What an odd collection, the obvious London car (to me, if i was forced at gunpoint to drive the place daily) is a Yaris/Auris hybrid or their big brother Prius, can you not negotiate one of those in place of the CHR thingy.

Best car for London is a Range Rover. Sit in traffic in a comy armchair, automatic, high driving position means you can actually see whats going on around you, easy to park, light steering makes it feel nimble. Judging by the amount around london, I can't be far wrong. Not on the list but if you want best car for london...

Do you really need a car for travelling around in London? Can you not use public transport (admitedly better north of the Thames than south) for the most part, and either (the above and second one - no congestion charges to be paid):

1. Hire a car for longer trips (away from London or when you need to carry heavy stuff [presumably not that often]);
2. Get a mini cab to the destination, or;
3. As I do (if your company offers this) take a car allowance instead and buy the car you actually want/need (NOT a diesel - see other threads for descriptions of serious/expensive to fix reliability issues when driven in town/on short journeys and its likely that the GLA/Mayor/borough councils will come down hard on diesels [see parking charges articles of late, as a start]).

I find that I'm more than quids in if you go for the car allowance (especially if you don't do that much company mileage) - you really only need a company car these days if you do well over 20,000 miles pa, as the tax system works against you if you only do lower mileages, especially if you get more expensive models. Note that the tax you pay is based on the NEW LIST PRICE (as well as CO2 emissions/engine type) and NOT the final agreed price you pay (including second hand cars).

If you HAVE to have a car (e.g. to lug loads around, e.g. reps with loads of stuff to show/presentational materials, and travelling more than walking distance twice a week or more), then a hybrid sounds the best choice, followed by a small petrol city car - its not as though you'll be needing something fast around town, given traffic/average speeds.

If you can, shy away from the higher-end/'R-Line' type models (I'm talking about those which have low profile tyres, not VAG specific ones - as you'll feel all those lovely London potholes if you get them as well as be stung tax-wise) and get a medium-spec car with higher profile (min 60 profile) tyres.

An auto would be good for use in slow, jig-jog traffic, and I would stay away from the VAG ones unless it is the latest wet-clutch type (get written proof that it would be). Normally I'd also shy away from makes with CVT auto gearboxes, but as others have said, they are predominatly designed for in-town driving and would be fine in your case.

One final point is that any car's start-stop system would be detrimental to the life of the car's battery if used in town, as, if used on short trips, the battery would not fully charge if the car was in start-stop mode and constantly using electrical power to restart many times during each journey. Better to turn it off - they are really best used for 'split' journeys made up of a combination jig-jog town and faster-flowing drivingwhere it gives the battery an opportunity to recharge fully.

Best of luck.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 29/01/2017 at 12:32

I agree with GB above: it is an odd list, and a Yaris or Auris hybrid could be ideal for your needs. Both are a lot cheaper than the CHR so it must be possible to get them on your company scheme. The Yaris is of a similar size to your other three.

We got an A1 a month ago for my wife: it's a lovely little car (ours is a 1.4 manual) and way ahead of a Mini (which she had before, several of them) in performance, torque and refinement. If you decide on an A1, probably best to go for the SE suspension which you can even if you have it in Sport trim.