Convenience Is Beating Brand Loyalty In UK Car Buying, Here’s Why It’s Happening

Ask a driver what they want next and you’ll still hear the usual favourites, “I’ve always had a Ford”, “I’m a BMW person”, “I’d never drive anything but a Volkswagen”.

Then you look at what they actually buy, and it’s different.

Right now, cost pressure is pushing people toward the option that feels easiest, fastest, and safest for their budget. Not the badge they once swore by. You can see it in how people browse, how quickly they change their shortlist, and how often they say, “I just need something that works”.

This is a UK-wide shift, and it’s showing up across new and used.

Why Convenience Is Winning Right Now

Convenience is not just “home delivery”. In car buying it usually means:

• the car is available now, not in 10 weeks
• the price feels fair without a fight
• the monthly payment is clear
• the dealer replies quickly and explains things simply
• the paperwork is smooth

When money is tight, people have less patience for friction. They want certainty.

That matches what wider consumer research is seeing. EY’s UK consumer work has found people are putting value ahead of brand, with financial worries still sitting in the background for many households.

And it matches what the economic data says too. ONS figures show real household disposable income per head fell in mid-2025, with households also dipping into savings more than earlier in the year.

The Resolution Foundation also points to a long stretch of weak income growth, which helps explain why buyers are more payment-led than loyalty-led.

What This Looks Like In Car Buying

Shortlists Are Getting Wider, Faster

People are browsing more, comparing more, and switching more.

Auto Trader has talked about how demand is spread across more brands than before, especially as new entrants fight for attention. Their own insight notes that more brands are competing for a share of roughly 2 million new car sales, with far more brands active than in 2019.

That’s not just interesting trivia. It means loyalty is being tested daily, because the customer has more options on screen than they used to.

Availability Matters More Than Identity

If the “dream” car is three weeks away and the “good enough” car is sitting on the forecourt with a clear monthly payment, many buyers take the second one.

This is especially true in used, where quick decision-making is often driven by one thing, “Will this be gone tomorrow?”

Auto Trader has consistently reported strong platform engagement and stable used demand, which is the perfect environment for convenience-first choices.

Buyers Are Shopping With A Budget Ceiling

A lot of customers aren’t asking “what do I like?” first. They’re asking “what can I afford?” then working backwards.

That pushes people into:

• different brands than they expected
• older cars than they planned
• trims with fewer extras
• models with better running costs, not bigger status

What’s Happening To Brand Loyalty More Generally

This shift is bigger than cars.

Multiple UK surveys across retail show loyalty has become softer and more conditional. One 2024 UK survey found 67% of consumers said they were less loyal to brands than two years ago, with cost being the main driver.

In other words, it’s not that loyalty is “dead”. It’s just no longer strong enough to survive financial stress.

In car buying, that plays out as “I used to only buy Brand X, but this one is cheaper, closer, and the dealer is easier to deal with”.

The New Loyalty Is To The Experience

Here’s the uncomfortable truth for the industry.

Many customers are no longer loyal to a badge. They’re loyal to:

• the dealer who made it simple
• the lender who explained it clearly
• the brand that didn’t mess them around
• the finance journey that didn’t feel risky

This is why speed of response, clarity in adverts, and payment transparency are suddenly so powerful. People don’t want to feel like they’re walking into a negotiation trap.

If your website hides the APR, buries the deposit, or makes the customer fill in five forms just to get a call back, you lose them to the next tab.

What Dealers Can Do To Win The Convenience Buyer

Make The First 30 Seconds Easy

Most shoppers decide if they trust you very quickly.

So give them what they came for:

• price that looks real, not bait
• a payment example that makes sense
• a short list of what’s included (warranty, prep, history)
• clear contact options

Reply Like You Actually Want The Sale

If you reply in three hours and someone else replies in three minutes, you’ve probably lost the deal.

Convenience buyers don’t “wait and see”. They move.

Don’t Over-Sell The Badge

If the buyer is in budget mode, heavy brand messaging can feel out of touch.

Instead, sell what matters now:

• reliability
• running costs
• condition
• simple ownership

What Brokers And Dealers Can Do To Stay Front Of Mind

Brokers are in a strong position here, because convenience is basically what a good broker provides.

But the winners will be the ones who remove uncertainty:

• set expectations on timelines
• be clear on documents
• explain what “approved” really means
• give the customer one simple next step

If a customer feels you’re organised, they stop shopping around.

Where Marsh Finance Fits In

At Marsh Finance, we see the same pattern in applications and conversations.

Customers are still buying cars. They’re just buying differently. They want the monthly number clear, they want the process quick, and they don’t want surprises.

That’s why we focus on:

• simple, transparent finance journeys
• fast decisions that match how people actually shop
• clear explanations that support good customer outcomes

Because in a convenience-first market, the finance experience is not a back-office step. It’s part of the product.

Partner with Marsh Finance today!