James Dennison
James has been working in the automotive industry for ten years and has been writing about and making videos on cars since 2016. A University of Southampton graduate with an English BA, he’s been a car and motorsport fanatic for as long as he can remember.Read more
Having taken his first role in the industry at a car dealership in 2014, James had the perfect background to understand exactly what the modern car buyer was looking for and took this knowledge into his first role at Parkers.co.uk in 2016.
After getting experience of just about every aspect of motoring journalism as Junior Staff Writer at Parkers.co.uk, James then went on to hold a variety of video-related positions, eventually becoming Head of Automotive Video in 2019 and covering the Parkers, CAR magazine and MCN brands.
James enjoys delivering both entertaining and informative content via the medium of video and has a strong team of videographers around him to help deliver this. Often found in front of camera for CAR magazine, James and his team have won awards for their Porsche 911 GT3 and Toyota GR86 review videos, with many more shortlisted over the years.
Outside of delivering automotive video content, James is a sporadic racing driver and frequent motorsport instructor with an official ARDS qualification allowing him to do on-track tutoring across the country. As a result, James has been fortunate enough to drive some legendary cars from the automotive world, including the 1998 Le Mans-winning Porsche GT1, a Honda Civic Type R BTCC car, a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, a 1954 Alfa Romeo Sport Spider and the Paris-Dakar-winning Porsche 911 Dakar to name but a few.
Some of James’ top tips for Parkers readers are:
- Test drive cars before buying. Sounds obvious, but many people do not. It’s absolutely crucial.
- Don’t be pressured into a certain type of car, especially when it comes to fuel. In 2024, there’s still a place for electric, diesel and petrol.
- Search the web for good deals on new or nearly new cars. There’s fantastic value out there if you look hard enough.
James has an open mind when it comes to the future of the automotive industry, but he still believes that technology such as self-driving has a long way to go. He’s also easily irritated by poor user interfaces and controls in vehicles, as well as unnecessary tech!
Latest from this author
-
Mazda 2 long-term review1. Welcome 2. Finance costs 3. What’s it like to drive? 4. Petrol vs diesel 5. vs Fiesta 6. Warning light 7. Niggles 8. Fuel economy 9. Farewell Update 1: Welcome from the both of us Bit of a...9 May 2018
-
SEAT Ibiza FR long-term reviewThe story of our SEAT Ibiza… 1. Welcome 2. Initial impressions 3. Teething troubles 4. Apple CarPlay: worth it? 5. Mk.1 Ibiza vs. Mk.5 Ibiza 6. Finance my Ibiza 7. Ibiza vs. Polo 8. Road trip: Ibiza in...20 Apr 2018
-
Mercedes-Benz A-Class 2018: early drive reviewParkers overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 4.4 The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the smallest and cheapest model in the manufacturer’s range and comes exclusively in five-door hatchback...17 Apr 2018
-
Skoda plans electric car assault after record yearSkoda has confirmed it will have 10 electrified cars in its model line-up by 2025, including a production version of the SEAT Arona-rivalling Vision X concept that debuted at the...20 Mar 2018
-
Hyundai revamps its Click to Buy online car buying serviceHyundai’s pioneering Click to Buy car purchasing scheme is undergoing a major overhaul from April 2018. Unlike when the service first launched in 2016, customers will soon be able to...20 Feb 2018
-
Essential Ibiza: a history of SEAT’s small hatchbackFresh from its victory in the 2018 Parkers Awards, we took our long-term Mk5 SEAT Ibiza on a pilgrimage to Barcelona for a little family reunion. From the arrow-straight styling...5 Feb 2018
-
VW Up GTI reviewParkers overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 4.6 The Volkswagen Up GTI sits at the base of the German company’s range of performance hatchbacks, and boasts a number...29 Jan 2018
-
Annual new car sales down for the first time since 2011December 2017 represented the ninth consecutive month of sales decline for the UK new car market, with overall demand falling by 5.7% in 2017. Much of the decline has been...5 Jan 2018
-
All-electric Renault Kangoo Van helps combat poverty in LondonRenault UK has provided the Felix Project with a zero-emission Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. to help redistribute food to some of London’s poorest inhabitants. The Felix Project Founded in 2016 in memory...1 Dec 2017
-
Prepare to pay £168 a week for driving your older van into LondonDrivers of vans with pre-Euro 6 diesel engines will be charged £12.50 a day (on top of the existing £11.50 Congestion Charge) to enter Central London under new proposals from...3 Nov 2017
-
SEAT Store arrives in London shopping centreSEAT has added to its Essex Intu Lakeside Store with another retail-style outlet in the Westfield Shopping Centre. Like its Essex counterpart, the London store will allow customers to test...29 Sept 2017
-
Early Drive: 2017 Vauxhall Insignia Sports TourerParkers overall rating: 4.2 out of 5 4.2 The Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is the estate version of the Insignia Grand Sport, and promises greater practicality, equipment and value...23 Jun 2017