5 cars with the highest road tax price in Malaysia

Some say that our road tax structure is archaic and demand an emissions-based system. One way to pay less road tax in Malaysia is to opt for a smaller engine, which usually means opting for turbocharged cars or hybrid cars.

The road tax of a car can be a deal-breaker to some, and it is one of the reasons we don’t see that many V8 engines around. Used cars with big engines are a big turn off, since the annual road tax is almost half their value.

So, just how expensive can the road tax be? Well, here is a list of 5 cars with the most expensive road tax in Malaysia, starting with the cheapest one.

#5: Bentley Continental GT (6.0L) – RM15,630

#4: Lamborghini Aventador (6.5L); Ferrari 812 (6.5L) – RM17,880

#3: BMW 7-series V12 (6.6 L); Rolls Royce Ghost (6.6L) - RM 18,330

#2: Rolls Royce Phantom/ Bentley Mulsanne (6.75 L) - RM 19,005

#1 Bugatti Chiron (8.0L) – RM24,360

It seems then that the list is mainly dominated by Volkswagen and BMW cars with number 5 already starting with a massive 6.0-litre engine. 

How did these cars incur such a high road tax?

Not that it matters anyway to those who could afford it, but the answer is their obvious large displacement engines and the high progressive rate upon exceeding 3.0-litre (RM4/cc)

There's a simple way to calculate road tax using our road tax calculator.

Here’s what the road tax looks like for varying engine displacements in detail:

There are base rates and progressive rates to calculate a car’s annual road tax. Want to pay the absolute minimum? Get something below 1,000 cc.

Looking from the table, it is pretty clear why manufacturers aren’t very keen on bringing their big engines here. Although available with a 6.6-litre V12 elsewhere, the BMW 7 series in Malaysia is of the PHEV variant.

One thing you’ll notice from our Top 5 list is that there are no SUVs listed. Finding an SUV with a minimum 6.0-litre displacement is hard enough, but another reason for their absence (in the list) would be the lower progressive rate for SUVs, MPVs, and pick-ups in Malaysia.

While private saloons and sports cars are charged RM4/cc upon exceeding 3.0 litres, SUVs and MPVs are only charges RM1.60/cc. That's 60% less.

Besides engine displacement, another factor affecting road tax rates would be where your car is registered. Cars registered in East Malaysia incur a lower road tax due to the road and infrastructure conditions.

The road tax may be cheaper for a Bugatti Chiron in East Malaysia, but there's not much road for you to enjoy it.

One result of this lower road tax in East Malaysia is having bigger displacement variants of cars selling better in East Malaysia.

Take for example, the Isuzu D-Max.The 3.0-litre version is more popular in East Malaysia compared to West Malaysia.

It’s a totally different story for electric cars, with the road tax being assessed by the car’s maximum power output.

Want to know how much the road tax would cost for your car?

You can start crunching the numbers yourself, or you could just give our road tax calculator a try. It’s easier.

What are your thoughts on the road tax rates in Malaysia? Is it fair?