I had a call the other night from my dad. He was moaning and groaning as he usually does. He’s like the old man in comedies, telling of how it was better in the old days and how we’re ruining everything nowadays. Yada yada. It gets old listening to him whine.
He was asking me about the recent tax changes, and how gaz guzzlers are going to have to pay more in taxes for the privilege of running one. Sadly, for him, he had just bought one – a Nissan Cashqai Qashqai. He kept saying he would have to sell it and make a loss, just to run his normal car.
He runs a Peugeot 407 I think, as a taxi service. He will probably pay a little more now for that too. He’s angry because now he’s just bought the Qashqai he has to pay even more than he had bargained for. I can understand where he’s coming from, but have little sympathy for him, as I don’t even have a car and can’t afford one.
I suggested to him that he should purchase a hybrid (such as the Prius) in place of his Peugeot so it would reduce the road tax on it (to 0) to offset the increase in his Qashqai’s road tax. He wouldn’t hear of it, and ignored me (and so I have even less sympathy for him now). I don’t understand his ignorance over this – the Prius is just as good, it’s more efficient, and costs less in operating terms. Since he drives into London a lot, he would be exempt from the congestion charge in a Prius, and thus save £6,500.
And yes, you can get Prius’ here in the UK now, so it’s not like it’s impossible for him to obtain. Maybe I’ll try again to convert him, but I think he’s just set in his ways, and likes moaning too much!
Tags: gas guzzler, prius, qashqai