We need your opinion on something: do you like fewer stories that are more in-depth (the same as now), or would you like more stories that would be shorter in length (like Car Craft, Chevy High Performance, Hot Rod)?

Right now, we do four tech stories that are approximately 8 pages each. This allows us to go into some photographic and technical detail that other mags don't get into.

On the other hand, we could do eight four-page tech stories, or six five-page stories.

You get the picture: more stories equals less detail (or either a narrower scope on a given topic).

There is no right or wrong answer. Your input is appreciated.  

Mutliple low quality tech articles are no replacement for even one article that is well done. It's a monthly publication so give the readers something that will take a while to take in and understand and something that will also keep their interest for some time, preferrably till the next issue. Short tech articles that are not done thoroughly are read-through quickly and forgotten about just as quickly.  

I said nothing about low quality. Perhaps more focused topics, installations and product tests, but not lower quality.

Let me make it clear to everybody that a vote for a greater variety of stories per issue is not a vote for lower quality.  

Don't you think that quality can depend heavily on the length of the article? I know in some cases you can be very concise and still get a point across very well, but we aren't dealing with simple topics here. In a lot of situations these topics are over-generalized and put into "benchracing" theory that does not fly with scientific theory.  

If it takes length to prove the lessons and theories put forth in the article, then please, longer articles.  There are too many stories of results being bent to prove the articles point (like one magazines "before" dyno numbers being run on a Mustang while it was in the overly rich cold start mode, then the "after" numbers were while it was at normal operating temp)..   Convenient big power boost for the mod, far from accurate though.

Also on the nit-pick list are combos not being optimised before being upgraded to over value the upgrade.

Jim  

Sounds like you're reading too many Mustang magazines! Seriously though, the longer reads don't bother you or put you off?  

Sadly, it wasn't even a Ford-based rag..

I am more apt to buy a magazine with a great long article as opposed to just reading it at the news stand.  If I buy it more than twice, I get a subscription..

Jim W  

Very interesting and useful info. Tell me, what do we need to do to make people buy the SAME ISSUE twice? That would be the mother lode... Just kidding.  

Put a golden ticket in 10 of them and give the winner a tour of the office and one of the derelict project cars.

:-)
Jim W
(the W is for Wonka)


...Or I could save time and just clarify that I meant two different issues....  

But I want people to buy the same issue twice. You know, it's like voting, as in, "vote early, and vote often"!  

i like full in depth info on the subject ...in this area is not like the saying"Less is more" NOT!!! so more inupt for your readers is allways better ....i
love visserd's info on every sub that he writes about because its more info than other mags write about.  

one of my biggest gripes when reading a tech article in any magazine is to little in depth information. you see a lot of stories where they just gloss over everything and leave out some good pertinant information..i like to read tech atricles that give good thorough information even if it's about a brand that i've never owned or know little about. Bob G  

Thanks for asking, Johnny.

Personally, I feel that the depth of the articles is what separates PHR from the other mags.  In many ways, PHR is part textbook, part car mag.  I favor the textbook part, David Vizard in particular.  I have only been subscribing for less than a year, and for the first time I actually relish the arrival of each issue of a car mag, instead of rolling my eyes at the hype and lack of substance.  Car Craft and Hot Rod each have their niches, and PHR has positioned itself as the thinking man's car mag-- not the knuckle dragger's mag.

As others have alluded to, length of articles equates to quality in many readers' minds, and I count myself in their number.

My wife doesn't understand how I can re-read a car magazine over and over so many times, but I'm quite happy that I have access to a mag that affords me that luxury (read: depth).

Speaking only for myself, I could even handle going down to three articles of 8-10 pages each-- if they were as good as the current tech is.  The July 2006 issue is perhaps the single best issue of any mag I've ever read (Vizard's cam feature, the Guldstrand mod, and the Demon VE).

Keep the great features coming.  The only thing I'd like to add is a little more Mopar content, though I understand that marketing demands that Gm and Ford will dominate the mag's content (as they do in the automotive hobby).  PHR is the best mag for other brand coverage in general, with the big guys as well as some BOP, Mopar, and even AMC in the mix.

All in all, I'd say to "Stay the Course", at least as far as PHR is concerned.  The current mix of brands, depth, and high end versus low-buck is spot-on, imo.

Justin Hohn  

I'll add that you could get me to buy the same issue more than once by having my wife throw something out without my permission.

Oh, and long articles are not a bother if they are well written.  I'd rather read 15 pages of succinct tech, than 4 pages of verbose drivel.

Examples of what NOT to do include the "we want to punch this guy in the nose because he got this fastback Mustang for $500".  Gag.  Good rule of thumb--- a great car article is not about the author or mag in any way (*we* want to punch this guy, *we* are jealous, etc).

Justin  

Vote early vote often, Johnny are you from Chicago? Even the dead wake up to vote multiple times. I like the longer articles. I like the in depth articles on the featured cars. There is a good balance of pictures and text. The type and quility of photography and writing is a step above the other Primedia mags. After 5 years of not reading I have renewed my subscrition.