The price of road tax can be higher than an orbiting satellite, but help is at hand as motorists can save money by treating themselves to a zero road tax cost car.
The price of road tax can be higher than an orbiting satellite, but help is at hand as motorists can save money by treating themselves to a zero road tax cost car. The price of tax, for vehicles registered from March 2001, is based on carbon emissions. Vehicles are placed in a band from A to M, which are each associated with a specific charge.
For example, if your vehicle's emissions are over £255g/km, it will sit in tax band M which costs an eye-watering £435 per-year. By contrast, models with emissions up to 100g/km can be taxed for literally nothing. Now, I would rather spend money on experimental dental surgery than taxation, so let's consider which vehicles can eliminate the cost.
One of the finest low emission cars available is the new Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion. This 1.2-litre 73bhp supermini averages 80mpg, has emissions of 91g/km, and hits 60mph in a respectable 13.5 seconds. More good news is that the new VW Polo has excellent handling, a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and is available with big car features such as parking sensors.
A Japanese, and smaller alternative, is the new Toyota IQ. The pint-sized city car is less than three metres long, which makes it the smallest four-seater in the UK. That's assuming you don't count golf buggies. The IQ's 1.0-litre 68bhp engine averages 64mpg, propels it to 60mph in 13.6 seconds, and – importantly - coughs-up carbon at a rate of only 99g/km. That should please the eco warriors.
Other environmental champions earning the zero cost road tax certificate include the new Toyota Prius 1.8 VVTi, the Citroen C3 1.6 HDI Airdream+, and the Peugeot 207 1.6 HDI ECONOMIQUE. Clearly these vehicles are good news for cost conscious tax haters, but perhaps the poor old Chancellor winces every time he sees one.