Road/Car Tax - E320cdi - Euoro 4

[Bowruss]

Sorry if this has been tackled recently but I'm having a look at my car tax situation.

I have a E320 CDi Avantgarde Estate first registered on 22/3/2004. In-line 6 cyl. I have the sports package which means 245x45 R17 wheels and tyres.

I last paid £205 tax in October 2007 and it expires on 1/11/08. My renewal form showed emissions at 201 G/KM.

I'm not sure what Euro 4 means and what effect it has on my tax bracket. When I enter my details on the calculator sights, they ask if it's Euro 4.

I'me assuming that if the terrible retro tax proposal goes through without any concessions, I'll be paying £300 from when I next renew which will be in October 2009. As the new bands come in on 1/4/09, there's no point in my going for 6 months from 1/11/08 since if I do, I'll actually loose money!

Does all this seem horribly familiar to people? Am I correct in my renewal assumptions and what effect, if any, does Euro 4 have?

Thanks, Russ

 

[grayb]

If you go to www.parkers.co.uk, you can go to the car reviews, click on 'Facts & Figures', select your year and model and it will give you a technical spec for your car - including it's Euro-4 status!

 

[David Nock]

The important thing is the 201 g/km Co2 figure which you already have seen stated on the renewal. That sets the tax band, nothing else.
My 54 plate CLK 270CDI will be going up from something like £185 to £270 per year under the new proposals and its emissions are 183 g/km, so your figure of £300 is about right.
Yes it all sounds quite horrible; nothing you can do except lobby and vote in the next elections!

 

[Seeker_UK]

Officially, Euro IV makes a difference to company car tax but not, alas, to VED.

In your case, unfortunately, the Euro IV means it has 201g/km emissions rather than 194 of the non EUIV putting it into the next band.

Thanks to this govt, it's just another reason why it makes you wonder why the hell you bother trying to buy greener cars.

On the plus side, at least you don't have an E55 estate .....

 

[Bowruss]

Thanks for the replies. I checked with the Parker link - £300 wef 1/4/09 and £310 wef 1/4/10.

Scary stuff - i reckon something like a 32% increase from my present figure of £205 to the next one - £300! What with diesel now at £129.99 here in Preston it makes you think about changing cars.

Snag is I love my car! It's by far the best one I've had so I'm not going to be bounced into getting something smaller and inferior.

But hang on a minute - if I'm not going to dash out to buy an 850cc box, the "greener" policy will have failed - certainly in my case. But (again!) I thought the policy was designed to green things up...surely something wrong here or am I just a mad fool....

I'm beginning to sound like Jezza!

Watch out gang - Mercedes coming through!

Good luck to all - Russ!

 

[Seeker_UK]

Do not change your car earlier than planned to save money. You won't.

 

[Juddian]

Agreed Seeker, i'm sure we all had weeks of umming and aahhing when the retrospective bandings were announced in Dick Turpins budget.

I thought about going down in size, then the old stuff 'em backbone came back into play.

Then of course 100% upgraded from the 350 to a 55, well done to her, thats the spirit, and i reckon thats the way to tackle it.

Sod em.

 

[Bolide]

Scary stuff - i reckon something like a 32% increase from my present figure of £205 to the next one - £300! What with diesel now at £129.99 here in Preston it makes you think about changing cars.

You'd change your car because the fuel tax increase per annum is likely to be the same as one-and-a half tanks of fuel?

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[pfc]

Well said Bolide. More scary still is depreciation. My E280 Avantgarde estate was first registered in March 2006 and had an on-the-road price of £36,000. Now looking at the MB website they sell for around £23,000 with average mileage.

Doesn't this put the cost of fuel and road tax into perspective?

I do not see how the price of new cars can keep rising when secondhand values are falling off a cliff.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Bolide makes an excellent point that all the hysteria over CO2 figures and VED, put in perspective, is just the cost of a couple of tanks of fuel per year.
Unfortunately, it is that same fact which is helping accelerate the depreciation of larger cars - a double whammy.
Given that we are all now on this bus, there seems little point in either panicking or changing horses. You probably won't get a sensible price for your car, but it is no less a car than the one you bought, enjoy and cherish. You could, however, buy the car you thought you could never afford for a much more modest price than hitherto.
Philosophically, when I buy a car I consider the money written off. I maintain it correctly, drive it legally (ish) and generally have a queue at the door when I come to sell it. Any money I get from the sale I regard as a bonus!
With very few exceptions, cars do not go up in price. Best to minimise the wear and tear, enjoy the ride and keep the car while it is serving you well. It only really becomes a loss when you sell. I can see the current circumstances dividing the motoring world into those who rush to sell, and dinosaurs like me who keep the sae car for a very long time. But don't MB last for a very long time .........?

 

[Bowruss]

Thanks for the replies. I take all the points made - especially Bollide's and Alex's. I want to assure everyone that I certainly won't be changing my beautiful car just because of this attempt on my wallet.

I suppose what I was really trying to say is that this policy won't work. We're all going to keep using our cars until other, more compelling and sensible reasons cause us to change. Even then, having got used to decent motoring, we may choose another big Merc.

Thing is, it will be OUR decision. This proposal inflicts a huge increase retrospectively and was therefore something we didn't need to take too much account of when we bought our cars.

Russ.

 

[dolmen]

Thanks for the replies. I take all the points made - especially Bollide's and Alex's. I want to assure everyone that I certainly won't be changing my beautiful car just because of this attempt on my wallet.

I suppose what I was really trying to say is that this policy won't work. We're all going to keep using our cars until other, more compelling and sensible reasons cause us to change. Even then, having got used to decent motoring, we may choose another big Merc.

Thing is, it will be OUR decision. This proposal inflicts a huge increase retrospectively and was therefore something we didn't need to take too much account of when we bought our cars.

Russ.

Perhaps the 'powers that be' know this and its just a way to get 'loads a dosh' from us? certainly wouldn't surprise me!

Cheers