lucky_strike

the 08 STI's fall a band lower than outgoing models so I think that saves me 40 quid or something like that when the new figures are introduced... well worth it haha. I know these are expensive cars to run but the government is just taking the easy route of taxing the hell out of motorists, sadly can't see any alternatives though, even if another party get it I don't see the trend reversing, the greenie do gooders are going mad... like our chuffin scoobs have any noticable impact on the ozone... compared to the crap that comes into the atmosphere from China/India etc.

Mikkel

What a lot of people don't realise is that the Liberals wanted to charge us all more, a lot more. The tories are just a useless bunch of Southern toffs who'll probably privatize the road network.

lucky_strike

Yup high taxation on cars are here to stay, still in 50 years it'll all be electric dullard cars that whine around everywhere, not a whiff of petrol to set the pulse racing

Blueblaster

£455 is a hell of a lot of cash to cough up. Just taxed the trusty Civic for £120 and that wasn't a lot of fun. I imagine a lot of people will have to put that sort of cash on their credit card which will incur interest and end up being much higher. It'll be close to £500 if you pay every six months too. I think it'll have a bigger effect than the rising cost of petrol because you can't spread it out over a whole year and will hit the weekend drivers much harder. I wonder what they'll increase it to next time?

Blueblaster

Just thinking about this a bit more...it will be interesting to see at what point the level of road tax changes the cars we buy and the cars manufacturers produce. For example, say the tax goes up to a grand per year for an Impreza. If Subaru produced a 1.6 litre STI it could start to make a lot of sense to buy that and lob a different engine in. You obviously wouldn't do it to a brand new car, but an older one would make a lot of sense. It'll also be interesting to see if people spend more money on cosmetic mods and ICE than on performance. Essentially, will we return to the type of cars we had when we were teenagers?

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

This is what interests me. Without going into a full on rant about how I feel about how it is now, I do worry how far it will go. Not just increases from now, but what will be done to include older vehicles, currently slipping through the net, so to speak.

It's all very well and good, certain folk saying it's only £200 extra, there abouts, what's the fuss about, but that's effectively double, and for some that becomes unaffordable. Not everyone is well off enough to take that hit. It's not too different to someones mortgage doubling overnight, ok the monetary amount may be greater, but the principle is the same. Their bill has doubled unexpectedly, and they can't, and didn't factor in for such an increase. Yes people would've known what was coming on very recent cars, but certainly not going back 7 years.

Sorry I'm ranting, I just find it frustrating.

Everybody has a breaking point, and if things carry on as they are, so many more will be pushed to it.

Ant

thing is we all moan about it but we will stay pay for it, that's why the goverment don't give a **** about it.

I'm just happy to have a classic £101 for 6months but I still think that's too much for a car I use few hours a week 3k a year mileage

urban

iTrader: (1)

Right, so you'll spend a few thousand to save a few hundred?

That makes sense.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Pay as you go road pricing is in my opinion done through the monster amount of tax paid at the pumps.

Road tax is a real cash cow. They are simply seeing how far they can push it before we snap and it is wrong. As said you can already see it in the used market. We thoguht we were ok with an 03 car and bought the wagon as a safe fast, family vehicle especially given the occasional bad weather we get in Scotland Now we're being stung for this tax and we can't let the car go because we can't afford that either, plus we love it!

Years ago though i got 'road tax stamps' at the post office which as a student meant you could pay for your tax in advance but in bits. At renewal time you simply handed over the card to say you'd paid already. Might look into that again!

5t.

silent running

LOL you're all missing the point entirely. Which is that this government don't give a flying **** what a few Scooby drivers on an internet forum think and they will press on with whatever they feel like, because ultimately there's nothing you can do about it except pay up or drive something else. Public opinion does not influence policy any more and hasn't done for some years, unless it coincides with what the government want to do anyway.

As someone else mentioned, it is merely a prelude to a much harsher car tax regime. Also, being pragmatic - which I know a lot of SNetters find very difficult to do - does anyone HONESTLY think that governments from now on, whatever political colour they may be, are going to make the overall cost of motoring cheaper??? Don't be ridiculous. Petrol is running out slowly but surely and will only get more expensive. Pollution from cars is not a problem that will go away any time soon. Cars are an easy target because people are attached to them for many reasons and within certain limits will do anything to keep their wheels and their independent means of transport on the road.

So instead of wasting your time fussing over how terrible it is for someone driving a 20 grand car has to pay £600 in car tax, maybe you should start finding loopholes. At the moment, the answer is drive a classic. Or even accept the reality that driving a fast car is not a poor man's game.

wiley

iTrader: (63)

my road tax runs out in xmas, cant afford that much tbh...
like saving for a holiday lol
wiley

Blueblaster

You've noticed that too have you?

Ant

Where do you think our tax goes? since ive been working in Cardiff this week I've seen the police driving lexus 4x4 , x5, 5. Series, and where I live in notts impreza , range vogue, bmw 330

And they say where the gas guzzlers there's no need for 4x4 where I live ffs

SamUK

iTrader: (1)

intresting..thats what the polish do...but im kinda liking that idea....no speeding ticekets ever...how cool....

lordretsudo

I remember, before the retrospective car tax thing was actually announced, the government kept saying that in polls the majority of the public were in favour of a biggish increase in road tax for larger engined cars (though I've never met a single person in real life who is in favour of it). Interestingly, I don't think I've ever seen these supposed polls mentioned again since that announcement...

I agree that the most worrying thing is where will road tax go next (especially given Labour's increasingly debt-ridden administration)? An extra £200 doesn't bother me particularly (though it is certainly annoying), but I guess if it was an extra £500 I'd maybe start worrying...

Ant

Bet they did the survey at a green peace event!

SamUK

iTrader: (1)

The RX7's still pass for £120 though

tommihayes

If one goes down another starts. There is no getting away from it and nothing we can do (no matter what we may think)

The government is just a web of lies with a red rose attached or a with a tree drawn in crayon (or whatever the tory logo is)
They may talk a good thing but its just like a bean bag, if you push it down the middle both sides will go up, you aren't ever going to make the bean bag smaller.

The trouble is, its the people that are upset but are law abiding citizens like us. The people that aren't bothered will not be paying insurance or scamming somewhere else.

Tom

GC8

IIRC the options were 'raise VED for large cars' or 'raise the duty on fuel', both in order to 'save the planet'. People will opt for the lesser of the two and the exact amount and the retrospective tax grap were both undisclosed. It was nothing other than manipulation of opinion in order to expediate policy.....

STiFreak

iTrader: (4)

[RANT]
I've been saying this for a while ... it is the only way the government is ever likely to convince the majority of motorists to accept having their cars tracked for road pricing. You can bet they will spin it as being a savings for most people in a couple of years time too. They can go dance a jig with their head up their *** ... I would rather leave the country than let those *******s track me all the time. If we let them do that, how long before you get issued with an automatic fine every time you exceed the speed limit. They have way to much control as it is already and the power has gone to their heads.
[/RANT]

scooby(puppy power)

should see yah next week then on the **** my scoobs still feckered and think im going to be in the higher tax bracket anyone know a good arsonist, should have got the feckin m3 i wanted but said no when i read about some engine problem that can cost up to a grand, now mines f***ked and going to cost more than twice that

T1000

I've been expecting heavy tax increases on high performance cars for the past few years now and the future for the motorist looks bleak too. Ever since I heard of the "black box" that I we might have to have in our cars soon, I've made it a goal of mine to own a performance car while I still can. I can't imagine future generations of people will get to experience fast, petrol burning cars like we do at the moment.

Mifo

iTrader: (10)

so for an sti its £300 next year ,£455 the year after then whats going to happen in 2011???

Blueblaster

I don't think we need to worry about black boxes just yet. Politically they would be a massive own goal as only the most right-wing wallies would be pleased. Besides, you've got huge civil liberties issues plus all the complications surrounding security. Wouldn't it be handy for crimiinals if they could hack into the system and know exactly where you are all the time? Given the government's current terrible form on security issues I think we are quite safe for some time to come.

Ian

iTrader: (10)

looked at the P1, and that was going up to £455!!!!! **** that

reano

iTrader: (2)

and our time for mass complaints have passed so lets wait for the tax we have coming our way. Dont some european countries like Ireland and france pay a lot more than us? The worse thing is our cars also cost us a lot more too.

An imagery man woke up this morning and thought hey I will earn £30,000 this year ..
Well once my tax and NI was taken out I took home £22500. But I need to use £50 a week for Petrol to get to and from work. So I am paying £30 a week in more tax from the money I have been taxed on. So lets take out £1500 a year in more taxes. £21000 left but to run this car Im paying my car road tax and its a performance car so I pay another tax of £455. So thats £20,550.

I'll go home and still feel good with myself but hang on I have to pay my poll, woops I mean council tax. It's a semi and Im band D so thats another £1200. I dont complain because of the good services I get for my money. So Im now left with £19,330, hmm things looking a bit more iffy now but hopefully not much more tax to pay.

Of course I have to insure my car, house and various other things and of course they have varying levels of premium tax but I will select just the lowly amount of 2.5%. My house insurance, car, etc combined is £1500 so my tax is £38. So now £19,292.

Im now a bit concerned about this tax so switch my TV on but wait I have to pay for a TV license. Surely all my tax im paying can cover this. I try to escape buy selling my tv but " You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, digital box, DVD or video recorder, PC, laptop or mobile phone to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV."

OK OK I pay it £140. I'm now down to £19,152. Thats enough for a drink oh no I have to pay varying duty on that too! Im not going to tell you what I drink he said but I can see my cash going down to £18,900. Thank God I don't smoke...

Surely that must be the end he says. Well yes if you don't intend going on holiday, buying goods (as that will be VAT at 17.5%), buying a house, saving (as your interest is taxed), watch how you die (inheritance tax).

After all this he felt stressed as he reckoned approximately 50%+ of all he earned was going back to the government in some form of tax....

So instead of taking his usual route down the motorway he took the 'toll' road and was caught speeding by a speed camera man ... Angrily he went to number 10 to protest and yes you guessed it ... he now has to pay his congestion charge.....

The End..... A sad but oooh so very true story just put your name in there instead.

scoobynutta555

Exactly! That's why we are the most cctv'd nation in the world, have the biggest DNA database in the world, the harshest libel laws in the west, the most stringent 'terrorist laws', biometric passports, talk of an ID card; the list really does go on. Not to worry though eh.

Blueblaster

And there is the answer to anyone who thinks the Government should have taxed petrol more heavily instead of raising VED. 10p extra per litre would have had you all swearing, but you would have carried on as before, give or take a bit. An extra £250 handed over at the post office once a year is going to do the trick though.

At least you're not in Ireland - 50% higher (than £455) there for a 2.5 Impreza.

d.j.c

There is an easy answer to all of this - clarkson to run for leadership!

scoobynutta555

Judging how he's made a watchable and informative tv prog into an Easternders job, I wouldn't want Clarkson for PM.