In message , David Spiro
writes

As for automatic transmissions, they are
better at being fuel efficient on the highway, if there is a c"cruise
control" feature built in. (Which has become almost standard here in the
U.S.) While this feature is primarily for highway driving, it allows the
vehicle to go at a constant speed for longer periods of time,

In my experience, having driven a Renault with this feature for 10
years, the cruise control can rarely be used on British motorways for
more than a minute or two at a time, since the traffic is far too heavy
(and I think the speeds tend to be rather faster than in the USA).

True, and growing up in NYC as I did, the situation is similar indeed. The
unfortunate thing about living here in Rochester is that the bus routes do
not extend far enough off of the main roads in order to make them more
accessible. If they did that, I htink more people would be inclined to use
them.

That certainly applies to more outlying parts of London. I live about 8
miles from the city centre, and here we have buses every few minutes
(and even every 15 minutes right through the night). This is largely as
a result of the regulated bus service in London - it means that I very
rarely drive into the middle of London (especially as there is a
congestion charge for doing so during the working day, and parking
charges are prohibitively high). Added to that is the fact that soon I
will soon be 60 and old enough to qualify for free travel on public
transport in London!

(snip)

Now, can you deduct any of these expenses from your taxes if they are being
used for a legitimate business expense?

There are now very strict limits on the way motoring expenses can be set
against tax - they include significantly better deals for the most
fuel-efficient and least polluting vehicles, and the benefit of a
company car is itself taxed.
--
Paul Terry