Owning a car in central London
Discussion
C70R said:
Integroo said:
gavsdavs said:
Not for long it isn't, there's this scheme that's looking to tax you £12.50 for simply starting the engine, if you hadn't heard about it.
My morning's research suggests that ULEZ does not apply to classics (cut off being 1 January 1980). Edited by gavsdavs on Monday 14th January 14:33
Where does the arbitrary "classic status is attained at 40 years old" line come from ?
This basically paints a world where your car has to be newer than 10-12 years (with Euro 3 status) or more than 40 years old. Lots of those cars still exist and are being maintained as classics.
gavsdavs said:
With respect C70R, f*ck you and your refusal to accept anyone else's perspective or alterations to policy.
Where does the arbitrary "classic status is attained at 40 years old" line come from ?
This basically paints a world where your car has to be newer than 10-12 years (with Euro 3 status) or more than 40 years old. Lots of those cars still exist and are being maintained as classics.
May I suggest some light reading on the subject matter before trying to be an expert? Start with TFL's ULEZ pages. Where does the arbitrary "classic status is attained at 40 years old" line come from ?
This basically paints a world where your car has to be newer than 10-12 years (with Euro 3 status) or more than 40 years old. Lots of those cars still exist and are being maintained as classics.
RJG46 said:
C70R said:
RJG46 said:
C70R said:
DanL said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London and wouldn't be without my car. I don't need it for commuting to work, but for everything else...
FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
This is why I had a car when I lived in London... However, why not get that stuff delivered by Ocado or whoever?FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
Edited by C70R on Monday 14th January 16:17
ZX10R NIN said:
RJG46 said:
Blackheath and Greenwich are ideal. Easy access to Canary Wharf and the A2 and A20 provide fairly reliable routes in and out of town to the M25.
I'd say Lewisham is one of the best areas because you can either drive or jump on a trains (they're every minute in the rush hour) as well as the DLR & great Bus Links too. Killboy said:
gavsdavs said:
With respect C70R, f*ck you and your refusal to accept anyone else's perspective or alterations to policy.
Where does the arbitrary "classic status is attained at 40 years old" line come from ?
This basically paints a world where your car has to be newer than 10-12 years (with Euro 3 status) or more than 40 years old. Lots of those cars still exist and are being maintained as classics.
May I suggest some light reading on the subject matter before trying to be an expert? Start with TFL's ULEZ pages. Where does the arbitrary "classic status is attained at 40 years old" line come from ?
This basically paints a world where your car has to be newer than 10-12 years (with Euro 3 status) or more than 40 years old. Lots of those cars still exist and are being maintained as classics.
Moved to (pretty central) London last year and I was really only driving my car to charge the battery.
Shopping is now delivered, everywhere else walk or tube with the occcasional Uber. You can rent a car when you want one and it works out significantly cheaper, more still if you want to use zip car or similar.
The nearest free parking to me was about 20 minutes away, so that skews things, but it’s worth doing the maths. My car tax and insurance alone pay for public transport/Uber.
Shopping is now delivered, everywhere else walk or tube with the occcasional Uber. You can rent a car when you want one and it works out significantly cheaper, more still if you want to use zip car or similar.
The nearest free parking to me was about 20 minutes away, so that skews things, but it’s worth doing the maths. My car tax and insurance alone pay for public transport/Uber.
Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
cb1965 said:
Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
You're like a moth to a flame with any thread about London. I can't imagine my life being so sad that I could be so overwhelmingly negative about someone else's lifestyle choice.
parabolica said:
C70R said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London ... Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months.
Where the hell is that? 
t and his all day permits are a tenner each.When I lived in Finsbury Park I think my E34 520i was £50/month for a parking permit! Islington know how to charge residents....
OP, if you have a car, you'll use it loads, if you don't, you won't. That's basically it.
If you're looking for what sort of things people who live in central London use their car(s) for, well here's mine. Having a kid, having family and friends all around the country and also a keen interest in mountain biking, means I use the big car loads to do all of these things, but I also use it for loads of short trips too. My aforementioned friend in Wood Green is accessible via 1 bus that goes from just outside my flat to the end of his road. It takes 45 mins though, and if I'm just popping over to pick some bike stuff or hang out for a couple of hours, wasting 1.5 hours getting there and back doesn't make sense, so I drive. I pick up packages from the sorting office, I drive to ALDI because I just started paying a 2nd mortgage worth in nursery fees so saving a bit of money on the monthly shop lets me still afford to go out for dinner, and I often give my sister-in-law a lift back to Leyton after she's babysat for us to save her a 45 minute public transport journey after she's done us a favour.
However, if you're just moving to London then you'll be in the "honeymoon phase", excited about being in the big new city with all these exciting things to do, and they're all easily accessible by public transport or an Uber. I've been within "Greater London" for 33 years, and within zone 2 for 10, I'm married with a kid, so I've settled into boring family life.
cb1965 said:
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH
I might fking hate it but hey it's something worth doing in your twenties - I can always move back North! parabolica said:
C70R said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London ... Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months.
Where the hell is that? Mortlake is nothing like "central" (it's an 8-mile train ride to Waterloo!) so it's hardly surprising that your permit is so cheap.
I’m in an insurance black spot insurance wise here in SW London but my e36 323 is only 180 quid a year to insure.
Bike insurance virtually impossible though despite having ridden since 1978.
Car essential for getting the hell out of town at the end of the week as the trains are too expensive and often don’t run at weekends.
Example: Had to see friends in Portsmouth. Went by train but due to engineering works the trip took 3 hours to cover the 60 miles, each way. Cost £30 for the ticket and £20 for boredom food and coffee.
By car I can do it in an hour for 20 quid petrol money.
Bike insurance virtually impossible though despite having ridden since 1978.
Car essential for getting the hell out of town at the end of the week as the trains are too expensive and often don’t run at weekends.
Example: Had to see friends in Portsmouth. Went by train but due to engineering works the trip took 3 hours to cover the 60 miles, each way. Cost £30 for the ticket and £20 for boredom food and coffee.
By car I can do it in an hour for 20 quid petrol money.
croyde said:
Car essential for getting the hell out of town at the end of the week
Agree, if that's what you want to do with your weekends, but I know many people who rarely leave London at weekends.The other point is that car ownership is definitely not essential if you wanted to do this.
C70R said:
Agree, if that's what you want to do with your weekends, but I know many people who rarely leave London at weekends.
The other point is that car ownership is definitely not essential if you wanted to do this.
I imagine getting out of London is something we will want to do. You can certainly get the train to the various places we would like to visit. I am sure a car would make it a lot easier and more enjoyable, however, provided I can get out of London without sitting in traffic for hours each way. The other point is that car ownership is definitely not essential if you wanted to do this.
C70R said:
parabolica said:
C70R said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London ... Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months.
Where the hell is that? Mortlake is nothing like "central" (it's an 8-mile train ride to Waterloo!) so it's hardly surprising that your permit is so cheap.
Just get the best of everything. I have a fun car for when I like some fun driving or out visiting people/places outside of London, public transport is great for the commute to central London for work but is generally hopeless for anything I enjoy doing on weekends or evenings, I cycle when I want to do short hops from one place to the next and as I live in Richmond plenty of places for grocery shopping in walking distance.
The great myth about London is that public transport is a decent replacement for car journeys, in lots of cases it isnt when you are driving in zone 3 and outwards. Weds evening I play 5 a side, its a 25 min car journey or a 1 hour 30 minute multiple train journey. I live one side of Richmond Park, to use public transport to get to say Kingston Uni on the other side would require 3 separate buses instead of a 10 minute car journey and so on.
As for London, its a brilliant place to live even for a short time. Plenty of good friends I have met over the years have lived here, some stayed some went back to where they came from some went to a place completely new. Nobody yet has said they hated it within days of landing in London. By living it you get an insight into it that tourists and visitors will never get, then you can decide if its for you or if you really hate it
The great myth about London is that public transport is a decent replacement for car journeys, in lots of cases it isnt when you are driving in zone 3 and outwards. Weds evening I play 5 a side, its a 25 min car journey or a 1 hour 30 minute multiple train journey. I live one side of Richmond Park, to use public transport to get to say Kingston Uni on the other side would require 3 separate buses instead of a 10 minute car journey and so on.
As for London, its a brilliant place to live even for a short time. Plenty of good friends I have met over the years have lived here, some stayed some went back to where they came from some went to a place completely new. Nobody yet has said they hated it within days of landing in London. By living it you get an insight into it that tourists and visitors will never get, then you can decide if its for you or if you really hate it
C70R said:
cb1965 said:
Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
You're like a moth to a flame with any thread about London. I can't imagine my life being so sad that I could be so overwhelmingly negative about someone else's lifestyle choice.
And no you can't imagine anyone having anything else other than your view on things, that's your problem. Contrary to popular belief not everyone sees London through your extremely rose tinted spectacles! Try and accept that and you'll find you need to post a lot less which will be a Godsend for all of us! Integroo said:
cb1965 said:
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH
I might fking hate it but hey it's something worth doing in your twenties - I can always move back North! I moved to London 19 years ago.
Arrived and lived in Belgravia (mate's house), then when reality kicked in, moved to a room in Shepherds Bush. Car sat parked and unused. Sold it.
Eventually bought a house in Nunhead (by Queens Road Peckham station) - stayed for 10 years.
Initially used trains to go home to Somerset to see family. Then rented a car for weekends when needed.
Eventually bought a car for the same Somerset trips as I worked out the monthly loan payment was similar to what I was spending on rentals.
Useful for shopping, but now of course supermarkets deliver. Parking where I lived was easy.
Central zones I'd not bother. Public transport is that good, ane everyone delivers. This is of course unless you own a house with a garage/parking spot (£££) in Zone 1/2
- Additionally - When I came back to the Uk a few years ago I stayed at a mate's in Balham for 8 months. Bought a 996 - utterly pointless in London.
Arrived and lived in Belgravia (mate's house), then when reality kicked in, moved to a room in Shepherds Bush. Car sat parked and unused. Sold it.
Eventually bought a house in Nunhead (by Queens Road Peckham station) - stayed for 10 years.
Initially used trains to go home to Somerset to see family. Then rented a car for weekends when needed.
Eventually bought a car for the same Somerset trips as I worked out the monthly loan payment was similar to what I was spending on rentals.
Useful for shopping, but now of course supermarkets deliver. Parking where I lived was easy.
Central zones I'd not bother. Public transport is that good, ane everyone delivers. This is of course unless you own a house with a garage/parking spot (£££) in Zone 1/2
- Additionally - When I came back to the Uk a few years ago I stayed at a mate's in Balham for 8 months. Bought a 996 - utterly pointless in London.
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