
Luke Wilkinson
Luke’s worked as an automotive journalist since 2018. He started his career as a Staff Writer in Britain’s biggest weekly motoring magazine, Auto Express, before joining the Parkers team in February 2022.
He was dabbling in car journalism long before he left university, however. He just wasn’t being paid for it. As a student, he’d visit his local car dealerships (acting as if he had some money to spend) and test drive cars. He’d then write reviews on those cars for his own website, FinalDrive magazine.
The work he did in his spare time was enough to land him an internship with the Daily Record’s motoring supplement, Road Record. This gave him his first taste of how a working automotive title operates and set him up for his first proper job after his studies.
Highlights of his career so far include driving a V8-powered (and ULEZ exempt!) Range Rover Classic down Savile Row, redlining the David Brown Automotive Mini Remastered and hammering a McLaren 720S down a mile straight at 167mph in the pouring rain.
Luke needs to keep up to speed with the new car market for his job, but he’s arguably even more interested in driving older vehicles. He’s currently working to get his classic Mini back on the road, while his Dad has just finished restoring his Alfa Romeo 156. Needless to say, a love for corrosion-prone motors runs in his family.
Luke’s top tips for Parkers readers are:
- Watch model cycles like a hawk – for example, when manufacturers launch facelifted versions of their cars, there are usually deals to be had on pre-facelift models.
- Don’t be afraid of a naff badge – historically low-rent brands such as Skoda and Dacia have come an awfully long way, and now make some cracking family cars with perfectly acceptable interiors and driving dynamics.
- Shop used – leasing is all the rage these days, but you can get an excellent used car for not much more than the cost of a Personal Contract Hire deal’s deposit. Don’t over stretch yourself just for the sake of having a brand-new car on your driveway.
Latest from this author
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Audi Q7 SUV (15 on) reviewAn imposing and comfortable full-sized SUV23 Dec 2024
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Best sports cars 2025 – our expert choices of the cream of the fast car cropSports cars sacrifice practicality, fuel economy and (for the most part) affordability in the name of fun. If you’re a keen driver with a bit of disposable income and space...23 Dec 2024
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Best cheap fast cars - the Top 10 fun-driving, affordable, new cars guaranteed to make you grinNo new car (especially a fast one) is cheap to buy these days. However, we might have found a way to work the system. If you lease your next car...23 Dec 2024
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The best city cars on sale in 2025 - pint-sized bargains with giant-killing economyHeavily built-up urban environments can make car ownership a bit of a pain, but you can alleviate some of the bother with a purpose-built city car. They’re very small –...23 Dec 2024
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Cupra Tavascan SUV (24 on) reviewHigh drama for Cupra's range-topping electric coupe18 Dec 2024
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Tackling the rough stuff: how to drive off roadSUVs are hugely popular right now. Over the past decade, car makers have been steadily purging their model ranges of saloons and hatchbacks and replacing them with tall-riding, tough-looking crossovers....17 Dec 2024
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BMW 1-Series M135 (24 on) reviewBlisteringly fast, yet disappointingly sterile.11 Dec 2024
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Cupra Formentor SUV (20 on) reviewSporty crossover for keen drivers – but is it too niche?29 Nov 2024
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Volkswagen ID. Buzz MPV (22 on) reviewVolkswagen's ice-cold MPV gets an upgrade18 Nov 2024
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Abarth 595 Hatchback (12-24) reviewStylish and exciting, but not for everyone5 Nov 2024