I had to sell my Land Rover thanks to fuel prices and congestion charging

I've always loved 4x4s, so I wasn't happy when I had to sell my Land Rover Discovery. There is something about driving such a wide, robust vehicle, sitting high above most of the rest of the traffic, that makes me feel safe and secure - something I value on London's busy and often frenetic roads. There is plenty of space in the back for my kids (and all the paraphernalia that goes with them!) and I knew that I would probably be well cushioned in the unfortunate event of a crash, which was reassuring. Selling my Land Rover wasn't my own choice - it was force of circumstances, and the straw that broke the camel's back was the London Mayor's promise to hike the congestion tax to unreasonably high levels.

When I went to buy my Land Rover a few years back, I knew I'd be paying a little more for fuel than other road users, but reasoned that it was worth it for the benefits of space and safety. Insurance was a lot higher than my previous car, too, but again - worth the difference for the peace of mind it afforded me. I also knew I'd have to fork out for London's new congestion charge on a daily basis, which was steadily rising since it had been introduced in 2003.

When it was announced that the charge could be raised to £25 per day for the most polluting vehicles, I gave up: I would have to sell my Land Rover. It didn't help that fuel prices had recently spiked, too. I could put up with it in the short term, but I knew things wouldn't be getting any better - probably the opposite. I set about finding a Land Rover buyer. I had heard that the Discovery retains around half its original purchase price after three years, so I wouldn't do too badly out of it in the end. I considered putting an ad in the local paper, but the classifieds were already chock full of 4x4s so I didn't bother. I wasn't in a great hurry so I decided to go with word-of-mouth for the time being.

I found someone to sell my Land Rover to within a fortnight - another mum at the same school my kids go to, who was looking to upgrade from her estate. My 4x4 was in pretty good condition - despite buying it for its rugged look and safety record I'd actually avoided having too many bumps and dings - and she made me an offer. With a third child on the way she was pleased to get a second hand car at a good price, so my new Land Rover buyer drove away happy. I walked away happy too (as far as the taxi rank, anyway), determined that, despite having to sell my Land Rover, I would still cheat the Mayor by finding a car that was as safe and spacious but didn't incur his fiendish new charge.