Mechanic warns drivers to ‘stop buying’ this vehicle in 2025

Professional Mechanic in the garage. Auto repair garage. Hands of car mechanic with wrench in garage.

A leading mechanic has warned road users to carefully consider one type of car (Image: Getty)

Top motoring mechanic Scotty Kilmer has warned motorists to “stop buying” one type of vehicle in 2025. The leading expert stressed that some road users were buying an “all-wheel drive” petrol, diesel, or electric car when they didn’t need one.

All-wheel drive models distribute power to all four wheels of a vehicle simultaneously, enhancing grip and stability. These systems automatically adjust power to match the surface grip level, differing from four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive systems, which rely on more human control. However, all-wheel drive cars are generally more expensive, with Scotty encouraging only certain road users to opt for the design.

British street with snow

All-wheel drive is better in snow and ice (Image: Getty)

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Scotty said: "Today I'm going to help you decide whether you should get four-wheel drive, all-wheel drive or two-wheel drive in your vehicle. Now a lot of guys with trucks want four-wheel drive so they can turn it on if they're taking a boat in and out of the water and then they can turn it off to get better gas mileage.

“Now some people think they ended an all-wheel drive car, so all four wheels drive all of the time. But it's an added expense, the car costs more, and you're going to get worse gas mileage.

“For that, you should decide do you really need it. If you're not towing anything and you just drive on normal roads, you probably don’t need to waste your money on all-wheel drive.”

The title of the video even encouraged road users to “stop buying these vehicles” altogether if motorists were not sure if they would need them.

As well as higher upfront costs, all-wheel drive cars tend to have more confusing powertrains which could increase maintenance costs compared to other vehicles on the market.

A car mechanic servicing a car

But, cars could cost more to repair in a major blow (Image: Getty)

All-wheel-drive cars tend to suffer from increased fuel consumption, while tyres may also wear out a bit quicker in a major blow. One of the major benefits of all-wheel drive is better grip in wintry conditions such as snow and ice.

Although this could be vital during cold snaps in December and January, the UK is rarely hit with major snow blizzards. Motorists praised Scotty’s opinion with some suggesting all-wheel drive models were also overrated.

YouTuber @truckmann1762 said: “I have driven rear wheel drive & front wheel drive. As long as you have snow tires, both will get you through the winter fine.”

@EdWest-f1i added: “AWD is just too many moving parts and more things to fix.”

@Nick41622 posted: “If you don't need a 4x4, it's just extra extra weight you have to carry.”