R32 road tax dates

[Stevemartin911]

Good morning, I have read ' cheaper tax ' in some R32 ads ? Does anyone know the actual date when the tax became more expensive ?  I assume it won't upwards not down ! What is the latest rates for both ?
Thanks

[DavGTI]

I think the tax rate increase is for cars from March 06 onwards at £535. And cars pre March 2006 are £305 road tax

[Rob1]

Hi Stevemartin911, I posted your question on the R32 Facebook group and received the following, Pre march is 270 odds after march 06 is 500 odd

[Gazza747]

I think the cut off is March 21st 2006 so a few 06 plates are cheaper on the tax but all 55 plates are. When I looked I only found one or two 06 plates registered between March 1st and March 21st. There's always the mk4 R32 of course.

[pudding]

If you can't afford the tax, you can't afford the petrol to run it.

[Andy]

and they love petrol stations

[pudding]

Yup!  Mine averaged 25mpg     You don't buy R32s for economy though, which is why I don't understand why people quibble over the tax bands. 

£535 vs £305 is £19 per month extra.   If that extra £19 is such a struggle, then like I say, the R32 is the wrong car for them.

The MK4 might cheaper on the tax, but the £19 month extra to tax a MK5 is well worth it.  A vastly better car dynamically.  Chalk and cheese.

[Rossimac]

Yup!  Mine averaged 25mpg 

25mpg? That's amazing I would have thought!
Most R32 folk seem to get 18mpg, which is drastically worse from 25mpg than say 32mpg to 25mpg, despite the same difference of 7mpg.

[pudding]

Yup!  Mine averaged 25mpg 

25mpg? That's amazing I would have thought!
Most R32 folk seem to get 18mpg, which is drastically worse from 25mpg than say 32mpg to 25mpg, despite the same difference of 7mpg.

That was the long term average over a couple of years.  It was a MK4 with 50K on the clock, remapped to 270 hp.   In hindsight, yeah that isn't too bad is it?  My tuned ED30's long term average over 3.5 years is 28mpg 

I don't know how people manage 18 as a long term average, unless they nail it absolutely everywhere!  Mine was pretty consistent on mpg, but like the ED30, it was lavished with much care, attention and parts, so it always ran tip top 

I do occasionally have wet dreams about an R32 Turbo as it's something that has be tried to be believed!!  It makes TFSIs feel like slugs.

If anyone is familiar with the 'LivingLifeFast' youtube channel, he tested a MK4 R32 turbo and said it's the most savagely fast car he's been in.....and he's driven a lot of FAST cars!

[MIJ_JAGGER]

Yup!  Mine averaged 25mpg 

25mpg? That's amazing I would have thought!
Most R32 folk seem to get 18mpg, which is drastically worse from 25mpg than say 32mpg to 25mpg, despite the same difference of 7mpg.

That was the long term average over a couple of years.  It was a MK4 with 50K on the clock, remapped to 270 hp.   In hindsight, yeah that isn't too bad is it?  My tuned ED30's long term average over 3.5 years is 28mpg 

I don't know how people manage 18 as a long term average, unless they nail it absolutely everywhere!  Mine was pretty consistent on mpg, but like the ED30, it was lavished with much care, attention and parts, so it always ran tip top 

I do occasionally have wet dreams about an R32 Turbo as it's something that has be tried to be believed!!  It makes TFSIs feel like slugs.

If anyone is familiar with the 'LivingLifeFast' youtube channel, he tested a MK4 R32 turbo and said it's the most savagely fast car he's been in.....and he's driven a lot of FAST cars!

Check out the MK5 R32 turbo he drove, even more savage

[Stevemartin911]

Thanks for the information and comments, all very interesting, no you are right I would not dismiss the best car on the basis of the extra tax duty but if the choice arose I would prefer not to pay nearly twice as much tax for no gain whatsoever.
Regards

[GTIEagles]

That R32 turbo is something else 

[pudding]

Thanks for the information and comments, all very interesting, no you are right I would not dismiss the best car on the basis of the extra tax duty but if the choice arose I would prefer not to pay nearly twice as much tax for no gain whatsoever.
Regards

The 2006 on cars did have some minor improvements worth paying the extra tax for....such as stronger chains, better fuel injectors, more advance on the exhaust cam, better mapping etc.   Yep, the pre-2006 MK5 R32 is also susceptible to the infamous 'chain stretch', which is a very expensive job.

Pick of the crop, imo, is a run-out 3 door 59 plate DSG, in steel grey, with the factory Recaro wingbacks.  Such a beauty is well worth paying for, and probably sticking in storage for occasional weekend use.  It'd be a great investment.

Hmmmmm, I've got myself thinking now 

And yes, I was a bit of a VR6/R32 guru before moving over to TFSI land.   Anything you want to know, ask away.

[MIJ_JAGGER]

That R32 turbo is something else 

The screamer pipe noise is epic, what a car

[pudding]

I hate screamers.  They stink and set things on fire in the engine bay, not to mention totally illegal.