...what would you get?
(this is in 1 year's time as a new company car to replace my 3.2, which I love btw)
tia
(this is in 1 year's time as a new company car to replace my 3.2, which I love btw)
tia
If you had £38k or £700 per month to spend...
- Thread starter slimbloke
- Start date
d3fy
Registered User
d3fy
Registered User
So many choices.
XC90 is well nice.
Some Jags are nice.
Probably have to be a BMW 330 diesel of some persuasion though eh ?
Not trying to flame,but can't think of any Audi's I'd spend £38k on.
MD's S4 was dull,but quick.
A6 is duller than dull.
Maybe an S4 Avant.
Yeah,maybe one of them.
Your BIK tax must be HORRENDOUS though !
XC90 is well nice.
Some Jags are nice.
Probably have to be a BMW 330 diesel of some persuasion though eh ?
Not trying to flame,but can't think of any Audi's I'd spend £38k on.
MD's S4 was dull,but quick.
A6 is duller than dull.
Maybe an S4 Avant.
Yeah,maybe one of them.
Your BIK tax must be HORRENDOUS though !
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Urm - and BMW's aren't dull?!?!!?
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Depends how you define dull I suppose,but the MD's S4 was just...lacking 'something'.
Had zero carpark or street 'presence' about it.
I'm not condoning whale-tail spoilers or go-faster stripes,but it looked like any other A4 in the world.
I'm not the world's biggest BMW fan,but every car mag I read gushes about how much better a driving experience they are than Audi/Lexus/Alfa.
This month's WhatCar (which I bought to read about the 159) says the BMW 320d is just streaks ahead of the A4/159/Lexus that it's a clear winner.
The rest don't even come close,apparently.
Better engine,better chassis,better refinement etc.etc.etc.
I'll definitely test-drive one when it comes to replacement time as it would seem ignoring them is just cutting off my nose to spite my face.
Urm - and BMW's aren't dull?!?!!?
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Depends how you define dull I suppose,but the MD's S4 was just...lacking 'something'.
Had zero carpark or street 'presence' about it.
I'm not condoning whale-tail spoilers or go-faster stripes,but it looked like any other A4 in the world.
I'm not the world's biggest BMW fan,but every car mag I read gushes about how much better a driving experience they are than Audi/Lexus/Alfa.
This month's WhatCar (which I bought to read about the 159) says the BMW 320d is just streaks ahead of the A4/159/Lexus that it's a clear winner.
The rest don't even come close,apparently.
Better engine,better chassis,better refinement etc.etc.etc.
I'll definitely test-drive one when it comes to replacement time as it would seem ignoring them is just cutting off my nose to spite my face.
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trouble is, I don't want to be labelled as a BMW owner... the shame!
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That's what I mean though,SB.
I've been of the same opinion for years as well,but I feel I should maybe take the prejudiced blinkers off and at least see what they're like for myself.
If the 3 series is so far ahead of the competition,it would be daft not to.
trouble is, I don't want to be labelled as a BMW owner... the shame!
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That's what I mean though,SB.
I've been of the same opinion for years as well,but I feel I should maybe take the prejudiced blinkers off and at least see what they're like for myself.
If the 3 series is so far ahead of the competition,it would be daft not to.
Agreed, but I would have to utterly fall in love with it at the very least... and even then, I dunno.
Been tempted into the Alfa camp recently...
Been tempted into the Alfa camp recently...
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Agreed, but I would have to utterly fall in love with it at the very least... and even then, I dunno.
Been tempted into the Alfa camp recently...
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You could have any Alfa you wanted for £38k !
The Brera is something else.
Could have 4x4 as well.
Can't remember what Alfa call their version of quattro.
Q4 or something.
Agreed, but I would have to utterly fall in love with it at the very least... and even then, I dunno.
Been tempted into the Alfa camp recently...
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You could have any Alfa you wanted for £38k !
The Brera is something else.
Could have 4x4 as well.
Can't remember what Alfa call their version of quattro.
Q4 or something.
d3fy
Registered User
can't stop thinking "ahhaaaaaaaa!" whenever I hear Lexus... stupid, I know. but in seriousness, I've never been attracted to any of them.
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The Brera is something else.
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I know... similar engine to mine, and absolutely beautiful... and, I can take the money not used in extra salary!
The Brera is something else.
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I know... similar engine to mine, and absolutely beautiful... and, I can take the money not used in extra salary!
I quite like the lexus's but I think they need to make some quick ones, I can't wait to see what the 500BHP jobbie comes out like though, if you want to get somewhere in comfort without hassle and with perfect reliability then buy one, if you want a drivers car don't.
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The Brera is something else.
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I know... similar engine to mine, and absolutely beautiful... and, I can take the money not used in extra salary!
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Blimey,no contest then !
Tell me,did you sell that concept to your boss,or is it a standard deal ?
I would prefer to take a lesser car and have more dosh you see.
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The Brera is something else.
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I know... similar engine to mine, and absolutely beautiful... and, I can take the money not used in extra salary!
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Blimey,no contest then !
Tell me,did you sell that concept to your boss,or is it a standard deal ?
I would prefer to take a lesser car and have more dosh you see.
trouble is... might have a kid within the next 1-3 years... not sure hw easy it will be to convince the girlfriend (wife in 3 weeks!) that getting a baby seat in and out of the back of a 3 door will be easy...
Eeef
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trouble is... might have a kid within the next 1-3 years... not sure hw easy it will be to convince the girlfriend (wife in 3 weeks!) that getting a baby seat in and out of the back of a 3 door will be easy...
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Ah,that's a non-starter then.
I must admit,it's a rule I have.
I don't want my daughter in the back of a three door car,simple as that.I just shudder at the thought of not being able to get her out quickly,for whatever reason.
If you want a small piece of advice,a high car is an absolute godsend when you have a baby.
Babies in those carry-seat things are surprisingly heavy,and fastening the restraints is also taxing on the back if you have to bend over any more than is absolutely necessary.
An XC90 might not be a bad idea you know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
trouble is... might have a kid within the next 1-3 years... not sure hw easy it will be to convince the girlfriend (wife in 3 weeks!) that getting a baby seat in and out of the back of a 3 door will be easy...
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Ah,that's a non-starter then.
I must admit,it's a rule I have.
I don't want my daughter in the back of a three door car,simple as that.I just shudder at the thought of not being able to get her out quickly,for whatever reason.
If you want a small piece of advice,a high car is an absolute godsend when you have a baby.
Babies in those carry-seat things are surprisingly heavy,and fastening the restraints is also taxing on the back if you have to bend over any more than is absolutely necessary.
An XC90 might not be a bad idea you know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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my own company... perk of the job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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Fancy giving me a job? Just my current employer has just given me a rather ****** choice, stay and become permanent (on a lower salary but with perks) or F /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gifK off either on Monday or in a month... ho hum... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
my own company... perk of the job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
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Fancy giving me a job? Just my current employer has just given me a rather ****** choice, stay and become permanent (on a lower salary but with perks) or F /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gifK off either on Monday or in a month... ho hum... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
just got my A3 back after a small incident, had a week of driving a forrester and the A3 is a joy in comparisson!
I think the 5 series is one of the best looking cars out there, was tempted to get one when I was getting the A3 but it would have been poverty spec, whereas the A3 is pretty well specced up and I still get cash back from the company every month, result! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I love the engineering... but it's still a BMW. I'd have to add another 20 minutes to every journey just because no-one will let me out of a side street!
Although, I DO get my own lane on the motorway, he-he.
Although, I DO get my own lane on the motorway, he-he.
AndyMac
Retired from service
I'd opt out and take the £700 a month. You are gonna pay serious tax on anything worth £38k. If you've got a fuel card then you'll easily be paying over £500 a month in tax, probably more depending on engine size. The day of the flash company car is well & truly over, can't believe peope are still going for it. Maybe you can afford to pi$$ £10k per year down the drain (gross) but that's alot of money just to have the latest & greatest, and as discussed already £38k is not enough to get something really special and it's too much to settle for something that's just OK.
And if you can afford to waste £500 per month I'd get an original RS4 for £25k, now that's something special.
And if you can afford to waste £500 per month I'd get an original RS4 for £25k, now that's something special.
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I'd opt out and take the £700 a month. You are gonna pay serious tax on anything worth £38k. If you've got a fuel card then you'll easily be paying over £500 a month in tax, probably more depending on engine size. The day of the flash company car is well & truly over, can't believe peope are still going for it. Maybe you can afford to pi$$ £10k per year down the drain (gross) but that's alot of money just to have the latest & greatest, and as discussed already £38k is not enough to get something really special and it's too much to settle for something that's just OK.
And if you can afford to waste £500 per month I'd get an original RS4 for £25k, now that's something special.
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That post makes a lot of sense. Just because you've got £700pm or £38k to spend, doesn't mean you actually have to use all of it - even for £10k less, you've still got a huge choice.
I'd opt out and take the £700 a month. You are gonna pay serious tax on anything worth £38k. If you've got a fuel card then you'll easily be paying over £500 a month in tax, probably more depending on engine size. The day of the flash company car is well & truly over, can't believe peope are still going for it. Maybe you can afford to pi$$ £10k per year down the drain (gross) but that's alot of money just to have the latest & greatest, and as discussed already £38k is not enough to get something really special and it's too much to settle for something that's just OK.
And if you can afford to waste £500 per month I'd get an original RS4 for £25k, now that's something special.
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That post makes a lot of sense. Just because you've got £700pm or £38k to spend, doesn't mean you actually have to use all of it - even for £10k less, you've still got a huge choice.
I think if I was in that position I would tend to do the same. At the moment I am only 18 months away from drawing my company pension (at 60) and having had all sorts and sizes of cars over the years I cannot see me ever wanting more than an A3. My current A3 is just what I want, 3-doors, hatchback, reliable, excellent quality interior, comfortable for long continental journeys, economical, reasonable to insure, very pleasant to drive, especially with the DSG (now called S-tronic on the new TT). What more could I want - perhaps the 170bhp version but my 140bhp seems quick enough.
Tax has never been a problem for me as all my cars have been purchased with my own money and as I current only work part-time I do not even pay any income tax.
Tax has never been a problem for me as all my cars have been purchased with my own money and as I current only work part-time I do not even pay any income tax.
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Just because you've got £700pm or £38k to spend, doesn't mean you actually have to use all of it - even for £10k less, you've still got a huge choice.
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It's my thinking too atm. I like the idea of getting the Alfa Brera (yet to test drive of course) and keeping the rest.
I've also been playing with the idea of: instead of getting a new car every 3 years, buy one over 3 years then keep the whole car budget from then on.
Just because you've got £700pm or £38k to spend, doesn't mean you actually have to use all of it - even for £10k less, you've still got a huge choice.
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It's my thinking too atm. I like the idea of getting the Alfa Brera (yet to test drive of course) and keeping the rest.
I've also been playing with the idea of: instead of getting a new car every 3 years, buy one over 3 years then keep the whole car budget from then on.
Trouble is... 2+2 seats... am I going to get a baby seat in the back?
I could get the (future) wife a car of her own with the left over money(?)
I could get the (future) wife a car of her own with the left over money(?)
As picked up before - is the tax burden of a company car an issue for you?
Although I'm fortunate to be very well rewarded for my professional efforts I decided to steer away from a high tax burden vehicle and get the most fun for the least possible pain.
The A3 with a resonable list of toys (and no fuel card) costs me £160 a month in tax - and I'll claim back the business miles against tax too. I do around 30,000 miles per year.
Looking at the most fun for the least tax burden is actually quite a sound strategy and I'm hugely pleased with the result...especially as a Revo remap is outside of the tax system altogether so I get outrageous performance and an 'L' tax code.
You could do the herd thing a get an Exec car/sporty number and make the Inland Revenue happy - or you can stick two fingers up to them and still have a stack of fun on your terms, not theirs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Although I'm fortunate to be very well rewarded for my professional efforts I decided to steer away from a high tax burden vehicle and get the most fun for the least possible pain.
The A3 with a resonable list of toys (and no fuel card) costs me £160 a month in tax - and I'll claim back the business miles against tax too. I do around 30,000 miles per year.
Looking at the most fun for the least tax burden is actually quite a sound strategy and I'm hugely pleased with the result...especially as a Revo remap is outside of the tax system altogether so I get outrageous performance and an 'L' tax code.
You could do the herd thing a get an Exec car/sporty number and make the Inland Revenue happy - or you can stick two fingers up to them and still have a stack of fun on your terms, not theirs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
originally, the company car was to reduce profits (and therefore corporation tax) and I will be looking into just getting the money and paying for the car mayself... something the accountants can advise me on I guess.
My car costs me £260 a month in company car tax. I could have reduced this figure by over £100 per month by getting the 2.0TDi but I didn't want a diesel.
The way I look at it is there is no way I could have got myself a 26k car (after 10% discount), finance it (and I work for a car finance firm), maintain it (two new tyres this week were £320), service it, tax it. Factoring in depreciation the company car tax isn't that bad. I know its far more than it used to be in percentage terms but I'm sure your accountant will tell you that you will be better of taking the company car route rather than buying yourself and taking the allowance, especially as you are looking at pricy cars.
The way I look at it is there is no way I could have got myself a 26k car (after 10% discount), finance it (and I work for a car finance firm), maintain it (two new tyres this week were £320), service it, tax it. Factoring in depreciation the company car tax isn't that bad. I know its far more than it used to be in percentage terms but I'm sure your accountant will tell you that you will be better of taking the company car route rather than buying yourself and taking the allowance, especially as you are looking at pricy cars.
TDI-line
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C_Audiboy
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A decent trip to Amsterdam every month and a golf gt tdi 4-motion with the remaining spend.
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Winner /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
A decent trip to Amsterdam every month and a golf gt tdi 4-motion with the remaining spend.
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Winner /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
stevieboy
Registered User
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A decent trip to Amsterdam every month
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Come on MB - how about a group buy....... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
A decent trip to Amsterdam every month
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Come on MB - how about a group buy....... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
AndyMac
Retired from service
Booster, I don't know where you get your tyres from but you've been completey ripped off if you paid £160 each whatever they were.
For the slower readers among you, the car allowance route doesn't mean you go out and buy the same £38k car and finance it yourself, unless you're rolling in it.
You go out and buy a similar car 3 years old and save 50%, then you have more than enough to maintain it, and after 3 years the allowance is almost pure profit.
Any accountant that tells you you'd be better off taking a petrol company car wants his head testing. The only cars that are borderline are diesels, anything else it's a no brainer.
If you really want to screw the IR then buy a cheap high mileage diesel and make money on the fuel as well. Believe me I've done the maths and you don't need to be an accountant to see the complete waste of money a £38k petrol company car would be.
For the slower readers among you, the car allowance route doesn't mean you go out and buy the same £38k car and finance it yourself, unless you're rolling in it.
You go out and buy a similar car 3 years old and save 50%, then you have more than enough to maintain it, and after 3 years the allowance is almost pure profit.
Any accountant that tells you you'd be better off taking a petrol company car wants his head testing. The only cars that are borderline are diesels, anything else it's a no brainer.
If you really want to screw the IR then buy a cheap high mileage diesel and make money on the fuel as well. Believe me I've done the maths and you don't need to be an accountant to see the complete waste of money a £38k petrol company car would be.
Surprised to see so many XC90 postings on here. That's what I really wanted when my last company car was up for renewal but it was a combination of the tax and the fact that my role had changed requiring much less driving which led me to the A3.
Previous car was an S60 D5 and the quality was superior to anything I've tried from the Germans (A3/A4/new 3/C class). The D5 engine is a dream and puts the rattly unit in my A3 to shame. Economical too - on my weekly trips from Leeds to Hursley (near Winchester) I used to make between £20 and £30 a week depending on whether my average speed for the trip was 70mph or 80mph.
And I know several of us have posted on here before about this but the Pro Logic sound system was awesome.
I used to hate Volvos and Volvo drivers. Not sure if it's me getting old but it's hard to find a duff car in the range now. Even the new S80 looks nice.
David R's gonna ask me to move my post to www.boringscandinavians.com now...
Previous car was an S60 D5 and the quality was superior to anything I've tried from the Germans (A3/A4/new 3/C class). The D5 engine is a dream and puts the rattly unit in my A3 to shame. Economical too - on my weekly trips from Leeds to Hursley (near Winchester) I used to make between £20 and £30 a week depending on whether my average speed for the trip was 70mph or 80mph.
And I know several of us have posted on here before about this but the Pro Logic sound system was awesome.
I used to hate Volvos and Volvo drivers. Not sure if it's me getting old but it's hard to find a duff car in the range now. Even the new S80 looks nice.
David R's gonna ask me to move my post to www.boringscandinavians.com now...
