Motorists shafted again in the budget!

Message

ligloo · #16 Post by **ligloo** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:16 pm

Kwackerz wrote:
ligloo wrote:can someone just tell me what I'll have to pay in future for a 53 plate 2 litre mondeo TDCI please, I'm with BG on this, its all gobbledegook to me

Nothing, youre going to change to a CBR600, wear tight fitting leathers and post copious amounts of piccies on the internet.

I think not ... too long in the tooth now dear for that (and too responsible now believe it or not)....

So...how much is this war costing us as a country... I assume the 5 bn increase doesn't cover it? Just curious as all day I have heard peeps on the radio whining about the budget and how much we're spending on the current wars etc?

#17 Post by **Kwackerz** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:21 pm

The 5 bn probably does cover it but at the forsaking of some other part of defence expenditure. There's cost cutting all over the place at the moment to allow 'the battle' to continue, just ask Snappy. The money stays the same they just massage stuff to fund what's happening.

It's wank and it's not my fault. I fired less rounds to complete my annual weapons test than most of the others in my Sqn.. see! Im doing my bit for the war effort...

HowardQ · #18 Post by **HowardQ** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:23 pm

ligloo wrote:can someone just tell me what I'll have to pay in future for a 53 plate 2 litre mondeo TDCI please, I'm with BG on this, its all gobbledegook to me

Sorry Ligs, but as they explained it on the news, (Did News at 10 get it right?), you're the same group as me I think, so your car tax will go up 53% from £170 to £260, but not sure when this starts or if just an interim thing.
Sorry babe

ligloo · #19 Post by **ligloo** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:31 pm

I thought I was driving a sensible and economical car, cheap in repairs, still costs me £60 to fill up with diesel if I'm driving on fumes... I put my daughter on a bus to school and I'm surrounded by people with chelsea tractors here and I haven't succumbed...

I'm a single parent, why hammer me? its not like I have a brand new car even

BikerGran · #20 Post by **BikerGran** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:47 pm

ligloo wrote:
Kwackerz wrote:
Nothing, youre going to change to a CBR600,
I think not ... too long in the tooth now dear for that

Samray · #21 Post by **Samray** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:49 pm

ligloo · #22 Post by **ligloo** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:52 pm

BikerGran wrote:
ligloo wrote:
Kwackerz wrote:
Nothing, youre going to change to a CBR600,
I think not ... too long in the tooth now dear for that

I only mean I'm too old and wise... in the sense I'm stuck now

No-one else around to pick up the bits for kiddo if I was to become unstuck so to speak ... me alone.... I'd be out there racing, beating you all AND being a passenger on a sidecar

HowardQ · #23 Post by **HowardQ** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:31 pm

ligloo wrote: I thought I was driving a sensible and economical car, cheap in repairs, still costs me £60 to fill up with diesel if I'm driving on fumes... I put my daughter on a bus to school and I'm surrounded by people with chelsea tractors here and I haven't succumbed...

I'm a single parent, why hammer me? its not like I have a brand new car even

At least you now understand why I've been ranting on. The politicians claim to be hitting the gas guzzling Chelsea Tractors, but actually hit ordinary people who are trying to cut their consumption even more.
Evidently these rates start from 2009, but not sure what the situation will be if your tax runs out at the end of November and you try to re-tax it then for 12months from 1st December 2008.

BikerGran · #24 Post by **BikerGran** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:34 pm

ligloo wrote:
BikerGran wrote:
ligloo wrote:
Kwackerz wrote:
Nothing, youre going to change to a CBR600,
I think not ... too long in the tooth now dear for that

I only mean I'm too old and wise... in the sense I'm stuck now No-one else around to pick up the bits for kiddo if I was to become unstuck so to speak ... me alone.... I'd be out there racing, beating you all AND being a passenger on a sidecar

Rubbish! Just do what I did - I started when the kids grtew up, looked round, thought "What shall I do next" and bought a bike!

Ooops sorry peeps you can have your tax thread back now....

HowardQ · #25 Post by **HowardQ** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:16 pm

It's OK BG we'd all be better off talking about bikes again!

Gio · #26 Post by **Gio** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:57 am

One thing that will happen is there will be even more people not taxing/insuring/MOT'ing their vehicles.

I dunno what our road tax will be but this year it was £205.

lazarus · #27 Post by **lazarus** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:23 pm

Howard Q

I was curious about your comments so did a bit of digging. Assuming your Alfa is a 159 its open road fuel consumption on which a CO2 figure will be based is 52.3 mpg which ties in reasonably well with your comments whilst that of a 2 litre petrol Mondeo ( 2007 m,odel 145 bhp) is 47.1. Not surprisingly, the Mondeo has a higher CO2 figure of 189 whilst you Alfa is 179. ie you use 10% less fuel but give out only 5% less CO2. Since I dont think for a minute the figures are fiddled against Alfa (why should they be?) the difference must be down either to different values for the fuels or maybe the CO2 is measured under different conditions eg speeds.

As for bands, the width of them gets wider as the level goes up. Presumably the idea is to push us all as far down the emissions scale as they can get us. My wife's Smart roadster is 121mg rated based on 70 mpg on the open road. Given that that is a very light small car, I cant see many others being below it emissions wise.

personally I reckon our perception of what is a normal family car will change sharply thanks to fuel prices. Time was when 1 liter and a small 4 door like a Mini was a family car - maybe we are going back that way. Our expensive fuels already make us think differently to Americans,

HowardQ · #28 Post by **HowardQ** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:47 pm

lazarus wrote:Howard Q

I was curious about your comments so did a bit of digging. Assuming your Alfa is a 159 its open road fuel consumption on which a CO2 figure will be based is 52.3 mpg which ties in reasonably well with your comments whilst that of a 2 litre petrol Mondeo ( 2007 m,odel 145 bhp) is 47.1. Not surprisingly, the Mondeo has a higher CO2 figure of 189 whilst you Alfa is 179. ie you use 10% less fuel but give out only 5% less CO2. Since I dont think for a minute the figures are fiddled against Alfa (why should they be?) the difference must be down either to different values for the fuels or maybe the CO2 is measured under different conditions eg speeds.

As for bands, the width of them gets wider as the level goes up. Presumably the idea is to push us all as far down the emissions scale as they can get us. My wife's Smart roadster is 121mg rated based on 70 mpg on the open road. Given that that is a very light small car, I cant see many others being below it emissions wise.

personally I reckon our perception of what is a normal family car will change sharply thanks to fuel prices. Time was when 1 liter and a small 4 door like a Mini was a family car - maybe we are going back that way. Our expensive fuels already make us think differently to Americans,

Actually it's one of the last 156s with the 175bhp version of the 2.4 20 valve 5 pot.
The 159 is heavier and has a different ECU with a 200 bhp version of the same motor, so is slighly less economical I believe. I certainly wouldn't disagree with your figures, I wasn't really comparing my Alfa with the Mondeo, just pointing out that cars like these that can average 45 plus and regularly achieve 50 plus, commuting through traffic should be treated better. My wife has a Punto (60SX), that in the same conditions does 36 to 40 mpg, but has much lower tax band.
I just felt that the government were hitting the class, that probaby contains the majortity of business cars, deliberately hard, as they know they can make money here.

Gio · #29 Post by **Gio** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:24 pm

Blimey Over the last 21000 miles we've averaged 23.4 mpg, imo thats good for a 3.2 litre car, the emissions is something like 227gm.

Its a load of bollox anyway, there was about 100 times the pollution a 100 years ago and they didn't complain about global warming.

lazarus · #30 Post by **lazarus** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:41 pm

The VCA website doesnt list your particular model but using the 159 as an example, the typical average fuel consumption is more like 41 mpg. You may well get 50 in your particular useage, but thats not typical. There are lots of smaller cars that will average much more but you're undoubtedly right in saying that 2 litre diesel is fairly typical company car country. But then if those are the most popular cars, then those are the ones to target if you want to make the biggest change in pollution.

No point in harrassing Rolls owners (though no doubt the govt will do so.) There simply arent enough of them to make a difference.

Lets face it, the govt objective is to get us all in things like Smart cars. And if anyone is interested, my wife's smart roadster is the most fun car I've driven in years, and I've driven a lot. Amazing what you can do with low weight.