A Fiat Doblo or equivalent would be ideal for this unless you really need a saloon.
Much more load space, plenty of room for adults and much more difficult for your employers to thrash.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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I wouldn't get the Mondeo - uncomfortable and not as refined as it should be. The LX is also a poor spec. I speak from experience as I had one in my last job, admittedly I only had it for 2 months & 9,000mls before I left. I replaced it with a Golf GT TDI in my new job and that is probably the most comfortable car I have ever driven.
How about a Golf or you mention the Passat - seems to offer excellent value these days, dependent on the age. I would have thought that for c £10K you would pick up an 18mth old one at the oldest. Autotrader has an 03 03 Passat TDi S with 26,000 on the clock for £10K, or booking in at £11K for a 24,000mls 130bhp Passat SE??
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i mentioned a skoda - as this is basically a vw but offers great value for money but i got the 19th century approach of "im not having you turn up to clients in a skoda for god sake".
the only fool is him as far as im concerned as its just a vw with a different badge - if it was my money then a superb or octavia would be the choice.
we currently have a T reg astra thats done 200k miles and the turbo only works on certain days of the week! so that has to go.
ive seen a few audi TDI (news shape) and there not too bad in value, only a little more than the pasat
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It is amazing, but here we are discussing options for a diesel powered saloon or hatchback (even a Fiat Doblo has been mentioned) and not one post in support of any French car, when PSA do wonderful diesels. I thought I would wait and see how long it took before a French car was mentioned but I lost my patience.
There will definitely be lots of C5s and 406s available at the price quoted.
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Come on now, if a Skoda isn't good enough to turn up to a client meeting in, I don't really think a C5 or 406 is suitable.
However, a good 406 HDI at 12mths old is probably available for £9-10K??
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How about an Alfa 156 JTD? Right image (just ask Mr NoDosh!) good economy, rapid and wiat for it.......reliable
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It's an unbelievable attitude. The Superb looks really classy imo, more than you get anywhere else from the other mass manufacturers at this money.
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I am of the same opinion. However, a conversation last week about the company car list resulted in the comment that my colleagues 'wouldn't be seen in a Skoda' and wouldn't reflect the right image for the company.
Me? I'd buy a Superb tomorrow if I needed a car, or even an Octavia!
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It wasn't so long ago that Skoda Fabia's were very popular, not due to inverse snobbery but because it was acknowledged that Skoda were producing a better car than the VW equivalent.
The Octavia is a well specced car which is incredibly good value for money - cabin does feel a bit small.
Superb looks as good as the Passat if not better from some angles, not sure about the company image though - if I'm paying for a service and the company rep turns up in an X-type I think we're paying for that car, if he turns up in a Superb I wouldn't feel the same.
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Having driven the New Octavia 2.0 (140 bhp) Diesel, it was the best quality and best drive of any cars in the class. Just a shame that is was too new to find any nearly new examples within budget. I drove the Mondeo 130 and that is the car I am going to buy in the next couple of weeks.
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Superb looks as good as the Passat if not better from some angles, not sure about the company image though - if I'm paying for a service and the company rep turns up in an X-type I think we're paying for that car, if he turns up in a Superb I wouldn't feel the same.
I am glad I am retired so I don't have to think about who my image might be upsetting.
Let's see now, one car is perceived as not having a good enough image and another has an image that is too good - we are dealing with grown up people here?. I used to work for an organisation where some of the management had that opinion, even though there was a cash or car option. The staff who took the cash option were, in some cases, told they couldn't buy a car that was perceived as being too expensive for their position. If a cash option wasn't available to help buy a car, then it was ok to buy whatever car one wished. The mind boggles.
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Come on now, if a Skoda isn't good enough to turn up to a client meeting in, I don't really think a C5 or 406 is suitable. However, a good 406 HDI at 12mths old is probably available for £9-10K??
I trust your comment is tongue in cheek, or is it?
A Mondeo is good enough and a C5 and 406 isn't?
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Thinking of the image of Skoda, I wonder if they have a case for suing companies who block the acquisition to their cars? If I was an employee of a company that had a cash option to help buy a car, I think I might just be spurred into buying a Skoda to see what action would be taken. It might make an interesting case in court.
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Dare I say it. How about a Rover 75 Diesel. BMW engine, and £10000 will get you a lot of car. I've had my ZT for nearly two years with not a single minor or major problem.
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Its time to show my hand here methinks!!
As a member of the procurement profession, dealing with many salesmen, I must confess to ensuring I see what car they drive. It helps me understand their cost base (ie expensive car = higher overheads, cheap (eg Mondeo) should equal low overheads)
If they turned up in a Skoda, I would be straight away considering whether they bought them because they were cheap, or whether it was because they did the job at the right price (best value).
Right, bringing this back to the subject. A skoda, Citroen, Peugeot, Ford = all the same to me, except the Ford is probably the cheapest in terms of mass fleet buying @ c £12K for a new 130bhp Diesel.
It will be interesting to see which car this person buys....!!
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Midlife - I'd forgotten the 75. £10K whould get an almost new one!
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Mondeo LX is poor spec?
What more do you want in an LX specification car? It has Air Conditioning, a CD player, electric windows, trip computer, cruise control, etc etc.
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Traction Control, front fog lights, 4x electric windows and nice seats. You could argue for climate control but I'm not bothered. A 6X CD changer would have been nice, or a digital radio, but now I'm getting a bit pushy.
Not that I want much you understand.... Now happy with my Golf!
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Its a bit off criticising the lowest spec in the range for being poorly equipped. If you want more gadgets, get a higher spec version. Some people don't want all those gizmos.
Splodgeface
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And just to further counter Phildew's previous post, I would buy a Mondeo because I do find it refined and extremely comfortable. Horse for courses, as usual...
Splodgeface
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Traction Control, front fog lights, 4x electric windows and > >nice seats. You could argue for climate control but I'm not bothered. A 6X CD changer would have been nice, or a digital radio, but now I'm getting a bit pushy.
You are more than a bit pushy. If you want fogs and TCS then buy a Zetec, and if you want 4 electric windows buy a Ghia!
What would be the point in having different models if the base model had everything?
The point is that for a bottom of the range car, the Mondeo LX is very well specified.
Whilst I'm sure your Golf has all of these features, I'm also sure it isn't a bottom of the range model - a car which I understand does not even feature air conditioning.
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Its time to show my hand here methinks!! As a member of the procurement profession, dealing with many salesmen, I must confess to ensuring I see what car they drive. It helps me understand their cost base (ie expensive car = higher overheads, cheap (eg Mondeo) should equal low overheads) If they turned up in a Skoda, I would be straight away considering whether they bought them because they were cheap, or whether it was because they did the job at the right price (best value). Right, bringing this back to the subject. A skoda, Citroen, Peugeot, Ford = all the same to me, except the Ford is probably the cheapest in terms of mass fleet buying @ c £12K for a new 130bhp Diesel. It will be interesting to see which car this person buys....!!
>>
Whilst you are at it, perhaps you should check up to see if they live in expensive are, have any expensive hobbies or take too many expensive holidays too? Perhaps they send their kids to private schools too.
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Please excuse the typos, should be ''live in an expensive area''.
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Not them - its not personal. Its all about the company ethos, so the location of the company offices is also important.
erm, bringing this back to motoring.... Perhaps Dave should consider looking at ex-hire vehicles, generally cheap with less than 15K on the clock. How about an Omega?
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Another thought (staring out of the window at work reveals one of these in the car park) - Vauxhall Signum. 6-8 mths old should be available for about £11-£12K..... 2.2DTI at that
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Not them - its not personal. Its all about the company ethos, so the location of the company offices is also important. erm, bringing this back to motoring.... Perhaps Dave should consider looking at ex-hire vehicles, generally cheap with less than 15K on the clock. How about an Omega?
Location of offices as well eh? Office furniture? Salaries? Where will it all end? What matters in the end is how good the product or service is and what it costs.
I thought I thought this thread went away from motoring when the discussion got locked into image. It is quite ridiculous when a car as good as a Skoda is considered not up to the image, because of history.
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Location of offices as well eh? Office furniture? Salaries? Where will it all end? What matters in the end is how good the product or service is and what it costs.
Sadly not in everyone's eyes. The firm that i used to work for had a policy of siting their office in the XX1 postcode, e.g. the office in Bristol had to be in BS1, BS2 was not good enough and BS8 (a better area ironically for the profession) was not good enough. It had to be BS1. Some people!
Back to motoring. I am a Quantity Surveyor, and when i turn up to site in the Octavia, and the Project Manager in an Audi A6, it does colour people's judgement as to the relevant roles and responsibly i.e. i am perceived to be junior to the PM.
It shouldn't be that way, but we have several decades of company car hierachy to thank for shaping people's perceptions.
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As you say, it is the people who are the problem. I heard a manager, I used to work for, complain that a subordinate's Escort had the same engine (turbo diesel) as his Mondeo. Not that it was even the same spec. mind you, with only 3 doors and no sunroof, just a basic Escort. The management were always given bigger cars, with better spec., which got progressively better the further one went up the ladder.
Incidentally, having had a career in the building industry, I would say a QS would be perceived as junior to a PM by most people in the industry.
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All these comments about image make me think of the wise words of NoWheels in another thread:
'there's always the old rule of fashion -- that if you break the rules, you need to know what you're doing and do it thoroughly. So a ten-year-old Citroen might do better among the Mercs than a four-year old Mondeo'.
You either accept that in the same way that microsoft office is an industry standard product, the industry standard for management is a German car. Comply, or make it obvious you chose something very distinctly different.
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All fine, if you are image conscious. But I couldn't give a monkeys what other people think of my motor - it's a device for getting around as efficiently as possible. I don't care if it depreciates. I just care that it works and works well.
I bought it new and I'll buy another when it pops its clogs in a decade or so with 200K on the dash. I don't care if other people look at my car and make a judgement about me. That's their problem. In fact, in education (my trade) there seems to be an almost reverse image issue - people often get sneered at for buying a new car - not that this stopped me...
Give me a four year old Mondeo before any citroen, merc or 'Bavarian Ford'.
All going way off the original topic...
...so, I repeat, you can't go far wrong with the Mondeo TDCi.
Splodgeface
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I don't believe this is 'all going way off the original topic' which is the choice of a Company pool car. In a commercial organisation presentation is very significant and vehicles are just as important as the quality of your stationery, dress code and the way telephone is answered.
Vehicle considerations for someone working in education is a very different matter, that's going way off the original topic.
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2004 Nissan Primera 2.2 DCi SE. 138 bhp. 50 mpg. Reliable and low insurance group. One of the best cars (including new BMWs and Audis) that I have ever had. The car is well built, fast and looks a little different and comes with lots of kit.My friend bought a new Mondeo Tdci at the same time. He wishes he hadn't!
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wow this thread is growing!!
still go by my original thought on a skoda - i think these are good value.
406 is a good ride but had bad experince of pugs before with build quality and various bits of trim falling off. also as the 407 is out now 406 will depreciate quite heavy come 3 years time when we sell it.
rover 75 is a good car - i had one of these on short lease for 2 months, 2.2 cdti engine, very nippy.
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Rover 75 only comes in a 2.0 diesel I believe - the BMW 2.0 that is
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I don't believe this is 'all going way off the original topic' which is the choice of a Company pool car. In a commercial organisation presentation is very significant and vehicles are just as important as the quality of your stationery, dress code and the way telephone is answered. Vehicle considerations for someone working in education is a very different matter, that's going way off the original topic.
It hasn't really gone off topic, because some would have us believe that some cars are not acceptable in order to give the right image, and this thread is about choosing a car. It is one thing to say that telephone manner is important, which it is, along with a lot of other factors which relate to how customers are treated, but to say a car like a modern Skoda gives the wrong image is ridiculous. Have you looked at the kit on a top of the range Octavia, or Superb, by the way? Try telling the manager at a Skoda dealership that his company car is sub standard in any way.
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I agree that in every tangible way Skoda is a quality product. I like Skoda, I'd have a Skoda myself, as at the moment I don't need to be concerned about my image, but I'm not sure I would choose one as a pool car for one of the businesses I'm involved in. Image has so many intangible factors and I think it is too soon for Skoda to be perceived as a management vehicle by customers in general.
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Some of the management I have known, wouldn't have deserved a car as good as a Skoda. I am obviously a bit of a maverick, as I can't abide all of this image stuff. In fact, if someone turned up to see me on business in a Skoda, I would give him/her credence for having a bit of common sense and sound judgement.
One tangible factor that image has, is that some people are all image and no substance.
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If you would respond positively to someone who turned up in a Skoda you are influenced by image.
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If you would respond positively to someone who turned up in a Skoda you are influenced by image.
No, not by image, but by reality and sound common sense.
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skoda have come in to India in a big way and they are mopping up the market based on solid build and durability coupled with sound engineering. Their diesel engines also help. The car is now beating Toyota Corolla's and Hyundai Elantra's in the sales charts here
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Vehicle considerations for someone working in education is a very different matter, that's going way off the original topic.
I think you are making assumptions about the type of "company". I'd guess that many different professions/trades view this topic of image rather differently. Education is just an example of such a different perspective.
Splodgeface
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Yes, it would help if Dave said what sort of Company we're talking about.
Just following on from my previous comments about Skoda, I've finally got around to reading my morning paper and I see a full page advert for the new Octavia, with the line 'We all have a few bad driving habits. Choosing the same car as everyone else needn't be one of them'. Spot on in my opinion and acknowledging that at the moment they are not yet perceived by the majority of people in general as the calibre of car they actually are.
There are times when choosing the same car as everyone else is what is required and I still believe that the industry standard business car is a German one.
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I think their ads are meant to poke fun at car snobbery don't you?
The fact that you, and thousands of others, believe what you say is the root cause of the problem.
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I certainly don't believe there is anything wrong with Skodas myself, I've already said I'd consider having one. The 'image' issue about so many aspects of contempory life is not something I would choose in an ideal world, but I think we have to be realistic and accept that in a commercial situation you put yourself at a disadvantage if you choose to swim against the tide.
I do agree with your comment about the problems of 'all image and no substance', but in many highly competitive market places image is important to ensure you get the opportunity to show that you have the necessary substance, rather than being overlooked. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
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