I haven’t paid much attention to these newfangled ULEZ regulations. You know: Ultra Low Emission Zone, which is coming to a major city near you.
Right now, though, it will be a thing in London. So motorists not only have to deal with the congestion charge in the middle bit but also on the edge, where I sometimes go. Got to do the decent thing and use public transport for the last significant miles of the journey. Some of my fleet fit the ULEZ profile and some don’t. This stuff is now becoming important.
The ULEZ regs are essentially petrol cars that are Euro 4 compliant (generally from 2005 onwards but some will be older than that) and Euro 6 diesels, which are 2015 or possibly a bit earlier. ULEZ is cropping up in classified ad descriptions and I suppose that is a good way to make a 2010 Ford Fusion 1.6 Zetec automatic more attractive. With 40,000 miles, £4000 is an okay price. It already has the easy entry/exit grey market sewn up and is great for shopping sprees.
If a Fusion is a bit twee, the racier grey power buyer who pops into the West End can get themselves a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 with 88,000 miles for around £4995. A wonderful way to enjoy the congestion.
There are some interesting anomalies and I tripped across a 2001 Honda Civic 1.6 VTEC, which certainly is ULEZ exempt. This was an S-spec car with 140,000 miles and an asking price of £595. Bargain.
Mostly, it is easier to keep your buying sights trained on the most recent models you can buy. That’s why something like a 2015 Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSI FR makes sense. With 33,000 miles on the clock, it has those in-town essentials like sat-nav and cruise control with the added benefit of just £30 road tax and is £7500.
At the other end of the scale, a Lexus RC 300h 2.5 F Sport from 2018 is going to last a good few years. That’s £30k, though. Better to pick up an ex-Uber Toyota Prius and use that as a town centre assault vehicle, or just get a Volkswagen Up for relative buttons. Take care with the Prius market as there are a lot around now for £1000 without a battery, so don’t get caught out.
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I too look forward to hearing
I too look forward to hearing more about the Innocenti.
Innocenti Mini
As we all know, BL quoted the height of the A-series lump as the reason why the low waistline around the sides and back of the Metro had to be abandoned for that ugly letterbox windscreen at the front. But the A-series Innocenti shows that to have been rubbish, and is a 10 times better-looking car as a result!
I actually didnt know any of
I actually didnt know any of that, I like the innocenti, an interesting looking car but I have to be honest and admit to having a soft spot and fond memories of metros, they were a hoot to drive, spacious for a small car and I always liked the styling. Good ones can be quite expensive nowerdays, especially MG turbos.
Ah, the Innocenti Mini, the
Ah, the Innocenti Mini, the car BL should have built here and replaced the Mini with. Can we have a proper article on it James ?