The tax busters

With motoring bills soaring, it’s never been more vital to keep costs under control. In this special, we tell you which cars to go for in each tax band to slash your outgoings – and what to avoid!

Auto Express Car Reviews

April 2008

Road tax – two words that are sure to send shivers down the spine of any motorist.


	Adding optional extras like an automatic gearbox, or even choosing different body styles or engines, can have a big impact on bills

With prices rising once again in Chancellor Alistair Darling’s recent Budget, keeping an eye on your automotive costs is more important than ever.

That small paper disc in the corner of your windscreen is likely to have cost you plenty. But if you choose carefully when buying a car, you could save hundreds of pounds – especially when new rules come into effect next year. Road tax is governed by how much carbon dioxide (CO2) your car emits – and over the next eight pages we show you how you can save money in this road test special.

We point out which models are particularly clean or dirty. We also highlight the difference that adding optional extras such as an automatic gearbox – or choosing between certain engines and bodystyles – can make. You’ll be surprised at the results!

Each of the seven road tax bands is dealt with in ascending order – so join us as we reveal how to ‘cheat’ the Treasury...

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Full Car Reviews

Band G

Let's face it... you aren’t likely to find any tax busters in this band! At £400 for 12 months’ road tax, it’s clear cars emitting more than 225g/km of CO2 are the main target for the Government as it looks to clamp down on big polluters.

View Band G

Band F

Compared to the lower brackets, Band F is broad, spanning a CO2 range of 39g/km.

View Band F

Band E

With road tax Band E covering everything from a Proton Gen2 (166g/km) all the way up to a Mercedes SLK 200K (182g/km), this is another bracket where it pays to keep an eye on what you buy.For starters, Ford has two people carriers which just fail to sneak into the band below, both giving out CO2 emissions of 166g/km.

View Band E

Band D

There's a £25 increase in duty for Band D, which isn’t a huge rise over Band C, and with only a 14g/km spread, the range of emissions is smaller in this group, too.

View Band D

Band C

With a wide 29g/km spread, Band C incorporates a huge line-up of cars, and accounts for the majority of new cars sold – nearly four million in 2006, the last year for which figures are available.

View Band C

Band B

You may believe only superminis qualify for Band B tax – but think again. Producing cars which emit 120g/km of CO2 or under is crucial for all major firms, considering the annual bill is only £35.Still, it’s a surprise to see Ford’s Focus 1.6 TDCi (119g/km), Peugeot’s 308 1.6 HDi (120g/km) and the Renault Mégane 1.5 dCi (117g/km) qualifying, as you’d imagine they would be more costly to tax.