Hi, a newbie to site having become a Saab owner fairly recently.
When taxing my new purchase a 9-3 Aero auto 2006 (56) I had to swallow hard when the Post office cashier asked for just over £400 quid for 12 months RFL. (This was just before the April budget put the price up even further)
I mentioned this to a work colleague who has a similar model but with a manual box. He was paying just over half that amount and suggested I make enquiries with Saab GB to find out if the auto gearbox justified my car being in a higher carbon emissions banding than the manual version.
Saab were very helpful and I was able to establish that the CO2 emissions recorded on the V5 at 232G/KM were incorrect and should have been 218G/KM which would then reduce my tax liability substantially.
I am waiting for the refund from DVLA who accepted my appeal and they have sent another V5 with the correct CO2 reading and issued a new tax disc. This may well be a one off error, but I'd thought it worth mentioning in case any other similar vehicles have been given an incorrect tax banding and the owners are in blissful ignorance. My car is nearly 4 years old and the two previous owners didn't challenge the large amount they were being asked to hand over every year so it may be worth checking your V5 if your car is in the £400+ VEL banding.
Regards
B'end
Full Version: Are you paying too much road fund licence?
Welcome! And an interesting point many of us will investigate further!
Very interesting first post 
I was looking at auto Dame Edna 9-5 Aero Estates until I found out the Road Tax was over £400. This was my main reason for discounting them. As with the 9-3, the 9-5 Aero manual comes into the lower CO2 band and is half the cost of the auto Aero to tax. Wonder how many other cars are incorrectly banded?
Obviously the DVLA will refund all the other auto 9-3 Aero drivers as a matter of course
Welcome to Saabscene by the way
I was looking at auto Dame Edna 9-5 Aero Estates until I found out the Road Tax was over £400. This was my main reason for discounting them. As with the 9-3, the 9-5 Aero manual comes into the lower CO2 band and is half the cost of the auto Aero to tax. Wonder how many other cars are incorrectly banded?
Obviously the DVLA will refund all the other auto 9-3 Aero drivers as a matter of course
Welcome to Saabscene by the way
If Saabscene should ever create a "Most Useful/Informative First Post Award " this has to be a major contender ......!
Welcome
Welcome
At least in Greece, the 2010 annual road tax for a 2003 Saab 9-3 2.0T is ... 672 euro! So it is much-much cheaper in UK.
QUOTE(chris_de_ze @ 30 Jul 2010, 17:03 ) 
At least in Greece, the 2010 annual road tax for a 2003 Saab 9-3 2.0T is ... 672 euro! So it is much-much cheaper in UK.
Ha! I can beat that - it's over €1000 per year in Austria for a 9-5 Aero auto estate.....
I always thought we were the most taxed nation on earth, great post BTW and welcome to the site !
QUOTE(bennettsend @ 29 Jul 2010, 19:26 )
Hi, a newbie to site having become a Saab owner fairly recently.
When taxing my new purchase a 9-3 Aero auto 2006 (56) I had to swallow hard when the Post office cashier asked for just over £400 quid for 12 months RFL. (This was just before the April budget put the price up even further)
I mentioned this to a work colleague who has a similar model but with a manual box. He was paying just over half that amount and suggested I make enquiries with Saab GB to find out if the auto gearbox justified my car being in a higher carbon emissions banding than the manual version.
Saab were very helpful and I was able to establish that the CO2 emissions recorded on the V5 at 232G/KM were incorrect and should have been 218G/KM which would then reduce my tax liability substantially.
I am waiting for the refund from DVLA who accepted my appeal and they have sent another V5 with the correct CO2 reading and issued a new tax disc. This may well be a one off error, but I'd thought it worth mentioning in case any other similar vehicles have been given an incorrect tax banding and the owners are in blissful ignorance. My car is nearly 4 years old and the two previous owners didn't challenge the large amount they were being asked to hand over every year so it may be worth checking your V5 if your car is in the £400+ VEL banding.
Regards
B'end
When taxing my new purchase a 9-3 Aero auto 2006 (56) I had to swallow hard when the Post office cashier asked for just over £400 quid for 12 months RFL. (This was just before the April budget put the price up even further)
I mentioned this to a work colleague who has a similar model but with a manual box. He was paying just over half that amount and suggested I make enquiries with Saab GB to find out if the auto gearbox justified my car being in a higher carbon emissions banding than the manual version.
Saab were very helpful and I was able to establish that the CO2 emissions recorded on the V5 at 232G/KM were incorrect and should have been 218G/KM which would then reduce my tax liability substantially.
I am waiting for the refund from DVLA who accepted my appeal and they have sent another V5 with the correct CO2 reading and issued a new tax disc. This may well be a one off error, but I'd thought it worth mentioning in case any other similar vehicles have been given an incorrect tax banding and the owners are in blissful ignorance. My car is nearly 4 years old and the two previous owners didn't challenge the large amount they were being asked to hand over every year so it may be worth checking your V5 if your car is in the £400+ VEL banding.
Regards
B'end
No this would appear not to be a one of error, all similar models to you car registered after 23rd of March 2006 up until the 2008 model facelift of late 2007 attract the higher VED charge, however there is also another possibility and that is Saab has given you the emissions figure for the 2008 model year car, as their emissions are lower than the older model and Saab customer services knowledge of their own product is to put it nicely, limited.
Worth investigation though.
GG
No this would appear not to be a one of error, all similar models to you car registered after 23rd of March 2006 up until the 2008 model facelift of late 2007 attract the higher VED charge, however there is also another possibility and that is Saab has given you the emissions figure for the 2008 model year car, as their emissions are lower than the older model and Saab customer services knowledge of their own product is to put it nicely, limited.
Worth investigation though.
GG
Hi GG
Before I contacted Saab I had spent time googling vehicle tax bandings (sad I'll agree, but there was the allure of saving a few quid). There are quite a number of websites where vehicle emissions are recorded and can be checked but it was difficult to find many that could agree on the same figure for my Aero model and this only muddied the waters.
I shall bow to your greater experience regarding Saab customer services, although I am a very satisfied customer at the moment (at least I will be when the refund arrives from DVLA.)
Regards
B'end
Worth investigation though.
GG
Hi GG
Before I contacted Saab I had spent time googling vehicle tax bandings (sad I'll agree, but there was the allure of saving a few quid). There are quite a number of websites where vehicle emissions are recorded and can be checked but it was difficult to find many that could agree on the same figure for my Aero model and this only muddied the waters.
I shall bow to your greater experience regarding Saab customer services, although I am a very satisfied customer at the moment (at least I will be when the refund arrives from DVLA.)
Regards
B'end
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