In two weeks time, I start a new job. After over 25 years of driving, I will be getting my first company car.
The job will involve journeys of between 10 and around 300 miles, carrying a small amount of computer equipment and tools. I would expect the driving to be mostly motorway / A roads, with relatively little town / city driving. I will be generally driving alone, or at most with one colleague, and it could be at any time of day (or night).
I will have the choice of Vauxhall, Ford and Renault, up to a list price of around £16k. I will be keeping the car for 4 years or 100k miles.
It is not possible to provide my own car and claim mileage.
My priorities are:-
1) The car has to be comfortable and reliable. I need to be able to get to the customer site on time and reasonably fresh!
2) I would like the company car tax to be as low as possible.
3) I would like it to be reasonably economical, as I will be paying fuel for private mileage. I will still have access to my old car, a Vauxhall Astra diesel, as my wife will get this.
4) If the car could feel special in some way - something like leather seats, 'climate control', cruise control, or 'sporty appearance', this would be a bonus. I do not want a 'hot hatch' though, as this wouldn't meet the other requirements.
Vauxhall, Ford and Renault all provide cars which tick many of these boxes.
Which would you choose - and why?
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For me it would be a Ford Focus. Consistently praised in the motoring press and Ford nowadays seem to have got their act together. I know there are worries re diesel bits and bobs on some models, but in reality it'll be a company car and the problems published are not that great when you take into account how many sold.
Renault don't have a good reputation at the moment, near bottom in customer satisfaction surveys and questionable reliability.
I personally don't like the cheap looking interiors of modern Vauxhalls and their infernal indicator system which i never seem to get right.
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Agree with Westpig. Have a look at a Focus estate if you need the extra room; if not the hatchback is a little cheaper and you'll get a better spec - even better still if the price you quote is after discount. Fords are usually heavily discounted.
In fairness, tru out an Astra estate (presumably you like Astras?) and a Renault Megane sport tourer ; but if it were me I'd almost certainly end up with the Focus.
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I'll third that. My only reservation, had a hire focus in Ireland on low profile tyres, never again, suffered with back for weeks.
I too just can't get me head round that Vauxhall indicator thing, hope others makers don't follow.
It doesn't seem to matter how high a spec you get on a Vauxhall either the interiors are gloomy and bland, pity as i find the astra auto a very nice box, and if you get the 1.9 diesel too they really are quick.
I like the Renaults for ride and comfort mind, very pliable over the chronic roads we have to endure, but will it be reliable enough.
Have an enjoyable time testing all three anyway.
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Thank you for your feedback - it is much appreciated.
The Focus is certainly a stong candidate. It is comfortable and and attractive inside, and the 1.6 TCDI diesels have a relatively low company car tax.
The Astra is also a strong candidate. In SXi trim it looks good. The diesels aren't as tax efficient as those in the Focus, so I may be tempted to the 1.6 petrol. I've always found Astras, like most Vauxhalls, to be extremely good motorway cruisers.
I'm surprised that no one mentioned the Mondeo, as I am considering the 1.6 petrol Mondeo in Edge trim. I know that this is the entry level Mondeo, but it is very comfortable, and has a fair amount of equipment as standard, such as air-con, cruise, quick-clear windscreen and so on. The major disadvantage would be increased company car tax compared with the others.
As far as Renault goes, the Megane is certainly pleasant inside with a comfortable ride. The diesels are also tax efficient. However, Renaults just don't have a good enough reliability record, so must be ruled out.
And finally, thank you for the comment about low profile tyres. I've never liked low profile tyres, and agree entirely.
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Remember that company car tax is based on the list price, not any discount the car might be bought for. Equally, your company is unlikely to offer you a car based on the price they pay for it - the £16k will be the list.
I've been entitled to a company car for the last five years or so but just take £5k cash a year instead. I'm allowed to take the train for business journeys and claim those back on expenses so I see no real need to have a company car.
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Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi Elegance (almost top spec, so some goodies e.g. climate and cruise ) comes in at £200 below budget.
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"I too just can't get me head round that Vauxhall indicator thing, hope others makers don't follow."
Sadly, BMW have caught this irritating bug - and that includes the new Mini. The dash and minor controls (plasticky and less intuitive than before) are the one area where the new Mini isn't an improvement on the old.
Back to topic - I'd think that all the good things we've said about the Focus apply to the Mondeo equally, except that a heavier car with the same engine won't be as lively, and as you say it'll cost you more in tax. It just depends how much stuff you have to carry, and whether this is too much for a Focus estate.
P.S. I agree with Davey - the Skoda would have been on my short list too - but you imply that you can choose only Ford, Vauxhall and Renault. Whoever made the decision to put Renault on the list and not Skoda only understands short-term money, and hasn't thought of what makes a good car or what holds its value in the medium and long term.
Edited by Avant on 12/07/2008 at 21:38
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Astrabob, I assume you know how benefit in kind works for a company car? It's related to CO2 emissions and list price. Which is why it's odd you think you'd like leather and other bonus options - you will pay tax on these.
From your choices a I think I'd consider a Ford Focus too. A Mondeo is a little too big and heavy for a 1.6 litre petrol engine.
Also you do not say how the company sources vehicles. When I chose my last car I could get a top of the range Toyota Avensis T180 for less than a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Ghia.
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Thanks for the additional feedback.
If it was my money, then the Octavia would have been on the list. However, the choice is Vauxhall, Ford or Renault, probably because they give the best discount.
The limit is around £16k list price. I have found the www.comcar.co.uk website good for calculating the tax.
I would not consider adding any options, as these would end up being expensive. I am comparing equipment supplied as standard.
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Ford Focus 1,6 TDCi 109 ps. Test drive the Zetec and any other spec as the Zetec has a different suspension setup to the rest of the range.
With your available budget of £16k you can have a Titanium or Econectic with DPF and still have cash to spare for options. Check out www.drivethedeal.co.uk for example discount prices.
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What about a new Astra ?
I hired one in Spain when I was there on a business trip, it was called a GTC, I don't recall seeing the exact same spec here, but it was fantastically stylish, ( 3 door ) and had a 1.9 turbodiesel with absolutely huge amounts of go, it was superb on the motorway, easily doing 200KPH and quite economical despite the speeds we got up to, I was there when the spanish lorry drivers were on strike, hence there was NO traffic on the roads.
I had never driven or considered a Vauxhall before, my main car is a Toyota Avensis 2.2D, but If I were you I'd have a look at these, unless of course your Astra is like this already and therefore you already know . . .
Last week when I was in Spain again, I hoped to have the same kind of car, this time I was given a Seat Leon, which looks good, sadly the drive is really dissapointing, lumpy coarse and gutless engine, poor visibility and plastics that wouldn't look out of place on a 1970's Telly - - - The Astra was a great surprise.
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You might consider a Focus saloon rather than hatch.
Advantages are: more secure boot for computer stuff and tools when you visit the service station; less road noise; marginally more rigid body; better safety in rear-end impact; and better looking (according to HJ's review).
Disadvantages: less load-carrying flexibility (which may matter little if you keep your current Astra and it's a hatch).
Also, don't rule-out the Mondeo. You may pay more tax, but if you're doing a lot of miles you may find that the greater comfort and space make this worthwhile.
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The new Mondeo is a superb mile-muncher (I've got a 2.0 TDCI estate) and it is ginormous inside.
Despite what many people say about it being too big externally, it's the same in terms of road placement etc as my old Passat.
If you can get an Edge spec in either the 1.8 or 2.0 TDCI then you'll have a excellent workhorse. Very comfortable, great noise & vibration suppression, excellent ride on standard suspension and 16" wheels. Very tidy handling too.
The 1.8 is considerably more economical in practice than the 2.0, according to various owners on the forums. They don't have a DPF and owners regularly report 45 - 50mpg. 240lb-ft of torque too.
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agree about the mondeo, i have a 2.0 tdci estate.
it feels smaller (ie easier to place) on the road than my old accord, i got parking sensors so when parking it, it feel tiny! I am parallel parking this in much smaller spaces than the accord, even though this is about a foot longer.
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