New company car time

Steve H · 2020-01-01T23:02:41+00:00

Can't believe it's nearly 4 years since I ordered the last one. Currently doing 30-35k miles / year. The government is really hammering diesel drivers - a like for like replacement of my 520d would cost £410 / month in BIK tax. Shortlist at the moment... BMW 330e MSport. Can't add anything, due to the £40k 'luxury car VED' which bumps costs by £25/month if you spend £40,000 rather than £39,999. Only get the best from it if you plug it in overnight, which, frankly, is never going to happen. On the positive side, you do get a burst of 290bhp (non boosted is around 250bhp) if you have a decent charge in the battery. BIK £160 / month. Lexus ES300h. Lots more kit - most importantly, lumbar support and electric adjustment of the seats. Also comes with a decent Pioneer audio system vs. the awful BMW standard system. Doesn't need plugging in, but 'only' has about 240bhp. BIK £280 / month. I like the saving on the 3-series... but they feel a bit pokey and cheap after running a 5 for the last 100k miles. We're limited to Audi, BMW, Lexus, VW and Volvo - but VW and Volvo hybrids have awful residuals, so a Passat GTE is out of my lease banding by £50 / month, meaning it's £100 / month more to lease than a 520d MSport! The alternative is to hold on and see if the new BMW X1 hybrid is any good. But that's just a jacked up Mini. What woudld you do?

Jan 01, 2020 23 Replies

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Steve H 6 years ago

I don't know why you're talking about vans - even if it were an option, I'm not likley to give up a mid size executive car for a fecking van.

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Fredxx 6 years ago

Obviously you don't in more ways than one.

You have obviously never driven a modern pickup, such as the Mercedes X-class.

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Steve H 6 years ago

The X-Class is as much a Mercedes as my push bike. It's a rebadged Nissan Navara. The ones which snap in half.

Just because they have posh badges and leather seats, it doesn't transform a builder's tool into something I'd be happy to swap for a

5-series or similar.

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The Other Mike 6 years ago

a) Get a new job.

b) Retire.

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