Used news: buy wisely

14th September 2006

Used buyers on a budget are being advised to plan carefully their next car’s specification – after research showed Government proposals could see costs for the most popular family models double in the next three years.

As we reported last week (Newsweek, Issue 926), the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned road tax could rise to £1,800 for larger-engined cars, while fuel costs could also double.

But drivers considering smaller-capacity second-hand buys could be hit, too. The average cost of a year’s tax and fuel for a VW Golf 1.4 (left) – which sits in VED band D – has already risen 20 per cent in the past three years, and it could soar by a further 95 per cent by 2009.