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Some car owners will pay out more than £400 in 2009 for their road tax.

This is due to changes in the road tax system that aim to penalise heavy polluters.

The changes see most cars’ road tax bills sneak up a few quid, but there are some that slip through a loophole which results in a lower road tax cost next year.

How much can I save? 

Don’t expect to book a Caribbean cruise on the savings, but every little helps when it comes to lowering motoring costs. The biggest savings are for cars that produce between 121- and 130g/km of carbon dioxide. Under the present system, these cars attract a road tax bill of £120, but under the 2009 regime they will only be liable for £90 bill.

There are some other cars with higher or lower CO2 outputs that will also enjoy a drop in road tax next year, but the difference is only £5. 

Which cars are the road tax winners?

Many of our top 10 tax busters are diesel-engined, but that doesn’t mean these cars have to be dull base models with little buyer appeal other than lower road tax bills.

Executive saloons
Take the BMW 320d, which is one of the finest small executive saloons on the market and one that enjoys some of the strongest used values. Producing 128g/km of CO2, the 320d saloon goes from Band C in 2008 to Band D in 2009, which means a switch from £120 for 12 months’ road tax to £90 next year.

An example of how closely you must study the specs of any potential new car purchase is the 320 Touring estate produces 131g/km of CO2, just 3g/km more than the saloon, yet it goes for being in the same band this year to Band E in 2009 and a £110 road tax bill.

Small cars 
If you’d rather have a small car, the Mazda 2 1.3 in both higher and lower power version enjoys the same road tax savings as the BMW thanks to its 129g/km CO2 output. The Mazda is one of only two petrol-powered cars in our top 10 and the other is the svelte Mini Cooper, which proves saving money doesn’t have to be boring.

Family cars
If you need more space for the family, the Ford Focus C-Max 1.6 TDCi 110 will fit the bill, or how about the Renault Laguna hatchback with the excellent 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel? Those less concerned about maximum space will find the Citroen C4 1.6 HDi 110, Fiat Bravo 1.6 Multijet 105 and Kia Ceed 1.6 D ideal small hatches that save a few quid come the changes in 2009.

Hatchbacks
Another small hatch is the Volvo C30 and in 1.6 D R-Design Sport form it has hot hatch looks with affordable running costs and road tax that will be lower in 2009 than it is now.

Convertibles
And just to underline that saving money can be fun, how about a convertible? Vauxhall’s Tigra 1.3 CDTi combines a retractable metal roof with reduced road tax in 2009 and excellent economy, so you really can sit back and enjoy the sun.

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