Skip advert
Advertisement

Old vs new 2018: 30 years of Auto Express road testing (1988 to 2018)

To celebrate our 30th anniversary we put the star cars we were testing in 1988 up against the class leaders of 2018

Auto Express is 30, with 2018 symbolising a landmark three decades of Britain’s biggest-selling weekly car magazine. So to mark this special anniversary (and deliver something a bit different for the festive season), we’re looking back through the ages and pages to see how the automotive landscape has changed since 1988.

Advertisement - Article continues below

But there’s another pertinent point that’s worth mentioning. With Britain and its car manufacturers staring down the barrel of a difficult Brexit, the industry is on the cusp of yet another change.

While there’s been turmoil and torment over the past 30 years, certainly, there have been many success stories, too. Auto Express has always been a champion of the British motor industry (we featured an important new British car on the front cover of Issue 1, no less), so with the iconic pairings we’ve assembled here, we’re looking at how the products we’ve been buying have morphed over this time – and without getting too political, what we hope for the future.

Click on the links to the left or below to see our old vs new head-to-head tests...

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £27,245Avg. savings £2,532 off RRP*Used from £15,199
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £7,825 off RRP*Used from £9,995
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,690Avg. savings £5,308 off RRP*Used from £10,799
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £4,588 off RRP*
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New 2028 Ford Fiesta: all the details on iconic supermini’s sensational comeback
Ford Fiesta render Avarvarii

New 2028 Ford Fiesta: all the details on iconic supermini’s sensational comeback

The new Ford Fiesta would get all-electric power and our exclusive image previews how it could look
News
12 Feb 2026
Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+
Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+ - header

Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+

First report: popular family SUV makes a good first impression on our fleet
Long-term tests
10 Feb 2026
New Suzuki Across is a mirror image of the Toyota RAV4, once again
New Suzuki Across - dynamic front angled

New Suzuki Across is a mirror image of the Toyota RAV4, once again

The new Suzuki Across gets the latest plug-in hybrid system from its Toyota relative, but it's not coming to the UK
News
11 Feb 2026