So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[rverdoold]

Dear ultimate Subaru forum users, And especially long time users like GD, Nipper, 1 Lucky Texan (and many others of course as well),

But after well over 22 years of driving with various Subaru cars I will step out and lock the doors of my 2009 OBW for the last time in two weeks. I have had three cars in this time, an old 91 legacy EJ20 4EAT 2WD followed by an 99 impreza EJ16 MT running on LPG and later a OBW BL 09 4EAT VTD  running on LPG. In the Netherlands/Holland driving these high CO2 cars is, even on LPG, a very expensive habit. This is then also the main reason for changing to a 2017 Toyota Auris 1.2T CVT. Here road tax goes by weight, emission and fuel type. Gasoline being the cheapest, then LPG and then Diesel. And car insurance is determined by new car sales value. And here is the trick, or unlucky part. A car has a base price, and then for every gram of CO2 per km above 105g you pay 235 euros extra (per gram!!! 26k euro tax, then 21% normal tax on a 31k euro car). Hence a 215g/km Outback has a very high sales price. About double of that in USA! This is of course the main reason why most cars in Netherlands are Mini and Micro sized cars, according to US size standards. An other problem is the rare-ness of Subaru in the Netherlands, of the 2003-2009 OBW only 2500 have been sold. YES!!! The market is so small and spare 2nd hand parts are impossible to source. Additionally, original spare parts are insanely priced to the added very high workmanship price. And due to the rarity, almost no un-branded garage knows much about the tech and tools. The OBW just became a little bit to expensive to drive on both road tax and maintenance cost.

In general I have not had any significant breakdowns or issues, showing reliability and durability is there. Even running on LPG had no major consequences on reliability, and many Polish and Italians will agree to this. The worst problem I had was with the OBW and was due to a leak in the exhaust pipe making the ATF temperature sensor go mad. The seal between the front and back pipe came out. Instead of reading high the sensor read low and force the gearbox to run in 3rd gear. After, re-setting and fixing the exhaust it never returned. 

We have been through many places, both very temps, and low temps the OBW always worked. I will miss the very limited 25y anniversary model with all (yes all, including HID and self levelling suspension) options, red leather upholstery of very good quality (not a single wear mark after 160k miles).

Maybe, hopefully, I will be back in future, that will be electric then, as there is no other way how any ICE car can remain affordable here. (Current electric cars pay no road tax and if you make your own electricity you drive for free). I am looking forward what the Solterra will bring. 

But with this all I want to thank you forum members as always being a valuable input, helpful and friendly. 

See you hopefully in future.

Remco

 

Picking up the trailer on holiday

Getting LPG at -16F in Latvia.

After I first got it, about 4 years old.

Interior

[GeneralDisorder]

Wow. Had no idea about the taxes in the Netherlands. Crazy! Especially since that kind of legislation would never fly in the USA, China, India, etc - economies where it might actually do some good for the environment. 

Good luck with the new ride! 

GD

[brus brother]

Quitter!! 

The car looks brand new!

Can you take it across the border and sell it for a decent price or is that tax structure across the EU?

[idosubaru]

Ah man - thanks for bidding farewell and joining us all these years, seeing you name pop up will be missed.  Good luck with the Toyota!  Thanks man!

[heartless]

wow, yeah kind of hard to justify keeping the Subaru with those kinds of taxes..

Best wishes with the Toy - take care!

[1 Lucky Texan]

Maybe Subaru should export a Kei car to the Netherlands...

 

anyway, safe travels!

[rverdoold]

11 hours ago, brus brother said:

Quitter!! 

The car looks brand new!

Can you take it across the border and sell it for a decent price or is that tax structure across the EU?

I got a very decent trade in value. So not complaining regarding that. 

The tax structure is country based. There is a but of course, we have the one of the best roads in the world, superb quality. And after Norway the highest amount of electric cars (due to massive tax benefit).

[rverdoold]

5 hours ago, 1 Lucky Texan said:

Maybe Subaru should export a Kei car to the Netherlands...

 

anyway, safe travels!

I never understood that the hybrid cross-trek was never for sale here. Maybe toyota doesnt allow it. But only now you can get a hybrid outback and forester. But regarding tax it is to late. Only fully electric or plug-in are now tax interesting.

[rverdoold]

12 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

Wow. Had no idea about the taxes in the Netherlands. Crazy! Especially since that kind of legislation would never fly in the USA, China, India, etc - economies where it might actually do some good for the environment. 

Good luck with the new ride! 

GD

Now the picture of diesel scandal should become clear. The tax is paper based, so of course if VW is able to make a diesel have only 85g/km co2 emission (on paper) then they will sell massive amounts. Diesels with <90g/km co2 were previously tax exempted. But now not anymore, but the sales where done. And 90% of these are leased cars so they have 0% care about the car or fuel consumption as it is included in the lease contract. But the diesel scandal is of course not only VW, all european manufactures have a decent blame there!

Now regarding actual consumption the OBW was rated at 215g/km and I was always at 182g/km so easily making the consumption and emissions whilst other brands could never get to that. Problem now is that VW has to pay billions in fines, but actually the government is the problem. Most fair would be to have a lease car construction where you are only allowed to consume 15% more than the spec. I bet less people will trash their car. 

[brus brother]

You are most welcome for the fish ;-)

 

[el_freddo]

That’s insane! But I can see how it swings people towards electric vehicles. Once majority are there watch the tax follow on to electric vehicles too - probably a distance travelled tax with the technology of trackable GPS. 

All the best with it. 

Cheers 

Bennie

[rverdoold]

10 hours ago, el_freddo said:

That’s insane! But I can see how it swings people towards electric vehicles. Once majority are there watch the tax follow on to electric vehicles too - probably a distance travelled tax with the technology of trackable GPS. 

All the best with it. 

Cheers 

Bennie

There has been a study on 'pay per km' driving in the Netherlands. In 2000!!!!! It was rejected due to privacy. BUT actually what had happened was something completely different of course. Most lease car owners have to pay a part of the value of the car to their taxable salary if they use a company car privately. (obviously this % is depending on the emissions again,  (think back of the diesel scandal!)). Now, if you did not use the company car privately this percentage was 0. But you would have to prove that you did not do that by a km registration on paper. Just imagine suddenly having a GPS in your car or 1000s of toll gates registering you are actually using your car privately. So some political parties had said, 'with us this will not happen' and the votes were won. 

I really would like to have a outback 3.6R but tax and sales price shows it is impossible, + the cost at the gas station (2.10 euro per Liter = 11 dollar/Gallon!!!) see why we are forced to electric driving here?