Choosing a better used car instead of a brand new one is often a sound personal financial decision, but it is important to keep your mouth shut.
For example, it is important to check that service has been carried out continuously, that the mechanics are fully functional and that there are no debts linked to the car.
If you are looking for a used diesel car, there is another detail that is important to check, to avoid buying yourself a real tax trap.
DON’T MISS: Our podcast about cars – Under the Hood
Used cars to avoid
Used diesel cars that are over three years old certainly avoid the increased vehicle tax that you have to pay for cars with high emissions in the first three years.
However, there was a time when many diesel cars received a very high base tax, which can be a nasty surprise that quickly makes a cheap diesel car lose its appeal.
Above all, this applies to diesel cars with an older emission class than Euro 5, which became mandatory on new cars from 1 September 2011.
DON’T MISS:
The unlikely speed record held by a Saab
Data leak at popular car manufacturer – can track your car
Diesel cars with sky-high taxes
An extreme example we found on the used market is the Volkswagen Touareg from 2009, with a V10 diesel of 4.9 liters and 351 horsepower under the hood.
The annual tax is a whopping SEK 12,678. This means that the car will cost close to SEK 13,000 per year to have installed, until it becomes tax-exempt in 2039.
A copy of the group sibling Audi Q7 from 2010 with one with a 5.9 liter diesel V12 of 500 horsepower under the hood gets away somewhat cheaper, with an annual tax of SEK 10,853.
DON’T MISS:
Driving licenses should be easier to obtain – with these diagnoses
These cars will be taxed differently in 2025
Tax of 10 percent of the car’s value
Even much more everyday diesel cars from the same period can deliver a substantial tax hit to their owners.
The Swedish favorite Volvo XC70 D5 of model year 2009, for example, has an annual tax of SEK 6,734, while the annual tax on an Audi Allroad with a 3.0-liter diesel engine from 2008 is a whopping SEK 7,818.
Today, it is possible to find used copies of these car models for around SEK 70,000, which means that the annual vehicle tax lands at around 10 percent of the purchase price.
If you are interested in a diesel car from 2011 or earlier, it is therefore particularly important to check what the annual vehicle tax is. This can be easily done with the help of The Swedish Transport Agency’s service Vehicle details.