The Owning/Running a car around the world thread.
Discussion
As most pistonheaders are UK based we all know the procedures for owning and running a car in this part of the world.
Insurance (TPF&T, Fully comp etc.). Tax. and driving test.
But it would be nice to see how this varies from country to county. So anyone living abroad like to add to this (with approximate costs).
Insurance (TPF&T, Fully comp etc.). Tax. and driving test.
But it would be nice to see how this varies from country to county. So anyone living abroad like to add to this (with approximate costs).
Northern Ireland, yes it's UK but insurance can be about 100% more than mainland UK.
Everything else is the same except MOT stations can't rip customers off for phoney repairs.
Oh, and fuel is usually several pence above what you might expect to pay in mainland on average. Oddly enough, this is why so many go to RoI for fuel.
Everything else is the same except MOT stations can't rip customers off for phoney repairs.
Oh, and fuel is usually several pence above what you might expect to pay in mainland on average. Oddly enough, this is why so many go to RoI for fuel.
Edited by Papa Hotel on Tuesday 18th May 19:32
Canada:
'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
Edited by wibble cb on Tuesday 18th May 23:27
wibble cb said:
Canada:
'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
not all of canada is the same, in manitoba insurance is a provincial government run scheme, there is no competition, i paid $2000 to insure my 1998 jeep. 'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
Edited by wibble cb on Tuesday 18th May 23:27
to sell a car you (the seller) should have it safetied (like MOT) so that the buyer can take the safety certificate to the insurance office to get their insurance/licence plates. This is the only time you need to have the car tested so if you never sell it it never gets tested! Most garages do safety tests but they are licenced to do so like MOT stations.
getting an oil change is cheap the last one i got was less than 100 bucks including oil and filter
buying cars is refreshingly easy. Go to a dealer, choose the one you like, take the paperwork to local office. pay fee, they make your licence plate if you need one you take them back to dealer he screws them on, and away you go, less than an hour in my experience
All the various US states are different with regards to taxation, I live in Illinois, just west of Chicago.
Instead of road tax - we have a sticker for our number plate which is renewed annually, in Illinois, this is a flat rate of $79/year for standard plates, or $94/year for personalised plates.
Fully comp on my SLK 350 is @ $500 per annum (pretty much the same for my daily hack - a 2.0T Passat)
Even when I lived in Chicago proper, my insurance was not that deadly. Surprising really, as it is such a litigious society.
When I lived in the UK (Glasgow) I remember the insurance on my Pug 205 (1.9) was a hell of a lot more than that and that was 10 years ago.
Also of interest - I had a total loss on my previous SLK - a tree fell on it during a violent storm - the insurance assessor viewed the car within 3 days and the company paid out a fair market value within the next 5 days!
Renewal on my replacement wasn't perceptibly different to the previous policy.
Instead of road tax - we have a sticker for our number plate which is renewed annually, in Illinois, this is a flat rate of $79/year for standard plates, or $94/year for personalised plates.
Fully comp on my SLK 350 is @ $500 per annum (pretty much the same for my daily hack - a 2.0T Passat)
Even when I lived in Chicago proper, my insurance was not that deadly. Surprising really, as it is such a litigious society.
When I lived in the UK (Glasgow) I remember the insurance on my Pug 205 (1.9) was a hell of a lot more than that and that was 10 years ago.
Also of interest - I had a total loss on my previous SLK - a tree fell on it during a violent storm - the insurance assessor viewed the car within 3 days and the company paid out a fair market value within the next 5 days!
Renewal on my replacement wasn't perceptibly different to the previous policy.
Ok I’ll add a bit for Malaysia.
Purchase cost are very high, typically add 130% to the UK Price. Unless you want a Proton or a Peradua, (A rebadged Diatshu). Cars then keep their value, I’m looking at E36 328 at the moment 1997 car is around 9,000 pound, cars don’t rust as no salt.
‘Foreign make’ cars can by locally assembled or imported, imported one’s have a higher price, and maybe a better spec, they are certainly better put together.
Insurance is very cheap, as it is on a schedule and government controlled, all Companies charge the same, only variable is the cc and the value you agree for the car, Insurance does pay out but it is time consuming, most people sort small bumps out in cash. There is a no claims bonus scheme broadly as the UK, example wife’s 1300, 12 pound a year fully comp. 3500BMW 100 pound, liter bike 50 pound, named drivers add 1 to 2 pound a year each, and no age restrictions, so my 19 year old is fully comp on the ZX9 for 1 pound.
Car tax is high and based on cc, a 1300 is around 15 pound a year, but a 3500cc is nearly 1000, a big block Ford V8 is over 3000, 4 wheel drives are approx 70% of the cost of the same size car. You can get an 80% reduction in the car tax for a Classic car over 25 years old, but it is not easy to get as there are loads of rules to meet.
No MOT but car has to be inspected when the Owner changes.
Petrol is around 40 p a liter and a good mechanic is around 7 pound an hour. There is a big market in second hand Japanese parts, and the cheapest way for a major repair on an older car is to just buy a replacement 2nd hand engine or gear box from Japan.
Highways are Toll, charge is approx 20 p per 10 Kilometer.
Anyone can buy a car, although on first application the local equivalent of the DVLA (JPJ) will tell you that you need a resident permit, this is not the case and they give in when they check.
You need to get a Malaysian Driving license if here for more than 6 months, there is no need to take a test if you have a UK license, and they give you back the UK one after it has been examined so you have two licenses, the Malaysian one works for car hire in the UK.
There are no automatic speed cameras, but you can get a fine in the post from Police at the road side with speed guns, speed limit is 110 Km per Hour, but no one bothers to keep to it.
Purchase cost are very high, typically add 130% to the UK Price. Unless you want a Proton or a Peradua, (A rebadged Diatshu). Cars then keep their value, I’m looking at E36 328 at the moment 1997 car is around 9,000 pound, cars don’t rust as no salt.
‘Foreign make’ cars can by locally assembled or imported, imported one’s have a higher price, and maybe a better spec, they are certainly better put together.
Insurance is very cheap, as it is on a schedule and government controlled, all Companies charge the same, only variable is the cc and the value you agree for the car, Insurance does pay out but it is time consuming, most people sort small bumps out in cash. There is a no claims bonus scheme broadly as the UK, example wife’s 1300, 12 pound a year fully comp. 3500BMW 100 pound, liter bike 50 pound, named drivers add 1 to 2 pound a year each, and no age restrictions, so my 19 year old is fully comp on the ZX9 for 1 pound.
Car tax is high and based on cc, a 1300 is around 15 pound a year, but a 3500cc is nearly 1000, a big block Ford V8 is over 3000, 4 wheel drives are approx 70% of the cost of the same size car. You can get an 80% reduction in the car tax for a Classic car over 25 years old, but it is not easy to get as there are loads of rules to meet.
No MOT but car has to be inspected when the Owner changes.
Petrol is around 40 p a liter and a good mechanic is around 7 pound an hour. There is a big market in second hand Japanese parts, and the cheapest way for a major repair on an older car is to just buy a replacement 2nd hand engine or gear box from Japan.
Highways are Toll, charge is approx 20 p per 10 Kilometer.
Anyone can buy a car, although on first application the local equivalent of the DVLA (JPJ) will tell you that you need a resident permit, this is not the case and they give in when they check.
You need to get a Malaysian Driving license if here for more than 6 months, there is no need to take a test if you have a UK license, and they give you back the UK one after it has been examined so you have two licenses, the Malaysian one works for car hire in the UK.
There are no automatic speed cameras, but you can get a fine in the post from Police at the road side with speed guns, speed limit is 110 Km per Hour, but no one bothers to keep to it.
sawman said:
wibble cb said:
Canada:
'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
not all of canada is the same, in manitoba insurance is a provincial government run scheme, there is no competition, i paid $2000 to insure my 1998 jeep. 'Car Tax'
Ours is plate renewal rather than a silly disc in the windscreen, you get a sticker for your plate, currently 74 bucks,plus another city tax of 60 bucks if you live in Toronto. My plate is a personal one, they cost 220 bucks (no matter what they say/mean) I believe normal ones are cheaper
Insurance
A major pain here, I pay about 140 bucks a month for my frogeye, which equates to just over a grand per annum in sterling,eye wateringly expensive compared to the UK.
MOT
We don't have one as such, my car had a safety check coming in, bit nothing else is required, I still have it checked over every so often and attend to servicing myself, of course it helps that I only drive it in the dry and mostly in summer.
Brand new cars don't have to worry, but there is an emissions test for older vehicles...don't know the cost think its about 35 bucks.
Petrol
Cost of a litre can go up and down in the space of mere hours, depending on the day and time of year, currently around a dollar a litre, but it was as low as 83 cents when I arrived, equally last summer, we saw 1.40 !! (Wouldn't mind but we a major oil producing country...)
Selling cars.
Seems you need a sellers pack to do this, again don't know the ins and outs, having never sold one, but am sure there is a charge for it
Buying Cars
Seems an expensive proposition if not buying US crap...Leasing is quite common, my girlfriends city jetta (bora shape jetta) costs about 300 bucks a month to lease.
Edited by wibble cb on Tuesday 18th May 23:27
to sell a car you (the seller) should have it safetied (like MOT) so that the buyer can take the safety certificate to the insurance office to get their insurance/licence plates. This is the only time you need to have the car tested so if you never sell it it never gets tested! Most garages do safety tests but they are licenced to do so like MOT stations.
getting an oil change is cheap the last one i got was less than 100 bucks including oil and filter
buying cars is refreshingly easy. Go to a dealer, choose the one you like, take the paperwork to local office. pay fee, they make your licence plate if you need one you take them back to dealer he screws them on, and away you go, less than an hour in my experience
Qatar
My 2006 Hummer H3 has a book value of 15800 pounds.
Insurance is 500 pounds including any driver, fully comp and off road cover
Breakdown is 50 pounds including petrol, taking the car for servicing, taking me to the airports for holidays, and vehicle inspection and registration renewal.
MOT - Car inspection and registration are done at same time every year for 30 pounds.
Road Tax - None
Petrol - One tank costs me 12 pounds
Servicing - My next is the big 60,000 km, so new brakes, filters, fluids, etc takes three takes and will cost 500 pounds.
My 2006 Hummer H3 has a book value of 15800 pounds.
Insurance is 500 pounds including any driver, fully comp and off road cover
Breakdown is 50 pounds including petrol, taking the car for servicing, taking me to the airports for holidays, and vehicle inspection and registration renewal.
MOT - Car inspection and registration are done at same time every year for 30 pounds.
Road Tax - None
Petrol - One tank costs me 12 pounds
Servicing - My next is the big 60,000 km, so new brakes, filters, fluids, etc takes three takes and will cost 500 pounds.
Azad Kashmir (Pakistan's side of Line of Control)
Any import if deemed a luxury vehicle incurs 150% import taxes, in some cases more.
Personally seen Range Rovers, Q7's, 3/5 Series, A6 and even a porker. But these are just for the seriously well off. Theres no main dealers here, just people who get a few new(ish) corrolas and civics and paint a signboard with watever suits them best. lolz. joking aside, A typical car here which can be bought new(ish) is a Toyota. They'r bloody everywhere so if you want a car that people can service/repair/maintain around here, theres only one brand to go for.
Anyway, you'l pay a 6/12 monthly road tax, or a one off 'for the life of the vehicle' tax. Cant recall how much car tax was, but my 250cc bike was £14....for life.
If you or your family have influence, theres so much you get away with. But if you/they dont, then you will have to follow more rules (which are so bendy anyway!)
No Insurance, so if you wrap it, your loss.
No M.O.T
No license required. (well it is, but an international license will do, or if your quick with your tongue and have army/police connections you dont need one)
Fuel Prices average about 60p a litre, but are on the increase at the mo. Diesel is cheaper than petrol, n by quite a margin.
And proper servicing? well you'l be lucky you'l even get genuine castrol oil, unless you pre-order it from a mojor Pakistani city who will more than likely fly/ship it in)
And bikers? - no helmets, no safety gear, no speed limits, just the sun, mountain breeze, stunning scenery, and bloody insects in your face!
I know this thread doesnt help or watever, its just in some parts of the world, its a luxury to own a car, and sourcing parts can be a nightmare. Unless it's a toyota, where they'l keep it runnin for 30years.
BTW- thats Azad Kashmir, not mainlad Pakistan where you cant even have tinted windows!!
Any import if deemed a luxury vehicle incurs 150% import taxes, in some cases more.
Personally seen Range Rovers, Q7's, 3/5 Series, A6 and even a porker. But these are just for the seriously well off. Theres no main dealers here, just people who get a few new(ish) corrolas and civics and paint a signboard with watever suits them best. lolz. joking aside, A typical car here which can be bought new(ish) is a Toyota. They'r bloody everywhere so if you want a car that people can service/repair/maintain around here, theres only one brand to go for.
Anyway, you'l pay a 6/12 monthly road tax, or a one off 'for the life of the vehicle' tax. Cant recall how much car tax was, but my 250cc bike was £14....for life.
If you or your family have influence, theres so much you get away with. But if you/they dont, then you will have to follow more rules (which are so bendy anyway!)
No Insurance, so if you wrap it, your loss.
No M.O.T
No license required. (well it is, but an international license will do, or if your quick with your tongue and have army/police connections you dont need one)
Fuel Prices average about 60p a litre, but are on the increase at the mo. Diesel is cheaper than petrol, n by quite a margin.
And proper servicing? well you'l be lucky you'l even get genuine castrol oil, unless you pre-order it from a mojor Pakistani city who will more than likely fly/ship it in)
And bikers? - no helmets, no safety gear, no speed limits, just the sun, mountain breeze, stunning scenery, and bloody insects in your face!
I know this thread doesnt help or watever, its just in some parts of the world, its a luxury to own a car, and sourcing parts can be a nightmare. Unless it's a toyota, where they'l keep it runnin for 30years.
BTW- thats Azad Kashmir, not mainlad Pakistan where you cant even have tinted windows!!
Edited by MudasarKhan on Wednesday 19th May 06:11
Edited by MudasarKhan on Thursday 20th May 00:55
I'll add some Australia for you. These vary slightly from state to state, but they're broadly similar rules.
Firstly, cars are expensive. Especially second-hand; this is offset in some way by the fact that cars last longer out here due to the climate. But mainly import far too over-priced. By way of example I offer you:
My 1996, 245,000km Toyota Camry V6 I think was a bargain at $3,000. I typically pay about $800-$1000 per year for registration all in. Third party property insurance $220.
We have the 'pink slip' which is effectively your MoT certificate.
Third party property damage is amazingly not compulsory.
Car is insured rather than the driver.
Third party personal injury is compulsory and is called the 'green slip'
The standard of driving is shocking, and enthusiastic driving is dying - there are very few places to enjoy a car here, though do consider I'm in Sydney.
Keep left unless overtaking is the law on >70kph limits but you would never know it. Well, you would, because they have signposts saying it, but they could be a mirage because no-one else can see them, or possibly can't read them as we are so multicultural.
The kneejerk media-driven over-legislation and ridiculous rules continue to frustrate. By way of example:
'Too many P-platers (provisional drivers) are dying on our roads. They are banned from owning a V8 or a Turbo' So no old V8 cruisers, no bog standard VW Golfs, but a Ferrari 599 is fine.
Speed limits are ridiculously low and most drivers don't come close to achieving these heady heights anyway, most sitting 10-20kph below. And they don't use their handbrakes and it's very rarely anyone would indicate their exit on a roundabout.
The other point is that any modifications above seat covers require the car to have an 'Engineer's Certificate', which can cost several thousand dollars. Amongst restrictions regarding power to weight ratio, these largely mean the car has to be capable of passing the original ADR (Australian Design Regulations) including things like emissions tests - try that on an old car! Other notable 'defectable' offences are not having the pattern of your gear shift visible from the drivers seat, amongst legitimate ones.
Petrol however, whilst they do a lot of moaning about the price, is a reasonable $1.20/litre or so at the moment.
On the purchase of any car, new or used, you have to pay stamp duty which is about 2.5% from memory.
Luxury Car Tax at 33% is payable to the Australian Tax Office for all vehicles purchased whose price exceeds the luxury car tax threshold (currently $57,123)
Air conditioning is a must have.
I'll edit this post when I think of anything else.
Firstly, cars are expensive. Especially second-hand; this is offset in some way by the fact that cars last longer out here due to the climate. But mainly import far too over-priced. By way of example I offer you:
My 1996, 245,000km Toyota Camry V6 I think was a bargain at $3,000. I typically pay about $800-$1000 per year for registration all in. Third party property insurance $220.
We have the 'pink slip' which is effectively your MoT certificate.
Third party property damage is amazingly not compulsory.
Car is insured rather than the driver.
Third party personal injury is compulsory and is called the 'green slip'
The standard of driving is shocking, and enthusiastic driving is dying - there are very few places to enjoy a car here, though do consider I'm in Sydney.
Keep left unless overtaking is the law on >70kph limits but you would never know it. Well, you would, because they have signposts saying it, but they could be a mirage because no-one else can see them, or possibly can't read them as we are so multicultural.
The kneejerk media-driven over-legislation and ridiculous rules continue to frustrate. By way of example:
'Too many P-platers (provisional drivers) are dying on our roads. They are banned from owning a V8 or a Turbo' So no old V8 cruisers, no bog standard VW Golfs, but a Ferrari 599 is fine.
Speed limits are ridiculously low and most drivers don't come close to achieving these heady heights anyway, most sitting 10-20kph below. And they don't use their handbrakes and it's very rarely anyone would indicate their exit on a roundabout.
The other point is that any modifications above seat covers require the car to have an 'Engineer's Certificate', which can cost several thousand dollars. Amongst restrictions regarding power to weight ratio, these largely mean the car has to be capable of passing the original ADR (Australian Design Regulations) including things like emissions tests - try that on an old car! Other notable 'defectable' offences are not having the pattern of your gear shift visible from the drivers seat, amongst legitimate ones.
Petrol however, whilst they do a lot of moaning about the price, is a reasonable $1.20/litre or so at the moment.
On the purchase of any car, new or used, you have to pay stamp duty which is about 2.5% from memory.
Luxury Car Tax at 33% is payable to the Australian Tax Office for all vehicles purchased whose price exceeds the luxury car tax threshold (currently $57,123)
Air conditioning is a must have.
I'll edit this post when I think of anything else.
Edited by Google [bot] on Wednesday 19th May 06:37
Edited by Google [bot] on Wednesday 19th May 06:48
MX7 said:
Papa Hotel said:
Everything else is the same except MOT stations can't rip customers off for phoney repairs.
How does that work?Similar story in (R.O.) Ireland where it is called the NCT, all testing is carried out by one company with 46 sites throughout the country, here the standards are based on the Swedish test and include a suspension rig. The test is every two years for cars up to 10 years old, annual after that, cars first registered 1979 and before are exempt.
Petrol costs about €1.35 / litre, diesel slightly less. Tax is cc related for cars pre 2008, from €172 for less than 1L to €1,566 for over 3L, and emissions based after that from €102 -> €2,100. This drops to a flat rate of €48 when a car is 30 years old.
Insurance is comparable to the UK. Cost of new cars is higher with extra tax on top of the UK price for new cars of between 13% and 30%. Importing used cars attracts a similar tax based on a percentage of the open market selling price as calculated by the revenue commission. Once they get to around 10 years old car are similarly priced to the UK, large engined cars might be even cheaper, since few people want to be paying €2k/yr tax on a car that costs little more to buy.
Edited by Strawman on Wednesday 19th May 07:09
Ok so here's Malta:
Insurance
Not that expensive compared to other countries, but not cheap either.
As an example, premium on a 2 year old Civic Type-R, driver is over 25 with 3 years NCB and TPFT is €400.
Driver is insured, not car.
Tax & Buying Cars
Very expensive.
Newly registered cars (brand new ones or even second hand imports) have to pay registration tax, which is calculated using CO2 output, Car length and the car's value (or dealer price in the case of new cars.)
Yearly licence fee paid with insurance renewal. Again, fees vary according to the car's CO2 output.
Cars have gotten cheaper in the last two years since this system was introduced but the yearly licence fees have increased considerably.
They're still expensive though, I got a quote for a new Scirocco last week and the starting price with zero extras is just a smidge under €34,000 euros!
Petrol
Currently 1 litre of Unleaded costs €1.20, diesel is a bit cheaper I think.
"MOT"
It's called a VRT over here, cars first have to be tested after 5 years from new and then every 2 years after that. Tests are cheap at just under €23.
Insurance
Not that expensive compared to other countries, but not cheap either.
As an example, premium on a 2 year old Civic Type-R, driver is over 25 with 3 years NCB and TPFT is €400.
Driver is insured, not car.
Tax & Buying Cars
Very expensive.
Newly registered cars (brand new ones or even second hand imports) have to pay registration tax, which is calculated using CO2 output, Car length and the car's value (or dealer price in the case of new cars.)
Yearly licence fee paid with insurance renewal. Again, fees vary according to the car's CO2 output.
Cars have gotten cheaper in the last two years since this system was introduced but the yearly licence fees have increased considerably.
They're still expensive though, I got a quote for a new Scirocco last week and the starting price with zero extras is just a smidge under €34,000 euros!
Petrol
Currently 1 litre of Unleaded costs €1.20, diesel is a bit cheaper I think.
"MOT"
It's called a VRT over here, cars first have to be tested after 5 years from new and then every 2 years after that. Tests are cheap at just under €23.
Edited by ramz on Wednesday 19th May 07:47
The New Zealand angle.
Possibly one of the cheapest places in the world to buy cars, much of the industry runs on second hand cars from Japan - and as no salt is used rust is rarely a problem. Hence perfectly useable old cars are worth some money as they can easily keep going for years, but as the national sport in NZ is hitting other vehicles or power poles the attrition rate is quite high.
Personal injury insurance is via road tax, about a hundred quid a year for petrol cars, more for diesels, even more for motorbikes (depending on capacity). Vehicles over forty years old, forty pounds a year. Other insurance is not compulsory - and can easlily be as low as sixty pounds a year (on a car basis)
Petrol, about 80p a litre, diesel is 55p a litre but there is an additional mileage charge depending on vehicle weight, which brings it up to similar charge as petrol.
MOT. Every year for all vehicles up to six years old, then every six months. About fifteen pounds.
Speed camera tickets go to the registered owner, no points on licence. De facto national limit is 110 (10k over 100 limit), car is impounded over 160. Points on licence last for two years.
Come to NZ with an auto licence from the UK, and they will give you one for manuals as well - then you can swap it in the UK for a full licence with no restrictions.
All trailers are separately tested and licensed.
If you run around in a car without an MOT or tax or insurance, and don't park it on a road, the chances of getting caught are almost nil - an even if you do it's eighty pound fine for the MOT and tax.
And yes, it's still possible to get a parking fine for five pounds (overstaying up to 30 mins).
Possibly one of the cheapest places in the world to buy cars, much of the industry runs on second hand cars from Japan - and as no salt is used rust is rarely a problem. Hence perfectly useable old cars are worth some money as they can easily keep going for years, but as the national sport in NZ is hitting other vehicles or power poles the attrition rate is quite high.
Personal injury insurance is via road tax, about a hundred quid a year for petrol cars, more for diesels, even more for motorbikes (depending on capacity). Vehicles over forty years old, forty pounds a year. Other insurance is not compulsory - and can easlily be as low as sixty pounds a year (on a car basis)
Petrol, about 80p a litre, diesel is 55p a litre but there is an additional mileage charge depending on vehicle weight, which brings it up to similar charge as petrol.
MOT. Every year for all vehicles up to six years old, then every six months. About fifteen pounds.
Speed camera tickets go to the registered owner, no points on licence. De facto national limit is 110 (10k over 100 limit), car is impounded over 160. Points on licence last for two years.
Come to NZ with an auto licence from the UK, and they will give you one for manuals as well - then you can swap it in the UK for a full licence with no restrictions.
All trailers are separately tested and licensed.
If you run around in a car without an MOT or tax or insurance, and don't park it on a road, the chances of getting caught are almost nil - an even if you do it's eighty pound fine for the MOT and tax.
And yes, it's still possible to get a parking fine for five pounds (overstaying up to 30 mins).
MX7 said:
Papa Hotel said:
Everything else is the same except MOT stations can't rip customers off for phoney repairs.
How does that work?You get your car fixed, you drive to the test centre. You get a pass or fail. If you fail you drive to your garage and get it fixed, drive back for a retest. Rince and repeat.
Oh, and the first MOT here is at 4 years old, not 3 as per mainland.
Here's an African one for you.
Angola
Insurance is pretty much optional, most people don't have it, only company cars really - it costs approx $500 US a year to insure my Prado and it's the car that's insured not the driver.
Theoretically you need a license, and there are huge numbers of driving instructors cars here, but the standard of driving is awful and you can pay your way out of any issues anyway.
Buying cars is utterly crazy here - there's a 100% import tax on any new vehicle and slightly more than that on used cars. This means that the software company owner with the office next to me paid more than $500,000 for his Lambo and probably about the same for his Bentley.
The local populace is status oriented, so there are dozens of M5s, RS4s, Hummers and all manner of blinged up things here.
Fuel is cheap though, 95 Ron is 22p a ltr, 98 ron and diesel are both 31p though you may have to queue for up to 3hrs to buy some.
There's no such thing as MOTs and parts are so hard to come by that it's not unusual to see cars with no windscreens and the occupants wearing sunglasses / goggles.
A colleague runs a P38 Rangie and he flies his mechanic to South Africa to buy parts there as it's cheaper than trying to get them here.
None of the local populace obeys the drink-driving law either, so huge accidents are commonplace, a cement truck went straight through a load of shanty-houses on Saturday night and I usually see the remains of a few smashes on my way to work each day.
Angola
Insurance is pretty much optional, most people don't have it, only company cars really - it costs approx $500 US a year to insure my Prado and it's the car that's insured not the driver.
Theoretically you need a license, and there are huge numbers of driving instructors cars here, but the standard of driving is awful and you can pay your way out of any issues anyway.
Buying cars is utterly crazy here - there's a 100% import tax on any new vehicle and slightly more than that on used cars. This means that the software company owner with the office next to me paid more than $500,000 for his Lambo and probably about the same for his Bentley.
The local populace is status oriented, so there are dozens of M5s, RS4s, Hummers and all manner of blinged up things here.
Fuel is cheap though, 95 Ron is 22p a ltr, 98 ron and diesel are both 31p though you may have to queue for up to 3hrs to buy some.
There's no such thing as MOTs and parts are so hard to come by that it's not unusual to see cars with no windscreens and the occupants wearing sunglasses / goggles.
A colleague runs a P38 Rangie and he flies his mechanic to South Africa to buy parts there as it's cheaper than trying to get them here.
None of the local populace obeys the drink-driving law either, so huge accidents are commonplace, a cement truck went straight through a load of shanty-houses on Saturday night and I usually see the remains of a few smashes on my way to work each day.
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