.11.2001
Reviews:115
Members who trust:67
Review rated by 37 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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One of my first ops on this site was about my favourite magazine – a car magazine of course! -, Auto Express. It still is, but there is another magazine I tend to read and it’s called What Car? (For all you people who haven’t read the category) I never used to read What Car? or Auto Express but I used to read a magazine called Complete Car. I found some the other day and I still think they were good (I got my name in their once). But they merged with Autocar and so dropped in my estimation. I tried Carweek but that mysteriously went defunct. This then led me onto Auto Express, the weekly mag, but just so I can have a bit of variety, I have a pile of What Cars? piling up on ,my bedroom floor. So as I tidy them up (eg, throw then in my wardrobe), I thought I’d better write an op, so as not to be tempted to finish that maths homework sitting precariously on my bedroom table (Da da da da!).
WHAT IS ‘WHAT CAR?’ It’s a car magazine. What more do you want! Sorry, I’ll try harder. What Car? comes from one branch of the ‘Which’ company, which also runs a magazine for things such as phones and caravans. Of all of them though What Car? has come out on top and can be seen in most areas. It’s a monthly magazine.
So you’d expect it to be long and it is. More like the Yellow Pages than a magazine, although I’d just add that a lot of pages are advertisements and most aren’t even cars. It’s not a unique magazine as some of the cars they test, also appear in other mags, but it’s interesting to see the different opinions of other motoring journalists too, as they try to praise or slate a car in their given space in the magazine. So here is my op on the actual magazine. Enjoy…
NOT AN ATTENTION SEEKER Go to Tesco and glance at all the wonderful magazines on offer. They are colourful and, especially the car mags, have big headlines grabbing the most attention. However, there is What Car?, which in comparison is actually quite dull. The big title is renowned but underneath you have the most important car in the magazine. But unlike other magazines, it’s set on a white background with none of the bright sun or glorious scenery of other magazines. But What Car? is renowned, so it doesn’t need to try too hard to get customers. Kind of like BMW. They aren’t raving beauties, but when you’ve got image, who cares?
FIRST ON THE SCENE Actually the title for this is a tad false. As I collect a weekly magazine, the monthly What Car?, has exclusive tests, which actually featured in my other magazine a couple of weeks ago. But the extra weeks, means the layout and user friendliness of the magazine is a lot better. For instance there are more pages dedicated to a special test, such as the new Ford Fiesta or Citroen C3. And unlike Auto Express, for example, there is more information and more opinion on the car itself. There is a long and detailed description of the car and their opinion of course, with a table at the bottom about performance, while there is also a main verdict and a rating out of 5 – something many other magazines lack. This is an advantage because it saves you reading the whole article for information about the car.
NO NEWS ISN’T ALWAYS GOOD NEWS What I really like about my Auto Express magazine, is that it gives me a chance to see what cars are up and coming with various ‘First looks’ and ‘previews’. However, this is lacking with What Car? Whereas in magazines like Top Gear and Auto Express, the news is at the front, What Car? put theirs behind the First Drives. And only then is there 2 pages of what is old news. It’s a shame because that is its main flaw, which should be rectified.
TESTING, TESTING But What Car? holds a major trump card against every other magazine. While Auto Express preview new cars, What Car? group test new cars that have just come out. There is always a main group test, which usually involves at least 4 cars, with the new car being important. This month for instance there is a 6 car supermini test, with 3 new models. This takes up many pages, which means it is extremely in depth and great to read. The pages are split up with excellent pictures of the cars exterior, interior, practicality and dimensions. On the right hand side though there are categories and they are as follows…
ON THE ROAD PERFORMANCE
RIDE & HANDLING
REFINEMENT
IN THE CABINS
BEHIND THE WHEEL
SPACE & PRACTICALITY
EQUIPMENT OWNERSHIP
RELIABILTY
SAFETY
SECURITY EQUIPMENT
BUYING & OWNING These give a good indicator as to how good a car is, in the category you feel is most important in a car (for instance, mine is value for money). At the back of the test there is the result as well as a large table of how they did altogether and what their equipment and performance figures are, so you can judge for yourself. There are other, smaller, group tests in the magazine too – about 4 more – and these are also good to read.
EVER WONDERED WHAT A JOURNALIST DOES? Okay, so you’re never going to know exactly. But the long-term cars give an indication to a car, outside the perhaps bias environment of the journalist. What is the car really like after a few months not a few hours. Well now you know because the team of journalists are given a car to live with for various amounts of months to find out. They give updates on problems or praises to the car. It’s a clever touch.
KNOW YOUR CAR! As well as group tests and first drives, each month there are special features. My favourite is the annual ‘Security Supertest’. Here it gives us a chance to see how secure our cars really are and whether it’s going opened by a thief when they so much as sneeze on the lock. It gives scores and ratings to let us know. There is also the Comfort test, which puts cars big and small, to see which car has the best interior. After Top Gear went defunct, What Car? gladly took up the JD Power mantle, which Top Gear had kept for several years. As yet it hasn’t been published but in the next few months it will. Then there is the annual What Car? car of the year awards which is always a joy to read, although they are a bit predictable sometimes. In fact 2002’s edition is next month (the new MINI will win!).
HOW MUCH MORE INFO DO YOU NEED? Turn to the back of the magazine and you’ll find a wad of pages, which at a glance look like a load of gobbledegook. But delve in closer and you’ll find plenty of specification and figures to do with performance. It’s all a bit confusing but for someone about to buy a car, it’s great for comparison and checking if prices have changed. There is also information on imports and used car prices for those who want to know.
ANY IMPROVEMENTS? Actually, there is one improvement that could be made. I think What Car? could do with a sports section. In Auto Express, I always love to read the motorsport section as I think it gives a lot of good information. However, What Car? is lacking this and I think it’d make a worthy addition to the magazine.
WHERE CAN I BUY IT? What Car? is available from all good supermarkets and newsagents and is priced at quite a hefty £3.60. But you do get a lot of pages for your money and I think it’s worth it – at least read it once.
OVERALL What Car? is a very good magazine. It’s in depth, good to read, well laid out and full of information. It would be the ultimate package if it gave more news on new cars or perhaps have a motor sport section in the magazine. Otherwise, it’s great to read…
…Thanks for reading SOLEX/OLLIE
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by (5%):
07.02.2002 19:49
Great op! Im not sure I would be able to stomach reading that much about cars, but very informative and detailed non the less! Han xx
04.02.2002 14:28
Step one: lottery win. Step two: new flat. Step three: maybe thing about a new car!! :o)
04.02.2002 12:15
Very helpful indeed, but aren't you a tad young to be thinking about buying a car??? Keep writing these brill ops and who knows, maybe the ciao-proceeds will one day pay for one! Cheers Jalscha