Almost said goodbye to VW yesterday.....almost

[rajb]

Some might question the need for a new car if it's stretching the budget to the point that £6.25 per week makes a difference?

Ok, call me tight but I'd question an option which cost £1500 - wouldn't you?

If that option was a go faster stripe or some different coloured carpet or even DCC (lol).

I'd definitely not want to pay it if I didn't even get some pointless crap I could add to my signature on a forum.

I sometimes wonder if this forum isn't some sort of millionaires club I've wandered into while wearing my overalls, hardhat and safety boots.

That last line did make me laugh but I kind of understand what dubber36 is trying to say.
It was only in reply to Andy saying he has trying to avoid expenses with other non-car expenses he already has.

Yes all non standard options aren't essential and are pointless to some but not others but I guess if the slight increase in VED for going over a £40k limit is the defining factor on affordability then yes maybe you shouldn't be buying a car of that value. Don't think it has to do with being a millionaire but more just common sense. I have too many other costs currently so wouldn't even consider a £40k car (well tbh I wouldn't consider a £20k one either just yet). Although those costs aren't technically stopping me from buying another car as I could afford it ultimately.

[monkeyhanger]

Yes all non standard options aren't essential and are pointless to some but not others but I guess if the slight increase in VED for going over a £40k limit is the defining factor on affordability then yes maybe you shouldn't be buying a car of that value. Don't think it has to do with being a millionaire but more just common sense. I have too many other costs currently so wouldn't even consider a £40k car (well tbh I wouldn't consider a £20k one either just yet). Although those costs aren't technically stopping me from buying another car as I could afford it ultimately.

I think you might have to thumb through a thesaurus to look up the meaning of "slight"

£150 annual VED or £475 VED, the difference is not slight by any means and the difference to me is about how much my car insurance should be costing.

It is as much about common sense for some as it is about affordability for others when £200 over the threshold essentially costs £1500.

[Rich 3]

For me it's just another rip off tax dream't up by politicians to bolster their coffers. Another tax on top of all the other indirect taxes that we are forced to pay on a daily basis. So, whilst I may be cutting my nose off to spite my face (insofar as I don't quite get to drive my ideal spec car), I refuse out of principle to pay it!

Back on topic, and having come from 3 BMW's prior to my current GTI, the BMW looks to be a cracking car and will certainly be on my list come car change time - whilst of course ensuring the list price was below £40k.

[monkeyhanger]

For me it's just another rip off tax dream't up by politicians to bolster their coffers. Another tax on top of all the other indirect taxes that we are forced to pay on a daily basis. So, whilst I may be cutting my nose off to spite my face (insofar as I don't quite get to drive my ideal spec car), I refuse out of principle to pay it!

Back on topic, and having come from 3 BMW's prior to my current GTI, the BMW looks to be a cracking car and will certainly be on my list come car change time - whilst of course ensuring the list price was below £40k.

As that £40k threshold isn't going up but new car prices are, you're quite likely to get stung for it in future.

This seems like the Government's payback for all those £0 and £20 VED rates that were around from 2012 to 2017 bult cars.

So what's going to happen when we all go electric and the Goverment aren't getting 80p tax on every litre of petrol and diesel between duty and VAT? They'll ream it out of us elsewhere - probably by doubling or tripling electricity prices so we're still paying 10-15p a mile to fuel our cars, or a huge showroom tax.

[fredgroves]

Over the last 6ish years I have been here, we have repeatedly shouted about A FORTY GRAND GOLF!!

But that is where we are at with that sort of car now.

Electric cars, even more expensive too.

In fact, unless something radical happens, electric cars are going to price a lot of people off of the road. Which is fine if you are a city slicker, less fine if you are living in rural UK.

[Sootchucker]

Don't know whether any of this "Millionaires club" or "get some pointless crap I could add to my signature on a forum" banter was actually aimed at me or not, but it's water off a ducks back to me (don't worry, if it was aimed at me, I've taken no offence  ).

I'm at the time of life where I want to have nice things, and finally have a little money to afford them (which I didn't have when I was younger). Mortgage was paid off years ago, no kids to leave the "inheritance" to, don't (and never had) smoke, rarely drink and don't gamble. Aside from Photography (my other big passion), cars are my only vice.

In fact taking smoking, as an example, a pack of ciggys is now what £13 a pack.  Even if you are a lightish smoker and only go though 2 packs a week (my brother for example), that's £1,352.00 per year going up in smoke (literally). So whilst I would obviously like to NOT incur the £40k luxury tax,  if it means the difference between getting a car with all the options I want (and can afford) or compromising and not actually getting the spec you really want, I'll take the former.

Now I will admit, that if the price including options takes me just a few hundred over the tax level, then of course I'll try and bring it down to below 40k by seeing what can be removed.  But if my choice of options take me a few thousand over the 40k and I'd have to remove many options I wanted to get the car I really like, then I'll pay it.

It may seem daft even stupid to some, but it is after all our own money, and we decide how it's to be spent. That fact that others will disagree with me and think I'm bonkers is absolutely fine, and I take zero offence, as it's each to their own.

[rajb]

Yes all non standard options aren't essential and are pointless to some but not others but I guess if the slight increase in VED for going over a £40k limit is the defining factor on affordability then yes maybe you shouldn't be buying a car of that value. Don't think it has to do with being a millionaire but more just common sense. I have too many other costs currently so wouldn't even consider a £40k car (well tbh I wouldn't consider a £20k one either just yet). Although those costs aren't technically stopping me from buying another car as I could afford it ultimately.

I think you might have to thumb through a thesaurus to look up the meaning of "slight"

£150 annual VED or £475 VED, the difference is not slight by any means and the difference to me is about how much my car insurance should be costing.

It is as much about common sense for some as it is about affordability for others when £200 over the threshold essentially costs £1500.

I don't need to look it up thank you. But when compared to a £40k car (or the monthlies being paid on that £40k car) yes it is a  slight increase

[Arnold_Lane]

So what's going to happen when we all go electric and the Goverment aren't getting 80p tax on every litre of petrol and diesel between duty and VAT? They'll ream it out of us elsewhere - probably by doubling or tripling electricity prices so we're still paying 10-15p a mile to fuel our cars, or a huge showroom tax.

That's when road pricing will be introduced. The government and advisers keep talking about it as a way to soften us up for when they introduce it because duty and VAT revenues on petrol and diesel seriously start to decline.

[mcmaddy]

Don't know whether any of this "Millionaires club" or "get some pointless crap I could add to my signature on a forum" banter was actually aimed at me or not, but it's water off a ducks back to me (don't worry, if it was aimed at me, I've taken no offence  ).

I'm at the time of life where I want to have nice things, and finally have a little money to afford them (which I didn't have when I was younger). Mortgage was paid off years ago, no kids to leave the "inheritance" to, don't (and never had) smoke, rarely drink and don't gamble. Aside from Photography (my other big passion), cars are my only vice.

In fact taking smoking, as an example, a pack of ciggys is now what £13 a pack.  Even if you are a lightish smoker and only go though 2 packs a week (my brother for example), that's £1,352.00 per year going up in smoke (literally). So whilst I would obviously like to NOT incur the £40k luxury tax,  if it means the difference between getting a car with all the options I want (and can afford) or compromising and not actually getting the spec you really want, I'll take the former.

Now I will admit, that if the price including options takes me just a few hundred over the tax level, then of course I'll try and bring it down to below 40k by seeing what can be removed.  But if my choice of options take me a few thousand over the 40k and I'd have to remove many options I wanted to get the car I really like, then I'll pay it.

It may seem daft even stupid to some, but it is after all our own money, and we decide how it's to be spent. That fact that others will disagree with me and think I'm bonkers is absolutely fine, and I take zero offence, as it's each to their own.

well said Andrew. What people choose to spend on a car is entirely up to them and if people don't agree then fine but it's approaching bullying sometimes with some of the idiotic comments on here. No one person is right or wrong it's why we are individuals.

[monkeyhanger]

So what's going to happen when we all go electric and the Goverment aren't getting 80p tax on every litre of petrol and diesel between duty and VAT? They'll ream it out of us elsewhere - probably by doubling or tripling electricity prices so we're still paying 10-15p a mile to fuel our cars, or a huge showroom tax.

That's when road pricing will be introduced. The government and advisers keep talking about it as a way to soften us up for when they introduce it because duty and VAT revenues on petrol and diesel seriously start to decline.

At that point I hope they do the right thing and either:

1: Scrap Duty on petrol/deisel and charge all cars the same for road use.

or

2. Charge electric cars for using the roads but not ICE cars as they're still being taxed to buggery on the fuel.

I think 1 would be most palatable for all drivers, but when did that ever bother a British government (Tory or Labour)?