David Ross
Title: Editor
David Ross has more than 25 years of motoring journalism experience and has been editor of HonestJohn since 2015, overseeing all of HonestJohn's editorial output.
His first job was in glamorous Surbiton as features writer on a magazine about shipping called Container Management (we all have to start somewhere) before a brief and pretty disastrous stint to Performance BMW magazine. After contemplating becoming a teacher but realising he didn't have the patience, he landed a job at Automotive Management as features editor.
From there he got his dream job, moving to Auto Express in 2005 as a road tester before joining Parkers in a similar role. In 2010 he moved to HonestJohn as new car editor.
David studied English Literature badly at Kingston University and was editor of the student union newspaper after finishing his degree.
He is also one of the founding judges at UKCOTY and has featured as a consumer expert in various places such as the BBC - including several appearance on Radio 2's You and Yours - and The Guardian.
As a consumer champion, David's focus is on helping motorists save money, get good deals and avoid being ripped off. He has recently sold his 1980 Mercedes 280E saloon and is currently trying hard not to buy yet another car...
What advice would you give to car buyers?
Do your homework and never rush in. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a new car but it's crucial to take a step back and make sure the car you're buying is a good deal. Check the history and background, ask the seller questions and have a really thorough look around. It doesn't matter if it's six months old or six years. And also remember your consumer rights if anything goes wrong - the law is there to help buyers.
What was your first car?
It was early 1995 and having just passed my test I ended up with a 1980 Ford Fiesta 1.1L in Primrose Yellow with more than a hint of rust. The heater never worked properly and to begin with it only had a radio with MW, but it never let me down and I travelled miles in it. If I remember rightly, it cost a grand total of £175 and had 12 months MoT. It was replaced by a 1990 Nissan Micra.
What cars do you currently own?
Our family car is a 2020 Audi e-tron 50 but we also own a 2009 Ford Focus Estate that has done an astronomical number of miles and costs peanuts to run, but is a great car for moving stuff around. Tucked up in a garage I also have a 1997 BMW 328i Convertible SE which, amazingly, has no rust. I bought it from a doctor who had owned it since new and used it to drive down to his holiday home in the south of France. Life goals.
