Speed limits?

[gotgcoalman]

:lol: nice one mike
You were borne to be a grandma teacher

[nadab_sardar]

http://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/new-vehicles/x/x5/2013/technicaldata.html so if auto express is correct then why isn't the x5 restricted? As it shows a maximum weight of 2750 kg..

The whole system is a joke I I knew how to start said petition I would.

The confusion here is that the 2,040kg unladen weight limit only applies to vehicles classed as "dual-purpose vehicles" or goods vehicles/vans under UK law — that's the category that gets restricted to 50/60mph on single/dual carriageways. The X5, though, is registered as an M1 passenger car, not a dual-purpose vehicle or LCV, so it never falls into that classification in the first place. Its weight is irrelevant to the speed limit rules because those rules are written specifically for vans, pickups and other goods-carrying vehicles — not for SUVs sold and taxed as cars.

So it's not that the X5 is "exempt" from a restriction — it was never subject to it. Auto Express (and a lot of forum threads since) muddled this by comparing the X5's kerb weight to the 2,040kg dual-purpose threshold, when that threshold only kicks in for vehicles actually classified as dual-purpose/commercial in the V5C logbook.

Side note on the X5's weight — since it's a genuinely heavy SUV, it's worth making sure the tyres are rated for that load (load index, not just size) when you replace them, especially if you're running a staggered fitment. I wrote a bit about matching tyre load/speed ratings correctly for X5s and other X-range BMWs here if it's useful: https://themobiletyrefitter.co.uk/blog/ ... s-for-bmw/

[jameswhitfield]

This comes up every year with new drivers, so here is what we have learned.

Ignore what the van looks like. The body type on the V5C is what counts. If it is a car derived van, so a Fiesta or Corsa van under 2,000 kg max weight, it sticks to car speed limits. Anything registered as a goods vehicle, like a Transit, is limited to 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual carriageways, and 70 on the motorway in England, Wales, and Scotland. Pickups with a second row and four-wheel drive, under 2,040 kg unladen, are classed as dual purpose, and also get car limits. That is why double cabs are permitted to travel at 60 on A roads.

A couple of things trip people up. Wales switched to 20 mph in built-up areas in 2023, so trips into Cardiff or Wrexham take longer than your sat nav suggests. Also, the average speed cameras on the A1 and M62 roadworks can tell the difference between a car and a van. If you drive at 56 in a 50, expect a letter.

We got tired of the confusion and just stuck a laminated card with the speed limits on every van. It cost next to nothing and put an end to the debates.