Do drivers keep their cars longer? Ford Focus dominates!

The cost of living has been rising more and more over the years, not only in food, fuel, water, electricity, etc… But more specifically in more tangible things like the house, and of course, the car.

Unfortunately, when the cost of living rises, it is very difficult to fall again. A trend that is obviously affecting the automobile market, which nowadays moves many fewer units compared to the recent past.

In fact, just look at our article regarding the various generations of Renault Clio to understand how the way a consumer buys or does not buy a new car has changed, especially in Portugal.

More specifically, according to data from the United Kingdom, from January to October, the number of cars scrapped reached 798,363 units. This includes private cars and light commercial vehicles. In other words, less than half compared to the number of new vehicle purchases that reached 1,889,758 units!

Why so much fear or refusal to change cars?

Well, there are several factors. The first is the price of a new car, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. But perhaps more important than that, the fact that the electric revolution is still unknown to many consumers.

• Buy an electric car now? It’s expensive and no one knows what will happen to charging technologies or how long a battery can last.
• Buying a diesel car? Forget that, diesel is “dead”. It’s a path without a future.
• Gasoline with electric assistance? This is usually one of the most sensible alternatives, but it also doesn’t represent much of an improvement compared to simpler gasoline cars.
• Wait for something better? This has been the choice of drivers. At the same time, they opt for used cars for the “now”.

Which vehicle dominated UK kills in 2023?

You probably discovered right from the title, the Ford Focus was the vehicle with 42,637 copies going to the scrapyard this year alone. But this has a reason to happen, and that is that since its arrival in 1998, the Ford Focus has been one of the most sought after cars in the United Kingdom. With buyers focusing on family use preferring this offering over rivals’ offerings.

From 1999 to 2009, for two generations, the Focus was the number one car in new car sales in the UK!

Having said that above, right after the Ford Focus being scrapped, we have the Vauxhall Astra, with 35,578 units destroyed, the Vauxhall Corsa with 34,405 units, followed closely by the Ford Fiesta with 32,935 units scrapped.

• Note: Vauxhall = Opel. The brand uses another name in the UK.

In short, it’s not easy to change cars these days. Inflated prices, high costs of living and uncertainty about future technology are putting pressure on the decision to buy a new car.

However, each case is different! Is it worth it to always fix your old car?

Furthermore, what do you think about drivers keeping their cars longer? Is this the right decision and even more ecological? Share your opinion with us in the comments below.