Road tax and 4x4s
 

I know its an old and often dicussed issue, but in light of the recent weather I have been thinking about this more and more.

Ok, so I accept that most of the SUV owning public south of Watford can't cope with 3 inches of snow, but for most of those of you with "proper" 4x4 s, the ones every news channel keeps referring to as the only vehicles to keep moving, especially in rural areas, are you not just a little bit pissed off at your road tax bills, under the circumstances?

I've heard stories of people's lives being saved by 4x4's, nurses getting to the sick and elderly, couples getting themselves to hospitals to have their babies, emergency services getting through, etc, etc, etc.

If it wasn't for 4x4s, many, many people would be in a much more difficult position. If we all drove Honda Insights and Toyota Prius, undoubtably there would have been loss of life. The only current SUV hybrid costs, what, £40k??

I know of many people helping out by getting supplies to their neighbours who are stuck in due to the conditions. And I don't mean the 6 inches or less that many have experienced. I mean those of us across parts of the UK with several feet of the stuff.

I'll be stung for £415 (iirc) to tax the Shogun at the end of March. And yet its been unstoppable on its ice/snow tyres over the past 4 weeks.

It also gets better overall MPG than my colleagues aforementioned hybrid lexus SUV but which gets a huge tax break because its got a boot full of (environmentally unfriendly) batteries. Its also got comparatively feck all off road ability.

Anyone written to their MP along similar lines? I'm drafting a letter to mine tonight.

Yeah, been thinking the same. Maybe you should start a political movement, offer the services of your 4x4 for getting nurses into hospital, but only if they foot your road tax bill ;)

I would think that most people who live in rural areas that drive "proper 4x4's" drive Landrover defenders, and 9 times out of 10 they are the really old ones which don't incur the new tax bands.

Have to agree with you on the 4x4 bit, I've a 4x4 myself and its been great in this weather - luckily its old enough not to get effected by the £400 + road tax & yes I live in a semi rural area.
Wish someone could explain to me what exactly get for your road tax as its not as if the roads are decently maintained !

You'd be surprised mate. I see lots of well used vehicles that fall within the "new" bands.

Further to my post above, I must admit i've been quite fancying a 4x4 recently, particuarly a XC90 but then I think do I really want to be driving a 4x4 just for the week or so a year when it would be useful, and the answer inevitabley is no.

Vehicles registered before March 2006 and produces more that 225g/km stay in band K - £245. So if you plan to buy a car that produces a lot of plant food, make sure it was registered before 03/2006 otherwise its up to £435.

I believe the Lexus has comparatively tiny batteries, it's enough of a 'hybrid' to qualify for various tax breaks, but really it's a fairly conventional SUV making a cynical attempt to play the system. That's why I like it :D

Best of luck with your letter, I'd be interested to hear how it's received. Which party is your MP a member of?

This is what I did, got a 2005 model and £118 for 6 months tax and £215 for a year. It's been superb in the recent weather but it's not a Winter toy as bought it for the 7 seats which is what we need.

Had I bought the 2006 model not only does it have less toys on it but is also slightly down on power and would have cost £450 a year to tax :cuckoo:

buy any double cab ie nevarda / l200 1tonne in the back and it becomes lcv 245a year

Agree with all the above

My 16 year old Pajero does nothing well but I still love it for its Tonka truck looks. I have rescued more eco warriors this week than Greenpeace has members.

I have also taken Doctors, Nurses and greiving relatives to hospital because nobody else could get to them.

4x4s do have a purpose it's just a shame they became a fashion statement

My 2008 L200 is only £185 a year.
My last one, a 2006 L200 was only £115 a year.

As I can run it in 4WD all the time if I want (unlike the old shape) it's been a real boon lately. :)

I would not say too much. If you complain they will probably charge even more tax because you got more use of the roads than those who got stuck!

Les

The road taxing for 4x4's made before 2006 is ment to be changing this year or next.

Current X5 diesels aren't in the £400 bracket. ;)

1999 Discovery V8 - £190 road tax - awesome fun in the snow :luxhello:

But - at the end of the day - what is another £200 road tax - just 2 tanks of fuel... :( As to what it is to people who are prepared to spend £30 - £70 k on a vehicle as a Chelsea tractor... It's obviously not going to make any difference at all - But on the bright side :norty: does lower the resale value even further so that people like ME can buy them a few years old! LOL :lol1: :thumb:

Hyundai Santa Fe 07 plate 2.2 diesel £215 a year.

I paid the same tax on my FWD car.

LOL

That's a good point Les, although correctly its Vehicle Excise Duty and not Road Tax.

As for the the post that its "only" £400+. As it coincides (for me) with a service interval and insurance renewal, it makes for a very expensive month. I'll probably tax it for 6 months to split it this year.

Wouldn't have an issue if it was a £70k RR in the city. But its not, its probably worth about £12k now, and is used for the purposes its maker intended.

Postcode dependent VED anyone?

After too many years without a Scooby, persuaded "er indoors" that we needed a 4 x 4 so have just got a Forester STI. Am I a happy chappy?;)

It was originally known as Road Fund Tax and up to surprisingly recent times. The idea of course was to use it for building and improving or maintaining the roads, but now that the Gov nicks it for their own uses they had to change the name.

Les