Ranger Payload - Company buyers
Discussion
Hi all,
Up until a couple of days ago I was all set to buy a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 auto. This would be as a purchase via the company.
To be considered a commercial vehicle for BIK purposes, a double cab pickup needs to have a max payload of 1000kg or more. If it's under, then the vehicle is considered a car and tax assessed accordingly.
The wildtrak auto has a max payload of 1,002kg. The problem is, that if you then fit a roller cover over the bed, or a hard top (which are universally rated 45kg by HMRC), you're under the 1,000kg mark, making the pickup a car for tax purposes. I'm not sure if the weights of things such as tow bars are factored in, but I guess anything permanently fixed would be, technically.
Essentially, if taxed as a car, the BIK+Personal fuel payments would rocket from £150/mo to about £450/mo. Not desirable.
Has anyone had to deal with this situation with HMRC? Clearly, a lot of pickups are bought by companies and would include personal use, so there must be literally thousands of people that are in this apparent trap.
Not sure what to do and thinking of going for a Hilux or the new navara instead, which are both comfortable over 1,000kg even with a hard top fitted.
Any suggestions or experiences?
Up until a couple of days ago I was all set to buy a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 auto. This would be as a purchase via the company.
To be considered a commercial vehicle for BIK purposes, a double cab pickup needs to have a max payload of 1000kg or more. If it's under, then the vehicle is considered a car and tax assessed accordingly.
The wildtrak auto has a max payload of 1,002kg. The problem is, that if you then fit a roller cover over the bed, or a hard top (which are universally rated 45kg by HMRC), you're under the 1,000kg mark, making the pickup a car for tax purposes. I'm not sure if the weights of things such as tow bars are factored in, but I guess anything permanently fixed would be, technically.
Essentially, if taxed as a car, the BIK+Personal fuel payments would rocket from £150/mo to about £450/mo. Not desirable.
Has anyone had to deal with this situation with HMRC? Clearly, a lot of pickups are bought by companies and would include personal use, so there must be literally thousands of people that are in this apparent trap.
Not sure what to do and thinking of going for a Hilux or the new navara instead, which are both comfortable over 1,000kg even with a hard top fitted.
Any suggestions or experiences?
The more I look at the current crop of Japanese pickups on sale in the UK, the more I think they all all but useless as commercial vehicles.
They are very inefficient in their use of space, with the crew cabs leaving such a small load bed that you'd get more in a Bipper. Looking at the various web sites, it's all about fording raging rivers and climbing mountains, and obviously to have that you need a decent amount of suspension travel and height for the wading depth, but this makes for an even higher vehicle which makes them difficult to put things in the bed of. Unless you are Mr Tickle, you're going to have a job reaching anything that is right behind the cab in the load bed. And it's not secure either.
I think they would be better offering vehicles with less ultimate off road capabilities that are lower to the ground to make the bed more useful. After all, if the site you are going onto is that bad, what happens the day you need a lorry, ambulance or such like on site? As a farm worker, I've never needed anything like the off roading abilities that these pickups say they have, but have needed the ability to drive on muddy and soft surfaces and lift heavy items into them.
We have a 2015 dropside Transit pickup which is head and shoulders the better utility vehicle than the Ranger we have, it is a bit enormous though.
No idea on company car tax implications, just experiences in actually using them for what they are marketed for.
They are very inefficient in their use of space, with the crew cabs leaving such a small load bed that you'd get more in a Bipper. Looking at the various web sites, it's all about fording raging rivers and climbing mountains, and obviously to have that you need a decent amount of suspension travel and height for the wading depth, but this makes for an even higher vehicle which makes them difficult to put things in the bed of. Unless you are Mr Tickle, you're going to have a job reaching anything that is right behind the cab in the load bed. And it's not secure either.
I think they would be better offering vehicles with less ultimate off road capabilities that are lower to the ground to make the bed more useful. After all, if the site you are going onto is that bad, what happens the day you need a lorry, ambulance or such like on site? As a farm worker, I've never needed anything like the off roading abilities that these pickups say they have, but have needed the ability to drive on muddy and soft surfaces and lift heavy items into them.
We have a 2015 dropside Transit pickup which is head and shoulders the better utility vehicle than the Ranger we have, it is a bit enormous though.
No idea on company car tax implications, just experiences in actually using them for what they are marketed for.
Willy Nilly said:
The more I look at the current crop of Japanese pickups on sale in the UK, the more I think they all all but useless as commercial vehicles.
They are very inefficient in their use of space, with the crew cabs leaving such a small load bed that you'd get more in a Bipper. Looking at the various web sites, it's all about fording raging rivers and climbing mountains, and obviously to have that you need a decent amount of suspension travel and height for the wading depth, but this makes for an even higher vehicle which makes them difficult to put things in the bed of. Unless you are Mr Tickle, you're going to have a job reaching anything that is right behind the cab in the load bed. And it's not secure either.
I think they would be better offering vehicles with less ultimate off road capabilities that are lower to the ground to make the bed more useful. After all, if the site you are going onto is that bad, what happens the day you need a lorry, ambulance or such like on site? As a farm worker, I've never needed anything like the off roading abilities that these pickups say they have, but have needed the ability to drive on muddy and soft surfaces and lift heavy items into them.
We have a 2015 dropside Transit pickup which is head and shoulders the better utility vehicle than the Ranger we have, it is a bit enormous though.
No idea on company car tax implications, just experiences in actually using them for what they are marketed for.
a lot Bought for tax reasons so carrying capacity isn't needed !!! I have an extra cab hilux so it has smaller seating area and longer load bed I find it very useful as I visit farms and need to get near what I'm working on.. vans tend to get stuck and damaged !!! suddenly you find the exhaust is subsoiling and the front bumper is now a dozer ,and then the trip behind a 200+ hp john deere on a chain isn't going to do it any favours... ???They are very inefficient in their use of space, with the crew cabs leaving such a small load bed that you'd get more in a Bipper. Looking at the various web sites, it's all about fording raging rivers and climbing mountains, and obviously to have that you need a decent amount of suspension travel and height for the wading depth, but this makes for an even higher vehicle which makes them difficult to put things in the bed of. Unless you are Mr Tickle, you're going to have a job reaching anything that is right behind the cab in the load bed. And it's not secure either.
I think they would be better offering vehicles with less ultimate off road capabilities that are lower to the ground to make the bed more useful. After all, if the site you are going onto is that bad, what happens the day you need a lorry, ambulance or such like on site? As a farm worker, I've never needed anything like the off roading abilities that these pickups say they have, but have needed the ability to drive on muddy and soft surfaces and lift heavy items into them.
We have a 2015 dropside Transit pickup which is head and shoulders the better utility vehicle than the Ranger we have, it is a bit enormous though.
No idea on company car tax implications, just experiences in actually using them for what they are marketed for.
powerstroke said:
a lot Bought for tax reasons so carrying capacity isn't needed !!! I have an extra cab hilux so it has smaller seating area and longer load bed I find it very useful as I visit farms and need to get near what I'm working on.. vans tend to get stuck and damaged !!! suddenly you find the exhaust is subsoiling and the front bumper is now a dozer ,and then the trip behind a 200+ hp john deere on a chain isn't going to do it any favours... ???
The Deere, CNH and Agco dealers here all run Transits or Transit type vans. There is a land fill site at work ALL of the service vehicles that come from the CAT dealer or the indies that look after the plant are Transits. When I go to town to get parts, the Ranger gets left at work and I take the Transit because the Ranger won't fit much more than a big wheel barrow in the back, it doesn't have significantly more storage space than a small hatchback.
We also have 2 3.5mw gas gensets at the landfill site and most of the service vehicles are Transits and the pickups that do get used are regular cab, steel wheel, proper work spec trucks, in white with bed you can get more than a packet of crisps in the back of.
These pickups wouldn't be so bad if they offered a proper dropside bed like the Aussies and Kiwi's get instead of the styled Roid-Rage beds that get adorned to the vehicles on sale here. They are, for the most part, posing pouches for the insecure and slightly aggressive.
Agree there are quite a few complications in purchasing a pickup as a Company car, and I suspect quite a few people are in breach of the technicalities around them.
One other thing to bear in mind is the point at which the speed limits for Commercial Vehicles start to apply - anything with an unladen weight over 2040 Kg is subject to commercial vehicle speed limits
One other thing to bear in mind is the point at which the speed limits for Commercial Vehicles start to apply - anything with an unladen weight over 2040 Kg is subject to commercial vehicle speed limits
I'm also looking at a new pick up. I had preferred the Ranger to the competition (although the new Amarok looks better than the old one so may have a quick look), so thanks for bringing the subject up. I hadn't clicked about the payload although on closer inspection of the brochure it does state this in so many words...
My preferred choice was the Limited model with the roll top cover. Its basic payload is 1069 for auto or 1088 for manual. Would that work for you?
Looing at the specs, the only real differences I noted were different stereo (but you can spec it on the Limited) and different interior. I can live without orange stitching...
My preferred choice was the Limited model with the roll top cover. Its basic payload is 1069 for auto or 1088 for manual. Would that work for you?
Looing at the specs, the only real differences I noted were different stereo (but you can spec it on the Limited) and different interior. I can live without orange stitching...
mcmps said:
Has anyone had to deal with this situation with HMRC? Clearly, a lot of pickups are bought by companies and would include personal use, so there must be literally thousands of people that are in this apparent trap.
This was all a big thing back about ten years ago, in the early days of the Animal/Warrior and the like factory-chavved versions of the various crewcabs. People had found a loophole in the company car tax laws that meant they could use one instead of a 3-series or whatever, and be taxed as if they were driving a Transit or whatever. It got - unsurprisingly - sat on in short order.Buffalo said:
I'm also looking at a new pick up. I had preferred the Ranger to the competition (although the new Amarok looks better than the old one so may have a quick look), so thanks for bringing the subject up. I hadn't clicked about the payload although on closer inspection of the brochure it does state this in so many words...
My preferred choice was the Limited model with the roll top cover. Its basic payload is 1069 for auto or 1088 for manual. Would that work for you?
Looing at the specs, the only real differences I noted were different stereo (but you can spec it on the Limited) and different interior. I can live without orange stitching...
First world problems, I don't like the seats in the Wildtrak either so opted for the limited and threw every option at it. All I lose is the bigger wheels, ambient lighting and the horrible seats, My preferred choice was the Limited model with the roll top cover. Its basic payload is 1069 for auto or 1088 for manual. Would that work for you?
Looing at the specs, the only real differences I noted were different stereo (but you can spec it on the Limited) and different interior. I can live without orange stitching...
I test drive the wildtrak as my dealer didn't have a limited demonstrator.
Without realising about the payload issue, I didn't opt for a hard tonneau cover. I've a vinyl one on my current truck and it's neither use nor ornament.
Due to ordering timings I didn't even look at the Amarok but it would be my next choice. My current L200 has put me off the jap trucks. Always wanted one since the Warrior and Animal editions first came out. Loved my Barbarian but the new one is fast looking outclassed.
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