STYLISH
Your opinions
SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED
As I cruised through the Highlands of Scotland in my recently acquired Vectra SRi, my passenger remarked to me on two occasions how luxurious and spacious the car was. Naturally, I asked him what kind of car he drove himself and he answered that it was a BMW 3 Series. I thought that that spoke volumes about the current prestige of Vauxhall, and how it has grown in the last few years since the inception of the new-style Vectra. He was very surprised by the Vectra and remarked that he would definitely be enquiring about a similar model for his wife, who is in the market for a new car. And as a Vectra proselyte I am sure it will only be a matter of time before his wife shares the same enthusiasm and pride that I have for my recent acquisition.
Congratulations Vauxhall - I'll pass her name on to one of your retailers!
Dr Kevin Pollock, Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow
A TAXING PROBLEM?
I have just received a copy of V magazine, and it is the first copy I have seen, which is why I have written this letter, after reading You're Telling Us. I have, in November of last year, purchased a three-year-old Astra 1.6 automatic. I know the CO2 emissions information is in my log book but as I am of the older generation I am having a problem getting my head around the fact that the road tax on this 1.6-litre car is costing me £195 per year, which is £20 more than my previous car - which was also a Vauxhall, but in that case a 2-litre automatic.
Mr S Woods, Basildon, Essex
V says:
Your confusion is understandable, but while you might expect the smaller car with a lower CO2 rating to have a lower, rather than higher rate of duty, the difference you refer to isn't actually because of the difference in CO2 ratings between the two cars. The tax related to CO2 ratings is a separate one applicable to business users only, rather than private owners, and it does not affect the annual 'road tax' - which (for now) is a fixed sum for a private car, no matter what its size or rating. The difference you have rightly noticed isn't about the CO2 rating, it is simply that in the time between your owning the two cars, the Chancellor has increased the rate of tax on private cars. And there is now political talk from some parties of private car tax rates based on factors like size and emissions (what the tabloids might call a gas-guzzler tax), which would typically mean higher rates for larger cars - but whatever the size or type of car, Vauxhall works continuously to minimise both fuel consumption and emissions - not only for tax issues but for the long-term protection of the environment. So perhaps you could also write to the Chancellor!