Coming over to the dark side
Discussion
Well tonight I made up my mind (I think) as to what will replace my Focus ST when it comes to the end of its 3 years in my custody.
My ST is on a lease (80k/3yr) and done through a natty COS scheme which means I don't have to cough for company car tax as the car's in my name. My ST at the moment is about £345/mo and the company pay £260 of that. However, a like-for-like comparison on a new ST revealed that the lease company want to hike the price from £85/mo contribution to £205 for exactly the same model of car now!
Furthermore, my company have decided that they 'need' to bring their CO2 emissions average down in line with other companies (the fleet average for the UK is about 165g/km, ours is around 190g/km). To 'assist' with this, they've decided to reduce the amount they contribute to the car by £10 for every 10g/km that you're over the national average of 165g/km. The ST clocks in at 224g/km and so will reduce the amount I get given by £60/mo. So in summary, to have the same car again (base model ST-2) would now cost me £265/mo instead of £85 contribution over and above what the company pays. For an ST, it would be £200 (down from £260/mo taking into account the £60 reduction for it not being environmentally-friendly).
In short, f
k THAT.
So the search was on. I have a limited list of manufacturers I can choose from, and a limited range of cars from those manufacturers. I also factored in fuel spend - I currently get 20mpg from the ST and do around 1,300 miles a month. Working on an average of 105.9p/litre for Tesco99, it means I'm paying around £330/month for that fuel. That month was a lighter month than usual, travel-wise. The ST is now on 58,000 miles and I've had it 29 months. That's an average of 2,000 miles a month, mostly business (75%, I'd reckon on average).
Tonight I looked at the BMW 123d M-Sport 3dr. I can have it with 18" M-Sport alloys, the bodykit, 'Comfort' pack (consists of Front centre armrest, extended storage, Park Distance Control front and rear, rain sensor with auto headlight activation, rear-view mirror with auto dimming), xenons and USB interface and metallic paint. The M-Sport multifunction steering wheel is included, along with the sports seats, front fogs and 'extended light package' whatever that is!
I've worked out that I should probably expect about 45mpg from it on average (official combined says 54mpg, so I'm knocking that back a bit) which means that I'll be spending somewhere in the region of £150 a month on fuel (based on average 114.9p/litre for diesel) rather than £330. I can put that £170-odd saving back into the cost of the BMW (£264/mo) so in real terms I won't be spending any more than I currently am now. The other benefit is that because the 123d comes in at 138g/km, the company will give me an EXTRA £10 a month over the £260 due to the emissions being under the 'target' of the national average.
I think it all works out in my head cost-wise:
ST currently = £85/mo + £330 in fuel (total £415/mo)
New ST = £260/mo + £330 in fuel (total £595/mo)
BMW 123d = £260/mo + £159 in fuel (total £419/mo)
The BMW is also near-as-dammit as quick to 60, 'proper'-wheel-drive and will be a far nicer place to be. It also won't squeak like a shop full of mice within 30 minutes of it being driven off the forecourt. I wondered for a while about spunking £260 a month into a car I won't actually ever own, but I look at it this way - I'd rather have that money buying me a nicer car than 75% of it going to the Government in fuel tax. It seems like a no-brainer, but I can't help thinking I may have missed something, that's all.
And yes, I KNOW the coupé's the better looking of the two, but to have that with the M-Sport kit, wheels, suspension and all the gubbins pushes it out of budget (I'm capped at contributing £260/month maximum). There MAY be potential to see if there's any special deals or to negotiate on final spec, but essentially it's going to be a 123d of some sort I think.
Am I doing the right thing going over the dirty pump? Is there anything about the car I should be aware of or that's worth knowing before I place an order? Is the MPG estimate realistic for day-to-day driving? Any collective info about the car will be greatly appreciated.
It has to be a metallic colour unfortunately - I'd love it in white, but the non-metallic paint causes the residual to drop and the monthly cost to go UP, despite it being a £450 option! I'm thinking either black or blue. Thoughts?
My ST is on a lease (80k/3yr) and done through a natty COS scheme which means I don't have to cough for company car tax as the car's in my name. My ST at the moment is about £345/mo and the company pay £260 of that. However, a like-for-like comparison on a new ST revealed that the lease company want to hike the price from £85/mo contribution to £205 for exactly the same model of car now!
Furthermore, my company have decided that they 'need' to bring their CO2 emissions average down in line with other companies (the fleet average for the UK is about 165g/km, ours is around 190g/km). To 'assist' with this, they've decided to reduce the amount they contribute to the car by £10 for every 10g/km that you're over the national average of 165g/km. The ST clocks in at 224g/km and so will reduce the amount I get given by £60/mo. So in summary, to have the same car again (base model ST-2) would now cost me £265/mo instead of £85 contribution over and above what the company pays. For an ST, it would be £200 (down from £260/mo taking into account the £60 reduction for it not being environmentally-friendly).
In short, f
k THAT.So the search was on. I have a limited list of manufacturers I can choose from, and a limited range of cars from those manufacturers. I also factored in fuel spend - I currently get 20mpg from the ST and do around 1,300 miles a month. Working on an average of 105.9p/litre for Tesco99, it means I'm paying around £330/month for that fuel. That month was a lighter month than usual, travel-wise. The ST is now on 58,000 miles and I've had it 29 months. That's an average of 2,000 miles a month, mostly business (75%, I'd reckon on average).
Tonight I looked at the BMW 123d M-Sport 3dr. I can have it with 18" M-Sport alloys, the bodykit, 'Comfort' pack (consists of Front centre armrest, extended storage, Park Distance Control front and rear, rain sensor with auto headlight activation, rear-view mirror with auto dimming), xenons and USB interface and metallic paint. The M-Sport multifunction steering wheel is included, along with the sports seats, front fogs and 'extended light package' whatever that is!
I've worked out that I should probably expect about 45mpg from it on average (official combined says 54mpg, so I'm knocking that back a bit) which means that I'll be spending somewhere in the region of £150 a month on fuel (based on average 114.9p/litre for diesel) rather than £330. I can put that £170-odd saving back into the cost of the BMW (£264/mo) so in real terms I won't be spending any more than I currently am now. The other benefit is that because the 123d comes in at 138g/km, the company will give me an EXTRA £10 a month over the £260 due to the emissions being under the 'target' of the national average.
I think it all works out in my head cost-wise:
ST currently = £85/mo + £330 in fuel (total £415/mo)
New ST = £260/mo + £330 in fuel (total £595/mo)
BMW 123d = £260/mo + £159 in fuel (total £419/mo)
The BMW is also near-as-dammit as quick to 60, 'proper'-wheel-drive and will be a far nicer place to be. It also won't squeak like a shop full of mice within 30 minutes of it being driven off the forecourt. I wondered for a while about spunking £260 a month into a car I won't actually ever own, but I look at it this way - I'd rather have that money buying me a nicer car than 75% of it going to the Government in fuel tax. It seems like a no-brainer, but I can't help thinking I may have missed something, that's all.
And yes, I KNOW the coupé's the better looking of the two, but to have that with the M-Sport kit, wheels, suspension and all the gubbins pushes it out of budget (I'm capped at contributing £260/month maximum). There MAY be potential to see if there's any special deals or to negotiate on final spec, but essentially it's going to be a 123d of some sort I think.
Am I doing the right thing going over the dirty pump? Is there anything about the car I should be aware of or that's worth knowing before I place an order? Is the MPG estimate realistic for day-to-day driving? Any collective info about the car will be greatly appreciated.
It has to be a metallic colour unfortunately - I'd love it in white, but the non-metallic paint causes the residual to drop and the monthly cost to go UP, despite it being a £450 option! I'm thinking either black or blue. Thoughts?
Edited by Funk on Tuesday 21st October 00:28
anonymous said:
[redacted]
As nice as that diesel looks on paper, and probably drives around, the petrol will be the one worth driving properly that the BMW's are really made for!
How much does a 130i Sport come to in your sums? Isn't the combined figure for the valvetronic 3.0 pretty damn good? If you consider the petrol 2.5 at all, then the 3.0 can't be that much more can it!?
Dave
The 125i and 130i aren't available to me on the list of vehicles I can choose from unfortunately.
I can have the 123d SE Coupé without any options - it maxes the budget without any 'tinsel' unfortunately. That's when I was looking at the hatch in M-Sport trim with xenons, comfort pack etc. I also need the economy of the 123d to make things cost-neutral with what I'm paying now. I don't want to throw any more money in than I already am if it can be helped.
An interesting conversation with my HR department today revealed that there may be changes to the scheme coming in the next couple of weeks and I have the option of either ordering now and knowing what I'm getting, or alternatively waiting and seeing if the revised package is any better in a few weeks time. It's possible that things could go either way as there was mention of going to a 'one-marque' solution. Given that a large percentage of our fleets are Audis, it's possible it may go that way. Or they could put us all in Chryslers. God only knows.
Do I wait and see or order now, knowing I could potentially be scuppering myself on a much better deal as yet unknown...?
I can have the 123d SE Coupé without any options - it maxes the budget without any 'tinsel' unfortunately. That's when I was looking at the hatch in M-Sport trim with xenons, comfort pack etc. I also need the economy of the 123d to make things cost-neutral with what I'm paying now. I don't want to throw any more money in than I already am if it can be helped.
An interesting conversation with my HR department today revealed that there may be changes to the scheme coming in the next couple of weeks and I have the option of either ordering now and knowing what I'm getting, or alternatively waiting and seeing if the revised package is any better in a few weeks time. It's possible that things could go either way as there was mention of going to a 'one-marque' solution. Given that a large percentage of our fleets are Audis, it's possible it may go that way. Or they could put us all in Chryslers. God only knows.
Do I wait and see or order now, knowing I could potentially be scuppering myself on a much better deal as yet unknown...?
caboosemoose, apologies, perhaps I should clarify.
The ST has to go at the end of the term. To replace it with another one is outrageously expensive due to poor residuals at the back end.
The 123d is pretty much the only car I can get to 'work' and I was simply after some feedback and information from those who already drive/have driven them before making the plunge.
I spent hours on the Lex online quotation system playing about with the options to try and stay within budget whilst still getting a car with a reasonable spec and performance. The 123d is quoted as being only 0.4sec slower to 60 than the ST yet returns more than double the economy on average. There's loads of other cars out there I'd love, but I have to stay within the bounds of what the company say I can have at the moment. Believe me, I've checked all those boundaries!
As I say, really just after info on the car as I've not driven one yet. Also wanted to check that the MPG figures I'm working on are actually achievable!
Thanks for any information you have.
The ST has to go at the end of the term. To replace it with another one is outrageously expensive due to poor residuals at the back end.
The 123d is pretty much the only car I can get to 'work' and I was simply after some feedback and information from those who already drive/have driven them before making the plunge.
I spent hours on the Lex online quotation system playing about with the options to try and stay within budget whilst still getting a car with a reasonable spec and performance. The 123d is quoted as being only 0.4sec slower to 60 than the ST yet returns more than double the economy on average. There's loads of other cars out there I'd love, but I have to stay within the bounds of what the company say I can have at the moment. Believe me, I've checked all those boundaries!
As I say, really just after info on the car as I've not driven one yet. Also wanted to check that the MPG figures I'm working on are actually achievable!
Thanks for any information you have.
Edited by Funk on Tuesday 21st October 16:02
Given the CO2 restrictions placed on the OP , and also trying to mantain a sensible monthly outlay, I would say the 123d M Sport is a very good choice.
A diesel it may be, but it gets a very good write up in the motoring press by being fairly quick and fun to drive, with very low overall running costs. I think I would rather have one of these, particularly in the spec that the OP mentions, than a basic 2.0 Audi TT with no options.
To the OP I would say order it now, rather than wait and run the risk of being lumbered with a lesser car that you don't really like or want. Le Mans blue would be my colour choice.
A diesel it may be, but it gets a very good write up in the motoring press by being fairly quick and fun to drive, with very low overall running costs. I think I would rather have one of these, particularly in the spec that the OP mentions, than a basic 2.0 Audi TT with no options.
To the OP I would say order it now, rather than wait and run the risk of being lumbered with a lesser car that you don't really like or want. Le Mans blue would be my colour choice.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
You are having a laugh I hope??! I would rather get the bus than that FWD pile of crap you have suggested above!!
The 123d will destroy it in every department!!
(I have owned the A3 btw. Nice cabin and.....well a nice cabin.)
My mapped 120d M-Sport 5 door was the best all round car I have owned, seriously fun, can do 800 miles in one sitting no problem at all, cheap to run and own, all you ever need from a car really.
Only car I have kept longer than 12 months, kept it for 19 months, superb!
gizlaroc said:
My mapped 120d M-Sport 5 door was the best all round car I have owned, seriously fun, can do 800 miles in one sitting no problem at all, cheap to run and own, all you ever need from a car really.
Only car I have kept longer than 12 months, kept it for 19 months, superb!
This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear. If anyone's got anything further to add, I'd be interested to hear.Only car I have kept longer than 12 months, kept it for 19 months, superb!
Out of interest, who mapped it for you? Was it a hard-coded map or a handset-based 'flash' device? What sort of power gains did you see from it?
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Actually the TT is about the same as the 123d in a straight line - they both have an 'official' 0-60 of around just under seven seconds (I think the TT shades it by about 0.2sec). You're right about it being a better-looking car - the more I see them, the more I like them. A friend of mine has the 2.0TFSI in 'Ink Blue' on 18" anthracite wheels and it looks stunning.Sadly it's not on my list though, nor would it return enough to the gallon to make it viable. The TT TDI would've been an interesting option though, but I think it's too new to make it onto the lists yet. Also the lead time on that model is too long anyway.
After the charismatic growl of the ST, even the TT's engine sounds dull. If I'm going backwards noise-wise, I might as well go RIGHT backwards..!
Here's some figures from sport auto, comaring the 123d with a Golf GTI. Remember the TT is another 60kg lighter. I'm bored of the diesel debate, so can see the figures below including flexibility in gear and make your own mind up.
Model: BMW 123d vs. VW Golf GTi
Power: 204 hp / 200 hp
Torque: 400 Nm / 280 Nm
Gearbox: 6-speed-manual (both)
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE050 A RFT / Bridgestone Potenza RE050 A
Weight: 1489 kg / 1387 kg
Vmax.: 238 km/h / 235 km/h
0-100 km/h: 6,8 s / 6,9 s
0-160 km/h: 17,6 s / 16,1 s
80-120 km/h in 4th: 5,5 s / 5,6 s
80-160 km/h in 6th: 18,7 s / 20,0 s
Hockenheimring: 1.21,3 min / 1.19,6 min
18 m slalom: 67,6 km/h / 66,5 km/h
100-0 km/h (warm): 36,0 m / 37,5 m
200-0 km/h (warm): 146,4 m / 151,6 m
Avg, fuel con.: 7,9 l/100 km / 13,3 l/100 km
Model: BMW 123d vs. VW Golf GTi
Power: 204 hp / 200 hp
Torque: 400 Nm / 280 Nm
Gearbox: 6-speed-manual (both)
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE050 A RFT / Bridgestone Potenza RE050 A
Weight: 1489 kg / 1387 kg
Vmax.: 238 km/h / 235 km/h
0-100 km/h: 6,8 s / 6,9 s
0-160 km/h: 17,6 s / 16,1 s
80-120 km/h in 4th: 5,5 s / 5,6 s
80-160 km/h in 6th: 18,7 s / 20,0 s
Hockenheimring: 1.21,3 min / 1.19,6 min
18 m slalom: 67,6 km/h / 66,5 km/h
100-0 km/h (warm): 36,0 m / 37,5 m
200-0 km/h (warm): 146,4 m / 151,6 m
Avg, fuel con.: 7,9 l/100 km / 13,3 l/100 km
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