Discussion
Not specifically MB, but as I am looking at a MB model i thought i'd look on here first. i'm looking at a pre used 2020 a35 saloon, on autotrader the road tax is stated as £165*, with the * stating £355 will be added for 5 years after the first year IF THE CAR COST £40k or more when the car sold new.
how when buying second hand do you (or the DVLA for that matter) know the original 'LIST price' of the car at that particular month of 2020 when first bought, as there look to be 3 models with various levels of trim, and prices, of which one is below £40k, and the rest over?
how when buying second hand do you (or the DVLA for that matter) know the original 'LIST price' of the car at that particular month of 2020 when first bought, as there look to be 3 models with various levels of trim, and prices, of which one is below £40k, and the rest over?
Based on the December 2019 price list there is 3 trim specs available on the A35 Saloon - Base/entry level, Premium and Premium Plus, and all except the base model attract the additional rate of rip off tax. Current rates for A35 is £165 standard + £355 additional. This increases every year and the additional rate is applicable until the day before the car is 6 years old from first registration.
You really do not want to be buying the base model unless you can live with the inferior 7" instrument diplay. On Premium and above this is 10.25" and if you compare the 2 you will definitely not want the 7" version.
My Mercedes is subject to this rip off tax so I can look forward to paying £520 at first renewal by end of November.
I have budgeted for it though.
You really do not want to be buying the base model unless you can live with the inferior 7" instrument diplay. On Premium and above this is 10.25" and if you compare the 2 you will definitely not want the 7" version.
My Mercedes is subject to this rip off tax so I can look forward to paying £520 at first renewal by end of November.
I have budgeted for it though. dnhc said:
thanks again, but having had a c63 for half a dozen years, and calling an end to it at £630 p/a.
i'll take the 7 inch screen, as i'm paying them as little road tax as i can in future.
dc
Yeah that's fair enough, I really hated the thought of paying the rip off tax as well but there really was no option on my car as all of the trim specs were above the £40k threshold unless I chose entry level with the only free colour option of white, and my previous car was white. i'll take the 7 inch screen, as i'm paying them as little road tax as i can in future.
dc
I knew I would regret it if I compromised on the exact car I wanted purely for the purpose of avoiding the rip off road tax, so I got Premium spec.
The 7 inch instrument display that you look at all the time is fine I suppose until you see how much better the 10.25 inch display looks. The 19" wheels look much better on the Premium model, and the ambient lighting makes the interior a nicer place to be at night. The standard night package on Premium adds to the exterior look with the contrasting gloss black trim.
At the end of the day though it all comes down to...you pays your money and takes your choice.
As long as you are careful you can just sneak under the limit. A 2019 car with Premium Plus and one of the cheaper colours just managed. If you have any additional options it will push it over. Type the registration number in the DVLA Tax checker to be sure. Make sure you buy a car with a warranty as more cars are starting to experience the cylinder head issue (mine included)
kev1966900 said:
As long as you are careful you can just sneak under the limit. A 2019 car with Premium Plus and one of the cheaper colours just managed.
This is correct because there was quite a significant price increase for the 2020 model year, mainly because the night package became standard on Premium and above.I believe the A35 saloon was first available around mid 2019.
kev1966900 said:
As long as you are careful you can just sneak under the limit. A 2019 car with Premium Plus and one of the cheaper colours just managed. If you have any additional options it will push it over. Type the registration number in the DVLA Tax checker to be sure. Make sure you buy a car with a warranty as more cars are starting to experience the cylinder head issue (mine included)
Thanks for the heads up on the 'cylinder head issue' i'll look into it more.care to tell of your experience with it?
symptoms, cost, etc?
i'll understand if you wish not to.
dc
If you do a search it's pretty well documented on the A35 Forum. For me it started with particularly high fuel consumption. Then on a long run when slowing down from motorway speeds the car lost all power and went into limp home mode. Mercedes Assistance diagnosed a misfire on No3 cylinder along with other issues. It's not a common fault by any means and Mercedes seem to be doing a fix on fail rather than a recall. Bottom line they have to replace the cylinder head but as my car is still under warranty it's not really an issue. If you buy an approved used AMG they come with 2 years warranty as standard
kev1966900 said:
If you do a search it's pretty well documented on the A35 Forum. For me it started with particularly high fuel consumption. Then on a long run when slowing down from motorway speeds the car lost all power and went into limp home mode. Mercedes Assistance diagnosed a misfire on No3 cylinder along with other issues. It's not a common fault by any means and Mercedes seem to be doing a fix on fail rather than a recall. Bottom line they have to replace the cylinder head but as my car is still under warranty it's not really an issue. If you buy an approved used AMG they come with 2 years warranty as standard
so no second/replacement cylinder head failures around?the problem is totally cured with the exchange unit?
That's probably the million dollar question. To date i have not heard of it happening to the same car twice. However the model is only 3-4 years old. I think I've heard it also could potentially effect the A250 as well. If you post the same question on the A35 Forum you will get more exposure and if it's happened twice I'm sure somebody will let you know. Having said all that I still think it's a great car. I already have a 'fast' car so this is the everyday car. Fast enough, comfortable enough and the tech is miles ahead of anyone else. Exhaust sound is a bit naff though!
i've run a 63 for 5 or 6 years, it's the extortionate road tax i'm sick of forking out for .
to see some raggedy arsed diesel come by (last serviced when the roman's were here) foot to the floor, causing more smoke than a coal fired power station.
i can see from the postings on here that not all is well in the 'speed from small engine' sector though, i've never looked to see if any made high mileage.
i'd a 911 before that, with the m96 ready to go 'POP' at any minute, cars HUH!
to see some raggedy arsed diesel come by (last serviced when the roman's were here) foot to the floor, causing more smoke than a coal fired power station.
i can see from the postings on here that not all is well in the 'speed from small engine' sector though, i've never looked to see if any made high mileage.
i'd a 911 before that, with the m96 ready to go 'POP' at any minute, cars HUH!
Quick update on my car. Picked it up today after 10 days in the garage which I thought was a really quick turnaround. I discussed the cylinder head issue with their AMG master tech. He has rebuild 6 or 7 off these now. The replacement cylinder head comes as part of a kit and has a new part number. He has not seen any come back a second time
ArmaghMan said:
If you're planning on buying an AMG and £355 per year is any kind of factor, think long and hard
If it was only £355 then I don't think many of us would be complaining...but its not only £355, it's an additional £355 on top of £165 and rising every year!Other charges have the potential to be avoided, but this one must be paid.
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