A what car thread

[robemcdonald]

My company car is coming to the end of its lease.

I have a couple of options:

1. Stay in and get a Tesla 3. I can only afford the basic version and have a few concerns over range. It will be okay 90% of the time, but the 10% of long journeys with unknown charging infrastructure worries me.

2. Opt out. I don’t want to get a lease or loan, so will have around £15k to spend on a car outright. I’d be looking at a two to three year old car that I can keep for two years add 40k miles to and still be worth something at the end. I can then use the equity for the car and money saved through tax and allowance to hopefully get something a bit better, or opt back in to the company scheme as range anxiety shouldn’t be a problem in a few years.

So criteria are:

Up to £15k
Digital radio
Automatic
Apple car play
Four doors
50ish mpg
Reliable
Not a fortune to run or insure.
Something I’m going to want to spend 20k per annum mile in.

Hopefully the PH massive can help me consider something I have missed.

Edited by robemcdonald on Wednesday 11th December 18:00

Edited by robemcdonald on Wednesday 11th December 18:05

[fizmo100]

Would you consider the Tesla 3 and hire/borrow something for the 10% of journeys? The alternative is an ICE car, which I would imagine would cost more to fuel than you would spend hiring an Astra or something similar on the odd occasion you need a longer range. Also, if you envisage the charging network improving of the next few years, you may find you only need to hire something in to replace the Tesla for the first year.

[TheAlastair34]

Tesla has the best charging structure vs everone else as far as i can see.

Why do you just want to spend your saving if you come out of the scheme i presume yours getting a car allowace that would cover a lease

[robemcdonald]

If I wanted to lease I’d stay in the scheme as they are essentially the same thing.

[ZX10R NIN]

At this price point the 2.2d Infiniti Q50 Sport ticks pretty much every box the only thing it doesn't have is adaptive cruise:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Petrol:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Premium

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[robemcdonald]

Not a bad idea. I had one as a hire car a few years ago and really quite liked it.

The only thing is. Does it have apple car play?

I will add that to the must have lists.

Having lived with the basic MB sat nav for four years I want to use Waze.

[ZX10R NIN]

You can add car play to the Q50 but it's not cheap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z77RvYfyz4g

https://youtu.be/Cve4hXGqLwc

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Wednesday 11th December 21:33

[kieranblenk]

I would probably choose the Tesla but for £15k you could comfortably buy a B9 Audi A4. I have one and it is sublime for soaking up miles and has all of the kit you require.

If you prefer pure value for money then the Skoda Superb and new shape Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport are both great prospects for comfy mile munching.

[robemcdonald]

kieranblenk said:

I would probably choose the Tesla but for £15k you could comfortably buy a B9 Audi A4. I have one and it is sublime for soaking up miles and has all of the kit you require.

If you prefer pure value for money then the Skoda Superb and new shape Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport are both great prospects for comfy mile munching.

I had an insignia while my merc was in the body shop. Terrible seats. Skodas a good shout. The Audi was kind of top of my original list.

[mike9009]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Not sure this quite hits your needs?