Cheap, executive estate car suggestions
Discussion
I'm considering a buying a car for my sales employee. It's field based sales with a likely annual mileage of 15k or so. It needs to look fairly respectable, have a good load space (hence estate), and be cheap to run. Budget is £1000 to £2000, so obviously a bit of a punt in terms of getting something reliable as it's going to be high mileage.
So fair I'm thinking that E46 BMW tourers are an obvious choice - they don't look too dated, should be just about big enough, and reasonably frugal in 318i or 320d spec. I'm a bit wary of the 320 diesel though, quite a lot of expensive things can go wrong with modern diesels, even though it'll be a bit better on fuel. I'd expect 45mpg or so from that or mid 30s from a 318i. Does that sound about right?
Other things I've though of so far VW Passat 1.9 tdi. Seem about right on price, size, looks, apparently good for 50mpg and I believe the 1.9tdi is pretty bullet proof? Slightly off the wall ideas are x type jag, but I think the diesels can be unreliable, and the petrols pretty thirsty? Or MG ZT-T, would probably have to be either a small petrol or the diesel, but they seem to be holding their value better than an E46 BMW.
Old shape mondeo might be an option, but they all look very dated to me, apart from the ST models, which must be well out of budget?
What else is there around this sort of price/size bracket?
So fair I'm thinking that E46 BMW tourers are an obvious choice - they don't look too dated, should be just about big enough, and reasonably frugal in 318i or 320d spec. I'm a bit wary of the 320 diesel though, quite a lot of expensive things can go wrong with modern diesels, even though it'll be a bit better on fuel. I'd expect 45mpg or so from that or mid 30s from a 318i. Does that sound about right?
Other things I've though of so far VW Passat 1.9 tdi. Seem about right on price, size, looks, apparently good for 50mpg and I believe the 1.9tdi is pretty bullet proof? Slightly off the wall ideas are x type jag, but I think the diesels can be unreliable, and the petrols pretty thirsty? Or MG ZT-T, would probably have to be either a small petrol or the diesel, but they seem to be holding their value better than an E46 BMW.
Old shape mondeo might be an option, but they all look very dated to me, apart from the ST models, which must be well out of budget?
What else is there around this sort of price/size bracket?
You want to spend 1.5 - 2K on a car to do 15K miles a year and you're worried that the Mondeo looks dated? Come again?
As for Jag Diesels - the engines are the same as the Mondeo anyway so reliability ought to be similar.
I don't think the small engined petrol ZTT or Rover equivalent are worth it for economy - they need such a thrashing to get anywhere that economy suffers. The diesel engine is a slightly less complex and detuned BMW one anyway.
How about petrol A4/A6? They seem cheap.
Not sure Mr Sales will be too thrilled as his BIK will be high for what he's getting....
As for Jag Diesels - the engines are the same as the Mondeo anyway so reliability ought to be similar.
I don't think the small engined petrol ZTT or Rover equivalent are worth it for economy - they need such a thrashing to get anywhere that economy suffers. The diesel engine is a slightly less complex and detuned BMW one anyway.
How about petrol A4/A6? They seem cheap.
Not sure Mr Sales will be too thrilled as his BIK will be high for what he's getting....
ALBA MELV said:
Yes, I know this is like swearing to some of the badge snobs on here but how about a Vauxhall Signum.
I had a Signum for a short period of time. One of the most utterly pointless cars ever.It looked like a Vectra from the front, and it felt like a Vectra from the drivers seat. Nothing even remotely "executive" about it.
It had a little more legroom in the back, but you get that extra space in a Vectra estate along with an extra seat and a useful boot.
I'd probably choose a vectra over a signum, if I was looking at vauxhalls. But I promised I'd never buy another vauxhall after having so many problems with my last one.
Not sure about the Saabs, a bit concerned about parts availability and finding one that's not a complete dog, within my budget.
I've also looked at Octavias, but it seems you can get just as much Passat for about the same money.
Not sure about the Saabs, a bit concerned about parts availability and finding one that's not a complete dog, within my budget.
I've also looked at Octavias, but it seems you can get just as much Passat for about the same money.
Alternative view:
Why not keep the £2k outlay, lease something new/quality for circa £300pcm (i.e. Insignia Estate, Mondeo Estate). Nothing flash, but sober/quality/professional.
I don't know what your business is, but surely your salesperson's output covers this cost (or is projected to).
This might also give a better perception of your business from customers (and also motivate your sales employee).
Also less time/money worrying about maintenance, running costs, upkeep - and more time spent working on your business??
Why not keep the £2k outlay, lease something new/quality for circa £300pcm (i.e. Insignia Estate, Mondeo Estate). Nothing flash, but sober/quality/professional.
I don't know what your business is, but surely your salesperson's output covers this cost (or is projected to).
This might also give a better perception of your business from customers (and also motivate your sales employee).
Also less time/money worrying about maintenance, running costs, upkeep - and more time spent working on your business??
BigMav said:
Alternative view:
Why not keep the £2k outlay, lease something new/quality for circa £300pcm (i.e. Insignia Estate, Mondeo Estate). Nothing flash, but sober/quality/professional.
I don't know what your business is, but surely your salesperson's output covers this cost (or is projected to).
This might also give a better perception of your business from customers (and also motivate your sales employee).
Also less time/money worrying about maintenance, running costs, upkeep - and more time spent working on your business??
This would be my advice too. There's the added benefit of a warranty too.Why not keep the £2k outlay, lease something new/quality for circa £300pcm (i.e. Insignia Estate, Mondeo Estate). Nothing flash, but sober/quality/professional.
I don't know what your business is, but surely your salesperson's output covers this cost (or is projected to).
This might also give a better perception of your business from customers (and also motivate your sales employee).
Also less time/money worrying about maintenance, running costs, upkeep - and more time spent working on your business??
A 1-2k snotter is fine if you like DIY maintenance.
It will be a ball ache and damage your profitably when he's breaking down all the time.
(Will get 1000 replies now about how people got a pug 206 diesel and it ran for eleventy million miles and only cost £2.50)
Add to that on no planet does a shed look business like or professional.
hornetrider said:
To the OP, 15k a year in a shed of that price is pretty unrealistic as a business vehicle. Lease something instead.
Another nod to the Saab 9-5. I bought mine last year for absolute peanuts as a dog carrier. It performs splendidly. Bags of space for anything you could possibly want to carry. I have the Aero, a notoriously bullet proof engine providing oil is kept an eye on (the turbo likes its share). Cracking fuel economy for a big 250bhp car (in manual guise, the auto is a guzzler), 40mpg out on the motorway with ease. Not tried the diesels but they are Vauxhall's own brew 2.2, so I'd give that a swerve. On the plus side the GM make-up of the car helps keep the cost of perishable parts down.
Wouldn't it be better to use the 2k towards a lease plan for a new car?
Just so you get the warranty, and all that without the maintenance issues of older cars.
You can easily get some new estates in basic spec for below 16k, which would give you payments of less than £300?
I mean, at the moment, you're paying your employee 25p per mile. If he averages 15k miles per year in his car, you're paying him £3,750 per year to drive his car, which is £312.50 a month.
That would get you a decent car, and you could actually go on a finance plan and pay off the cost in monthly instalments then at the end of like 3 or 4 years, you own the car, and the bonus is you know what it's history is, because you've owned it from new?
Just my £0.02 worth.
Just so you get the warranty, and all that without the maintenance issues of older cars.
You can easily get some new estates in basic spec for below 16k, which would give you payments of less than £300?
I mean, at the moment, you're paying your employee 25p per mile. If he averages 15k miles per year in his car, you're paying him £3,750 per year to drive his car, which is £312.50 a month.
That would get you a decent car, and you could actually go on a finance plan and pay off the cost in monthly instalments then at the end of like 3 or 4 years, you own the car, and the bonus is you know what it's history is, because you've owned it from new?
Just my £0.02 worth.
Many years back, I stacked my car, and, since I was in receipt of car allowance and was expected to travel around the UK, I bought an old Passat to keep me mobile for a few months (long irrelevant story about the original car repairs).
I wasn't selling, and I was mainly turning up to either internal meetings, or meetings with our suppliers. I still found myself parking away from the newer cars and, when I was seen with the shed, explaining the rationale behind being seen in it.
Some will say that speaks more about me personally than anything else; I mention it only to highlight how your man might feel, esp if he is trying to sell and thus, I presume, paint a good impression of himself, the product and the company?
I wasn't selling, and I was mainly turning up to either internal meetings, or meetings with our suppliers. I still found myself parking away from the newer cars and, when I was seen with the shed, explaining the rationale behind being seen in it.
Some will say that speaks more about me personally than anything else; I mention it only to highlight how your man might feel, esp if he is trying to sell and thus, I presume, paint a good impression of himself, the product and the company?
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