Tax and spend
Autocar UK|June 19, 2024
High vehicle excise duty can mean a low price for a used car - temptingly low if you can sidestep the worst of the tax. Alex Wolstenholme knows the trick and the cars to pick
Alex Wolstenholme
Tax and spend

Too good to be true? The price of some used cars can be. You can be browsing the classifieds and spot what appears to be a bargain - until you check what the vehicle excise duty (VED) bill would be.

So this is a story about bargain luxury barges, lightweight sports cars and souped-up hot hatchbacks that get punished by value-ruining duty. But here's the thing: so long as you've budgeted for that, you can bag some cracking bargains.

And with a bit of effort, you can avoid the worst the DVLA has to inflict. The killer £735 tax band was in operation for cars registered between 23 March 2006 and 31 March 2017. Before then, VED tops out at £415, while after it's £190 if a model is five or more years old.

So here are some buyer-beware bargains. Just remember to check the exact road tax band a car sits in (and its ULEZ compliance, if that's important) before you buy, because this can vary with specification.

Alfa Romeo GT (2004-2010)

Alfa Romeo's line-up in the 2000s had its quirks. Selling two similarly sized front-wheel-drive coupés alongside each other today would be madness, but we're not complaining because it now means we've got twice the choice. The GT came a couple of years before the Brera and was more practical and slightly less flamboyant, with five seats but not 4WD. A big boot and perfectly usable rear seats make it a deceptively capacious carrier and as such it isn't hard to make a case for.

It was still available in 3.2-litre V6 form but, in another seemingly strange choice, the engine was completely different from the 3.2-litre V6 powering the Brera. While 237bhp is a tad down on the Brera's newer V6, the GT's makes an even more thrilling noise, and with a lighter weight the car is a keen enough steer to impress any Alfista. Grab a pre-23 March 2006 example to avoid the £735 VED hit. And make sure it has been well cared for to reduce the risk of other scary bills.

This story is from the June 19, 2024 edition of Autocar UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 19, 2024 edition of Autocar UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AUTOCAR UKView All
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Autocar UK

The venomous nature of the Cobra

Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
SKODA KAMIQ
Autocar UK

SKODA KAMIQ

A long getting-to-know-you trip to Spain reveals all

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH

Outgoing baby Jag is plush, practical and now eminently affordable

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
'Our time has come'
Autocar UK

'Our time has come'

Honda may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new battery-powered cars is on the way. JAMES ATTWOOD speaks to boss Toshihiro Mibe at its R&D base to find out what's in store

time-read
8 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Lion kings
Autocar UK

Lion kings

Plush, powerful four-door cars are an endangered species - and now Peugeot has called time on its latest, the 508 PSE. STEPHEN DOBIE compares it with its most significant ancestor, the 505 GTI

time-read
6 mins  |
October 23, 2024
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Autocar UK

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh

time-read
7 mins  |
October 23, 2024
PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Autocar UK

PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS

Stuttgart's latest 'bahnstormer targets driver appeal over outright punch

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO

Hardcore variant of V8 sports car engineered with track days in mind

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI
Autocar UK

TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI

Firm unveils Cybercab coupé and 20-seat Robovan in autonomy push

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP
Autocar UK

DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP

Firm teases something different’ ahead of impending C-segment reveal

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024