Your views

The budget is out in the open and it’s time to have your say!

Industry motormouth and Auto Express columnist Mike Rutherford is first to speak out about the ups and downs about the Government’s new policies, but also we’ve included a selection of your comments below.

To join the debate, email us at newsfeatures@autoexpress.co.uk

“It's a con. The Chancellor announced a £2,000 scrappage scheme, but the small print shows that the Government giving punters benefits of only £1,000 each. And that's only for the first 300,000 buyers of new cars. We've been had – again!”
Mike Rutherford, motoring analyst and Auto Express columnist

“We can now roll up in our old bangers, sign up and drive away in brand new car. There’s no need to find a scrap yard or to worry about a certificate of destruction – that’s all down to the dealers. I strongly think that is the model to go with on a national scale to quickly and systematically get the British motoring industry back into motion.”
Colin McLean, Isle of Skye

The new deal doesn’t look like it will help me much. I have a car registered in late 1999 so it’s not quite 10 years old. I wouldn’t want to buy a brand new car anyway as I would simply loose the £2,000 immediately in depreciation. I’ll be better if I sell the old car for £300-500 and buy an ex-demonstrater with a £2,000 showroom reduction.
Keith Riley, Email

My wife and I are planning to scrap our N-reg VW Polo, for new or nearly new a MkVI Golf. We need the car by the end of June so we won't be ordering one from the factory. I'm not sure as to whether or not the scheme will benefit us, as the details haven't yet been revealed as to what constitutes new. However, if the scheme includes cars that have already been manufactured and registered (i.e. available for immediate purchase), then it certainly will help us out.
Robert Gray, Email

The scrappage tax typifies this Government. It’s too little too late. The increase in fuel duty shows the Chancellor has the imagination of a gold fish: when the going gets tough, tax car drivers so you can spend your way out of trouble.
James Foxall, motoring editor, News of the World

My 306 DTurbo HDI will be 1o on 01 September 2009 so I take it I cannot benefit from the scheming scheme!
So I will forget a new Golf 2.0D SE and run my faithful car another 10years! It has only 68k and still does 45mpg in comfort! What a swizfrom the chancellor!
W. Wilson, Barnstaple, UK

Surely, the only people to gain from this are the scrap metal merchants. Cost of dumping cars will sky-rocket. Limited capacity – no demand for scrap metal!
Colin Hughes, Email

Am I missing some obvious aspect of this scheme ?
It appears that many people, having purchased,  most probably for cash, a second hand older car which is undoubtedly in good condition, as most of the cars of this era are , the government are now requesting that you scrap this perfectly good car and take on a huge and  unnecessary loan / credit agreement, adding to the considerable mountain of credit debt in this country ( unless of course, you have cash to buy a new car but then you wouldn't have bought a much older car if you had, would you ) to buy a new car which instantly loses 30% of it's value when you drive from the showroom - plus then wait for the car of your choice plus the cost of all the upgrades for extras, that in a second hand car you don't pay for.
As the employment situation for the forseeable future is so poor, anyone considering paying for a new car with a loan needs their head examining.
Undoubtedly, a small number of drivers will be enticed into this stupidity, but I am certain that the vast number of older cars will not be substantially reduced .
It’s good to know however that the value of these cars could now be £ 2000.00.
Jeff Miller, Email
 
I was eagerly waiting for this announcement but I am now very disappointed.  My car was first registered in November 1999.  The initial news headlines said that the car must be "10 years old" (not 9, as I was expecting), so I thought I'd have to wait until November to get my £2000 discount.  I think the BBC must have simplified the reporting of the scheme, as everywhere else says that the car must have been registered by July 1999.
Please can you confirm that this scheme wil not be an option for me by waiting until my car becomes 10 years old?
John Staniforth, Email

John, our story, UK scrappage scheme in detail, offers an answer. Regards Dan Strong

What a CON ! ! a grand from the Government and a grand only from participating dealers, then only if you have had the car from new, how many people keep a car for 10 yrs? not many, Alistair Darling is just out to make headlines and look good but we motorists can see right through them, it's time this car hating government went !!
And I have no sympathy for the car makers either, if we were offered cars at the same price that the Italians and Americans buy them, the industry would be selling cars, its time we got away from " What the economy will stand " and have parity with the rest of the world !!!!!
Robert Bev, Email

Whilst I fully support encouragement for people to get older, less safe, less efficient cars off the road I really can’t see this scheme helping very much. I see two main problems. Firstly, what proportion of people driving ten year old (+) cars are in the financial position to buy a new car, even with the maximum scrappage grant ? I believe that most new car buyers have much younger vehicles to trade in.  Secondly, and I realize that the details of the plan have yet to be announced, if this allowance is offered only against the dealers advertised on the road price then this could well work out less than the discount you might be able to negotiate anyway. Would dealers still want to be offering low rate, or even zero rate, finance on these deals?
Chris Miller, Email