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C&D still does instrumented tests and comparison tests. So does Motor Trend. On the other hand, Road and Track and Automobile magazines seem to have gone to "impressions" and general interest automotive articles. When my current subscription for these two runs out, I will not be renewing.
I've subscribed to C&D and R&T since their(and their predecessors) inception and both used to be good sources of comparison info. I've bought cars based on their comparos--to my regret in the case of an '84 Z51 C4 Corvette. Alas, R&T moved it's editorial offices to New York City to the detriment of my interest in the magazine's content. A number of years ago, I dismissed Motor Trend as a source of objective reporting because of what I saw as a strong Detroit bias.
Of late, however, I think it's pretty good. All in all, I've always regarded the car mags as a useful data point in my purchasing decisions and the opinions I have shared with other people that have asked for my opinion about various cars. This has been reinforced, over the years, when the cars I've had direct experience with have jibed with the opinions in the car mags. One direct example has been with the Car mags universal praise of the Alfa Guilia, initially, accompanied with their universal caution about reliability. The long-term tests of the QF seem to be bearing out those reservations and validate my decision to not leap on that particular horse.
So, I read the Mags with great interest (except for the articles about the mega-buck supercars) and make them a significant data point in my opinions.
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