DO you really hate paying car tax?
Well changes in legislation over the past few years mean that those cars with low CO2 ratings cost less and less in road tax.
Go below exhaust emissions of 100g/km and you'll pay nothing at all.
The problem is that untilrecently cars in this bracket were the domain of the new car buyer but now they have filtered down to the used car forecourts.
So what can you get? Here’s four of the best…
Hyundai i10 Blue
Pretty much the cheapest way into tax-free motoring around. A hoot to drive, the tiny three cylinder engine is full of character and sounds ace. There’s plenty of room inside, it sips petrol and you get the balance of the five year warranty.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars For Sale: We found a 2011, 11 plate car with 5,000 miles on the clock and a Full Service History from a recommended dealer at just £6,950. That’s a saving of £2,000 plus on the new price.
Renault Clio 1.5 ECO
The nice thing about the little Renault is that it does not should about its eco credentials. The car achieves 98g/km and 70mpg just by being light and efficient. It’s actually sweet to drive and just feels like a very good small car.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars For Sale: A 2011 model with a full service history, with less than 10,000 miles on the clock can be had for £8,500. That puts a whopping £5,000 in your pocket compared the new price.
Ford Focus TDI 1.6 ECOnetic
If you don’t want to pay any tax but you still want a usable family hatchback big enough to take the detritus of a family then, as usual, we’d highly recommend a Focus. At 99g/km the ECOnetic version sneaks in under the tax level – the car offers everything a normal focus can and you can’t really say fairer than that.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars For Sale: We found a 2010 model with a full service history with only 6,000 on the clock for £12,999. That’s £6,000 less than you’d pay for a new one.
Toyota Auris Hybrid
If you want to avoid both road tax and the congestion charge you are going to need a hybrid that emits less than 100g/km – that narrows it down to a Toyota Prius or a Toyota Auris Hybrid. The latter is the better bet as it’s slightly cheaper year on year and offers several technical refinements over the older Prius. It’s very close underneath to the Lexus CT-200 hybrid but at a fraction of the price.
UsedCarExpert.co.uk Cars For Sale: We found a 2010 car with a full service history, five years warranty and under 10,000 miles on the clock for £16,795. To buy a new model will cost you £4,000 more.