Car Suggestions?

gman

gman

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Graham
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Looking for some suggestions please, I might be looking to lease a car but need the following boxes ticked:

- Lots of space (estate or SUV) due to family, dog etc. Golf, Audi A3 etc are too small
- Good performance although wouldn't be a deal breaker. At least sub 10s 0-60mph.
- BIK of 11% or less of P11d value
- Less than £400 pm excluding VAT

About 90% of my driving is urban, 8% short motorways of about 10-15 minutes worth and 2% would be long distance so a hybrid is probably the best choice but I have no means to plug one in so it would have to regenerate from the petrol/diesel motor.


One car to have caught my eye is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX4hs which I know won't return their claimed mileage but the battery side of it would certainly help with my urban driving.

+ I can get it for around £329.95 per month excluding VAT
+ it's big like my current CR-V although probably won't drive as well
+ it's 5% of P11d value due to 44 g/km emissions
+ it's well equipped and safe
- performance isn't great but not particular bad for the size of car considering the low emissions.


The other one is the Mercedes Estate C350e

+ £308.95 per month (pre order for November delivery) although I'm wondering if there's something wrong with this price?
+ decent size being an estate
+ it's 5% of P11d value
+ it's well equipped and safe
+ 0-60 in 6.2s
- I don't want to wait until November.



Can anyone recommend any other options?
 
We bought a 2.2 turbo diesel outlander GX4, just before Xmas & have previously had a CRV.

I really like it. Plenty of kit, strong diesel engine, Auto with `flappy paddles` (if you want to play) plenty of room inside & build quality not that far behind the CRV. Size wise It's a bit longer, but a tad narrower.

We looked at the Hybrid version, but it didn't quite do it for us, especially with the extra cost. (although there is a Govt cash-back scheme for purchasers, of approx. £3k, I think it was)

I think they will only do something like 12 miles on a charge, but you can regenerate further using the braking system, so not sure how far they will go in the real world.

Ours has only done just over 5k miles at present & getting around 40 mpg from the diesel (better than our Sportage)
 
ŠKODA Octavia vRS Estate.

What car best family car 2014 and 2015.

The 183bhp 0-62 in 8.2 sec.
 
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I think hybrid is essential for me as I do so much urban driving.
 
I had a look at the volvo, specs but it's quite a pricey car
 
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The Mitsubishi got good reviews in What Car end last year / beginning of this when they ran one - might be worth looking at their reports ...
 
I have had three prius cars all done way over 100k and not a problem. The inside had lots of space but I would look at the boot for your needs, mpg is around 53 I have got more and also a bit less . Imho it's ideal for a company car because of the tax break
 
For urban driving I would seriously rethink that. Although the theory is great, in practise it could be a very different picture. My experiences are from the moment of madness that lasted three years in our Toyota Prius. Basically around town, Hemel Hempstead, we struggle to keep it above 50mpg. Yet on the motorway I got easily 72mpg when applying the pulse and glide techniques.

Then there is the range, the range on battery tends to be very small. Thus an underpowered little engine kicks in revving like mad. It also does that whenever it needs to regenerate, flipping embarrassing when that kicks in while waiting at a traffic light.

I would easily go back there. We replaced our hybrid with the anti Prius a Mercedes GL AMG.

I would definitely go for the c350 diesel :) or as it is now available a VW Golf R estate, very nice super fast 4wd estate.
 
It turns out the C350e is delayed and won't arrive here until late 2015 possibly early 2016 when the plug in bmw will also be arriving. I've decided I'll let it bed in first for a year or so and let the teething problems pass.

So, have my eye on a 330d m sport instead.
 
gman said:
It turns out the C350e is delayed and won't arrive here until late 2015 possibly early 2016 when the plug in bmw will also be arriving. I've decided I'll let it bed in first for a year or so and let the teething problems pass.

So, have my eye on a 330d m sport instead.
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Just got a mailing in. Fantastic car for beer money.

View attachment 37084
 
BMW 330D is a very nice car indeed and it comes with Awesome performance and super economy.
 
andy0306 said:
Mazda 6 Estate, loads of kit for the money.
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Got one, sports nav, brilliant car average 40mpg with my driving and lots of urban, however don't buy one, I like having a car not many have.
Dealers network is good, but some can be pricey for servicing. Well spec'd apart from dab radio.
Get the 150bhp model. It's £30 road tax, 0-60 in under 9 secs and isn't any noticeably slower than the 170 bhp model, that's higher tax, less mpg.

BMW 330d, smallish car inside, nowhere near the space of the others you suggested, plus you have the BMW factor. Everyone things you're a cock and won't let you out of junctions.

However for lease, look at the mercs, unbeliveable the amount of car you get for the money.
 
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Byker28i said:
BMW 330d, smallish car inside, nowhere near the space of the others you suggested, plus you have the BMW factor. Everyone things you're a cock and won't let you out of junctions.
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Couldn't agree more. Although I love the car, others don't love me. Even though I'm one of the rare BMW drivers that don't cut you up and use indicators (y)

I have an E91 330D, I wish I went for the E61 530D instead for more space. The E91 at the time was more of a spur of the moment buy which I was stupid to do. Great car don;t get me wrong, just too small for me compared to my old Audi's and VW's. Once you have driven the BMW 3.0tdi you face another problem, what do you replace it with? That engine is the only reason I've kept it so long.
 
Very easy choice on what to replace that engine with ;) x35d or 40d or even better the x50d
 
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CaveDweller said:
Couldn't agree more. Although I love the car, others don't love me. Even though I'm one of the rare BMW drivers that don't cut you up and use indicators (y)

I have an E91 330D, I wish I went for the E61 530D instead for more space. The E91 at the time was more of a spur of the moment buy which I was stupid to do. Great car don;t get me wrong, just too small for me compared to my old Audi's and VW's. Once you have driven the BMW 3.0tdi you face another problem, what do you replace it with? That engine is the only reason I've kept it so long.
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The engine is a dream, 335D is nice too :)
 
Would like the 335i as I prefer petrol but the emissions and mpg would kill me!
 
Does it have to go through the company? Getting one on a personal basis maybe more beneficial and you won't have emission limitations etc...Like the 300HP 4WD estate car I linked to....still 40mpg, super cheap....easily covers the difference in fuel with money left in your pocket compared to an equivalent diesel car....
 
Aye will be putting it through business contact hire.
 
Byker28i said:
The engine is a dream, 335D is nice too :)
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Wish I didn't make that post this morning. Turbo blew today and complete loss of power. Luckily the engine hasn't digested anything so it's just a case of a new turbo and pipe work.
 
I'm going to let the hybrid scene run for a year or so to develop before taking the plunge there!
 
CaveDweller said:
Wish I didn't make that post this morning. Turbo blew today and complete loss of power. Luckily the engine hasn't digested anything so it's just a case of a new turbo and pipe work.
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Oouch - unlucky.

I have no clutch in my car at the moment, £1k for the parts, gets collected next monday for fixing.
 
gman said:
I'm going to let the hybrid scene run for a year or so to develop before taking the plunge there!
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Wise choice.

The 3 German manufacturers (VW, BMW, Merc) are all releasing their plug-in hybrid later this year/early next year. The plug-in hybrid market is currently not competitive enough to find a good suitable car.

I'm in similar boat, although I drive 80% motorway on my commute. I feel a plug-in hybrid with at least 20m range will allow me to replace my current 2 car big-small setup with a single car. It would also feel a LOT better to sit in traffic at either end of my commute and not hear the diesel engine. Currently I drive our diesel for commute and cheap and cheerful Panda during the weekend around north London.
 
wuyanxu said:
Wise choice.

The 3 German manufacturers (VW, BMW, Merc) are all releasing their plug-in hybrid later this year/early next year. The plug-in hybrid market is currently not competitive enough to find a good suitable car.

I'm in similar boat, although I drive 80% motorway on my commute. I feel a plug-in hybrid with at least 20m range will allow me to replace my current 2 car big-small setup with a single car. It would also feel a LOT better to sit in traffic at either end of my commute and not hear the diesel engine. Currently I drive our diesel for commute and cheap and cheerful Panda during the weekend around north London.
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How old is the diesel car if you can hear the engine from inside the car. Even my 2007 Mondeo was barely noticeable from inside the car, well not until I put a performance exhaust system on it.
 
nilagin said:
How old is the diesel car if you can hear the engine from inside the car. Even my 2007 Mondeo was barely noticeable from inside the car, well not until I put a performance exhaust system on it.
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Dec 2006 Mercedes C class. Slight noise in the cabin when idle, very noticeable noise outside, lol. No where near as quiet as a petrol or hybrid :p
 
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Byker28i said:
The CT200h is small but supposed to be cheap on business car tax
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As is a nice comfortable big engine pickup truck :) If it is run as a company vehicle BIK is limited....

Have you considered a Tesla S? Fair enough it is a little bit more, however it is fully tax efficient both personally and for the company. Only problem for the OP might be the plugin charging point as he has specifically said that is not possible...Which is a shame....Several of my friends have gotten one now, and I'm seriously considering to go down that road myself, or a BMW i8 instead...
 
i8 not really practical and anything 100% electrical like the tesla would worry me if going on a trip!

The 330d does seen to offer the best combination of space, emissions and performance.
 
Much as I hate BMWs, I would consider an i8. They look even better on the road than they do on paper. Rather have a Tesla though - local Sainsbury's has a charging point for them, although I've only ever seen one in there, once.
 
Just got a 2.0 td subaru forester and love the thing .
 
Nod said:
Much as I hate BMWs, I would consider an i8. They look even better on the road than they do on paper. Rather have a Tesla though - local Sainsbury's has a charging point for them, although I've only ever seen one in there, once.
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Nearly every motorway service station I've been at recently has had the charging points. Half the battery (170 miles) in 20 minute charge.

But yes a bit like LPG....

What is stopping me getting a Tesla is that my daughters think it looks like a Jag and say that I am too young for one....
 
Not a problem for me!!! Personally, I think the S looks more like a Maseratti than an F Type (and I prefer the looks of the outgoing XK to the F Type too!)
 
Jesus, with BMW it's like you are buying options and then sticking a car on at the end!
 
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