My current car is a Skoda Superb. Brilliant family car, swallows golf gear, people and luggage. Ideal for my current needs. I lease it through work and the lease ends at the end of June. I've looked around and nothing can beat it for what I want, cost etc I have a choice though:
1/ Buy the car myself at the end of the lease
2/ Lease the exact same car again, 2.0d, auto
3/ Lease the new plug in hybrid version.
The diesel version has a good lease rate, high BIK (tax) hit. The hybrid has a high lease rate, great BIK. The overall cost of the hybrid comes out slightly less than the diesel (it is my company so it is still my money paying the lease)
It then comes down to the cost of fuel, please no moralising at this point. It will come into it but not on this post. I do 20k miles a year. 150 per week commuting which would largely be covered with pure electric. Based on Golf and Passat GTE version it costs around £1 a night to charge. £5 for the weekly commute is clearly a winner compared to 3 gallons of diesel (I get 52-55mpg). If that was all I did, plus other localised driving it would not be an issue. I also do, and will do for the next 3 years, trips of 200 mile round trip and 400 mile round trip. In both instances I will not be able to charge at the other end and 15 minutes in a service station, assuming I can find a charging point, will not make a difference. For those journeys I will be largely petrol only or mild hybrid (not fully sure how it works) This is the bit that worries me.
I know people with the Mitsubishi Phev and it has been a disaster. The car is too big for the motor, the range is poor and the petrol only mpg is awful. I am wary of getting caught in the same trap, stuck for 3 yrs. I have been looking on VW and Skoda forums but experiences are still sketchy. Anyone know people on here with plug in hybrids and know how they compare on longer journeys.
(before people kindly suggest other alternatives, I have pretty much checked them all out and they don't suit for one reason or another)
1/ Buy the car myself at the end of the lease
2/ Lease the exact same car again, 2.0d, auto
3/ Lease the new plug in hybrid version.
The diesel version has a good lease rate, high BIK (tax) hit. The hybrid has a high lease rate, great BIK. The overall cost of the hybrid comes out slightly less than the diesel (it is my company so it is still my money paying the lease)
It then comes down to the cost of fuel, please no moralising at this point. It will come into it but not on this post. I do 20k miles a year. 150 per week commuting which would largely be covered with pure electric. Based on Golf and Passat GTE version it costs around £1 a night to charge. £5 for the weekly commute is clearly a winner compared to 3 gallons of diesel (I get 52-55mpg). If that was all I did, plus other localised driving it would not be an issue. I also do, and will do for the next 3 years, trips of 200 mile round trip and 400 mile round trip. In both instances I will not be able to charge at the other end and 15 minutes in a service station, assuming I can find a charging point, will not make a difference. For those journeys I will be largely petrol only or mild hybrid (not fully sure how it works) This is the bit that worries me.
I know people with the Mitsubishi Phev and it has been a disaster. The car is too big for the motor, the range is poor and the petrol only mpg is awful. I am wary of getting caught in the same trap, stuck for 3 yrs. I have been looking on VW and Skoda forums but experiences are still sketchy. Anyone know people on here with plug in hybrids and know how they compare on longer journeys.
(before people kindly suggest other alternatives, I have pretty much checked them all out and they don't suit for one reason or another)