Car to use for work up to circa £20k - Page 1 - Car Buying

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Thursday 25th August 2022

First post and I’ve had a good read/search for similar threads. I’ve got a bit more of an idea but would appreciate peoples’ opinions.

I’m just about to change jobs and instead of being forced to have a company car, instead I can have a car allowance. This leaves me with the dilemma of what to get.

I’ll be doing up to 25k miles per year, doing a lot of motorway cruising and city crawling. My initial thoughts are that diesel would be a sensible option. I’ll need to carry equipment which necessitates a decent load area also.

So far I’ve been looking towards:

1) VAG estate or hatch. Currently I’m in a Superb SE technology and could head towards another.

2) BMW 3/5 series tourer

3) Volvo XC60

4) VAG suv eg Kodiaq

5) Toyota Rav 4 or Corolla Touring

6) Hyundai Tucson/Santa Fe or Kia Sorento

7) Mazda 6 - reluctant as may feel Ford-ish

Apart from being comfortable, adaptive cruise control and automatic are my non-negotiable options. Apple CarPlay is a must also but anything I would presume would come with it anyway.

Please give pros/cons/suggestions. Having been in company cars for the last 15 years I’m out of touch with what I’d want.

clockworks

7,478 posts

173 months

[report]

[news]

Thursday 25th August 2022

I looked into this several times over the years, and always came to the conclusion that taking the company car was the best option - unless I could get away with using a cheap old banger.

I was doing 30 to 40k miles a year, and most employers had a maximum vehicle age limit of 6 years.

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Thursday 25th August 2022

clockworks said:

I looked into this several times over the years, and always came to the conclusion that taking the company car was the best option - unless I could get away with using a cheap old banger.

I was doing 30 to 40k miles a year, and most employers had a maximum vehicle age limit of 6 years.

I did consider this. However, the issue is with the lead time on new vehicles I could be stuck in a hire car for easily 12-18 months. I’m in a hire car in my current job pending the new car being delivered that was originally due December 2021, now estimated March 2023. Not only have I had to drive something horrifically unsuitable but the BIK and advisory fuel rate shortfall has cost me well over £2k already.

ZX10R NIN

30,424 posts

153 months

[report]

[news]

Thursday 25th August 2022

Gassyanddull said:

First post and I’ve had a good read/search for similar threads. I’ve got a bit more of an idea but would appreciate peoples’ opinions.

I’m just about to change jobs and instead of being forced to have a company car, instead I can have a car allowance. This leaves me with the dilemma of what to get.

I’ll be doing up to 25k miles per year, doing a lot of motorway cruising and city crawling. My initial thoughts are that diesel would be a sensible option. I’ll need to carry equipment which necessitates a decent load area also.

So far I’ve been looking towards:

1) VAG estate or hatch. Currently I’m in a Superb SE technology and could head towards another.

2) BMW 3/5 series tourer

3) Volvo XC60

4) VAG suv eg Kodiaq

5) Toyota Rav 4 or Corolla Touring

6) Hyundai Tucson/Santa Fe or Kia Sorento

7) Mazda 6 - reluctant as may feel Ford-ish

Apart from being comfortable, adaptive cruise control and automatic are my non-negotiable options. Apple CarPlay is a must also but anything I would presume would come with it anyway.

Please give pros/cons/suggestions. Having been in company cars for the last 15 years I’m out of touch with what I’d want.

clockworks

7,478 posts

173 months

[report]

[news]

Thursday 25th August 2022

Gassyanddull said:

I did consider this. However, the issue is with the lead time on new vehicles I could be stuck in a hire car for easily 12-18 months. I’m in a hire car in my current job pending the new car being delivered that was originally due December 2021, now estimated March 2023. Not only have I had to drive something horrifically unsuitable but the BIK and advisory fuel rate shortfall has cost me well over £2k already.

Whenever I changed jobs, I was allocated a used car from the existing company fleet, rather than a hire car. Usually worked in my favour getting a higher grade car for the basic level contribution.

I know that the tax rules are different now though.

It was the mileage that killed running my own relatively expensive car for me. It worked out fine for the management types with "perk" cars, but not for us "job need" users doing the miles.

Mouse Rat

2,079 posts

120 months

[report]

[news]

Friday 26th August 2022

I would be looking E class estate. E220d. Economical to run and a true Mercedes.

This one's well under budget.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2022081186...

Not sure about adaptive cruise.

Or just on budget, the new model

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2022071979...

Slackman99

61 posts

74 months

[report]

[news]

Friday 26th August 2022

I'm in a similar situation to you. I've sat in most of the options you mention and have discounted numbers 5-7 as they just don't feel as nice a place to while away the miles as numbers 1-4.

However I'm not sure I'm sold on SUVs so am erring towards a saloon or estate.

5 series felt the most 'special' but ideally I'd want the M Sport seats for support/comfort but in the SE model, i.e. don't want big wheels and sport suspension, just want comfort.

Volvo was nice inside and comes with more kit than a 5 for the same price, but you can't get much of an extended warranty with Volvo if that's important.

I 'think' a Superb felt a nicer place to sit in than a Passat, but want to try a Passat with the ergoComfort seats that have more adjustment.

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Friday 26th August 2022

ZX10R NIN said:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I currently have an Insignia as a hire car in SRi Nav trim and unfortunately it is typically Vauxhall in my experience. The quality of everything feels very budget and the seats are just plain awful. I’d be offended if I spent a penny of my own money on it.

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Friday 26th August 2022

Mouse Rat said:

I would be looking E class estate. E220d. Economical to run and a true Mercedes.

This one's well under budget.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2022081186...

Not sure about adaptive cruise.

Or just on budget, the new model

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2022071979...

Thank you added to the ‘to try’ list

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Friday 26th August 2022

Slackman99 said:

I'm in a similar situation to you. I've sat in most of the options you mention and have discounted numbers 5-7 as they just don't feel as nice a place to while away the miles as numbers 1-4.

However I'm not sure I'm sold on SUVs so am erring towards a saloon or estate.

5 series felt the most 'special' but ideally I'd want the M Sport seats for support/comfort but in the SE model, i.e. don't want big wheels and sport suspension, just want comfort.

Volvo was nice inside and comes with more kit than a 5 for the same price, but you can't get much of an extended warranty with Volvo if that's important.

I 'think' a Superb felt a nicer place to sit in than a Passat, but want to try a Passat with the ergoComfort seats that have more adjustment.

Thank you. This is all really helpful. The plastic nature of 5-7 was my concern but having been away from testing cars outside of the company car lost for the last 12 years has narrowed my experiences.

I really need to get along for a nose at a car supermarket or big multi marque dealership to get my bearings. I can’t see me going the company car route due to a multitude of factors including lead times and getting rinsed on BIK contribution.

pembo

1,243 posts

221 months

[report]

[news]

Saturday 27th August 2022

I’ve been considering the same recently.
Started a new job a couple of months ago where you either take company car or take the allowance with the understanding that you have a car under 4 years old.
I didn’t want to jump into buying a new car before starting the job so took the company car which means I’m in a hire car until December when my probation is up and then I can order my car of choice.
Given the lead times on new cars I could be stuck in the hire car for some time and although it’s nice enough, A4 Avant Blackline, it’s costing a lot in BiK.
I have the option to pull out of the company car but with the 4 year rule and mileage I do I can’t see a way that a private car could work.
If I get a £25k car that’s a year old and put 100k miles on it in 3 years I’ll have a lot of maintenance bills to cover and I’ll possibly struggle selling it.
Another option I’ve looked at is getting a 3 year old and changing every year. At least I’ll not get bored of the car but yearly admin would be annoying.
I think I’ll just have to see what the car list offers and if there’s nothing that tickles my fancy enough to endure the wait I’ll start working through the most interesting 3 year old cars I can afford year to year

Fusion777

2,620 posts

76 months

[report]

[news]

Saturday 27th August 2022

Definitely try a Passat in one of the higher trim levels.

Gassyanddull

Original Poster

6 posts

48 months

[report]

[news]

Saturday 27th August 2022

pembo said:

I’ve been considering the same recently.
Started a new job a couple of months ago where you either take company car or take the allowance with the understanding that you have a car under 4 years old.
I didn’t want to jump into buying a new car before starting the job so took the company car which means I’m in a hire car until December when my probation is up and then I can order my car of choice.
Given the lead times on new cars I could be stuck in the hire car for some time and although it’s nice enough, A4 Avant Blackline, it’s costing a lot in BiK.
I have the option to pull out of the company car but with the 4 year rule and mileage I do I can’t see a way that a private car could work.
If I get a £25k car that’s a year old and put 100k miles on it in 3 years I’ll have a lot of maintenance bills to cover and I’ll possibly struggle selling it.
Another option I’ve looked at is getting a 3 year old and changing every year. At least I’ll not get bored of the car but yearly admin would be annoying.
I think I’ll just have to see what the car list offers and if there’s nothing that tickles my fancy enough to endure the wait I’ll start working through the most interesting 3 year old cars I can afford year to year

Rewind 3 years and a company car wasn’t terribly bad on BIK etc. Now it’s becoming far less of a perk.

I’m lucky in that they don’t restrict you on age of car providing its safe and ‘sensible’. I’d like look at a 3-4 year old car and then run it until it died or became economically unviable to keep.

The main thing for me is comfort, economy and it being a lazy drive. If I need to be in Cornwall one day, Wales the next, Durham the next and so forth, adaptive cruise control is a must.

Bobupndown

2,896 posts

71 months

[report]

[news]

Saturday 27th August 2022

Superb is where my money would go.

Eddie Twadds

193 posts

127 months

[report]

[news]

Sunday 28th August 2022

Was in a similar opt out situation. My heart was set on a 520d Touring but the fact I was buying at 3+ years and they were still at top end of budget put them out of reach. Also, considered usual VAG offerings, Mazda 6 and E class.

Ended up with a Kia Optima Estate. Nice to look at, OK to drive (it won't set the world on fire though!) and lots of toys. I bought approved used and they topped up the warranty back to the full 7 years. I bought the CRDI 3 auto estate and it's been faultless in 20,000 miles. Personally, I think it looks quote classy for what it is. Next model up, the GT Line S, gets leather, heated and cooled seats, adaptive cruise, heated rear seats and other such stuff.