Company Car

[MrJan]

Exciting times people, today I was finally given the nod to search for a company car. Trouble is I ain't sure what to pluck for. I've got a fairly low lease budget and the stipulation that it has to be a diesel, which is fair enough.

So now I'm looking for ideas, currently near the top are a DS3 or a Focus, but i don't what the DS3 unless it's the fairly high spec that actually looks quite cool. So gather round fellow forums and help me choose something to drive for the next 3 years.

[Mark]

Personally my choice of next car is a Focus. The new ones look quite nice.

[driveace]

Depends on what lease per month you are allowed.Focus for me or even a KIA i40,may be an option

[Rollo]

Mazda 3 Diesel? Same platform and drivetrain as the Focus.
I can only speak for the petrol variants, but the Mazda is a little stiffer.

I've not driven the DS3, but the C4 which I imagine is probably similar was a little vague by French standards.

[MrJan]

As it'll have a maintainence deal I couldn't give a toss how reliable it is, none of it will cost me.

Not keen on the Hyundai, it's taken a bit of a thrashing from the ugly stick.

Thought about the Mazda as my brother has one and likes it, sadly it's quite a bit more to lease than the Focus.

[Captain VXR]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NRSDCBt4i-U/TAOZwItU6WI/AAAAAAAAEwI/abrwlVY0irk/daihatsu%20midget%20II.jpg
This.

[donKey jote]

Fiat 500 ? :p

[GridGirl]

The current Renault Megane looks better than previous versions. I have no idea how much they costs though.

[Bolton Midnight]

Can you go up as much as a Golf GTTDI type thing?

[Mark]

The current Renault Megane looks better than previous versions. I have no idea how much they costs though.

Considering how indescribably horrid the previous version was, that wouldn't be hard.

However Nissan is giving Renault a good challenge for making the ugliest cars, I wonder if it's Renault/Nissan group policy to make their products as repulsive as possible.

[Captain VXR]

Considering how indescribably horrid the previous version was, that wouldn't be hard.

However Nissan is giving Renault a good challenge for making the ugliest cars, I wonder if it's Renault/Nissan group policy to make their products as repulsive as possible.
The Juke is by far the ugliest car on sale today - how many different intoxicating substances had the designers been mixing before they 'styled' it? I bet 11. The only two decent looking cars in Nissan's range are the 370z and GTR, but even they aren't as good looking as some of their rivals.
Nissan has gone downhill since the 350z, Cube - which was better before the changes they made to it for the UK, and pre facelift Murano.

[Rollo]

However Nissan is giving Renault a good challenge for making the ugliest cars...

I concur with this. Renault has had some dorky looking cars going all the way back to the R4 some 50 years ago and Nissan's Juke, Cube and Murano are certainly coming to the party.

Am I the only one who thinks that the March/Micra K12 has got Poirot's moustache on the front?

[Bolton Midnight]

Fabia vRS

[GridGirl]

I thought the new Fabia Vrs was petrol only.

[Bolton Midnight]

Maybe I thought the old one was a turbo diesel.

[Gregor-y]

Maybe I thought the old one was a turbo diesel.
I think the last one was diesel, while the new one uses the 1.4 twin-charged motor. Sadly the concept of company car doesn't exist here any more than the cars being discussed, sans Focus.

[Bolton Midnight]

Some great deals on contract hire at the mo.

[Zico]

Focus, Mazda 3 or Civic is what I'd choose from.. if it had to be a diesel.

[Iain]

Can you go up as much as a Golf GTTDI type thing?

A VAG group 2.0 TDi is a good shout. I drove a Seat Ibiza with the 140bhp TDi engine the other day and was very impressed. Much more driveable through the rev range than the 170bhp version, although I only have experience of the Pump Duese variant of the 170 and not the Common Rail one. Did mainly urban running about the other day in it and it was coming back with mid-40s MPG figures.

Not sure about the 1.4 twincharger petrol engine, I've heard there's been numerous failures.

[Mark]

Not much point in getting a DERV if you never take it on the motorway.

[Jag_Warrior]

As I ask this, realize that as an American, I don't know what models are or aren't available there... or what they cost. But what about the Mitsubishi Lancer, on which the Evo is based? And another would be the Subaru Impreza. What about that? One thing that my Microsoft loving friend, Daniel, and I fully agreed on was the soundness of Subarus. Does the Impreza come in a diesel model over there?

But with all that said, I have seen pics of the new Focus and it's a very sharp little car!

[Rollo]

As I ask this, realize that as an American, I don't know what models are or aren't available there... or what they cost. But what about the Mitsubishi Lancer, on which the Evo is based? And another would be the Subaru Impreza. What about that? One thing that my Microsoft loving friend, Daniel, and I fully agreed on was the soundness of Subarus. Does the Impreza come in a diesel model over there?

The Subaru EE diesel is as far as I'm aware the only Diesel boxer engine in production in the world. It was an option on Impreza Mk3 but I haven't seen it on Mk4 yet. (http://www.subaru.jp/)
There is now a 1.5L petrol variant as well as the 2.0L in Europe.


But with all that said, I have seen pics of the new Focus and it's a very sharp little car!

I hope that Detroit doesn't decide to smack up the Focus III with the ugly stick like they did with Focus II. That weird chrome thing across the grill looks hideous; too many fold lines in the bonnet and below the window line. Bleargh!

[MrJan]

Well looks like I'll be going for a 1.6 TDi Fabia. I was pretty restricted on what sort of half decent stuff was available within my budget. When you allow for the maintenance and 15k miles it jumped things up quite a bit, especially as the boss would veto anything that wasn't diesel/had great MPG. The DS3 spec I wanted was silly money and the Focus was a bit out of reach. I looked at the Fiesta but once I saw the figure of 16.9 to 62 for a 1.6 TDCi I didn't bother looking any further. Not sure if that's accurate but TBH I'd rather have the Skoda anyway.

So in the end I've got a fairly decent car that's probably the same in terms of chassis/engine as the 1.6 TDi Golfs that other people at work have (which are surprisingly quick). Also the base rate of it was fairly cheap, which meant that I could get a higher spec than I would with the other cars. Firstly A/C is standard and then added Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, heated seats and different alloys. None of it is amazing but I'm going from driving my own car and paying about £2500 a year in fuel alone (without considering insurance, tax, MOT, tyres etc.) to having a car which costs me about half that in tax, is brand new and maintained. TBH if the boss had given me a bottom of the range Kia Soul then I'd have been extremely grateful.

[janneppi]

Personally my choice of next car is a Focus. The new ones look quite nice.
I sat in one today in a showroom, not bad looking on the outside, pretty desent interior as well, altough compared to a Opel Astra, they look almost identical, the only difference was the "silly bulges" steering wheel of the Focus. :)

[Malbec]

Well looks like I'll be going for a 1.6 TDi Fabia. I was pretty restricted on what sort of half decent stuff was available within my budget. When you allow for the maintenance and 15k miles it jumped things up quite a bit, especially as the boss would veto anything that wasn't diesel/had great MPG. The DS3 spec I wanted was silly money and the Focus was a bit out of reach. I looked at the Fiesta but once I saw the figure of 16.9 to 62 for a 1.6 TDCi I didn't bother looking any further. Not sure if that's accurate but TBH I'd rather have the Skoda anyway.

Good choice. I tested the Fabia Estate recently with the 1.6 TDi which has a healthy kick strong enough to keep you out of trouble even if you won't be scaring the vRS boys in a hurry. In the end went for the Octavia estate due to space but the Fabia is still a bargain especially with the 20% off deal.

The only problem is the waiting list, you're probably looking at a delivery date around March/April for the Diesel.

[MrJan]

The only problem is the waiting list, you're probably looking at a delivery date around March/April for the Diesel.

Thanks for raising that issue, it lead to me changing my mind. Looked at some Skoda forums this morning and people were posting about waiting 9 months (although more typically quite a bit less). Contacted the lease company and was told approximately 14 weeks. This would not only take about £700 of my money in fuel but would also mean renewing my insurance (was £600 last year as have to include work mileage). Now going for a Fiesta Zetec 1.6TDCi that they have in stock (those 0-60 figures I'd seen were well wrong :erm :) . It has a fairly decent spec as standard, including a heated windscreen and heated mirrors (the feature that I've missed most over the last 3 years of owning a car without them).

Looking forward to getting hold of it, I know that to many the Fiesta is a bit ****e but, as my current car is a design over 20 years old, the build quality and feel of new cars is well in advance of what I'm used to. The only thing that I think will be really lacking is the handling, which I suspect will be slightly detached. But that's to be expected, my MR2 is a delight to drive and whatever I picked was going to be a let down in that regard.

[Mark]

. Now going for a Fiesta Zetec 1.6TDCi that they have in stock (those 0-60 figures I'd seen were well wrong :erm :) . It has a fairly decent spec as standard, including a heated windscreen and heated mirrors (the feature that I've missed most over the last 3 years of owning a car without them).

Nice choice! Have have the same car except in Titanium trim. You're not going to outrun the Audi drivers with it, but it's quick enough for me.

Do you have any other toys with it? I have the ESP/Traction control, bluetooth, usb connection, the best bit is the cruise control but I think that's Titanium only.

I think my mirrors are heated, but I've not seen any evidence of it, the heated windscreen is great but the rear dimister is very poor!

[MrJan]

Can't really remember what spec is coming with it, will just have to wait and see. Think the radio has an AUX 3.5mm in but no USB, probably has TC but definitely no bluetooth (the company will probably install that anyway). The one annoying thing is that I've recently got a new headunit for the Toyota that has USB in, SD card slot, BT music connection and DAB (all for £130!!). It's the latter that I'll miss most, I've really enjoyed being able to drive home from work listening to 6Music.

[Dave B]

I genuinely don't understand why £15000 cars are on sale with music systems from the 90s. A 3.5mm jack is often listed as a selling point, for goodness sake!

[Malbec]

I genuinely don't understand why £15000 cars are on sale with music systems from the 90s. A 3.5mm jack is often listed as a selling point, for goodness sake!

Back in the '80s BMW used to advertise that its cars could be upgraded to include a radio as a cost-option so bundling a 3.5 mm jack is definitely progress...

[GridGirl]

I think my mirrors are heated, but I've not seen any evidence of it, the heated windscreen is great but the rear dimister is very poor!

I think you automatically get heated mirrors if you have the heated screen but I do agree that you hardly notice you've got that function. I do quite like the heated screen but if its a thick frost you still have to scrape the ice off anyway.

[SGWilko]

I think you automatically get heated mirrors if you have the heated screen but I do agree that you hardly notice you've got that function. I do quite like the heated screen but if its a thick frost you still have to scrape the ice off anyway.

Unless Pilkington have upped their build quality, the biggest issue with the Ford 'Quick Clear' (that's bollocks for a start) is barcoding as individual elements fail. This increases the load on the remaining elements and thus you get a catch22.....

[Dave B]

Perhaps they've been subcontracting the work to Karl Pilkington...

[GridGirl]

Unless Pilkington have upped their build quality, the biggest issue with the Ford 'Quick Clear' (that's bollocks for a start) is barcoding as individual elements fail. This increases the load on the remaining elements and thus you get a catch22.....

Is element failure quite a common problem? My first windscreen lasted a good 3 and a half years before it collided with a stone travelling at speed and needed to be replaced. I've had my current screen about 18 months but neither have suffered from broken elements. Maybe I've just been lucky. :s :)

[SGWilko]

Is element failure quite a common problem? My first windscreen lasted a good 3 and a half years before it collided with a stone travelling at speed and needed to be replaced. I've had my current screen about 18 months but neither have suffered from broken elements. Maybe I've just been lucky. :s :)

Certainly seems to be a regular enough annoyance if the S-Max owners forum is anything to go by.....

Plus that fact that my July '07 S-Max is suffering early stage element failure. I might have to start driving up the chuff of gravel lorries to get it sorted...!!!!!!