What does the UK govt charge to run a car?

[j-j]

Reminds me of stories of the 9hp 2CVs!

Ah well in that case it also depends on the prevailing wind But true, in the city nothing beats a bike (unless you've got a really, like important meeting and need to look at your best when you get there!!)But 17miles - I'd do that in just over an hour depending on lights/hills on bicycle.

[Guest]

Truth be told, I would drive to work if it was a mile away. Even if it took longer. I like turning up somewhere in a car, makes me feel all important and special.

[Tayne]

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[j-j]

And then trip involves one hill so large, there's a different weather system on the other side!

Haha - only in Scotland eh? only thing with a big hill on a bike is that there's usually the reward of a big downhill too.. if not on the other side then on the way home!

[Tayne]

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[Pete-M]

Government charges to run cars?The SD1 costs about £0.50 a mile in fuel tax alone....

[j-j]

Its only 700 feet in about a mile and a half, but one side is coastal and the other side is inland.

that's a reasonable gradient - gr9 for building up the leg muscles doing it every day!

[UglyAmerican]

If you move county do you have to pay tax on your car in the new county too? Im sure my friend had to do this when she moved from Arizona to Ohio.

Sales tax you only pay once (when you first buy the car) and it is determined by the state in which you're registering the car. What you do have to pay in a new state, like your friend moving from Arizona to Ohio, is for registering your car in Ohio. Every state charges something different, but it's usually $50-$100/year.

Ugly American:: What are the costs of membership of like AAA and what other rescue organisations are there?

AAA is $50/year. This is going to sound really strange, but it's gone out of style for people to belong to AAA. It's also less necessary nowadays because Americans are really into leasing brand new cars every 3-4 years. Most every manufacturer now offers roadside assistance as part of the new car warranty. But new cars shouldn't break down as much anyway (Watanabe's Citroen C4 notwithstanding).

[j-j]

Ugly American:: What are the costs of membership of like AAA and what other rescue organisations are there?

AAA is $50/year. This is going to sound really strange, but it's gone out of style for people to belong to AAA. It's also less necessary nowadays because Americans are really into leasing brand new cars every 3-4 years. Most every manufacturer now offers roadside assistance as part of the new car warranty. But new cars shouldn't break down as much anyway (Watanabe's Citroen C4 notwithstanding).

Interesting. I often wonder if breakdown services will change a lot in years to come due to the supposed reliability of new cars. Funnily, the AA patrol members here are gong on strike next week. Hope the company don't do a 'B.A.' on them..

[Tayne]

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[j-j]

Hope the company don't do a 'B.A.' on them..

Not get on no plane, you crazy fool?Drive a black van with a red stripe?Or punch people across the room in a exaggerated comedy-fight way?

LOL, none of the above! British Airwayz BA. As an aside, I used to love it when BA shouted "Mutha sukka'

[UglyAmerican]

Hope the company don't do a 'B.A.' on them..

Not get on no plane, you crazy fool?

Drive a black van with a red stripe?

Or punch people across the room in a exaggerated comedy-fight way?

[j-j]

Hope the company don't do a 'B.A.' on them..

Not get on no plane, you crazy fool?

Drive a black van with a red stripe?

Or punch people across the room in a exaggerated comedy-fight way?

"Ah pity the foo"

[Tayne]

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[j-j]

A-team trivia time.That photo above shows BA in the pilot being summoned by Hannibal via a radio phone in show.The pilot where BA didn't have the van and the Face wasn't the Face.

Who was he then?Also, what's BA driving there? Initially thought it may have been a 69 'Stang or something

[wuvvum]

there is often good public transport and the bicycle can be quicker from A to B than a car even ignoring the time spent looking to park.

I think that only applies in big cities(maybe just London), you can forget it if you live somewhere even vaguely rural rural.I work 17 miles from home, I'm not going to cycle and public transport takes over twice as long as driving.For some people, cars are pretty essential.

+1. I live 15 miles from where I work, and the bus into Norwich goes round every poxy little hamlet in NE Norfolk and takes over an hour to get into the city centre. Plus a return is about £6. Driving takes me 35 minutes (25 in the car and 10 on the pushbike) and in the Espace costs me about £4 a day. I did once cycle into Norwich, but it's not something I'm likely to attempt every day.

[Tayne]

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[fotorabia]

New Zealand..we currently pay 81p per litre for 91 octane..tho I bawked at filling the tank on the Viva recently which cost 23 quid!We pay 180 quid road tax p.a for cars 1300cc-2600..it goes up the bigger tha mota!..this includes Accident and Compensation Corporation.so we dont have compulsory 3rd party insurance..ACC pays for all our medical costs and compo for time lost at work etc.Cars over 40 yrs old only 37 quid per year..so i only got 1 or 2 more years before the Vivas are eligible..

[maxpower]

New Zealand..we currently pay 81p per litre for 91 octane..tho I bawked at filling the tank on the Viva recently which cost 23 quid!

 

We pay 180 quid road tax p.a for cars 1300cc-2600..it goes up the bigger tha mota!..this includes Accident and Compensation Corporation.so we dont have compulsory 3rd party insurance..ACC pays for all our medical costs and compo for time lost at work etc.

 

Cars over 40 yrs old only 37 quid per year..so i only got 1 or 2 more years before the Vivas are eligible..

or you can nip over to oklahoma and buy this icon of british motoring

[lovejoy]

Further to my earlier comments on how petrol price affects the value of larger engined cars, have a read of some of the replies to this article in one of UK's national papers, regarding "record high for petrol price" today

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010 ... -time-high

[Tayne]

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[j-j]

Just checked on IMCDB and it turns out to be a Chevy Impala Convertable

 

[shite_meister]

Here in Jersey (still part of the UK but a crown dependancy and not part of the E.U) petrol varies from about 97p-1.07p per litre.The only cost incurred is for insurance, there is no road tax and no MOT here but it is a legal requirement to display a valid insurance disc. There used to be road tax here but it was scrapped and the duty put onto fuel.

[gtd2000]

I've been to the States over quite a number of years and back in the 80's most things over there were jaw droppingly cheap, same with the early 90's too.

 

In the early 2000's you basically paid a buck for what would cost you a quid as a rough rule of thumb, however, I was actually quite shocked when I was back in Florida to find that a lot of stuff in the USA is actually a heck of a lot more expensive than in the UK - WTF happened there then?

 

My GF (from Sarasota, FL) is currently over to visit me (I'm working on a project in Wales) and she can't believe how cheap stuff is here compared to the USA...

 

Something has gone awry over the other side of the pond.

 

HOWEVER, it's not just the USA - have you seen prices for a lot of items in the mainland EU?

 

I'm still of the opinion that it's still not "cheap" in the UK - it's just that everywhere is now MORE expensive

 

I currently drive a 2001 Hyundai Coupe, saw one on the local Craigslist in Sarasota for an eye watering $4500 - the same thing here would be not much more than $2000.

 

I pay 164 quid a year for insurance (- my 1995 Nissan 240SX in Florida costs around $500 every 6 months..what a rip off!)

 

Road tax is 190 quid (the FL decal is under $50 I think?)

 

I get 36mpg average but 40 on a run..(30~34US mpg?)

 

The USA is still very cheap for lots of stuff including junk or processed food, and consumer electronics etc. It is extortionate in the USA these days (compared to the UK) for everyday items like fruit and veg and bread (which is fucking disgusting over there unless you pay $5 for a loaf)

 

For me, right now - it's pretty cool to live and work in the UK - you wouldn't have heard me say that 10 years ago - but then again this is the first time I've worked here since 1995!

[gtd2000]

Don't forget America is a low tax nation (bit with much of it resembling the second and third world) so those who do earn have more to spend.

The USA can be a lower tax nation, depending on which state you reside in.Down in Florida (no State Tax) I was paying around 18% overall with my allowances and salary included but I think 25~26% is more normal.However, when I've been "up North" with State Tax on top of the Federal Tax, I've been taxed at rates of 36% which is not "cheap tax" by any stretch of the imagination at all.When you consider the actual difference in tax vs the drop in social benefits and healthcare options, that "cheap tax" isn't actually as cheap as you think. Fortunately I was alway provided with private healthcare coverage because that can set you back $200+ per month as a rough minimum - then you have all of the deductibles to pay if you need care.. it's all a bloody scam

[CortinaDave]

How much do the UK government take?the straight answer to that is ALL of your money. if you want to run a car, be prepared to hand over all your wages for the privelidge.

[Milford Cubicle]

Current Fleet:72 Capri GT Turbo Diesel - Blown turbo, whining gearbox79 Cortina 2.0S No MOT, Slipping Clutch99 Cougar 2.0 16v Whining wheelbearing, leaky roof

Sounds more like you'll be handing all your wages to the motor factor