Used cars

Stub out or lose a sale

According to a top cleaning product firm, 85 per cent of drivers would avoid a second-hand motor if it smelled of cigarettes

Auto Express Car Reviews

19th July 2007

Hot on the heels of the introduction of the UK-wide smoking ban, the research shows that the car’s days as a refuge for smokers are clearly numbered. The survey also discovered that even if potential buyers were prepared to purchase a smokey vehicle, the seller would have to drop their price by up to £700.

“The smell of stale smoke, not to mention the stains left by nicotine on interior upholstery, is abhorrent to the vast majority of drivers. While smokers may already feel hard done by with the ban coming into effect, if they use their cars as ashtrays, they are only going to lose out even more,” explained a spokesman for Comma, which conducted the research.