Toby Aiken started writing our Motoring feature in our March 2019 issue, and since then he has reviewed a plethora of vehicles. From family hatchbacks and entry-level runarounds, to luxury sports cars and the increasing range of electric cars on offer today, Toby – a self-confessed petrol head – loves getting behind the wheel and sharing his experiences with our readers.

We asked Toby to share a little bit about himself and why he writes for us.

“I love writing; it’s a massive part of my job and, as a lifelong fan of cars and self-proclaimed petrolhead, it seemed the most suitable choice of topic! I work in marketing and public relations, so writing is something that is ingrained in my everyday life. As far as qualifications for cars, I love driving them and am passionate about communicating the experience, so I think that’s the best qualification.”

What is your favourite thing about The Local Answer?
“I think the value of local magazines to communicate to people about issues and topics that might interest them is really important. The wider print media landscape has been sadly diminished over the years, so seeing such a magazine continuing to flourish with such a dedicated readership is reassuring that long-form content has a place for many years to come.”

What is your favourite thing about Gloucestershire?
“The variety of landscapes we have from busy city and town centres, history and culture, and the wide open spaces as well as the Forest of Dean – we really do have everything here.”

Which is your favourite car that you’ve ever driven?
“I get asked this a lot and it’s such a hard question. I always love getting into a McLaren – there’s something about them that is so different and everything is about the driving experience. They really are something amazing.”

If money was no object, which car would you most like to own?
“You spelled ‘cars’ wrong. I'd definitely own a McLaren for the weekends, probably a Mustang for a daily driver – it’s surprisingly practical with four seats and a big boot – and a Land Rover Defender for the off-road capabilities.”

Conversely, what is your top ‘budget-friendly’ car?
“Define budget... A couple of grand will get you a fantastically reliable Ford Focus – possibly even a sporty ST-Line model. Stretch that a little and give yourself £5k to play with and you could own a lovely Mk 1 Jaguar XF (as I do). If you’re looking for something less than £1k for the real budget option, you could pick up a lovely Mini Cooper. I love a Mini – so connected and so much fun to drive, and there’s loads available for smaller budgets!”



If there are any cars you’d like Toby to review, or other motoring topics you think would be interesting for him to cover, let us know. Email your thoughts to: lois@thelocalanswer.co.uk