So in other words...

[hampden98]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18064363

...everyone that has gone green and bought a tax exempt car will now pay road tax via road tolls.

Time to buy a Jag then.

[Lincoln 7]

Yet another Con.
I remember a number of yrs ago, when the Government kept telling to buy a diesel powered car as diesel was cheaper, (At the time it was). Eventualy I purchased a diesel car, and not long after that, the price of diesel gradualy caught up withe petrol, and now look at the price.
We get conned by every Government thats in power, and the trouble is, ...we fall for it every time.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[EGTC]

Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility predict tax revenues from duties will fall by £13bn a year, at current prices, by 2029, as cars become electrified and more fuel-efficient.

This made me laugh, in irony really. So because the public are trying to go green and make things abit easier regarding their finances it's now being looked into as to how to tax drivers in other ways? As you said, may aswell just buy a jag.

Under the plans, companies would lease motorways and trunk roads from the government, maintaining and perhaps improving them by adding lanes, for which - as long as they meet targets - they would be entitled to a share of road taxes.

I don't understand the last part. Are they suggesting that we still pay taxes to the government to lookafter our roads eventhough they plan to lease the roads to private companies to run and maintain them?

[Bob]

Figures.

Just changed my car to a diesel which is road tax exempt and congestion charge exempt.

I have driven diesels since the late 80's for the "more miles for less cost" principle - wasn't long before the diesel price matched then overtook petrol price.
Apart from a break late 90's/early 00's where I went back to petrol, I've stuck with diesel even when LPG became widely available at ~37p a litre (LPG has now doubled in price).

I've always thought that transferring the VED tax onto fuel was a 'fairer' way of taxing road use. The OAP who drives 5,000 miles a year is paying the same 'road tax' as someone doing 20,000 if they drive the same car.

Of course the WAGS in their Chelsea Tractors will love this ...

[Lincoln 7]

Bob, The OAP, (Senior citizen sounds better) who drive 5.000 per annum. I bet there are many like me, I had a new mini in June last year, and have just got 3.000 on the clock, and that includes two trips to Bodmin, to see my lad.
The price of petrol in itself is not bad, but it's the Tax thats the killer. Notice the Jags collecting the P.M. and the other hangers on at number 10. but Hey, they don't have to pay for their petrol, WE DO. and we sit back, stiff upper lip etc.but I do agree with you, and would like to see the Excise Licence scrapped, and a duty put on the fuel you use.
Come the revolution brother....................................:diablo :
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[Moggy C]

The problem is that diesels (We own two) are finding it harder and harder to meet the Euro emissions legislation targets. The future, until such time as the issues with hydrogen production and distribution are solved and fuel cells take over, or electric cars achieve a really practical range, lies with high efficiency petrol engines.

FIAT's TwinAir for example.

I think having a go at Cameron (Or even Brown or Millipede if he ever makes it) riding in (hardened) Jaguars is a bit unfair. Would we really like our PM to be driven to meetings / visits in a Micra?

Moggy

[AutoStick]

Diesels?? Had 2 but wont bother again !! No great desire to do 17,000 miles a year to get my money back or pay the high price at the pumps. Plus due to the new government/manufactures calculations on MPG cars that state proudly " 65 MPG " actually mean 38mpg in the real world !!Watch out for long term problems & expense with Diesel Particulate Filters on small engined diesel cars ( the ones with zero or £30 pa road tax ) . They need a 20 mile blast up the Motorway on a monthly basis or use a very expensive regeneration fluid to remain trouble free.

[Lincoln 7]

Now c'mon Moggs, yep, they, Millipede, Cameron are fair game, I cannot stand their attitude, ie, do as we say, not as we do.
I would like to travel everywhere in a Veyron at public expence, and anyway, whats wrong with a Micra, it's just like any other car, it gets you from "A" to "B". and under armed escort!!.If your the P.M. or a Minister.
I.M.H.O. it's long overdue that they should lead the way by example.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[Bob]

The problem is that diesels (We own two) are finding it harder and harder to meet the Euro emissions legislation targets.

My new car is a diesel and in the 99 g/km band and is currently free from VED and exempt Congestion Charges - it is a Volvo V50 1.6 DRIVe. It's supposed to have a range of ~850 miles on one tank.

We'll find out in August when we drive to Orkney!!

It has start/stop and also uses energy from braking to top up the battery which all help towards it achieving the CO2 levels it does.

There are only 6 cars in the "Car CO2 Emissions - 0 g/km > 100 g/km (Estate)" group and they are all diesels. I think diesel is still looked on as the dirty fuel but can you run your petrol car on used chip shop cooking oil?

[Moggy C]

Well I certainly wouldn't even attempt to run my one and only petrol powered car on cooking oil, I spend enough time looking for premium fuel to put in it, but the Skoda I certainly do from time to time.

I am sure your Volvo is lovely, but that doesn't in any way make what I said above less true.

(And if it is common rail as I suspect it is, I wouldn't use cooking oil in that either)

Moggy

[Bob]

My Volvo is lovely thanks - my third. I don't doubt what you said - just pointing out that diesels aren't yet confined to the scrapheap yet.
I suspect the fuel companies are keeping a choke hold on any new technology or fuel source until they screw every last drop of fossil fuel from the ground.

Trouble with using chip oil for fuel is you constantly crave fish and chips!

[Lincoln 7]

Bob, My old Volvo 244 Reg WBE 844J, was my old Police Patrol car. We the drivers were responsible for the car, we had to wash it after each shift, check all levels, pressures etc. The Force got rid after 250.000 miles.a few yrs later I was at one of my local garages having a cuppa, when the car pulled in for petrol. a Company had purchased it from an auction, and the chap driving it was a Rep. he had had it since his Company got it from the auction, and I was staggered to hear him say it had nearly reached 500.000 The clock proved him right. He said he had never had any trouble with it.
I remember the engine was painted bright red, and the gear lever was realy long.
I think the one that replaced it was a 164, my memory may let me down on that number, but it was a straight 6 cylinders engine, now that would go.
I had a Volvo 750 Estate from new when I left the job, and never had anything go wrong with it whatsoever.
Looked after, you should get many happy (S) miles from it.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[TonyT]

My 84k Audi TT just went in for it's interim service, had a full Audi one last year that cost the previous owner near £2000 with,tyres,spring etc, so having owned it just over 3 months and less than 1000 miles it having covered 4500 since the last service one would not expect much
WRONG
Audi gave me a £149 service bill and a £4600 defect rectification list!!!! Luckily the dealer I bought from is sorting the expensive bits out.

[Lincoln 7]

Tony. Time for a change, one thinks, not like an Audi to go THAT wrong, its only just run in, whats the expensive bits thats gone wrong as a matter of interest.
Jim.
Liincoln .7

[ppp]

I don't think it has much to do with taxation, there are much easier ways to raise the £13 billion, or better still, spend £13 billion less! No, I think this has more to do with the chance to fit a tracking unit to every car, which will of course log everwhere you go, but as innocent people I'm sure you won't mind the government watching you?

A vision of the future... I wonder if they will issue automatic fixed penalty tickets everytime your vehicle drifts over the speed limit, or if your phone (also being tracked by the government along with your internet connection) is activated whilst your vehicle is moving?

[Moggy C]

The clue is in the words "Audi gave me..."

Nobody in their right mind, that isn't running a car on their company, goes to a franchise dealer for servicing.

Get on the Owners' forum, locate the nearest non-franchised specialist to you with a good reputation and take it there.

This first time though Tony is correct to take it to the franchise as they have given him the gold-plated rectification list that he can use to beat the supplying dealer about the head with.

Moggy

[Lincoln 7]

A vision of the future... I wonder if they will issue automatic fixed penalty tickets everytime your vehicle drifts over the speed limit, or if your phone (also being tracked by the government along with your internet connection) is activated whilst your vehicle is moving?

I am going to get a push bike that'l screw em Have you noticed, that a lot of things they want to bring in, is just turning the clock back to how they used to be?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[TonyT]

It is a quatro and the rear axle has a electronic clutch that determines when it should go full 4 wheel drive, partial or none, that is not working, Audi said i would not know unless i was on grass or snow or the likes, even then i possibly wouldn't either.
They snagged all 4 discs for being pitted and worn, though they had passed an MOT in Jan, one drop link for wear, a rear spring had snapped but not that it would not show or you would not notice, being at the end.
There was an entry snagging the discs on the last Audi service as well, before i bought the car.
Front discs were something like £300 fitted
Rears £300 fitted
Spring £250 fitted
Droplink £200 fitted
ECU for the haldex unit (Clutch) £900 not fitted
or £2690 ish for the Haldex unit with and ECU if that was the cause, again not fitted

then the dreaded VAT on that lot.


Dealer i bought from said known issue of corrosion in the plug to the 4WD so has taken to a garage he knows that does Audis, to get fixed, but have said I will take back to Audi to ensure it is fixed as they could not clear the error code.

He is going to replace the discs, pads, spring and all the drop links for £230 all in, which is cost, which i thought was fair, and sort out the gearbox issues, and has given me a loaner for a few days... a Fiesta diesel... cringe.... not quite the 225BHP i am used to... LOL

[Lincoln 7]

Tony, I think that the so called "Main Dealer" would have spotted all these faults prior to selling the car, just to make sure it was road worthy.
I use the main dealer for the cars I have had, until the warranty runs out, then I do as Moggy says, And find a specialist, although I do insist they use the original manufacturers parts. When I was on the Force as a Patrol Car driver, I had been trained as a vehicle Inspector, and had the authority to walk into any garage that was selling new or second hand cars, and examine them, to see if they were roadworthy. You would be gob smacked to hear of some of the tricks they used to sell a perfectly looking roadworthy car.I don't know if the "Modern" Police Officers have this power still.
Could have turned nasty, if you had floored it with some of the faults you mentioned.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[Moggy C]

Any particular reason for waiting until the warranty runs out?

Moggy

[TonyT]

The brakes had new pads fitted but were nowhere like my old MR2, that would stop dead, this seemed to roll on, but whether that was because I wasn't used to ABS I don't know, my Two didn't have it, initially it was dire until I looked and realised it had new pads fitted, once i knew that and bedded them in they improved.. The spring Audi said was ok as it was one end..... Brakes were my biggest concern as with 225 bhp one likes to know it will stop..

I don't go much above 40 btw

Wasn't bought from a main dealer, simply a garage....... Not intentional to go out of warranty, it was simply the service light came on and the earliest they could do it was the 10th, I wasn't expecting anything having done about 4 thousand odd miles since last service, and that being Audis biggie, cambelts all filters etc etc... Last service had 19000, 2 years or service light on, when I bought it had 1400 to run..... But because it does lots of small short trips the light is the one that seems to govern it

I took it to Audi because the service history is all Audi bar 1 stamp, so got the fixed price service done and any faults I would get done elsewhere cheaper..

[Lincoln 7]

Any particular reason for waiting until the warranty runs out?

Moggy

Under Warranty any and all faults were covered by the main dealer, like my new Mini,(BMW) engine, covered for 3 yrs,
After that I pay for any and all repairs.
Obviosly any parts that may need replacing due to fair wear and tear, are up to me to pay for. I used to drive up until about 4 yrs ago a Renault 172 sports. this was a new vehicle from the main dealer. One day, the F.O.S. spot light bulb blew. I took it back to the main dealer, as I found it was impossible to get at. It was taken into the workshop, all the front, inner wing, even the horn had to be removed just to change the bulb. I asked the mechanic how much it would have cost me, had I had to pay for it. He went into the Accounts office, and came back and stated "£700.00", it was still under warranty for the next 3 months remaining, and then I got rid sharpish.
Jim.
Lincoln .7