Car Tax increases from now to 2010

Inverness

Has the Parkers site crashed or is it just that it doesn't want to give me my results? I enter the details and just get a blue screen with their strapline on top.

sarah_elton

Inverness wrote: »

Has the Parkers site crashed or is it just that it doesn't want to give me my results? I enter the details and just get a blue screen with their strapline on top.

Happened to me 10 mins ago - just refresh and you should be ok.

I'm relieved. All these scare-mongering stories had me worried.

Got a Band E 2002 reg Astra 1.6i. CHanging to Band I under the new scheme, so mine's going £170 -> £205 -> £210. Quite relieved by that.

This made me cross - the case study at the bottom. What a typical struggling family.... :mad:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/04/cmmotoring104.xml

AdrianHi

ihatecharges wrote: »

Car manufacturers are forced into adding weight into the vehicle with all the safety electronics, clearances under the bonnet for pedestrian impact, crumple zones, safety cages, Tyre pressure warning systems etc so there has to be an off-set somewhere, and in most cases minor weight savings can make all the difference and In most cases, making cars more fuel efficient makes them heavier.

Cars without a spare wheel have fun flat tyres fitted which are not only fitted for weight benefits (no spare wheel + jack) but they are actually safer and you can drive for upto 150 miles at 50mph on a completely flat tyre (You cannot have a blow out as the rims are re-inforced to prevent this) again its safer to drive home and sort your puncture out that sit on the hard shoulder on the Motorway.

On the other hand you can drive your car on standard tyres, risk a blow out on the motorway, sit on the hard shoulder on the M6 and change your wheel, pay more road tax and drive a heavier which will cost more in fuel but I know what my option is for me!

Plus that nice shiny spare alloy wheel in the boot is something that you do pay for in the list price of the car, and its something I have never used in 20 years of driving.

Have you ever lived with a car with fun (I like that, very funny) or run flat tyres for all 4 season of the year?
I have and eventually by month 14 and after significant research removed the run flat tyres from my car (designed for them) and fitted standard tyres. I've also been discussing this topic on and off with other owners for 2+ years and among them are engineers.
Run-flat tyres are on most cars utter rubbish because:
1. The real range de pressurised is anywhere from 2 miles to usually not more than 50 miles, you might get 150+ if your lucky. This might be enough to get you off the motorway.
2. No small / medium sized tyre fitter carries run flats in stock, 24-48 hours+ wait to get them which is no good when you have 50 miles to get a replacement. Run-flats frequently go out of stock and onto back order for anything from 3 weeks to 3 months depending on the size you need. Most people drive mroe than 150 miles in 3 weeks / months
3. Blowout protection - 85% of blowouts caused by poorly maintained tyre pressures (get in the habit of correcting every 2 to 4 weeks), 10% from slow punctures (Typre Pressure Monitoring system will warn you of this) leaving you with a residual 5% risk of blow out without the need for run flats.
4. Run-flats cause tramlining, harsh ride, sometimes uneven wear patterns (with no other explanation such as tracking alignment) all of which are worse in cold conditions, cost 20% more, last 30% less and therefore have greater environmental impact as you will consume more tyres in the life of the car.
5. Wheel gel / foam kits will not temporarily repair side wall damage or larger puncture holes

So all in all I have the opinion that there is not substitute for a spare wheel, even if we make do with a space saver.
As said I have had to get rid of the run-flats (couldn't buy them even if I wanted them at the time) and I did have a puncture beyond the abilities of the very good gel product (Ultraseal) I was using, so I was stranded.

I have however driven some combinations of wheel size and suspension set up that do seem to work well with these tyres. In time with more development I think they could become more successful and acceptable.

RaspberryFool

I'd love to be able to buy a small, economical car with cheaper road tax and in a low insurance class. However, being tall, I cannot physically fit in the obvious choices. Believe me, I've tried a few. Even large cars such as a Vauxhall Vectra are hopeless if they have a sun roof. Thus, this is an unfair tax on the tall and larger members of the population.
Still, I don't suppose Gordon Brown et al particularly care as they get driven around in their chauffered limousine gas guzzlers.
RF

mrs_pepperpot_3

my hubby is 6'6 and can fit in the toyota aygo, its 35.00 per year cat b
4 seats lovely car.

LOSCHES

Mines a 0.7 litre Smart Roadster, and ive seen conflicting reports about how much my tax will be next year, one report even said £35 so if thats true im well happy!

bryanb

RaspberryFool wrote: »

I'd love to be able to buy a small, economical car with cheaper road tax and in a low insurance class. However, being tall, I cannot physically fit in the obvious choices. Believe me, I've tried a few. Even large cars such as a Vauxhall Vectra are hopeless if they have a sun roof. Thus, this is an unfair tax on the tall and larger members of the population.
Still, I don't suppose Gordon Brown et al particularly care as they get driven around in their chauffered limousine gas guzzlers.
RF

The Citroen Berlingo range is designed to accomodate a French farmer with his hat on.

404

Slightly off topic... but has the government or anyone else worried about safety?

I know if I had a car that would be worthless in 2009/2010, I wouldn't bother pumping any money into it... if the tyres are nearly bald but they past the MOT, what would be the point in paying £200 - £400 for a new set?? I'd run on them as long as possible or buy cheap knockoffs tyres...it would just be a waste of money to get the car ready for it's next MOT.

This whole saga sucks...:mad:

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

My car is worth around £2000, originally it was £35,000. I couldn't care less what it's worth now, if the gearbox went I'd replace it without even thinking about it. The only time I can see myself not repairing any faults on it is when it either goes up in flames, gets bent like a banana, or falls into a heap of rust. That's because at nearly 210,000 miles it still drives sublimely.

You say that you wouldn't spend any money on tyres on an old car - well that's your choice, its odd though how people like yourself will happily scrap an older vehicle because "its not worth it" and then go and blow £10,000 on a cheap piece of French tin that won't last 10 years.

Wurz

Well, just goes to prove what my old man used to say. The difference, son, between the parties is that the Conservatives are the politics of "greed" in that they will provide lower taxes and encourage you to work harder, progress, earn more and therefore contribute more to the pot whereas Labour are the politics of "Envy" where if you aspire to better things or buy better things you get punished by higher taxes. Hence the "got a nice car?" we'll tax it more so we can keep 6 million non-workers in "social housing" who we will rely on for votes. Millions of illegal workers who cannot read or write English, and many can't even speak English manage to find work but our lot of shirkers cannot. Gordon needs 'em where he can control them.

Remember, all this piffle about polution and green taxes (Gordon got 98 billion in green taxes and spent just 2 billion on green issues) has to be set against the only true phrase Tony Blair admitted. The UK is not even 2% of the worlds polutants he said. You'd think this government were on some crusade.

We won't mention the the other lot, they want the world to change but don't want the responsibilty of trying to run the country. The "open toe'd sandal brigade" my father used to say. You know the type, Guardian reader with some sort of job not even thought of prior to '97 (Diversity managers etc)

The only light on the horizon is that come 2010 the general election will be close and we can consign this lot of anti-workers to another 30 years in the wilderness. Some of us remember the last time they were in. There has never been a successful Labour government but every generation has to find out the hard way. Oh, do ministers forgo their gas-guzzlers to set an example?

Not to quote Milliband on Question Time..."well, it's not that easy, they have to be bullet proof and secure" yea, tough times to be a Labour minister....