Stuart Masson - The Car Expert Editorial Director

By Tom Seymour

Last updated: Jul 2nd 2024

Share article

The Car Expert has built its no-nonsense and balanced advice on motoring on the expertise from a former car sales executive.

Stuart Masson started his career working at dealerships in Australia and then in the UK, but could see all the areas customers were coming unstuck when it came to deciding their next car and this is what inspired the launch of The Car Expert in 2014.

The site has grown over the last 10 years to offer expert advice, reviews and ratings for the latest new car models, including the best new electric vehicles (EVs).

Masson said: “No one in the motoring media was really covering things like finance, or car ownership or the mechanics of how or why people buy cars.

"Most car journalists have never been down to a car dealership and taken out a PCP. Their priorities are quite different to real-world customers.

“I stumbled into a niche, almost by accident.”

Part of the core of the site is that while the majority of people need transport, they might not be that interested in the cars themselves.

He said: “We want to help customers get a good steer and get them the right advice as part of that car buying journey.

"You shouldn't need a car industry dictionary and glossary to read car reviews."

Electric tomatoes

Pictured: MG4

A unique part to the way The Car Expert rates new vehicles is a bit of a twist on Rotten Tomatoes, by aggregating a critical consensus on what experts think about the latest launches.

It started by pulling together all the views and ratings from car magazines and major newspapers, but has grown more sophisticated in time. The Expert Rating is now on its third generation and is underpinned by “a sophisticated algorithm” that takes into account a broader range of specialist views from the EV, fleet and performance industry.

Other factors that might see a new EV get an A rating include things like the age of the review, different scoring systems, safety, fuel economy, running costs and reliability.

Masson said: “We’re updating it all the time so we’re now looking at adding in depreciation (the expected drop in value your car will experience over time), as well as things like owner reviews and warranties.”

The Car Experts best rated EV is the MG4, which actually won its overall Car of the Year for 2024.

Masson gave a glowing recommendation: “For a car that costs less than an entry level Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, the MG4 is very well specced and it offers staggering value.”

The range of choice for EVs is expanding rapidly and this is reflected in The Car Expert’s expanding list of A rated EVs, which include examples like the Nissan Ariya, Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq, Kia Niro and many more.

The media is missing the point on EV buyer motivation

While Masson and his team evaluate the latest EVs with road tests, which means they are still living and running the latest EVs, he’s still waiting to actually make the switch personally with his own personal car.

Masson explained that he has always owned vehicles over a longer period, but his next purchase will be an EV.

It means Masson approaches EV ownership from a balanced perspective and while he does believe the technology is the future for automotive, it’s not the right choice for every driver right now, particularly those that are doing hundreds of miles on the road each week.

Masson said: “We will be getting an EV as our next car and a home charging point.

“That’s the point that the media coverage misses I think in terms of buyer motivation for EVs.

“It’s about monthly budgets and finance for the mass market customer, rather than a reluctance to buy EVs, range anxiety or lack of choice at this stage.”

The used EV market could also be another transformative factor for this mass market customer. EVs coming into the used car market in greater numbers has been challenging for leasing companies as prices have fallen, but it means prices and availability are increasing for used car customers.

Masson said: “There are a lot of people simply waiting for EVs to drop into their price point. It’s not a question of if but when will they make that jump?”

The EV learning curve

Masson said the car industry collectively wants people to think EV ownership is painless.

However, he thinks car brands and the EV industry can ignore or minimise the learning curve involved in switching from petrol or diesel to EV, particularly for car customers who aren't EV or net zero evangelists.

Masson said: “People that own EVs love their cars once they understand them and are confident with how they operate. We know the vast majority of EV owners wouldn’t go back to an internal combustion engine (ICE).

“We now have to get people over the line who don’t necessarily want an EV, they just want a car. “

Masson said mass market customers would be happy to switch to an EV as long as the budget makes sense and it can be better than an ICE vehicle.

He explained: “We have to help the customers that don’t really care about cars, that their next one could be an EV. It means you have to help customers understand all the positives and address the challenges.”

This situation isn’t helped by the fact the “anti-EV media” are being allowed to frame the argument.

Masson used the example of Apple launching the iPhone to boos from people complaining they had to charge their phone every day.

He said: “Before the iPhone your Nokia brick would last a week without needing to be charged.

“The concern around that probably lasted about a week.”

Masson said the idea that EVs have to be perfect, rather than as good or better than ICE vehicles has been skewing the debate.

He said: “For an average punter, the debate is full of misinformation and full of commentators that are either rabidly anti-EV or pro-EV, rather than clear and calm advice.

“Our position is that we don’t care what you buy, but this is what you should know before you do.

“But most of the discussion that is out there is hugely polarised one way or the other.”

The EV culture war

The benefits for EVs are clear. They’re quiet, smooth and comfortable. Charging overnight at home is a no-brainer to keep running costs to a minimum.

There are some media publications that are opposing net zero. Others are in favour. Masson believes neither wants to take a balanced view of the topic and can play to their readership.

This issue should fade in time as EVs become more mass market.

Masson said: “The UK vehicle market does not exist in a bubble. It’s tied into what is going on around the world. The direction of travel is relentlessly moving away from fossil fuels.

"Hydrogen is no way near capable of operating as an alternative to ICE. There will be a place in niches like heavy vehicles. But for the family car, you'll be waiting for a very long time if you want to buy a hydrogen car at an affordable price."

What will happen next with EV affordability?

Pictured: Volkswagen e-Up

It’s all been pretty quiet from the major political parties in terms of motoring generally, let alone anything specific to EVs.

Masson is comfortable with Government grants disappearing for the cost of EVs, as car manufacturers are reducing prices now to a comparable level with new ICE, as well as lower prices for used EVs.

However, he wants to see more support and strategy focussed on making sure there are enough charging points up and down the country.

Masson said: “We took a Nissan Ariya on a 1,000 road trip only relying on public charging.

“We went all around the country from Farnham to York, up to Scotland and back down again.

The car was lovely and is definitely on the shortlist for me, but the destination charging was a pain. Motorway rapid charging was actually fine, but destination charging just wasn’t good enough yet.”

The Car Expert team would sometimes have to leave a parking spot at a hotel to find a charging point overnight elsewhere. Most were in public multi-story car parks.

This added an extra £25 a night to park and an extra £40 to charge.

Masson said: “Every supermarket, hotel, workplace, gym, cinema and everywhere there’s a public car park should have destination chargers.

“I do also support the idea that VAT should be the same as charging at home and publicly.

“It’s just not enough of an election issue yet. When it comes to manifestos, there’s more mileage in potholes than in EV infrastructure.”

Will we see car brands disappear as new EV challengers emerge?

Masson expects there to be car brands that do go bust, but this is “nothing new”.

Saab has gone. Alfa Romeo has flirted with bankruptcy. New brands like BYD, Omoda, Jaecoo and GWM Ora are quickly establishing new car dealerships across the UK.

Masson said: "The EV industry is essentially the car 2.0. It's the biggest shift since cars began.

“It means there will be failures. If you go back to the early 1900s, in Detroit there were 200 car brands. There ended up being three. Those three dominated the world’s biggest industry for nearly 100 years.”

Masson believes the global car industry is next in line to be dominated by China. The European Commission has introduced a 38% tariff on new Chinese-produced cars to try and slow the tide. However, it's not something the UK has followed suit with yet.

Masson said: “European car manufacturers have been prepared to accept China’s terms because they wanted access to that domestic market.

"That's coming back to bite them now.

“Ultimately I think the ship has sailed. They’re trying to close the door after the horse has already bolted.”