Car sales at lowest level

[hagis]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7597954.stm

No surprise there then.

[Crasher]

But wasn’t August the month for new letter suffix in the mid 60’s? If so, August would be a peak month of sales for the whole year so to compare a current August to then is misleading, typical sensationalist journalism and probably written by some spotty journo who is old enough to remember once a year plate changes. Comparing the 58 new plate registrations next month will be more appropriate.

[greenphotos]

What suprises me is how much cars prices change with the new plate...

[a8 tech]

My Audi dealer had a record September for new cars and there is still a big demand for the rs models.I was very surprised and the used cars are flying out the door especially rs4 as soon as rs4 go on the pitch ther sold.

[monzablue16v]

The second hand market is suffering at the moment seems that nobody will pay good money for a car unless it's a 1.0l - 1.3l some very cheap performance cars around at the moment :)

[Crasher]

You can blame our wonderful government for that with the new Co2 tax band coming in, it has devastated used car values of anything larger than a Micra. It is something to do with environmental issues. I wonder how much extra Co2 was generated by all the palaver required for a cabinet meeting to be held in the Midlands yesterday, something to do with being “less London centric”! What a lot of 80110<*5! I would rather Gordon the Moron stayed as far away from me as possible.

[audipersempre]

Gonna have to put a Micra engine in my A6 2.7T soon because selling it or running it won't be viable options :(

[ashadam]

You can blame our wonderful government for that with the new Co2 tax band coming in, it has devastated used car values of anything larger than a Micra. It is something to do with environmental issues. I wonder how much extra Co2 was generated by all the palaver required for a cabinet meeting to be held in the Midlands yesterday, something to do with being “less London centric”! What a lot of 80110<*5! I would rather Gordon the Moron stayed as far away from me as possible.

I dont think you can blame government at all, car manufacturers have just been making these bigger and bigger engine cars. That are not helping the environment mixed with the high cost of petrol. I live in London and the amount of people driving around in Jeeps and all sorts of cars is just a nightmare considering half of them can not drive the vehicle.

I think people will start drive more practical cars now because It just makes sense. It is so easy to blame government for everything.

[SPV]

This down turn in car sales can be seen as a good thing if your looking to buy New, there are some silly discount deals on at the Mo...

[audipersempre]

I kind of agree but the real issue is the manner in which the Government have done this.

By back dating the road tax ruling to 2001 they have a) immediately rendered a huge number of peoples cars almost unsaleable and b) potentially hit financially challenged families with a huge annual road tax bill.

The original idea of a 2006 start point I could understand. Newer cars where people are more likely to be able to afford the potential losses or higher tax by virtue of the fact they could buy the car in the first place. A bit of a generalisation but I suspect someone who owned a 2 year old Audi S8 is likely to be financially better of than someone who owns a high emmissions 2001 Audi.

I went with a friend to view a car on Sunday. We were second on the list as a couple had already booked a test drive. Their part exchange was a Mitsubishi Shogun. The dealer refused the part ex point blank and my friend got the car.

[Crasher]

I dont think you can blame government at all, car manufacturers have just been making these bigger and bigger engine cars. That are not helping the environment mixed with the high cost of petrol. I live in London and the amount of people driving around in Jeeps and all sorts of cars is just a nightmare considering half of them can not drive the vehicle.

I think people will start drive more practical cars now because It just makes sense. It is so easy to blame government for everything.

So a 1.8 in a family estate (EU4 emissions standard) is a gas guzzler then?

[ashadam]

So a 1.8 in a family estate (EU4 emissions standard) is a gas guzzler then?

The Co2 is?

[Crasher]

I will look when I get home. Even if it is high, you can’t justify a retrospective increase- People should not be punished for purchases they have already made EVEN IF you agree private car Co2 emissions are a problem, which I don’t.

[ashadam]

I will look when I get home. Even if it is high, you can’t justify a retrospective increase- People should not be punished for purchases they have already made EVEN IF you agree private car Co2 emissions are a problem, which I don’t.

No to true not happy about retrospective increase's, Co2 emissions may not be a problem now but one day certainly will be. Crasher I have been into cars since I have been able to purchase one and not happy about changes but something has to be done.

I really do feel sorry for those that can not afford the change but Public transport is not so bad nowadays and I would expect far more relaxing.

[Crasher]

It is 192 g/Km. I think to hammer a car like that is stupid, punitive and probably political suicide.

You say something has to be done about Co2 production but do you realise what a tiny percentage of man made Co2 production the DRIVING of cars is responsible for? I say driving like that to remove from the equation the production and logistics involved with the purchase and use of cars as that would hardly be different for a VLLEV or even ZLEV. The actual figure is around 3% (of man made CO2 production) from what I have recently read so if we were to halve our private transport Co2 it would make so little difference as to be worthless. The real culprit is domestic Co2 generation abut that is a political hot potato that politicians treat very careful for fear of the "old and the poor" headlines. Besides, even if we were to flick a big switch and turn off “GB PLC” to coin a Blairite phrase, the growth of Co2 production in China would negate any saving within one year.

[Clinterous]

The newish car tax bands is what it is - more tax revenue for the government. The green issue is just an excuse.

The timing of their launch of the new tax couldn't have come at a worse time with the economy grinding to a halt and after just going through a period of record oil prices. Thus the effects of this tax have been highlighted even more so. I think if fuel prices were at more traditional level and the British citizen felt a bit richer, then effect of the tax might not have been felt so much.

[Crasher]

I think if fuel prices were at more traditional level and the British citizen felt a bit richer, then effect of the tax might not have been felt so much.

The reason they managed to slither through hundreds of other tax rises over the last decade but now it isn’t so easy, we are watching!