News: Owners regard cars older than 08 registration as unfashionable

WEARING A clip-on tie or buying a CD are deeply unfashionable but according to a new survey, there’s a third: driving an 08-registered car.

The shock news means that drivers of six-year-old cars otherwise thought of as stylish, such as BMW M3s, Mazda MX-5s and Audi A4s, actually wish they were driving something much younger.

In fact, according to the survey by CarSelect, a Coventry-based car supermarket, any car over the age of six years is considered to be unfashionable by 60% of owners.

But there is a solution. They could hide their six-year-old style-free car around the corner out of sight (30% of motorists admitted to this), refuse to give anyone they know, or are related to, a lift in it (20% of 18 to 24-year olds have) or simply tell people it’s younger (27% of those same 18 to 24-year olds have done this).

Men, and people living in the West Midlands, emerged as those most likely to be embarrassed about driving their 08 or older car.

Fortunately, fashion takes a back seat when it comes to deciding what car to buy. Most people (72%) are guided by a car’s price, followed by its mileage (55%) and finally its history (41%).

Tim Porter, managing director of Lex Autolease, which owns CarSelect, said: “When it comes to actually buying a car, it’s reassuring that people consider price, safety and reliability more important than the age of the vehicle.”

Buy a used 08-registered car and younger ones on driving.co.uk