ULEZ-compliant alternatives for car lovers

While the fixation with the capital’s ULEZ expansion may seem very London-centric its ripples extend a lot further, and there will inevitably be winners and losers whether its impact affects you directly or indirectly.
Among them will be owners of more enthusiast-oriented cars now living within the zone and now facing the decision between paying the daily charge to keep a much-loved but non-compliant model or swapping for something similar but new enough to avoid the penalty. Because while the ULEZ scrappage scheme may offer a lifeline for those with older cars at the end of their lives there are many around worth good money and with plenty of life left in them, potentially for drivers outside of the ULEZ to enjoy. So finding something similar to enjoy but without the cost of a daily charge may be a smart move. If that’s you and you have a car with some ongoing emotional and/or financial value that you’ve decided to sell what do you replace it with? Here we look at five popular types of car including roadsters, 4x4s, ‘lifestyle’ vans, performance estates and hot hatches to see what owners of non-ULEZ compliant examples of each might want to swap them for. And how much that might cost. The results, as you’ll see, might come as a surprise!

The BMW 3 Series Touring has always been a favourite of drivers seeking performance and practicality, the combination of premium quality and the brand’s signature rear-wheel drive making it great to drive. And, for a time, a 3 Series Touring with a big, six-cylinder diesel engine was the car of choice for those wanting to cover long distances at speed, with no shame about fuelling from the black pump. They can go on forever as well, meaning there are still some great examples out there owners within the ULEZ may now be looking to swap for something of similar spirit. Like … a 3 Series Touring with a big petrol engine instead! If you’re running non-compliant diesel like the 2011 330d M Sport Touring we found then the news isn’t all bad, a quick search turning up a petrol-engined 2013 335i M Sport for pretty much the same money. Sure, it’s done a few more miles. But it’s as close to a like-for-like swap you’ll get, and it won’t break the bank!

Cost of changing: Potentially like-for-like

You may have reached that stage of life where the two-seat convertible you always promised yourself became a reality, and there’s something suitably sporty tucked away in the garage for sunny days. As the first rung on the ladder to Porsche ownership the original Boxster remains a brilliant choice as well, though unfortunately the early models now fall foul of the ULEZ rules. That’s a shame, but if you’ve got a good one with low miles and perfect history there will be plenty of people outside the zone ready to pay decent money for it. But what to replace it with? A Mazda may not, on the face it, have the same allure as a Porsche in posing power, but drivers in the know realise an MX-5 of any generation is a brilliant roadster and the equal of an small-engined Boxster in terms of performance. In our hunt the swap from a desirable early-generation 2.5-litre Boxster of 1997 vintage to a much newer 2011 MX-5 2.0-litre Sport Black limited edition was a relatively affordable £1,800. Money you’ll quickly claw back in terms of the Mazda’s much lower running costs, while still enjoying your fun in the sun.

Cost of changing: c. £2,000

Everyone loves a Land Rover Defender. Or, perhaps, did until ULEZ extended its reach. Because unless you scored one of the very limited edition V8 petrol ones sold towards the end of production they’re all powered by a relatively old and non-compliant diesel engine. So, it’s going to cost you every day you get it off the driveway. Good news? Defenders are still very much prized, and values remain strong. So, you could swap out of your 2016 Defender 110 Station Wagon and into a similarly aged Jeep Wrangler with the same off-road cred and proper 4x4 style … and make money! In our like for like example with two cars of near identical age, mileage and character that equated to over £10,000 payback – a no brainer!

Cost of changing: possibly £10,000 profit!

Volkswagen Transporters are the vehicle of choice for lifestyle users breaking out of the city limits to enjoy weekends surfing, mountain biking or just camping out with mates. But if yours is a bit older and lives in the ULEZ it may be costing you a bit more to get away than before. And values for newer ones are strong, making a like-for-like upgrade potentially expensive. It’s expensive but if you put the equity in that old Transporter down as your deposit on a brand-new hybrid Multivan you can keep the monthly payments down while taking satisfaction in cruising round on zero emissions electric power for shorter journeys within the zone, safe in the knowledge it can take you as far as you want to go at weekends under conventional petrol power. And if you can run it as a company car you’ll be feeling even more smug, given the huge savings in Benefit In Kind for running a plug-in hybrid.

Cost of changing: c. £350/month

Those hot-hatches keen drivers used and abused back in the day? The ones that didn’t get put backwards through hedges are now increasingly valuable investment classics, iconic models like the 1990s Peugeot 205 GTI commanding huge prices in the right condition. If you’re lucky enough to have one tucked away as an investment the lack of ULEZ compliance may not be so much of an issue. But if you like to actually drive it and can’t face the charge what are your options? Well, the good news is cars like this are in demand, so you won’t struggle to sell it. Taking the £15,000 of our example 205 GTI as a budget for a replacement we found just the ticket – a previous generation Ford Fiesta ST200 for pretty much the same money. While there are tons of standard Fiesta STs available for much less the ST200 was made in very limited numbers, and has a few choice upgrades to make it drive even better than the standard model. On the road it’s as close in spirit to that 205 as any modern hot hatch has come. And, looking to the future, Ford fans covet these special editions, so if you look after it you could even have another appreciating asset on your hands.

Cost of changing: Potentially like-for-like