James Tute
James Tute is a writer and production journalist. He has previously held reporting, sub-editing and content management roles for local and national newspapers, magazines and websites.
James started his career on his home town local paper, The Macclesfield Express, before joining the Evening Gazette in Essex, where he reviewed cars and wrote a long-running motoring column (In The Driving Seat). James went on to spend 12 years working in senior production roles for the Sunday Mirror, Sunday People and Mirror.co.uk.
James has a degree in English from Bangor University and a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the University of Central Lancashire. He has been a member of the IAM since 1998.
James is an expert in:
- New car reviews
- Company cars
- Running an electric car
- Motoring news and features
- Road safety
- Car crime
James Tute Q&A
What’s the best piece of advice you could offer a car buyer?
Think long term. The car you’re looking at might be cheap to buy now, but ask yourself how much you’ll be spending each month on fuel (or electricity), depreciation and – as you clock up the mileage – repairs. As luck would have it, Whatcar.com makes that easy. Just have a look at the True MPG, electric car Real Range and What Car? Reliability Survey pages, plus the main review of the model that’s caught your eye.
What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
The model I’ve found myself raving about to people the most in the past couple of years is the BMW i4 electric car. I drove one round and round in circles for a battery range test (which, incidentally, it won) and it gave me a sense of enormous well-being. Several models are great electric cars, but for me, the i4 is a great car that happens to run on electricity. And it looks amazing in Sanremo Green.
What will the car market look like in 20 years?
I think – as now – it will depend where you live and how much cash you have. City dwellers probably won’t bother with cars, they’ll just order autonomous electric MPVs to get around. Beyond the city limits, people will continue to base their car buying/leasing decisions on how much they can afford, how far they drive and what they need to take with them. Hopefully electric cars will prove more economical to maintain long-term than scare stories suggest.
