Mrs Scooters new compay car - options what to get?

[scooters]

Amigos,

long time no speak. Had a rather hectic last few months but things calming down - now settled in Hexham, 

chod: 

244DL - daily family car

XM 2.1TD - long distance cruiser - has some issues with the battery terminals (dont they all)

 

BMW Baur - still at Boyd's in Hamilton hopefully will have this for the summer

CX - in storage in Edinburgh with engine worries - 

Puegeot 304 Cabriolet - currently at Boyds, head issues and body work issues - some why to go for an MOT - up for sale as is

 

Mrs S has just started a new job, she gets a company car it appears to be around the £20k value on a lease - so Golf, BMW1, Audi A1 etc.

 

At the moment she is using an Audi A1 tdi which is too small - we have a big dg and two kids so need a bigger car

 

Worse - I have had to break a blood oath never to drive an Audi but with stepfather on his last legs I have had to head to Edinburgh and back several times and with the XM incapacitated it has been a life saver as it sips diesel and is fast...

however, i fucking hae the suspension wich is like a bloody jalopey - every single inperfection in the road is transmitted into your spine - horrible - I was unaware of just how the industry seems to think that everyone wants sports suspension these days - also the tyres are so low profile it doesn't help -

the obviously the citroens are superb in this area with the CX better than the XM (IMHO) the 244 is good and even the BMW is civilised but sporting but this flippin A1 - not nice

car handles well and doesn't have too many fripperies - it's just too small.

 

She gets to replace it in March - so - what to get? I know fuck all about cars made after about 1996. I do know that from a tax and lease perspective a 1.6 diesel is probably the most reasonable engine to go for. Ideally we need an estate or a picasso sized MPV (but not a picasso) - Mondeo estate might be a bit beyond the budget - Pugeot 5008? Golf Estate (these are quite big now), Mini Clubman, Nissan of some sort - 

 

any suggestions - criteria has to be big ish and comfortable as she has some miles to do  - if we could get 4WD it would be a bonus due to our location but price would be an issue I think.

 

Any ideas folks?

 

 

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

Sorry for the instant thread hijack but what's the deal with the 304?

[tooSavvy]

... I don't object to you living in Hexham M8

 

4WD is overkill, even for Hamsterly 

 

TS

[Noel Tidybeard]

civic tourer- huge boot and magic seats FTW

[dome]

I have nothing to contribute re new cars but good to have you back!

[Jazoli]

Quasqai+ would tick my boxes, cheap bik, 60 odd mpg, roomy, great spec, thats all I know really, my missus was given a new Astra and didn't have a choice for a company vehicle, twats.

[scooters]

... I don't object to you living in Hexham M8

 

4WD is overkill, even for Hamsterly 

 

TS

its more for her slogging up to Alston (Royston Vasey)etc - we'll be moving up that way at some point methinks

 

 

The 304 - it's a silver one with a hard and a soft top which I took as payment on a job last year - I think Boyd might have it advertised on RR at the moment.

 

It will need a few bob spent on it to gwt back on the road and I know it needs a new radiator - if you are interested email me [email protected] and I'll come back to you.

[cort16]

20 grand doesn't get much even those civic tourers are like 25 grand . Maybe a focus Eco boost estate so you still get low c02 but get a petrol rather than a miserable diesel .

[scooters]

Quasqai+ would tick my boxes, cheap bik, 60 odd mpg, roomy, great spec, thats all I know really, my missus was given a new Astra and didn't have a choice for a company vehicle, twats.

 

it's a bit too pricey for the lease value unless we can get a really good deal. I think the list for the one she is in just now is about 19k

[scooters]

20 grand doesn't get much even those civic tourers are like 25 grand . Maybe a focus Eco boost estate so you still get low c02 but get a petrol rather than a miserable diesel .

 

I don't think that petrols are permitted - shes a rep for university academic publishing sales for Pearson so 30k a year I reckon - all the company cars appear to be oil burners

[Fabergé Greggs]

its more for her slogging up to Alston (Royston Vasey)etc - we'll be moving up that way at some point methinks

 

 

The 304 - it's a silver one with a hard and a soft top which I took as payment on a job last year - I think Boyd might have it advertised on RR at the moment.

 

It will need a few bob spent on it to gwt back on the road and I know it needs a new radiator - if you are interested email me [email protected] and I'll come back to you.

Do you have a link to a for sale thread on RR?

[Ghosty]

In that price range, a Mini of some sort would be my choice. Really nice places to be.

I'd suggest a Clubman, or if you don't like those there's now a 5 door hatch Mini too - basically a Cuntyman without the pointless crossover element. 

 

 

Don't buy a crossover by any means.

[steve_earwig]

I suppose if it's a company car then there's no worries about OMG emissions failure dead kittens and murdered nuns, 'cos you won't be paying for it.

 

Why don't you go test drive some?

[TRW]

MG 6 TDi (spend rest of fund on 3 week cruise)

 

/thread

[Craig the Princess]

Good to see you back Mr Scooters.

 

I have no idea, Dacia Duster as a cheap 4x4?

 

Hope she doesn't get given a diesel Maestro, apparently it is a huge insult and you feel like you have been shat on.

[fairkens]

Another vote for focus estate, not a bloody Peugeot whatever you do

[scooters]

In that price range, a Mini of some sort would be my choice. Really nice places to be.

I'd suggest a Clubman, or if you don't like those there's now a 5 door hatch Mini too - basically a Cuntyman without the pointless crossover element. 

 

 

Don't buy a crossover by any means.

 

I think the Clubman is too small - the countryman is a decent size - what is 'crossover'?

[scooters]

civic tourer could be an option - they have quite a lot of deals on at the moment and are offering 3000-5000 off on 2014 models

[catsinthewelder]

We've got a Focus and a Berlingo on the rental fleet and unsurprisingly the Focus is a nicer drive.  Both are 1600D's (same engine?).

 

If it's a company car doing stellar milage I wouldn't have thought that all the emmissions crap is going to be anything to worry about,  it's not coming from your pocket if it all clogs up.

[eddyramrod]

Avoid the Qashqai, my mate has just bought one and is regretting not trying the child seats in the back first.  He says it's very cramped.  Would a C-Max fit the bill?

[Hendry]

I mean this with all seriousness - Dacia Logan MCV 1.5 DCI? Cheap, diesel, estate and Dacia so guaranteed future autoshite?

 

I think the new Pug 308 looks a nice car as well, just wouldn't touch a Peugeot.

 

My personal choice however would be a Seat Leon, or Leon ST, can be had with 1.6 TDI probably the same engine as the A1, looks quite stylish, nice inside, decent amount of kit, not sure how much they are though.

[JohnK]

A Leon would be in budget and they are a nice bit of kit. I drove one last year as a hire car from work and if I was Into getting a new car every X amount of years, I would have chopped my 5 series in to get one. Lovely to drive.

[scooters]

Do you have a link to a for sale thread on RR?

 

nope - doesn;t look like boyd has put it on there - I'll dig around and see if I can find an ad for it.

[cort16]

It's pretty horrible but the fiat 500 l is large, cheap and pretty nice inside . It's basically a 500 countryman

The cuntryman is pretty expensive . I've got a juke with the 1.5 dci motor and it's much better than I thought it'd be. Very well equipped and the boots not too bad if you remove the fake floor.19k gets the top spec tekna with coo, leather, satnav and dab.

[M'coli]

I'd go for a Logan estate too.

[brickwall]

Anything on the Honda line-up worth a look?

[Lacquer Peel]

Horsey Horseless.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I was going to say Leon or Octavia estate, but I just went on Skoda's site and saw that the Yeti is available in half decent specs for around £20k.

Quite often lease companies get one off deals on particular models and specs that can mean something a bit better than you thought you could get. Might be worth asking whoever supplies the companies cars nearer the time.

A friend of mine got a Merc R Class a couple of years ago for what would have been a 2.0 tdi C Class or A4 budget.

[Pillock]

I'd steer clear of a small, highly strung diesel. I know they're paying for all the strops it'll throw but it'll still be a PITA.

 

Just go and test drive. Some dealers will even do a 24 hour test so you can take it dogging, or up the motorway, or fill it with crap instead of a quick blezz up the bypass. In fact if they are trying to sell you a £20k car I'd want more than five minutes driving.

[Doctormop]

Kia ceed estate or bog standard sportage type 4x4 thingy, no car park kudos but a reliable motor, unbeatable warranty and not a bad place to be in general,