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.
Convenience is not just “home delivery”. In car buying it usually means:
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.
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.
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.
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:
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”.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth for the industry.
Many customers are no longer loyal to a badge. They’re loyal to:
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.
Most shoppers decide if they trust you very quickly.
So give them what they came for:
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.
If the buyer is in budget mode, heavy brand messaging can feel out of touch.
Instead, sell what matters now:
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:
If a customer feels you’re organised, they stop shopping around.
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:
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!