I don't own a 4x4 but hubby does. Not coz we live in the countryside (although we do have countryside lanes) but we need a large vehicle to transport 4 dogs and two kids around! He does use it everyday for work but is looking at getting a small vehicle just for that as even he realises that his truck is a bit too expensive to run when doing almost 200 miles a day.
In defence of driving children to school, I have to now. When we moved we we told there were spaces in the local schools, which turned out not to be true. I HATE driving them to school, but unfortunately I have no choice.
It's not just 4x4 drivers we have a problem with on the school run, incidentally my kids walk 1/2 a mile (primary) and a mile (high school) to and from school every day however, the very narrow residential street that goes up to the school is packed on both sides of the road every morning and evening. This is because of the lazy fat couch potatoes who even if they had to drive to work after dropping of their precious baby can't be bothered to walk 500 yards and make it easy for emergency service, if needed, to get to the school.
We used to have a 4x4 and I loved it. I have no problem with them or the amount of tax I pay for my cars.
When it comes to CO2, that is also generated in the production of cars, not just in their use. Iron foundries, steel mills, electricity used to run the machine tools are all CO2 producers. So the life of the car is also important. Did you know, 70% of all Landrovers ever made are still in use? A record no other manufacturer can get near!
Looked at like that Landrovers are the most environmentally friendly vehicles in the world!
The proposed increase in Road Fund License is NOT aimed specifically at 4x4s. It will affect ALL vehicles with high emissions. Including middle to large size run of the mill family cars and vans.
For some reason the media (especially the BBC) are concentrating on 4x4s but the higher road tax bands will apply to ALL high output cars regardless of physical size, as it did last year.
Also, the higher band (possibly £400+) will only affect high output NEW cars. Older cars will most likely have an inflation rise in tax.
Yes, I own what is referred to as a 4x4. It's the Paj part of my sig. Most agricultural people around this area own some type of 4x4. And some non-agriculture folk do too.
Mine is used for carrying animal feed (try stuffing 4 hundred weight of feed into the back of a Fiesta), pulling heavy trailers (mine can pull 3ton ), carrying dogs, and also for having fun days out.
I don't have kids (thank the gods) so I don't know about school runs.
There again, I'm not a farmer by trade, so maybe I shouldn't have a 4x4 or live on a farm.
Anyway, most of the time my 4x4 is a 2x4. Using 4wd on a tarmac road would seriously damage the transfer gears.
There is a lot of hype and inaccuracy about 4x4s.
The fact is that the rumoured increase in Road Fund License will effect anyone who owns a medium to large car or van.
PS: I’ve been trying to post this for last two hours.
When it comes to CO2, that is also generated in the production of cars, not just in their use.
Same goes for wind farms and the government are all for those
I don't own a 4x4, I would like to in the future, it would be good up here for a lot of the terrain we find ourselves trying to drive on and for the snow.
The government are taxing us every which way they can at the moment and saying it's because of global warming - which happens anyway and we can't stop it, so... urgh, I'm not even going there
people in 4 x 4s think they own the roads and as I said before don't give a damn about other drivers!!!
How do you know this? Have you asked them all? Are you saying that because I drive a 4 x 4 it means I don't give a damn about other drivers??? I certainly don't think I own the road.
Which 4 x 4s are you particularly bothered about? Is it all of them?
Is it possible that 4 x 4s are more visible therefore stick in your mind more? It is every 4 x 4 driver or just a few so you feel it necessary to grade them all together in a sweeping statement? As has been said before, those (few) drivers are incondiderate and they would behave in the same way no matter what type of car they drove, so please don't criticise or judge someone just by the type of car they choose to drive.
We have a Nissan X-trail 2.2 dci (2 x 4) it looks just like any other x-trail but isn't a 4x4!!!! we had it for our son jack who has cerebral palsy and alot of cars are too low for him to get into.... it tows our caravan brilliantly and I feel alot safer being higher up....
On another note my OH has a 04 plate caddy van (silver....not a white van man!!!) and its a 1.9 diesel...hes looking to change it for a crewcab and his road tax will be cheaper than the VW cos it has lower immissions...(alot cheaper)...
Its alright taxing people on how many miles they travel but thats just going to make small business like we have suffer...my OH will travel miles to do a job..work is scarce enough without having to pay another bill....not everyone is lucky enough to live and work in the same town...
Maybe people should read the facts about 4x4s before jumping to conclusions. Not all of them have high emissions.
I drive a 1.8 Freelander (petrol). My emissions are lower than a Volvo estate. (just one of many estate cars or people carriers that could be mentioned).
There are many good websites offering sound info on this subject.
I agree that the cars giving out high emissions should be taxed more, but why is it limited to 4x4s?
Blaming 4x4s for congestion and high emissions is very small minded, look at the whole picture, many of the smaller cars have higher emissions and congestion is caused because public transport is so unreliable, expensive and generally an unpleasant experience.
I used the trains for several years and found that they were usually late and extremely dirty. Even when there were seats available, i would stand due to the condition of the seats, many were badly stained and often torn etc.
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), carrying dogs, and also for having fun days out.
and I think the tax should be raised on them.
