Company car advice BIK

[Wolfman]

Been offered a company car this year, and i have a long list of cars up to a max monthly lease of £350.00


Loads of cars to choose from but i am after some advice


1. Best mid sized saloon or hatch for 20k motorway with lowish BIK

2. Best car based on above but petrol with decent performance


may go diesel but i have the choice so would prefer petrol


The cars on the list include Audi A3, Golf , Insignia, Mazda6, S40/V50, Alfa Guilletta, Hyundai i40, and many others


Help advice needed !!

 

[gripitripit]

Got to be diesel because of the tax???? Cost you too much for petrol.

 

[GreiginFife]

Insignia, more toys for your buck. Decent engines and decent comfort level.

 

[Wolfman]

Got to be diesel because of the tax???? Cost you too much for petrol.

All fuel paid for so petrol or diesel, diesel has extra 3% BIK charge

What about the the Nissan Qashquai ?

 

[Foxholer]

Depends on what your definition of 'best' is - and your personality.

If staid/dull, practical - Insignia. If edgy/fun - Alfa. If understated quality Audi (Golf if a bit brasher).

All pretty bulletproof really, so image (both you and brand) becomes more important imo.

Check out features/options available too. Some more likely than others to have useful ones built in rather than extra.

That 3% extra BIK for diesel doesn't make sense to me. Should be discount imo!

 

[DCB]

Do you have to take the fully expensed fuel ? That's the one that's going to be the big hit as a BIK. Unless you're doing 13-14k private miles in a year you will not break even. Try and drop the fuel and it's a lot more attractive...been there, got screwed by the tax man, oh joy !

ps two mates have Quashqi at the moment, seem like nice motors, good size, comfortable and a reasonable boot.. Downside was consumption a little lower than expected though.

 

[DappaDonDave]

Alfa giuletta

Nissan quasqai

Hyundai veloster (2 doors on one side, one on the other)

5 series

Insignia

Vw scirocco

Jag xf

Range rover évoque?

Last two seem a bit pricey actually

I've also seen a lot of 12 plate Honda accords around...

 

[Rooter]

In my experience, go for whatever car has the lowest co2's. Paying tax hurts, so why pay more? I have a 320d efficient dynamics, it's 13% BIK rate! I pay under 150 a month for a 35k list car! I have colleagues that have 'less' car and pay way more tax!

 

[USER1999]

If you want to drive around in a car that stinks of petrol, that actually pours petrol down the exhaust manifold, and looks like it could catch fire any time soon, buy a vauxhall. They are all the same.

Want to drown your stuff in the boot, whilst having lights going like the blackpool illuminations, buy a ford.

Like standing by the hard shoulder? Buy Italian.

German, or jap (apparently), that's my advise.

 

[Wolfman]

Thanks for the tips, fuel is paid for and annual mileage is 20k approx

All fuel is business fuel so no tax to pay on fuel only BIK on car itself

I like the A3 Sportback and can get either the 1.4tsi or the 2.0tdi

The 1.4 has 120 bhp and the 2.0tdi diesel has 140 bhp

Both 5 door but only standard or SE trim

BIK APPROX £90 month !

 

[DCB]

All fuel is business fuel so no tax to pay on fuel only BIK on car itself​

Be careful how your company accounts for that and records business and private mileage. It's an area that HMRI like to dig into if they get a chance.

 

[richart]

Get the Alfa.:thup:

 

[Leftie]

If you want to drive around in a car that stinks of petrol, that actually pours petrol down the exhaust manifold, and looks like it could catch fire any time soon, buy a vauxhall. They are all the same.

Want to drown your stuff in the boot, whilst having lights going like the blackpool illuminations, buy a ford.

Like standing by the hard shoulder? Buy Italian.

German, or jap (apparently), that's my advise.

Like anyone would take car advice from someone who drives a diesel hearse that has hardly got enough boot space to get a set of clubs and a trolley in

 

[jpenno]

I have the A3 nice car but the Volvo v50 I had before was a better drive and the clubs don't fit in the boot

I would have got the Alfa but the delivery time was too long as I had left it too late when renewal was up

 

[USER1999]

Like anyone would take car advice from someone who drives a diesel hearse that has hardly got enough boot space to get a set of clubs and a trolley in

To be fair, did I ever say buy American?

 

[Smiffy]

Nissan Qashqai. I sell 'em and absolutely love 'em. And I'm not trying to sell one here because this would be a lease car and we don't deal with leasing companies.
The most comfortable car I have driven in years, plenty of space, loads of kit and economical.
The 1.5dci (which is the one I have) is OK. Plenty of pulling power for the engine size, and returns around 50mpg on average.
If the new 1.6dci is on your list, that's the one to go for. Pulls like a steam train (it's performance figures are about the same as the 2.0 it replaces) and is even more economical, averaging around 55mpg. The co2 figures are lower on this one as well. With the "stop/start" system fitted as standard, it's only £30.00 a year to tax. Don't know what effect this would have on your company car tax, as I say we don't deal with leasing companies so therefore I don't fully understand the tax implications. Our business is purely "retail".
Top of the range Tekna model is going to give you everything you could possible need, specification wise. The next model down (n-tec+) isn't too shabby either if you don't need leather trim.
Bullet proof reliability too. The only fault that I am aware of was on the earlier models where the rear shockers could give up the ghost, but these were replaced under warranty if they went. Newer models aren't afflicted. We have 5 franchises within our group, selling Vauxhall, Nissan, Hyundai, Fiat and Toyota. If my boss said I had to drive to Scotland tomorrow non-stop, I would do the trip in a Qashqai, no question. I'd recommend one to anybody.

 

[DappaDonDave]

If you want to drive around in a car that stinks of petrol, that actually pours petrol down the exhaust manifold, and looks like it could catch fire any time soon, buy a vauxhall. They are all the same.

Want to drown your stuff in the boot, whilst having lights going like the blackpool illuminations, buy a ford.

Like standing by the hard shoulder? Buy Italian.

German, or jap (apparently), that's my advise.

I believe it's hydraulic power steering fluid which leaks onto the maf filter of the diesel exhaust in the insignia.

 

[Val]

Thanks for the tips, fuel is paid for and annual mileage is 20k approxAll fuel is business fuel so no tax to pay on fuel only BIK on car itself

Whoa there Tiger, the tax man don't see it like that. Driving to work is technically classed as private mileage and normally the only way around the fuel is for your car to be classed as a pool car.Be carefully with the tax especially for fuel, HMRC can be ruthless when they reclaim it.

 

[Pull]

+1, unless the car actually stays at the workplace and you commute using your own car and then use the company car when you're there then you will be paying the BIK on the fuel as well.

Consider the opt-out of paying all of the fuel.. on a company car you should still be able to claim back mileage costs at around 11-15p depending on car / engine etc..

 

[CrapHacker18]

I do about 40k miles a year.

I have a company Passat 2.0tdi Blue Motion.

It's far and away the most comfortable car I've ever driven for those 5-6 hour journeys (other cars are great for an hour or two, but then the back starts creaking)

I pay tax on about £3500 for the car, and about the same for the personal mileage. So that's about £1400 a year to the taxman, I believe.

I'm rubbish at maths, so those numbers might be well out.

You see a lot more of the inside of the car, than the outside. I'd concentrate on seat position, back support, etc then driveability (pulling away at the lights, cornering, overtaking acceleration etc) , and position of all the buttons.

Then I'd count the drink holders and the storeage cubbyholes.

Just my tuppence