Why are cars smaller in the UK?

Small cars are big business in the UK. There are several reasons why this is the case: our increasingly crowded cities are congested places with little in the way of parking provision, while the cost of fuel forces many drivers to look for small, efficient vehicles to get around in.

Why do people in the UK have old cars?

It suggests that the UK’s car fleet is getting older because drivers are being put off from making new purchases. The DfT figures show that a record 37.7 million vehicles were on British roads at the end of last year. The number of new registrations — cars put on the road for the first time last year — was 3.1 million.

Why are small cars popular in Europe?

There are many reasons. One is that fuel is expensive and smaller lighter cars burn less of it. Another is that in many cities the streets were built (i.e. buildings were put up) before the age of the automobile and those streets are narrow.

How long do people keep cars on average UK?

8.3 years
But according to the research, the average age of all cars on UK roads has increased from 6.7 years in 1994 to 8.3 years in 2019.

Why are cars in the UK so expensive to maintain?

The MOT means cars get expensive to keep on the road after only a few years. Registration / license plate encodes the year of first registration in the UK, not the US. Everyone knows how old your car is. British people are weirdly snobbish about that. Fuel cost. New cars have better fuel economy. Company car culture in the UK.

How does the UK car market compare to the US market?

It is not meaningful to compare the UK car market to the US, the US has multiple geographical markets where prices vary. One factor in the used car market is the UK is hard on cars, the weather reduces cars to piles of rust in 10 or so years, but there are many areas in the US where a 20 year old car can be found in prestine condition.

Why don’t Americans buy used cars from the UK?

One factor in the used car market is the UK is hard on cars, the weather reduces cars to piles of rust in 10 or so years, but there are many areas in the US where a 20 year old car can be found in prestine condition. The UK also has the MOT which artificially limits cars economic life, most US states do not have such a program.

Why are used cars so expensive in the USA?

One reason that used cars are more expensive, in the USA: in the US, we don’t typically burden the end user with the costs of recycling the vehicle at end of life…these schemes are a lot more popular in Europe, though.