I am getting a new company car soon.
Last time I chose a 3 series BMW because the co2 rate was 119g and so proved to help for company car tax.
I am now looking to save even more money and was wondering what else is out there, about the same size, same CO2 rate but even cheaper as car retail prices are a significant contributing factor?
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Where's rtj when you need him?
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Passat 1.6 TDI Bluemotion?
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Passat 1.6 TDI Bluemotion?
Good choice!
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Several of our company car users chose Prius, i know nothing of company car use just reporting this, are they a good bet tax wise?
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One thing to consider is the 119g/km of CO2 up until this year was the point where BIK was 10% (13% for a diesel). This changes in 2012/2013 so 119g/km needs beating to keep BIK the same. That means someone who was paying BIK at 10/13% will see it jump a bit in April.
The current BMW 320d EfficientDynamics was 109g/km and a new one is due anytime soon.
If you like the 3 series then the new one might be even better and will be at least as good. List price likely to be higher.
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This is a good wee site. Hours of distraction once you start playing with the menus...
I still haven't had the nerve to plug the details of my new car in...
www.comcar.co.uk/
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Still cheaper than running it youself I'd wager Humph! I've had a quick look for you; falls into the 21% bracket thsi year, so less than three hundred a month :-)
Peter
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Qashqai was the thick end of that surprisingly enough. Rubbish emissions or something
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Given the mileage you do, money well spend I'd say!!
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Nissan Leaf and a long extension cable would have saved Humph a fortune in co. car tax :-)
Last edited by: gmac on Sun 13 Nov 11 at 18:06
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Oh gosh yes, absolutely not complaining. Pal of mine has a Merc jeep thing ( ML ? ) as his co. car. Costs him an arm and a leg.
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>> >>
>> The current BMW 320d EfficientDynamics was 109g/km.
>>
And 163bhp, takes some beating.
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>> >> >>
>> >> The current BMW 320d EfficientDynamics was 109g/km.
>> >>
>>
>> And 163bhp, takes some beating.
The figures for the forthcoming F30 model are actually difficult to believe. Really quite an incredible combination:
109 g/km CO2
163 bhp
380NM torque
0-62 mph in 8.0 secs
142 mph max
68.9 mpg combined economy.
I look forward to finding out how it all works in the real world, as I'm ordering mine on Friday :-)
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Good for you - that 320 I loaned was a peach to drive - a really cracking press on drive.
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Yep - keen drivers can't go far wrong if they plump for a BMW.
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Assuming you like the styling inside and out. If I'd gone for a 3 series Efficient Dynamics instead of the Passat CC I'd be better off. But a smaller car. And I don't like the styling. Likewise I've said why I'd not gone for a Skoda.
Some won't like the VW styling but I like it.
When it comes to lease managed company vehicles, the monthly cost can vary depending on residual calculations and offers to the lease company. Shortly after the new 5 series came out it was available to my car grade at £9/month pay up. It soon got to £80. And when my order was messed up they had to recalculate the monthly cost of my VW.... and in the meantime estimated residuals had gone up. Bonus.... but I don't have a heated windscreen.
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>> The figures for the forthcoming F30 model are actually difficult to believe. Really quite an incredible combination:
>>
>> 109 g/km CO2
>> 163 bhp
>> 380NM torque
>> 0-62 mph in 8.0 secs
>> 142 mph max
>> 68.9 mpg combined economy.
>>
The current ED version is the same spec.
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>> I look forward to finding out how it all works in the real world, as
>> I'm ordering mine on Friday :-)
>>
Well, lucky you! Judging by Autocar's first drive it's a fantastic car. But you do need to tick the right options by all accounts (e.g. Sports suspension).
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>> Well, lucky you! Judging by Autocar's first drive it's a fantastic car. But you do
>> need to tick the right options by all accounts (e.g. Sports suspension).
It will be a boggo model, with metallic paint being the only option available.
There is some deal we can do where we fund options directly, on a 50% down, 50% payable monthly over the lease period, but given that it's a company car and the whole balance is payable in full if you leave during the lease period, I really can't be bothered.
Still going to be a nice car, even if not as "sharp" as the Sport models. Engine will be a belter regardless.
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>> There is some deal we can do where we fund options directly
Sounds like an inflexible scheme. We get a monthly allowance and you price up a car with options and go from there. We're allowed to pay up an extra 33% each month to get better cars. Trade down and you get the money back.
If we go for a car emitting less than 160g/km of CO2 they bump you up a car grade effectively (so I benefit from that). Go for one less than 120g/km and they bump you up two grades. You can still only go for a car 33% above your allowance. On our scheme my Passat CC is about £460pm with the options (some a bit expensive like adaptive bi-Xenons).
If I had gone for a BMW 320d ED I'd get back well over £100pm before tax. Didn't want one. Current one is ugly to me and I don't want a BMW anyway. Now if I'd gone for a SEAT Ibiza I'd get loads back per month. In fact an Octavia Elegance would as well.
Compared to the Mazda6, I am worse off by about £50 take home pay per month. That's a £19k car vs. a £29k car and the CC is far nicer. And more powerful. And has leather aircon/heated seats, sat nav, adaptive damper control, 18" wheels.... not comparable. And why are they so close....? BIK. Emissions on 170PS CC lower than the Mazda6 (129g/km vs 165g/km).
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That's a cracking policy. Ours is inflexible compared to that and many others, but it's the first time I've actually been given a decent list of cars to choose from. My former employers car policy has been something along the lines of "here's your car." One of them let me choose the colour.
This is our main family car, given its relatively low, and more importantly fixed running costs, which meant the MINI, 1 series, Golfs and A3s on the list weren't quite so attractive as the bigger stuff. The Passat CC would have been a basic 140PS model which for all its aesthetic loveliness, just isn't the same car as the 170 with the bells and whistles. Really liked the A4, apart from one deal breaker - the ridiculous offset pedals. Ruined the whole thing for me. A shame as it looks gorgeous, and was otherwise nice to drive.
The 320d ED has the spec, the performance, the BIK, the space, and unless BMW make a very uncharacteristic blunder, the handling and dynamics. To be honest, I don't care for the badge very much, but dismissing the best car on the list for my purposes on these grounds would be no less stupid than dismissing any other brand because of its badge.
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DP, the 320dED is impressive though it has very long gear ratios, I would consider a 184bhp 320d, how much extra would it cost you?
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Next grade up Cheddar. Not available, as we aren't allowed to upgrade, even if we pay the extra.
Far Eastern owned company. Status is everything. Know your place, and all that :-)
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I work for a far eastern (owned) company. But I clearly have a better car scheme.
I was sure to not go overboard on the options (they cost) but could have had anything allowed based on grade vs. cost. Only options I wanted in the end were: heated windscreen (missed off order!), climate seats (only £200 and peanuts per month), bi-Xenons (I class them as safety options) and tyre pressure monitoring (£70 on a £29k car so really pennies per month). Oh and the pearlescent paint (Moonlight Blue).
Still really like it.
I had thought I like the A4 and then decided the MMI was not to my liking. Travelled in the back of a colleagues the other week.... it's not very big either. And the leather is not as nice as the Nappa leather in mine. I made the right choice for me.
If emissions were lower I'd have seriously tried a Skoda Superb estate. An Elegance 170PS cost as much per month as the Passat CC in terms of take home pay. And that's the real factor I was interested in.
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>> Really liked the A4, apart from one deal breaker -
>> the ridiculous offset pedals. Ruined the whole thing for me.
>>
I found exactly the same with the A5. Lovely car, completely ruled out by the pedals. And yet it is something which is barely mentioned in the tests.
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Ours is similar to rtj's
I have an allowance based on grade, I can buy up one band.
Extras are effectively spread over the lease at cost divided by lease length in months (some variation - its not that clever a system since a base x5 will be cheaper than one with the desirable options but the lease co will struggle to move it at the end of the lease).
Unfortunately a low CO figure only affects the BIK but I can very lease length - the shorter the lease the higher the payments.
If I buy up and then leave I have to pay the buy up difference for the remaining lease period - well not if they wanted me to work my notice I wouldn't! If I don't spend all the allowance I get the balance as salary.
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>> >>
>> The current BMW 320d EfficientDynamics was 109g/km.
>>
>>>And 163bhp, takes some beating.
I wish I could, but it is all about cost cutting so ideally something under £25k I suppose. The new BMWs will be at a premium price for a while ;-(
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Do you really want to be reminded every minute you spend in the car that you're in some underpowered joyless tax-dodger ? Particularly if you're so embarrassed you ask the manufacturer to remove the model badging on the back.....
If money is tight then get a cheaper / smaller car - a Golf with a 2.0 Diesel will have decent CO2 and not embarrass you when overtaking a tractor or milk-float like some horrid 1.6D Passat/Volvo/Mondeo/S-Max etc...... If occasional space is a problem then get a tow-bar & trailer or a roof box.
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>> I wish I could, but it is all about cost cutting so ideally something under
>> £25k I suppose. The new BMWs will be at a premium price for a while
>> ;-(
Its not about purchase cost, its manufacturer support (discounts to the lease trade) and residual value that makes up the lease price.
In this case the First will be low, and the Second sky high.
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>> Its not about purchase cost
I took it to mean he was reducing the BIK cost which is based on list price regardless of what the monthly lease cost is. Then again he did mention the BMW being at a premium for a while... I'd have thought the list price would only go up over time.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 17 Nov 11 at 09:33
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But the B-i-K will be low due to the low emissions.
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True up to a point but they would be lower still for a cheaper car with low emissions.
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I agree with the Golf suggestion: the 2.0 TDI Bluemotion according to What Car emits only 114g. Try a test drive and see how well it compares with the 3-series. Unless you're like the magazine testers whose main crierion is how fast you can drive down a twisty B-road, I should think it will stack up pretty well.
The only others I can think of with similarly low CO2 are the Ford Focus and the Volco S60 / V60, but you'd have to drop to a 1.6-litre engine.
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>> I found exactly the same with the A5. Lovely car, completely ruled out by the pedals.
>> And yet it is something which is barely mentioned in the tests.
Boxsterboy, you are reading the wrong tests. For example...
WHAT CAR?
www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a5-sportback/summary/25717-13
"You won't like the off-set pedals."
www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a5-coupe/summary/25717-4
"It’s not as good to drive as a BMW 3 Series, and the pedals are heavily offset."
AUTOCAR
www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsLiving/Audi-A5-3.0-TDI-Quattro/226663/
"With the exception of the clutch pedal (set too far to the right), the controls are well-placed and driving position excellent."
HJ
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/audi/a5-2007/?section=bad
"On RHD models the pedal box has been offset so far to the right you may have to sit at an angle. Tiring after a couple hours so check you can live with it. "
The offset pedals are not an issue if you get an automatic.
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The Golf TDI is on the list to test drive.
The 3 series is the first rear wheel drive car that I have had. I will miss it, but seriously need to cut back on my outgoings and that includes company car!
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How about a 1 series if you've enjoyed the 3 and want to trim costs ? Friend has a 116d and it's buttons on bik. It'll be a nice enough drive too I'll bet.
( Even if people do think they're Astras...)
:-)
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>> How about a 1 series if you've enjoyed the 3 and want to trim costs
>> ? Friend has a 116d and it's buttons on bik. It'll be a nice enough
>> drive too I'll bet.
+1. Good shout, Humph.
People underrate the 1-series because it's looks are divisive.
Whenever I had one as a loaner, it always felt even more nippy than my old 3-series.
Plus, the new one has more room and a better ride, according to reviews.
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Depends if he needs decent rear space. Although the new 1 series is out isn't it. The Golf would have been more practical before... maybe not now?
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Good idea. Added to the list!
Thanks!
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New Company Car Time - Iffy
