ROAD TAX RIP OFF!

[Tony F]

Has anyone else who runs a vehicle registered between 1st March 2001 and 22nd March 2006 realised what happened in the budget?

OK we all knew that vehicles emitting more than 225 g/km of CO2 registered after 23/03/06 are in Band G and are now paying £300 for Road Tax (and were due to pay £400 from next year). But the same vehicles built before that date but after 1/3/03 will stay in Band F, currently £220 a year.

Sadly that all changed in the budget, new bands come in from next April that are retrospectively applied to ALL vehicles registered after 01/03/03.

Over 225g/km (but under 255) will be in the new band K at £415 a year from April 2009 and £430 from April 2010

Over 255g/km (Like my Disco) will be in new Band L at £440 a year from April 2009 , from 2010 it will be £455 

I'm particularly annoyed as my TD5 was registered on 29/03/03   :x

Yep that's an extra £220 for 29 poxy days! 

The full story is here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/Budget2008/DG_073093

There is an epetition against this, on previous experience it is not likely to do much but worth registering your protest!

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/UNFAIR-VED/

[Rich_P]

http://www.mud-club.com/forum/index.php/topic,57394.0.html

[scotifreelander]

from my thread on road tax

has any one seen this ?????

got a freelander '02 plate pay £115 6 mnths march next year £165 for the same your cheaper to tax a Land Rover Range Rover on a (94-02)
4.6 Linley 4d Auto on a this year
1 Mar 2000 – 1 Mar 2001
£101.75
and the following year
1 Mar 2000 – 1 Mar 2001
£101.75

the rates for the dsco are just as weird thats for a 2.5 Td5 ES 7 seat

1 Nov 1998 – 1 Mar 2001£101.75£185.001 Mar 2001 – 1 Nov 2003£115.50£210.00
the following year

1 Nov 1998 – 1 Mar 2001£101.75£185.001 Mar 2001 – 1 Nov 2003£242.00£440.00

The increase is a discrace for some of the landrovers in the range !!

[Range Rover Blues]

Road tax is a disgrace, end of story.

For anyone who voted for this lying caniving bunch of bartenders, hang your head in shame

[Wireless]

I didn't vote, there's currently no legal requirement to do so.

I don't pay Road Tax, but I am looking at how this will change second-hand pricing, since older Disco's like mine may hold their prices a little, and the price of 2003 4.4 Range Rovers should plummet.

The Disco is still ok (touch wood), although the auto box does tend to kickdown too early for my liking on LPG when towing and using cruise control, anyone know whether it's worth upgrading to fuel injected LPG rather than the venturi system I have at present?  Power/torque seems much lower on LPG, and you can definitely tell the auto gearbox ratios were chosen for V8 fuel injection, towing on unleaded is so much better.

[Range Rover Blues]

It's probably kicking down because you have to use more throttlepedal to get it to hold it's speed.  You could try an ignition advance processor if you can find one, it may give you better torque at part throttle.

As for multi point LPG injection, well I'm a big fan.  My LSE will pull a house over, it's a monster towcar and my biggest problem is when the trialer starts to sway, I can't feel it :-.

[Wireless]

I've asked for a local quote for upgrading to LPG multipoint fuel injection from my existing venturi system, I have a K&N filter, and  am also considering a high lift cam and janspeed exhaust.  I've seen advertising for ECU re-programming, or ECU replacement, for towing, wasn't sure these actually were worth the cost.

If you had a venturi system previously, what is the difference in MPG for multipoint fuel injection, towing and not towing?

The figures will at least give me an idea.

[Range Rover Blues]

Blue is still on draw-through, not even an electronic system.  It does maybe 12mpg on LPG but towing it really suffers and can't always hold 5th hear, on big tyres forget it.  Towing I can't say as I don't tow that far with it any more.

The LSE had a bust single point system on it when I bought it, it wouoldn't pull beyoind 2,000rpm.  I binned that and fitted multipoint.
On a bad day it does 9 1/2, it's got better with no cats and a sports pipe, K&N element in the airbox and iridium plugs.

the caravn doesn't make it much worse TBH, because I drive more sedatley with it on, but I can better 10 mpg on a run even at motorway speeds, the very best it will do is 12 1/2.

My sister had a multipoint 3.9 and reconed on 12mpg on LPG and 14-16 on petrol, hers was standard but a new engine with no cats.

[Wireless]

Mmm...

Not towing mine does a 15mpg average, and up to 19mpg on a motorways, did tow a car on a trailer back from Scotland a couple of years ago, and averaged 14.5mpg.

Towing this new Scout Trailer loaded with furniture (it was there on my driveway), best I've had is 13.1mpg on motorways, and as low as 9.5mpg on twisty A-roads, not too worried about the mpg then.

I'm more interested in whether you're able to hold at 50-55mph in top gear on a motorway all day.  Kick down IS a pain in the proverbial, but if multipoint makes the engine more powerful it should reduce the frequency of experiencing kickdown on what I consider slight motorway inclines, it might improve mpg too.

[The Ant Hill Mob]

Maybe RRB should've mentioned that the LSE is a 5 litre beastie.  And I have to remind him we have the caravan on the back, when he tootles along quite happily at 85mph on the motorway, WITH a stonking great big caravan on the back.  As long as you're not trying to tow the albert hall, you should be able to pootle along quite happily at 60 all day with a multi-point system.  As well as the multi-point system, you should factor in the cost of seat covers for when your other half / kids/ dogs poop themselves at the speed you'll go at when towing.

[Wireless]

Seems I need to knock the idea on the head, my 3.9 Disco is worth about £2500 tops, and the cheapest LPG Multipoint Fuel Injection is £1100 + VAT, and the Prins System is £1400 + VAT.

Maybe when I invest in a Rangey 4.4 I'll do it.

Ho hum.

[Range Rover Blues]

One of the problems you are experiencing is because of the way the gearbox is set up.  At 53mph it should lock up in 4th gear, some call it 5th gear which it seems like when driving.
At 50-55 you are hovering around this change point all the time so you will find it shuttles up and down the gears, plus if it is locked up then it will change straight down to 3rd, which comes as a shock as the revs shoot up .

If I'm dragging a big load up a long hill then I'll pull back into 3rd to stop the box trying to change up if I lift slightly as it seems to break the rythem, plus leting the engine build up revs prevent the liners overheating as more air is running through the engine.

[Wireless]

Yeah, speedo indicates faster but gps says it locks up at 49mph, hence I normally tow at 50/51mph on my current tyre pressures (235/70 16) 26psi front 34psi rear, but these may need to be higher if you check my Tyre Pressure thread elsewhere.

If I up the tyre pressures the rolling road resistance will go down, I might get better mpg that way, I may try 28psi front and 38psi rear, which are standard pressures for 205 x 16 tyres.

Not sure I should try 30psi front and 46psi rear, seems a little over the top.

[Range Rover Blues]

I go for about 28/36 but then the RRC can't carry quite as much as the Disco.. I find it heyr are too hard I can't stop in the wet :-.