Company car; what to get & what to look out for?

[acme]

CraigyMc said:

Mine was £38,600 (although I wasn't paying). Options list looks like a christmas tree.

C

Strewth, what did you spec? Got a kitchen sink on board too?!!

Good man!

[CraigyMc]

acme said:

CraigyMc said:

Mine was £38,600 (although I wasn't paying). Options list looks like a christmas tree.

C

Strewth, what did you spec? Got a kitchen sink on board too?!!

Good man!

Mine was bought in April 2011 by the company I work for, and at the end of the 2 year lease I bought it outright from them. It's an E90 rather than the current model (F30).

Vehicle specification:
BMW 3 Series E90 4DR SALOON 320d 4DR SAL 2.0 EFFICIENT DYNAMICS

Colour: Blk Sapphire m
Trim: Black Dakota L

Factory Options:

255 3 Spoke Sports Leather Steering Whl
320 Model Designation Deletion
322 Comfort Access System
358 Climate Comfort Windscreen
418 Extended Luggage Features
430 Rear View Mirror/Ext Mirrs Auto Dmmn
441 Smokers Package Deletion
465 Split Folding Rear Seat
481 Sports Seats Front
488 Lumbar Support - Front Seats
493 Extended Storage
494 Seat Heating- Front
4UA Electric Seat Adjustment-Part FrtSts
508 PDC - Front + Rear
540 Cruise Control
5DC Folding Rear-Seat Headrests
688 Harman/Kardon Loudspeaker System
6FL USB Audio Interface
LC Dakota Leather Upholstery
Metallic Body Paint
ZP3 Media - Professional
ZV3 Visibility Package M+431

Edited by CraigyMc on Monday 16th September 16:47

[RicksAlfas]

That is good going. Mine has a decent list on it - heated leather, Nav Pro, Sunroof, blah blah but not as good as that!

[CraigyMc]

RicksAlfas said:

That is good going. Mine has a decent list on it - heated leather, Nav Pro, Sunroof, blah blah but not as good as that!

If you've got professional nav, I recommend updating it. They added google street view to it a year or so ago..

C

[CraigyMc]

acme said:

RicksAlfas said:

The 320D ED (as opposed to 320D) has slightly lowered SE suspension and 16" wheels with non-runflats. It's about the most comfortable car BMW make. Still drives very well too as it has a suppleness over bumpy lanes that the sporty ones just do not have. Looks like a taxi though, but you can't have everything. Go for that with any toys you can fit within budget. 8 speed auto well worth thinking about. Sport auto gets you paddles at extra cost.

TBH not too bothered about looks, I suspect in a few months all anyone will notice is how filthy it is! Comfort given what I'll be doing will be paramount I suspect!

Didn't realise the 8 speed auto didn't come with paddles as standard?! Thanks for the heads up!

320d/ED Manual    £28,410.00
320d/ED Auto      £29,960.00
320d/ED SportAuto £30,210.00

So flappy paddles are £250. The auto option itself is rather pricey, but it's a very good auto gearbox.

Edited by CraigyMc on Monday 16th September 17:09

[oyster]

williamp said:

Its a company car. A hack. Park it and forget it driving. So get something which will save you money with comfy seats and good toys. If he business has a misplaced concern about image then they will give you a shortlist. If not, then a comfy cr with low tax and do the maths so you know how much more you can put towards your other cars.

This.

It needs big fat seats, auto box, squidgy tyres, cruise control and anything that makes either long miles or long tailbacks bearable.

Speccing an mSport or S line to your yawnfest diesel repmobile does not turn it into a BTCC spec racing car like some on here seem to gloat about. All it does is make you hate ruts, potholes and your job even more. It might impress the neighbours though (the ones that know fk all about cars).

[RicksAlfas]

CraigyMc said:

If you've got professional nav, I recommend updating it. They added google street view to it a year or so ago..

C

Thanks.
£250 when I asked to upgrade it at the dealers.
Bit much I thought.

[CraigyMc]

RicksAlfas said:

CraigyMc said:

If you've got professional nav, I recommend updating it. They added google street view to it a year or so ago..

C

Thanks.
£250 when I asked to upgrade it at the dealers.
Bit much I thought.

I don't mean an upgrade CD (ie newer maps -- those are horrifyingly expensive).

I mean an upgrade to the firmware that the car uses to understand and display the maps, talk to bluetooth phones and the like.
It's a user-upgradeable thing, you just need a USB key to do it. It's free.

More info here: http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/mobile-devic...

C

[Fun Bus]

Fun Bus said:

Interestingly, the petrol version of the efficient dynamics doesn't have run-flats.

Even more interestingly, I'm getting my facts totally wrong about a car I have.

Neither the petrol or diesel ED cars have run-flats. And, as someone else has also pulled me up on, the petrol version has one and not two turbos.

I'm such a retard sometimes.

[RicksAlfas]

CraigyMc said:

I don't mean an upgrade CD (ie newer maps -- those are horrifyingly expensive).

I mean an upgrade to the firmware that the car uses to understand and display the maps, talk to bluetooth phones and the like.
It's a user-upgradeable thing, you just need a USB key to do it. It's free.

More info here: http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/mobile-devic...

C

Thanks for that link. I can use update UPD01005 apparently.
How long does it take to load onto the car?

[CraigyMc]

RicksAlfas said:

CraigyMc said:

I don't mean an upgrade CD (ie newer maps -- those are horrifyingly expensive).

I mean an upgrade to the firmware that the car uses to understand and display the maps, talk to bluetooth phones and the like.
It's a user-upgradeable thing, you just need a USB key to do it. It's free.

More info here: http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/mobile-devic...

C

Thanks for that link. I can use update UPD01005 apparently.
How long does it take to load onto the car?

Took about 2 minutes on mine.

I think in the instructions they say up to half an hour but it's never taken mine more than a couple of mins (I've done this a few times)

C

[RicksAlfas]

Thank you. I'll have a go at that later on.

OP - have you ordered your 320D ED yet?

[acme]

RicksAlfas said:

Thank you. I'll have a go at that later on.

OP - have you ordered your 320D ED yet?

Nope, not as yet, still waiting to find out the exact options!

[acme]

oyster said:

This.

It needs big fat seats, auto box, squidgy tyres, cruise control and anything that makes either long miles or long tailbacks bearable.

Speccing an mSport or S line to your yawnfest diesel repmobile does not turn it into a BTCC spec racing car like some on here seem to gloat about. All it does is make you hate ruts, potholes and your job even more. It might impress the neighbours though (the ones that know fk all about cars).

From asking exactly that on here, it does seem that's about the order those are needed in, just hope I can get something appropriate!

[CraigyMc]

From the spec on mine, I'd keep all of it except these, which are principally only "nice to have".
Also, I'd definately bin "358 Climate Comfort Windscreen", because if it said what it is before I ordered it (polarised windscreen, messes about with good sunglasses) then I'd not have ordered it.
I wear Oakleys irrespective, and it makes colours look weird sometimes (looking through two polarised lenses = odd).

Extended luggage/storage isn't worth the dough (a few cargo nets here and there).
Sports seats are actually "electrically controlled seat bolsters" -- you can make the seats "buckety" if you want. Not needed.
I don't need PDC, it's easy enough not to crash the car. Really on there for the missus.
I'd add heated seats to this but the missus loves them.

358 Climate Comfort Windscreen
418 Extended Luggage Features
481 Sports Seats Front
493 Extended Storage
508 PDC - Front + Rear

[RicksAlfas]

CraigyMc said:

Sports seats are actually "electrically controlled seat bolsters" -- you can make the seats "buckety" if you want. Not needed.

Sports seats are completely different from the normal seats Craig. They do have the bolsters you mention but the standard seats are very flat. They are fine for motorway use but have little side support on them. I wish I had the sports seats! I've got heated though which I've never had before and would definitely want again. Old age?

[Glade]

acme said:

Glade said:

VW Golf 1.4 GT TFSI or if you need a bigger boot Skoda Octavia Hatch 1.4 TFSI Elegance with Adaptive cruise specced.

Better power & toys than my current A4 but half the tax.

When these were launched I did think this would make a perfect daily, efficient, fast ish & not diesel, definitely worth looking into I think, despite my wish after 5 years to perhaps move away from VAG. Only issue is I'm unsure so far on how fuel is paid for; expense or fuel card etc & how this might affect the costs. With other cars to run minimising the total cost to me, fuel & BiK etc might be sensible, this is the crux, or do I accept lots of miles will make a lower spec car etc seem like pergatory?!

I thought that the interior of the Golf was very nice... the DSG box and active cruise would make it comfortable on the motorway no doubt.

I get a fuel card... i pay about £80 a month in tax, and I spend about £80 a week on fuel so it's a no-brainer for me. Definately worth doing.

[b]You have got to make sure they notify inland revenue of your BIK ASAP. My finance guy said he'd done it but month after month my tax code didn't come through. In the end I started the current tax year on a negative tax code paying the tax for this year, and the tax for last year... a double whammy. You can do it yourself if you know the BIK value...

Next year If i get the skoda, it'll save me £100/month in tax, then plus the £150 extra I'm paying this year it'll be like a £250/month payrise!![/b]

[schmalex]

My wife has just ordered this spec

Brand : BMW
Model : 3 SERIES
Variant: DIESEL SALOON 320d xDrive M Sport 4dr Step Auto [Business Media]

Options Selected

Metallic - Estoril Blue
Dakota leather - Black
Hexagon aluminium trim with black high gloss finish
Rear park distance control
Electric power steering
Cruise control with brake function
6 speakers
Heated door mirrors
Individual sun protection dark tinted glazing for rear window and rear side door windows
Front sliding armrest
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel
Driver + passenger electric lumbar support
Manual adjustable height/backrest/length front seats
40/20/40 split folding rear seat
18" M Star spoke alloy wheels - Style 400M

[acme]

I'm getting the impression the 3 series is favourite with you company car drivers!!

One question for those who've done it for a while, does having a 'better' car, i.e. paying more BiK make much of a difference, or does it simply become like a washing machine, simply a white good etc?

I guess this is perhaps aimed more at those who have another vehicle to enjoy.

[RicksAlfas]

I think it's still good to have a decent spec. I've toyed with the idea of getting something absolutely tiny, cheap and basic, but I think it would do my head in. And I only use mine for commuting less than 20 miles a day! If I was doing big miles I'd want a bit of something to keep me happy. I would imagine that's why there are so many 2.0d 3 and 5 series with big specs.