I am on my second year subscription.
Pros:
Quality print material, photography,
Covers Domestic, International arena, F1, WRC, editorial etc.
Prompt delivers of copies
Passionate reviewers
Test drives from international circuits
Cons:
Need further in-depth look in Domestic developments
Lacks a Technical know-how section.( a section explaining a Auto component / Tech)
As an automotive S/w engineer, I am very much satisfied with my subscription. Every first week, I eagerly wait for my issue.
The vehicle reviews are elaborate immediately after launch. They do compare vehicles of the same segment and provide detailed reviews helping customers choose the right product for them.
Who said they are biased towards Bajaj? In 125cc segment, they recommend Yamaha Gladiator ahead of Discover. Watsay? They rate Yamaha FZ16 and Unicorn as the best in 150CCs.
When everyone were singing the Honda Shine song, Only through Overdrive, I came to know about the high speed rattling issues with Shine.
Overdrive helped me make my decision on buying a bike. I went for Gladiator and I am pleased.
Customer Support:
Twice(in 1.5 years), my copy went missing. I mailed Customer Support. They promptly arranged to deliver the copies again.
The magazine covers the entire automotive world. You get to know about the GPs, WRCs and F1s.
Comparison:
I dont remember the name of another Auto magazine(i think AutoCar or something) - in which, for the last three/four months, they had their cover page in Dazzling, Fun(n)ky colors with vehicle pictures printed on it. Looked like a school magazine.
Driving is a passion. You need passionate people to rate the vehicles very much like Wine_tasters. I believe Overdrive has it in Bert, Sirish and many others. Their regulars and columns are GOOD.
To encourage female drivers, they have a Test Lady in their dock who tested the Ferrari in India.
Get one. You wont go wrong.
Other magazines being equivalent doesn’t mean Overdrive to be a loser.
~ Madhav