If you are forced to choose a repmobile, which one?

[XDA]

Dave Hedgehog said:

id look for a new job or take cash if they offered it

Really? I never understand people that say this?

[SD1992]

I would take the Mondeo - haven't driven a mk4 but I own a mk2, and had a mk3 before that and they are fantastic cars - especially the mk3 and mine was a poverty spec petrol.

Would have another any day

[FreeLitres]

As mentioned, check out the tax implications - low CO2 is king.

Miondeo zetec 140 diesel [Tax@20% = £829]
Accord 2.2d es [Tax@20% = £945]
Mazda 6 163d ts [Tax@20% = £859]
Avensis 2.0d tr [Tax@20% = £558]
Insigna 2.0d 160 Sri [Tax@20% = £926]

Alternatively
Passat SE 2.0 TDi (140PS) [Tax@20% = £577]
Passat S 1.6 TDi (105PS) [Tax@20% = £521] (If you are not bothered about the toys)

So, the Accord will cost you almost twice as much in tax as a 2.0 Passat. Is it twice the car?

ETA: All data taken from the comcar website as mentioned above http://www.comcar.co.uk/newcar/companycar/taxcalc/...

Plus just for fun:
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 6.2 SLS 571hp DCT Roadster [Tax@20% = £12,309]

Edited by FreeLitres on Wednesday 8th February 21:56

[redtwin]

I just decided that the Insignia doesn't look as good as the Avensis.

[Vladimir]

Brilliant research! On that basis, I'd go for the Avensis.

[FreeLitres]

redtwin said:

I just decided that the Insignia doesn't look as good as the Avensis.

To be fair, that SRi isnt a tax-friendly Insignia. The also do an efficient model which maintains the 160PS output:

Vauxhall Insignia Hatch 2.0 CDTi Exclusiv 160PS ecoFLEX Start/Stop [Tax@20% = £593]

For some reason, this has a REALLY low CO2 figure for the power figure. This is the Insignia to go for as a company car.

[callahan]

FreeLitres said:

As mentioned, check out the tax implications - low CO2 is king.

Miondeo zetec 140 diesel [Tax@20% = £829]
Accord 2.2d es [Tax@20% = £945]
Mazda 6 163d ts [Tax@20% = £859]
Avensis 2.0d tr [Tax@20% = £558]
Insigna 2.0d 160 Sri [Tax@20% = £926]

Alternatively
Passat SE 2.0 TDi (140PS) [Tax@20% = £577]
Passat S 1.6 TDi (105PS) [Tax@20% = £521] (If you are not bothered about the toys)

So, the Accord will cost you almost twice as much in tax as a 2.0 Passat. Is it twice the car?

ETA: All data taken from the comcar website as mentioned above http://www.comcar.co.uk/newcar/companycar/taxcalc/...

Plus just for fun:
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 6.2 SLS 571hp DCT Roadster [Tax@20% = £12,309]

Edited by FreeLitres on Wednesday 8th February 21:56

Good stats. Another thing to bear in mind is how you pay for fuel. In my last job I got an extra 5p per mile for an engine size over 2 litres, which makes quite a difference when you're doing 30,000 miles p.a as I was and reclaiming the mileage.

So out of that list I chose the Mazda 6, but when they found out how much they are to lease, they ended up getting me a poverty spec C Class instead....

[redtwin]

Hmmm, Insignia is back in the running.

Just need to find a job that will provide me with one or any other car for that matter..

[FarmerJim]

If you enjoy hustling the car down a B-road, then it has to be the Mondeo.

[Dalto123]

Its come down to the Mondeo or the Accord for me. I think Ford in Recent years have got even better (not that they were bad before), and I'm a fan of Honda, its a nice car to be in. Though if there was a choice for Volvo that would be number 1 for me. The seats are lovely

[Rawwr]

Golaboots said:

The mondeo is probably a bit too big for the mrs to use.

Did you marry a Borrower?

[blackburn]

redtwin said:

Insignia, simply because of how it looks. Haven't driven any of them.

We've just had one ('11 plate CRDT or summat) for a week as a loan car while one of our Fords was in the bodyshop.

Everytime it was un-locked the lights came on.
Only one handle for pulling down the tail-gate.
Rest your arm on the armrest and the window switch catches and lowers the window.
Comedy 'electric' handbrake.
Adjust the heater temperature and it flashes up in the radio display even though it's already displayed on the heater LCD.
Tiny rear window makes reversing difficult - door mirrors very poor.
Cup holders so deep that your average paper coffee cup disappears into the deep...
No-where to leave your mobile 'phone in the centre console.
Hideously uncomfortable drivers seat.


My wife used the car mostly. I asked her if she'd choose it over her '53 reg Zetec Focus. She said "absolutely not. It's horrid". The only thing she found good about it was that it went fairly well.

[ArmaghMan]

XDA said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

id look for a new job or take cash if they offered it

Really? I never understand people that say this?

I shall try to explain.

I have a choice of £5.5K extra as a car allowance and 25p a mile, or a company car something like those on the list and 16p a mile.
I run an M5. If you dont understand i suspect you want www.dieselcarsareforyou and not pistonheads!!!

[Fox-]

thinfourth2 said:

Avenius as it just won't go wrong, ever

Who cares? If your company car goes wrong somebody else pays for the bills anyway. Pointless driving a crap car so it doesnt cost the manufacturer any money in warranty repairs.

[F1GTRUeno]

Probably the 6 or Mondeo, commonly regarded as the best to drive in their class.

[kiteless]

Of the given list (and I've not driven any of them), I'd go for the Honda.

For a mid-range rep car, it's certainly a looker. It's pretty rare on the roads, and I respect Honda engineering over the others.

[Chrisw666]

From that list I'd probably chose the Insignia. I think the Mondeo would be the best car I just find something about them makes my teeth itch.

[JonnyFive]

We've got plenty of company car/lease car Mazda6 customers at work, all very happy with theirs.

Plus it looks the best out of them all too..

[Reardy Mister]

FarmerJim said:

If you enjoy hustling the car down a B-road, then it has to be the Mondeo.

Joining the M25 south from the M3 north, the Mondeo stayed with EVERYTHING I put it up against, and shook off as many more.

I managed to get the long term mpg and average speed figures on the OBC to match - 41 a piece.

No matter how hard I tried, I count get it to read less than 41mpg.

[Iain XR4i]

blackburn said:

We've just had one ('11 plate CRDT or summat) for a week as a loan car while one of our Fords was in the bodyshop.

Everytime it was un-locked the lights came on.
Only one handle for pulling down the tail-gate.
Rest your arm on the armrest and the window switch catches and lowers the window.
Comedy 'electric' handbrake.
Adjust the heater temperature and it flashes up in the radio display even though it's already displayed on the heater LCD.
Tiny rear window makes reversing difficult - door mirrors very poor.
Cup holders so deep that your average paper coffee cup disappears into the deep...
No-where to leave your mobile 'phone in the centre console.
Hideously uncomfortable drivers seat.


My wife used the car mostly. I asked her if she'd choose it over her '53 reg Zetec Focus. She said "absolutely not. It's horrid". The only thing she found good about it was that it went fairly well.

+1 - I had a hire car for a few days and can't recall ever being so glad to hand a rental back. Loathsome in many ways, including the handbrake mentioned here. Also dashboard reflection on the windscreen, and the (possibly) unique trick of having heavy steering at parking speed but weightless and no feel at all at driving speeds. I actually preferred the 06 Vectra SRI estate that I used to own. Progress?