118d SE 3 door Tax Band advice

[Bungo]

My 118d SE was bought and registered in June 07. On the log book it is classed as being in Tax Band C with emissions of 123 G/KM. The car is advertised as having BMW Efficient Dynamics and I was wondering why it is not in Tax Band b as 118d from Sept 2007 are.

I checked this with my local BMW garage and was given the excuse as 'my car did not have flaps behing the front grill'. After assuring the salesman that my car did indeed have flaps, (as well as DPF, Brake energy regeneration, Shift indicators and Auto stop/start) I was given some hurried response about my car not having 'various other improvements' which were apparently added to the car within the first 6 - 10 weeks of the new 3 door going on sale, hence the lower tax band being only applicable to 3 doors registered after Sept 07. After the facelift model being launched with efficient dynamics in June 07, I find it difficult to beleive it could become even more efficient by September 07. Am I being cynical for thinking that I am being conned over this and that maybe the DVLA were not given the updated emission figures until the new registrations in Sept?

Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.

[LocoBlade]

I think there was a subsequent tweak by BMW to get it down to 119g in order to allow it to go into the London congestion charge without being charged. Whether it was simply re-tested in the hope it would improve or there were any actual changes made who knows.

Just done a search and this seems to confirm it, about half way down...
http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&am...

Edited by LocoBlade on Monday 10th November 20:12

[Bungo]

Thanks LocoBlade for going to the trouble of researching this and for posting the link.

I am still not convinced though... no-one seems to be able to give a definite reason as to what made the cars made a few weeks later than mine so much more efficient with lower emissions.

I will keep investigating!

Thanks again!

[Donut]

118d's had the ED in two stages, 123Co2's and then from week 36(sept 07) production it dropped to 119Co2.

Your car being registered in June 07 was/is never going to be in the lowest emmission band.

[Bungo]

Thank you Donut for your response.

I have seen this information for myself, but the information I am trying to find is how was it lowered? What does my car not possess?

It just seems a bit strange to me that the lower emissions coincide with the new reg.

Thanks again.

[Pentoman]

How do they measure it? Official thing or just let the manufacturers put their own figures out (my money is on option 2, either that of the officials are very smooth and effecient such that we've never heard of them).

I would wager there's a reasonable chance your car might actually be 119g, just like some later models of cars make more/less power than they initially were launched with but the official figures never change.

But you'll never get the difference recognised. Because:
A) everyone would want to then
B) I drive a 206 which is 100cc too big and 6 months too old and therefore gives me £185 tax instead of something like £125 when the car rolled over into 2001 production with, I am guessing, the very same engine.

That's just life though. We can't chase every injustice; yet have to hope the injustices aren't too big or don't ruin our lives!

[LocoBlade]

I suspect they've simply reprogrammed the ECU to be a little more frugal in certain circumstances (possibly to the detriment of performance marginally in certain situations) just to squeeze it under the 120g limit.

Im pretty sure the tests are done by a 3rd party, much like NCAP crash tests, so I dont think it would simply be a case of adjusting the numbers to suit.

I agree with the above though that it won't change, my Leon Cupra was registered 30th March 2001, and being just over 200g emissions falls into a high rate that will (or was going to) go up to £300 next spring. If it had been registered a month earlier on an X plate rather than the owner delaying it to get the new Y plate, it would be a flat £180 or so.

Edited by LocoBlade on Wednesday 12th November 09:59