LR magazines

[davidlandy]

I have been an avid reader of most of the LR mags but I must admit to finding them now just soooo boring, to the point where I hardly buy them.

the latest LRO being a great example  - I mean that 40counties, 40hrs 40 mpg crap!! lol  and they cant review anything properly ( I wonder why???)

I think that the mag market is ready for another mag that is aimed at a more clued up audience and features more techy things to do with 4x4s. what do u think?

[disco maniac]

why don't you start one up yourself  :?:

i bet you've got loads of free time  :lol:

[bezzabsa]

used to buy a lot of motorcycle magazines - but stopped due to the same thing same reviews same bikes same moans Bike X weighs 1/2 a gnats testicle less than last year but is no quicker....etc etc

[smo]

LRO has gone downhill recently, i mean they did reviews of things like fridges recently, it wasnt so much a review as a double spread wiht pictures and prices, it lacked any information and had zero editorial either.

The problem with mags is they are becoming over run with adverts too, over 50% of every 4x4 mag is adverts now.

[davidlandy]

LRO has gone downhill recently, i mean they did reviews of things like fridges recently, it wasnt so much a review as a double spread wiht pictures and prices, it lacked any information and had zero editorial either.

I sometimes suspect that some mags have had so many freebies that they are frightened to let any of the suppliers down - thats why they can do a proper review of products!

[Yoshi]

Funnily enough alot of the users on the LRO forums say the same things.  I buy LRM every month from Tesco and get LRO delivered, but i must admit, the 3 40's thing in LRO was pointless, how to waste subscribers money, they complain at the forum members because they are too critical of the magazine, yet they go and do something stupid like that!

What many buyers want to see is their type of car being fixed on an uncovered drive way by someone who wasnt a land rover mechanic in a previous life as that is what most of us, just basic diy mechanics.

But hey, LRO wont listen, they think what everyone wants to see is scrapiron racings 3 page advert with no prices in and loads of stuff about new land rovers, but not enough about disco 1's (except both mags are doing shoestring repairs on disco 1's, but guess what, mostly done in a fully equiped workshop!!)

[barnhill4x4]

That has always got to me. WHY THE HELL DO SCORPION RACING HAVE ALL THAT AD SPACE WITH NO DAMN PRICES!!!!!!!!! I want an item that is listed on the SR ad with no price but a similar item is listed in a 8th page ad at the back with a price, I will buy from the guy with the price because I cant be arsed to call up a company to ask the price. Thats just me and I suspect that is how a lot of others work too

[marjan]

I won't be renewing my subs to TOR Magazine as I think that they have too much stuff on competitions at home and abroad.

[Jake]

I agree.
The mags have become a bit 'samey'
How hard could it be to start a mag for ourselfs?
Acticals thought up and devised on the forum, tests on real cars (and new off course) and real product testing done without worring if we'd upset the supplier.
I'd give up some of my spare time for that
 :D

[muddyweb]

How hard could it be to start a mag for ourselfs?

Ask anyone who has ever had to publish a club magazine or newsletter.....  it doesn't take too long for the content to dry up :-(

[thermidorthelobster]

One of the problems in this sector is that the mags don't want to upset the advertisers.  So LRx magazine isn't going to publish a genuine review of winches, fridges, etc where they give an opinion, in case they lose advertising revenue.  So they publish a list of products instead.

In the industry I used to work in (IT) the journos wrote whatever the hell they wanted - frequently wrong, misleading, biased, underinformed, but at least they weren't bothered less about upsetting the advertisers.  I think the same is true in other areas of motoring journalism, from what I've heard.  One possibility is that with 4 Land Rover magazines there is just too much competition.

[Tailendcharley]

:D  :D I absolutely, wholeheartedly agree with all the above comments...that's why,several years ago I decided to visit my local library and read all the mags for free...well,I am from Yorkshire,what do you expect  

    Terry Smith  

[Range Rover Blues]

The same thing has happened on the Clssic Ford scene, it's either the same old rehash or another car very similar to the one we featured last week, or how loud is your stereo and that kind of c***.  Plus the price of stuff that's advertised has priced manu of my mates out of Escorts and Capris now anyway.  It seems the more expensive the stuff, the better.

What's worse (and I've had this happen) is when the journalists ring up the clubs for content for their articles, they arew selling us our own ideas, it's just crazy.

And I think they all just read each other's magazines and copy the articles therein.

[davidlandy]

I would just like to see some real in depth technical articles

including a real winch test - like some have said they just seem to list the winches and their specs.  what they should do is fit them and haul stuff up hills all day and record results, times, weights, stall speeds , failures etc... then people would know how good certain makes are

[Xtremeteam]

I won't be renewing my subs to TOR Magazine as I think that they have too much stuff on competitions at home and abroad.

I like to see coverage of comps in this country & abroad,BUT i would like to see more than a single page for the likes of ladoga & OBC,

the write up of the SORC wheels in the woods in LRO was crap,didnt show any of the hard bits or anyone doing the black runs

[Guy90]

I would just like to see some real in depth technical articles

including a real winch test - like some have said they just seem to list the winches and their specs.  what they should do is fit them and haul stuff up hills all day and record results, times, weights, stall speeds , failures etc... then people would know how good certain makes are

Dave,

I shouldn't think any of the magazines could afford the legal bill if they did this.

Magazines and writers have been threatened by legal action in the past when unfavourable reviews have been published.

[davidlandy]

how does Which? magazine get away with it then? and PC mags when then review stuff and star rate it?

it must be possible to do something!

[Guy90]

how does Which? magazine get away with it then? and PC mags when then review stuff and star rate it?

it must be possible to do something!

Resources I reckon. The Consumer Association is a big concern and has the muscle to stand up to companies. Imagine if you are publishing a Land Rover magazine and one of the world's largest multi nationals sends you a nasty legal letter. You'll be wiped out.

Two examples. Some products are reviewed. A best product award is given to the most expensive product from a big player. Best buy is given to a competitor. Big player is annoyed and threatens to sue both magazine and writer. Not usurprisingly both writer and magazine are less bold next time round.

A product is used by a competitor in an off road comp. Product fails and competitor tells writer covering event. The manufacturer tells publishing company, writer and competitor it will sue unless they retract story and say they were misuing product when it failed. None of the three fancy taking on one of the worlds biggest companies and agrees.

You can see the problem.

On mags generally, i think they all cater for diffrent markets. LRE is catering for the traditional enthusiast like those in clubs which is why you see lots of articles on Series 2 fire engines etc, LRW is aiming for the Series owener who likes to tinker and do a little greenlaning. LRO is after the new owner and those with the newer vehicles or enough money to do serious quality work to their vehicles. LRM seems to cover travel and overseas stuff and I think would like to appeal to the interlectual.

I prefer LRO myself. All the clubby enthusiast stuff is dull in my view.

As for adverts, there is hardly a mag in the land that could suvive without them and I reckon all the LR mags would go if they didn't have the level f ads they do. Will be the diffrence between profit and loss. Be very difficult to survive on subs alone. All mags have two aims I think. Sell as many copies as possible and raise as much ad revenue as possible.

I must admit I don't have a problem with the ads and a good ad is likely to make me want to buy something. I would not really look at a company that didn't as it would indicate that the company might not be as stable and secure as it should and sending money would be a risky thing to do.

[muddyweb]

The other thing to bear in mind is that a lot of the writers for the Land Rover magazines aren't actually employed by the magazines themselves...  they are effectively self-employed...  this makes the whole thing a lot more complex....

The products they review are generally sent to them by the suppliers at no cost...  they have a political game to play with the suppliers as they don't want to alienate them...  the relationships with companies are what gives them a lot of their article content.

Equally, the suppliers play their own game...   advertising is a bargaining chip, without the advertising revenue the magazines would struggle to survive...  to balance this, the magazines bargain with 'advertorial'..  those nice pieces about how great a certain product is, or a multi-page article shot in a heavily branded workshop fitting products which are always given glowing reports.

The whole thing is one of those "neccessary evils"...  the magazines form an important part of the suppliers marketing activities... the relationships with the writers are important to gain coverage, and to keep the roof over the writers' heads.

That's all before you get to the actual content.....   trying to come up with original and interesting content is a *really* difficult thing...  think about it...  what would you like to see that hasn't already been done ?

[Pete]

I buy T O R for items like "Lane Watch", and have done a few of their road books as well. Some of them more than once, lanes change with the seasons.

 No one make mag is going to last long without repeating itself, there just isn't enough material.
 
 That's why forums like this are popular.
 Follow the threads that you are interested in. Lanes, P&P etc.  Get a different read every day.
 
 Someone does a lane or visits a site, they usually post straight away, you aren't waiting a month or more for an opinion, you may even get some pics.
 If you are going that way the following weekend, you get up to date info on conditions etc.

 You want an opinion on a piece of equipment. Winch, Roll cage etc.
 Ask on the forums. Chances are, some one has, bought/used/knows some one who has one.
 First hand experience, with no axe to grind.

 You never know. The person who has whatever it is you ask about, moight even be willing to let you see/try it before you part with the hard earned.

 Just a few random thoughts on mags v forums.

 Pete.

[Littledan]

me and my dad havnt got a LR mag for ages!!!

the only one we get it TOR!!

i owuld like to see a mag with all the comp stuff in well bogged down landys stuck!! proper offroading :D

dan

[dreadnought110]

I subscibe to 2 magazines LRE and EVO and EVO is the only one i read cover to cover.The Land rover magazine's do appear to be all reviewing the same product's even the same land rover's?? Perhaps it's time for me to sell the land rover and move to sports cars?? Hmmmmm best not..Swmbo would kill me after spending this much on the land rover..... :lol:  :lol:  :lol: