American car magazines are completely dependent on the hands that feed them, i.e. the car companies advertising in their magazines, and the same car companies that lend them the tester cars, invite them to special events, wine, dine, and cater to them. The payback for all that is that NOT ONCE have I ever seen a "scathing review" of any new automobile... NOT ONCE. Sure, they have muted and mumbled critisisms, and usually only surface during "comparos" between different cars in the same category, but overall, they are nothing more than biased and spun advertisments with clevery wording and catchy, exciting details.
They know what their "place" is in the long line of american consumerism. If the manufactuer doesn't sell its car, it doesn't make money, and doesn't have the money for advertising in the mags, and doesn't have the money to pamper the editors and writers with perks and such. Its a repetative process and mags like Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Auto Week, etc... aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
I'd rather watch an episod of BBC Top Gear just to see some "actual" critisism of a vehicle.
