Comments please peeps. I for one will be more than happy to see a reduction in the number of these unnecessary monsters on the road.

Chelsea tractors 'worthless' as price of second-hand cars plunges 12% | Mail Online

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Bunny

anyone has the right to be stupid...some just abuse the privilege

I'm not sure why they are worthless. Under the new 'Darling' Road Tax scam a Vauxhall Zafira (Family MPV) will be taxed higher than a Range Rover also some Mercedes, BMW and Jaguars deliver lower MPG. Mothers still mistakenly think there is additional child safety to be had from driving them and they do last a lot longer than your average eurobox. The article strikes as a bit sensationalist but it is the Daily Mail. Don't panic it will all be over by Christmas.

To be honest if I wanted a SUV now might be a good time to buy one but the R8 and CLS Shark are higher up the list

BTW do you know what Jeep stands for?

Just Enough Essential Parts

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Pone ubi sol non lucet!

They have a place - but not in city centre's if you eat, live and breathe there without ever going out into the country.

I like 4x4 and can't wait to get a Discovery (the car not the one on here lol)

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My daughter has a discovery...goodness knows why there's only her and the dog although I was very grateful when she took Matt and his kit and caboodle up to Canterbury last year. I did own a proper Landrover many years ago. Cars don't interest me mine gets me where I want to go and that's all I need.

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Bunny

anyone has the right to be stupid...some just abuse the privilege

I am glad I have just a little Peugeot 106 which is big enough for Mrs Esca and me. It has a 1124cc engine, cruises at 70 mph all day and returns 44 - 48 mpg. I don't agree with the way taxes are proposed for the bigger models though. Just another motorist bashing scheme.

Here we go again, hitting at 4x4 drivers. Yes I drive a 4x4 and find it necessary for the purpose it's intended for. I do drive off-road in it, especially at the metal detecting digs. I only do about 2000 miles a year in it, my kids walk to school and we walk to the shops. I still have to pay full road tax but I'm fortunate that mine is registered before 2001 because that's where the big increases start.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not keen on seeing mothers just getting a 4x4 and using it for taking their kids to school, but to tar all 4x4's as unnecessary monsters is not fair. If anything, the vehicles that do the most damage on our roads are lorries. I would love to see a reduction in them and more freight shifted on to the railways.

This is the way this government works. It creates the hysteria and gets public opinion on its side so the increases in vehicle excise appear to be a green tax but in reality are a way of generating more income for the government. There was an article last year that said only 1.8% of green taxes was used for environmental measures, the rest was just used to fill the government's coffers!

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Well said Disco.

Funny you talk about Jeeps, Sooty. I wouldn't disagree totally- the Commander I had last time in Texas was a lump of jink, and a reverse Tardis- large on the outside and small on the inside.

Mrs J's Liberty (new Cherokee to you) suited us well- not too big, good in town where you could see past all the other SUVs and great in the wilds of the State.

Here, I'll stick to my new Estate.

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I wouldn't have a 4x4 until I loved more in the country. I like them but couldn't justify having one. Great post Disco - mothers don't need them to make their babies save in the car and freight should go back to rail where it used to be and work very successful - that would also solve the problem of lorries in the overtaking lane on motorways. You can always tell when it happens.. cruising along at 70 and then wham down to 40 or 50 whilst it tries to accelerate to overtake the lorry struggling to overtake the lorry on the inside lane.

I love traditional land rovers. My mum and dad used to have a very old one and when it gave up the ghost I vowed to repair it. Needless to say they had it scrapped after years of me doing nothing with it!

On a tangent - Disco do you like the new style Dico's? I wasn't keen on them at first but now really like them

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I'm still not keen on the new shape. I think it looks too much like a van and it also looks odd without the spare wheel on the back. I think they also weigh about half as much again as mine.

I do like the traditional Land Rover shape too.

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I really wish people would stop calling any of the taxes, which also talk about "Carbon Footprints" in the same breath, "Green". The so called "Green" lobby is just a way of screwing us for more money. There is nothing which Britain, or anyone else, can do which will affect the Climate Change which is happening at the present time. It is a natural shift in climatic conditions which has bugger all to do with Carbon Dioxide and the other "Greenhouse Gases".

Vehicle Excise Duty and Fuel Tax are two of the easiest ways to get money out of the motorist. Most of the legislation pushing increased tax depending on the amount of Carbon Dioxide your vehilce shoves out is generated from Eurpean Commission Directives in any event. If the Government were so concerned about vehicle emissions they would tax the stuff which causes it so that the more you used the more tax you paid and reduce the Vehicle Excise Duty. Reducing VED and increasing Petrol and Diesel prices would mean that the more you used the roads the more tax you paid. You'll notice no-one in Government, or in any of the other parties, mention this because they have no control over the European Commission Directives which drive the Carbon Dioxide lobby. There would also be a very strong push to shift goods from off the road and onto the railways which is a cheaper way of shifting stuff around. It is also more beneficial to the environment by reducing carbon particulate emissions and other compunds which are carcinogenic. This link gives more detail HSE - Publications - Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions and shows that Government are aware of the problems but don't do anything about them.