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

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £10,500Avg. savings £2,285 off RRP*Used from £6,105
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £22,197Avg. savings £3,091 off RRP*Used from £21,997
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £12,970Avg. savings £2,455 off RRP*Used from £10,990
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £18,900Avg. savings £3,079 off RRP*Used from £10,558
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

BMW i3 vs Mercedes C-Class Electric vs Hyundai Ioniq 6: big test for the 3 Series EV
BMW i3 vs Mercedes C-Class Electric vs Hyundai Ioniq 6 - front tracking

BMW i3 vs Mercedes C-Class Electric vs Hyundai Ioniq 6: big test for the 3 Series EV

The new electric BMW 3 Series takes on Mercedes’ latest C-Class and the updated Hyundai Ioniq 6 in a premium EV showdown
Car group tests
10 Nov 2026
EV drivers brace for £1 per kWh charging prices as standing charges skyrocket
Fiat 500 connected to a Gridserve rapid charger

EV drivers brace for £1 per kWh charging prices as standing charges skyrocket

A new impact assessment of operator standing charges estimates the cost of plugging in could exceed £1 per kWh before VAT and running costs are even c…
News
12 Nov 2026
New Volvo XC40 facelift on sale with EX40 EV and EC40 coupe SUV, too
Volvo XC40 - Ellis Hyde front

New Volvo XC40 facelift on sale with EX40 EV and EC40 coupe SUV, too

The petrol XC40, plus the electric EX40 and EC40 are on sale now, priced from £37,710
News
10 Nov 2026