Will Nightingale has been a motoring journalist for more than 15 years. He is currently reviews editor at What Car?, and held the same role at Autocar (a sister Haymarket brand) between 2015 and 2018.
Will not only writes reviews and comparison tests, but also oversees all aspects of car testing at What Car? and is a regular presenter on the brand’s YouTube channel.
Will first joined What Car? in 2007 as consumer reporter, before which he was a contributor for Car Enthusiast. He has a degree in Management from Bournemouth University.
Will has appeared on the BBC (TV and radio), LBC and Sky News as a motoring expert, and has researched and written multiple articles subsequently covered by major new outlets. An example is a 2023 investigation into the effects of cold weather on the range and efficiency of electric cars. This story featured in The Independent, The Daily Express, This is Money, The Times, Yahoo and more.
Will is an expert in:
- Car testing
- Electric cars
- Consumer advice
- Family cars
- Performance cars
What’s the best piece of advice you could offer a car buyer?
Do your research. Too many people buy a car on a whim because they like the idea of it or are just in a rush – and end up with something that doesn’t really suit their requirements. Read and watch multiple reviews, and make sure you know the discounts that are available on that particular model so you aren’t paying over the odds.
What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
The question I’m always asked when someone finds out what I do for a living! The short but not very helpful answer is: it depends. The longer answer is that from an engineering point of view and considering fitness for purpose, while also factoring in price, I’d go for the third–generation Audi A3 (2013-2020).
If you think that’s a slightly boring answer, then for pure money-no-object, hedonistic thrills, the Ferrari 458 Speciale is pretty tough to beat. The Peugeot 205 GTI, my very first car, also has a special place in my heart (and is utterly brilliant).
What will the car market look like in 20 years?
I think the vast majority of cars on the road will be EVs. Even if the government’s pledge to ban the sale of petrols and diesels by 2030 is pushed back (which I believe it will be for a number of reasons), it’s only a matter of time before fully electric cars become mandatory.
There will possibly be some exceptions for small car companies and for synthetic fuels in supercars, but I don’t believe that other technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, will be a realistic mass-market solution in this timeframe.
