Diesel scrappage
As anyone who knows me will confirm, my views of eco-warriors and the like are far from enthusiastic!
However, today I felt that I owe them, at least indirectly, my thanks.
We have been looking for a new car and intended to dispose of my 14 year-old Skoda Fabia which, although still an excellent runner with an impressive turn of speed, is becoming a liability in that necessary repairs and MoT requirements are increasingly expensive.
My wife's Mazda 3 is still good, although we decided to dispose of that too as we no longer need both cars now we are both retired.
I had originally intended to sell the car to some firm like 'We Buy Any Car' and found we'd be lucky to get much more than a couple of hundred pounds.
We'd even thought of giving it away to a friend or family member, but no-one wanted it!
Imagine my delight when I discovered the government's 'scrappage scheme' for pre-2009 diesels. I was even more delighted when I found it was worth far more than a couple of hundred pounds - four thousand pounds, in fact!
Having done a great deal of searching and research, we finally decided on a VW Golf 1.5 EVO. This is one of several cars, I believe, which automatically shuts down two of four cylinders when driving with little need for power and, obviously, cuts down on fuel use.
We visited our local VW outlet today and had a test drive. The car was very impressive in all respects and, as I had read in reviews, the change between four and two cylinders was completely imperceptible apart from an indicator on the dashboard.
Not only did we receive the £4000 scrappage deal, but also managed to acquire approaching £2000 reduction on the RRP. I was slightly surprised that, in addition, they would also accept my wife's car in part exchange.
My suggestion to others then, if they were not aware of this diesel scrappage deal is, if you own an old car that qualifies especially if it isn't worth much at all (like mine), is to jump at the opportunity!
Thanks, eco-warriors, for pushing the government to make such an unexpected move!