What would you have picked?

[Ed109]

Newbie to the site and this is my first post. So it's hello from me. I took delivery of my new company car in January choosing from the list below. What would you pick and why?

Merc C200 CDI Bluemotion Saloon
Audi A4 2.0 TDI SE Saloon
BMW 318d ES Saloon
Ford Mondeo Titanium X Estate
Ford Mondeo Titanium X Sport Hatchback

Any extras you would have to pay for yourself.

[ewenm]

I would have chosen the Mondeo Estate from that list as I prefer estates to saloons.

[SWoll]

Call it badge snobbery if you will but I would have chosen either the MB or BMW based on which one had the most standard kit.

I respect the Mondeo as a vehicle but there is a definate gap in quality of build/materials/driving experience to the german's as far as I'm concerned.

Never been an Audi fan particularly, just don't do it for me (maybe it's a FWD thing?)

[okie592]

mondeo its the only one you wont look like a cock in, apart from BMW but a rep spec one is never ever good

[Pesty]

Merc as they are very nice looking machines

[Ed109]

I had the MB for a couple of months prior to having the Mondeo sport.I found the suspension too soft and the handling very woolley, although it could be fun in the wet with the traction control off. It was also very cramped for my 6ft+ frame.

[infradig]

As I've been driving a loan C220d Bluemotion saloon for the last few days,I hope you didnt take the Merc-its only redeeming features are the economy(63mpg today)and the Command which is ten times better than my 2 year old CLS. Everything else is ste,and when it stop/starts itself it feels like my old Disco stalling.
In fact given your list it would have to be the Mondeo for me.

[FunBusMk2]

I'd be tempted by the Mondeo - the Titanium would have vastly more kit than the rest do as standard. I also think it's a very good looking car.

[peeves]

Audi A4 for me...not keen on the other Germans and the Mondeo is just a poor, poor car.

EDIT: Maybe slightly too harsh saying "poor, poor car". Take away one of the "poors"lol.

[Fox-]

Not the BMW because ES is absolutely dreadful spec wise and it'd be an E90, as well. No thanks.

Dont know much about the spec on the Merc, so potentially that or the Audi. Or the Mondeo. Would drive all 3 then pick the best irrespective of badge.

[Vladimir]

Mondeo for me too.

The 18d in the BM is quite simply, wrong.
The Merc's unit is a bit pants too.

[infradig]

Ed109 said:

I had the MB for a couple of months prior to having the Mondeo sport.I found the suspension too soft and the handling very woolley, although it could be fun in the wet with the traction control off. It was also very cramped for my 6ft+ frame.

Great minds think alike,as for cramped my kids reckon theres more rear space in my daughters Seat Arosa.

[Pesty]

Ed109 said:

I had the MB for a couple of months prior to having the Mondeo sport.I found the suspension too soft and the handling very woolley, although it could be fun in the wet with the traction control off. It was also very cramped for my 6ft+ frame.

Good luck with teh mondeo they do certainly look nice and drive nice.

As its a company car I don't suppose it matters but I vowed never to buy a ford again after my last modeo ST I used as an opt out compnay car.

[v8will]

The BM, drove a E90 318D ES a few days back and was very pleasantly surprised.

[DavidHM]

Mondeo if I needed the space, Merc otherwise unless the BMW (which I haven't driven, unlike the Mercedes and Ford) handles spectacularly, and assuming manual boxes across the board. Audi last.

[onesickpuppy]

I think I would need to know the tax implications and take that into account too, but it would be between the 3 Germans for me.

[tercelgold]

Pesty said:

Merc as they are very nice looking machines

Also the merc, looks great.

[Fox-]

v8will said:

The BM, drove a E90 318D ES a few days back and was very pleasantly surprised.

It's rubbish, you don't even get climate control.

[Ed109]

I have to say my experience of the MB was one of poor build quality, although it had done 35k before I got hold of it. The Mondeo Sport is much more fun to hustle down county lanes and has a much more consistent feel to the handling. I was tempted by the Audi but with a young family, playing golf and doing the odd spot of mountain biking I thought the boot was far too small.

[BrewsterBear]

The latest Mercs really are nice to drive if you want a bit of comfort though. If it was my only car then I guess it might bother me, but as a mile-muncher for work I'd much rather have a soft Merc then runflat adorned BMW or a Mondeo running wheels that are too large.