aznxdragon

http://www.miamiherald.com/569/story/166659.html

this is going to suck

Lexmex

No it's not. I read this very carefully in a few articles on the Herald and the Orlando Sentinel and one of which he was put point blank on emissions testing, and said he preferred to have automakers come out with newer, more emissions friendly vehicles.

Moreover, the California regs apply to new vehicles sold in Florida, not old ones. As such, no emissions testing.

bluelex

I hope your right. ........

iobidder

Yep, keeping my Maryland Tags on my car in So. FLA

Lexmex

I though most counties in Maryland have to test.

iobidder

In Maryland, we do inspection (Safety) once per owner of that car, emissions every 2 years, emission every 2 years for $12. But for Florida, this is their way of saying we will be profiling cars with tint, exhaust, lowered, and V8 loud (i.e. Straight Pipes, no cats).

Lexmex

I always thought northern Virginia was the worst for that latter kind of stuff. Went to school in DC and lived there shortly after, but I am still a Florida resident.

iobidder

Northern Virginia is the worst, since it is about a 10 minute drive to the border (GW Parkway area) and Troopers are there all the time checking cars out. Emissions and Inspection every year in Virginia, and you have to get County stickers, and pay a personal property tax per year on your vehicle.

Lexmex

In Mexico, they have a very, very stiff vehicle tax called tenencia. The major reason I brought my RX in, instead of buying a local vehicle. It can range from about $20 USD per year for the oldest car to several thousand dollars per year and that is on top of 2x the price for insurance (now obligatory) compared to the U.S.

Emissions tests are twice a year here, but given all the problems here, I don't necessarily blame them.

iobidder

What problems would you be refering to?

Lexmex

Now you see it.

Lexmex

Now you don't.

Lexmex

The government here likes to blame this largely on motor vehicles and the fact that Mexico City is in a bowl surrounded by mountains. But the real truth here is that that the gasoline has been bad for years. Very high sulfur content and only recently within the last year has the Premium gas come close to U.S. levels and quality. However, the regular and diesel gasolines still need a few more years until they have practically no sulfur and are of better quality.

In Mexico City, we have driving restrictions under the following, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoy_No_Circula but I am able to pass (despite all my modifications) voluntarily so for the time being I can drive every day (they give you a sticker they put on your window called una calcomania cero or zero sticker).

This is a far cry from beautiful Florida...clean air...clean gas...strong winds. You go to many places in Asia and they have no testing whatsoever and you all know well about the pollution there.

Keep in mind, too, that most vehicles here in Mexico before 1991 had no cats and back until the late 90s, there was leaded gasoline.

As a result, many older vehicles do not pass the emissions test here and must observe the hoy no circula program (I used to until late 2006 when foreign cars could realistically participate voluntarily without red tape).

iobidder

Same goes for most of Europe.

Needless to say, Florida is just now jumping on the "Green" bandwagon, and much like Maryland, emissions will soon be very strict.

Lexmex

We used to have emissions testing in the 90s in some populated areas around Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and WPB. Jeb Bush rightly killed it as they found it was a huge waste of taxpayer money and that air quality had improved anyways...I remember reading that some very teeny percentage of vehicles failed. Minnesota did the same thing a few years ago along with some places in Kentucky.