Cambridge - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
British spec right-hand drive is safer. 4WD is unnecessary. Most people use fuel-efficient small hatchbacks, as they are easy to park and use less gas, which is very expensive. Consider a diesel. - Mar 2013
You can rent a car when you first get here from one of the local companies that deal in older models that the locals call “bangers” (Steve’s Car Hire, Reliable Rentals, etc.) or you can go to an Enterprise or related company for newer cars. This will get you mobile. When it is time to buy, and if you're lucky, you can find a vehicle that has several months left on its MOT and tax disc (detailed below). There is a craigslist-type online service at a nearby American military base called Lakenheath Yard Sales. A word of caution: the mechanics I've talked to say to stay away from Rover...not Land Rover, just Rover. In my opinion, 2WD, fuel-efficient hatchback is the way to go; consider a diesel, and make sure the tires are good, as you can plan to replace them twice as often as in the U.S. Parkers is sort of the equivalent to Edmunds in the U.S., and Autotrader is alive and well in the UK. You will have to pay a road tax and complete an MOT (like car inspection) every year for each vehicle - about 50GBP. A road-tax disc (permission to drive on UK roads) is about 200GBP (may be higher or lower depending on make/model/year of your car). http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/?pro=tax_online. - Sep 2012
