A car expert has suggested that Britons should avoid buying new cars for the rest of year due to the current state of the economy.
In recent years, Britons have been hit by a series of economic headwinds that have culminated in a skyrocketing cost of living that has risen faster than wages can keep up.
As a result, Britons needing a new car are finding their options are financially limited because of the squeeze on household budgets. Now, automotive commentator Mike Rutherford has suggested not buying a new car at all.
Writing in AutoExpress, Mr Rutherford bemoaned the fact that wages hadn’t risen at the same rate as new car prices and issued a one word piece of advice for anyone entering the new car market.
Mr Rutherford said: “My advice to anyone thinking of purchasing a brand-new car in an uncertain, inflation-ravaged Britain in the final months of 2025? Don’t. No Need.
“Fact is, for too many years, wages haven’t kept pace with new-car inflation. And that’s why so many customers are now forced to abandon the idea of buying and owning. Instead they’re leasing and becoming short, medium, or long-term rental customers.”
Mr Rutherford isn’t the first prominent automotive expert to highlight the increasing cost of driving even a used car with thousands of Britons considering ditching cars altogether due to their cost.
According to a survey of 2,000 people by bus operator Stagecoach in April, 41 percent of respondents worried they would have to give up their car with the number rising to 55 percent for Plymouth.
In a statement, chief commercial officer for Stagecoach, Debra Goodwin, said: “In today’s non-stop world with costs rising, considering alternative ways to commute into work is important.
“In a time when mental wellness is paramount, trading costly and stressful car commutes for calmer, more productive journeys could be the change many need.”
All this pressure on the cost of driving in the UK comes ahead of Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget on November 26, one which could see some major shake ups and more taxes for Briton’s motorists.
Alongside cuts to the Motability scheme that supports over 800,000 drivers, the Chancellor is could increase fuel duty by one or two pence.
However, the most controversial proposal is the pay-per-mile car tax and a potential levy on a car’s weight with the latter potentially disproportionately affect drivers of heavy electric cars or big SUVs.
The i reported that said pay-per-mile tax could affect 1.3 million people who own an electric vehicle and in part to offset the loss from fewer people having petrol and diesel cars and thus fewer people paying fuel duty.
Speaking to the publication, one senior government source said: “This is ultimately a decision for the Treasury. But they have recognised that any new tax on EVs needs to have a phased implementation and be introduced alongside a generous package of support to ensure we continue to drive the transition and support manufacturers.”
Whilst the idea of a pay-per-mile scheme is controversial, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t work, with CarWow’s head of editorial Iain Reid telling the Express it could be a fairer scheme, but only if it’s applied in a nuanced way.
He said: “Some believe a fairer, more transparent approach would be to move toward a pay-per-mile system. That way, everyone pays in proportion to their actual road use, rather than being taxed simply for owning or fuelling a car.
“However, switching to alternative methods such as pay-per-mile would involve many considerations – robust privacy protections, smooth administration, safeguards for rural drivers and essential workers.”
