Diesel Company Car Choice
Discussion
Hello there!
*checks the Rules of Posting for anything about using the Diesel word* nope it isn't baned (phew!)
I was hoping to gain the advice on choice of Company car (dodgy tax free car allowance scheme so tax is not a consideration)
I have been given the blessing of a virtually free car with the draw back that it must drink from the black cup of diesel! (BOOO HISSS)
I'm not entirely sure on my budget as I start the new job tomorrow and have been told I'll be ordering the car this week.
However I have been given an indication and short listed it to the following:
1. Ford Focus TDCi Sport, a 3 door Focus with Leather seats, 115BHP engine, looks like an ST170 and comes in the same colour as the RS Focus! 17" wheels etc
2. Seat Leon TDi Cupra, 5 door Seat Leon with the sporty grills and again big 17" wheels etc, 150BHP VW/Audi Engine, Old Audi A3 dash... hmmn but girls keep saying its a Seat (what do girls know though?)
3. New Golf TDi, 140BHP engine, but it's ugly isn't it?
4. Audi A3 TDi, same 140BHP engine, looks better but it's very expensive for what is in effect no more car than the Seat / Golf ?
5. Alfa Romeo 147 140BHP JTD, hmmn I think it looks a bit naff but it is quite individual so I'm told.
Can anyone suggest a better car for under £18k? has to be diesel remember !
To be honest I'm torn between the Focus for its great handling but want the Seat for the 150bhp engine... hmmn.
Help!!
Regards,
Chris.
*SORRY TO THOSE WHO DO NOT WHICH TO DISCUSS COMPANY CRAPPY CARS ETC***
>>> Edited by chris_lx on Sunday 18th April 23:18
*checks the Rules of Posting for anything about using the Diesel word* nope it isn't baned (phew!)
I was hoping to gain the advice on choice of Company car (dodgy tax free car allowance scheme so tax is not a consideration)
I have been given the blessing of a virtually free car with the draw back that it must drink from the black cup of diesel! (BOOO HISSS)
I'm not entirely sure on my budget as I start the new job tomorrow and have been told I'll be ordering the car this week.
However I have been given an indication and short listed it to the following:
1. Ford Focus TDCi Sport, a 3 door Focus with Leather seats, 115BHP engine, looks like an ST170 and comes in the same colour as the RS Focus! 17" wheels etc
2. Seat Leon TDi Cupra, 5 door Seat Leon with the sporty grills and again big 17" wheels etc, 150BHP VW/Audi Engine, Old Audi A3 dash... hmmn but girls keep saying its a Seat (what do girls know though?)
3. New Golf TDi, 140BHP engine, but it's ugly isn't it?
4. Audi A3 TDi, same 140BHP engine, looks better but it's very expensive for what is in effect no more car than the Seat / Golf ?
5. Alfa Romeo 147 140BHP JTD, hmmn I think it looks a bit naff but it is quite individual so I'm told.
Can anyone suggest a better car for under £18k? has to be diesel remember !
To be honest I'm torn between the Focus for its great handling but want the Seat for the 150bhp engine... hmmn.
Help!!
Regards,
Chris.
*SORRY TO THOSE WHO DO NOT WHICH TO DISCUSS COMPANY CRAPPY CARS ETC***
>>> Edited by chris_lx on Sunday 18th April 23:18
I've got a Skoda Fabia vRS (130 bhp TDI) and I love it. Nearly as roomy as a focus, handles in an entertaining fashion, got a nice turn of speed, lots of in gear urge, genuinely fun to drive, unassuming from the outside, well built, can return 50 mpg and is easily enough tuned to around 190 bhp for £500.
Might be worth a look.
>> Edited by pbirkett on Monday 19th April 16:34
Might be worth a look.
>> Edited by pbirkett on Monday 19th April 16:34
agent006 said:
If that's the new A3 on the list it'll outclass the rest by a mile.
Only in image (and resale value). I wouldn't want to put up with the A3's inert steering, dubious ride quality and variable build.
If you can wait a bit there's a Mazda3 diesel on the horizon which could be good.
>> Edited by Andrew Noakes on Tuesday 20th April 09:58
The Audi A3 is certainly on the list in the form of the newer 2.0 TDi 140BHP machine.
Sadly the car has to be new, I was hoping you could order 'nearly new' ones as the leasing company do stock them.
BMW wise the 320d Coupe is 1 band out of my limit (DOH) and the Seat is a slight upgrade, I'll have the costing by the end of the week so I'm told.
I had a Golf GT TDi 115BHP for 6 months with my old company and I had a tuning box on, I won't say which one as it will look I'm plugging it but it took the 0-60 from 10.3 to 9.0 on tests with my mate up and down a quiet road and it was near impossible with the box connected to get off the mark without spinning !
According to reviews the tuning boxes squeeze a lot more power out of the PD engines than the TDCi so it would be good fun to fit one to the 150 for the drive to Le Mans etc !!
Could be as quick as 7.5 to 60 in a diesel Seat (great!) I also think half the appeal of the Seat is that its discreet enough to go un-noticed
Hmmmn, the Audi is a nice badge though.
It's tough, but I think the Seat wins?? ya / na ?
Sadly the car has to be new, I was hoping you could order 'nearly new' ones as the leasing company do stock them.
BMW wise the 320d Coupe is 1 band out of my limit (DOH) and the Seat is a slight upgrade, I'll have the costing by the end of the week so I'm told.
I had a Golf GT TDi 115BHP for 6 months with my old company and I had a tuning box on, I won't say which one as it will look I'm plugging it but it took the 0-60 from 10.3 to 9.0 on tests with my mate up and down a quiet road and it was near impossible with the box connected to get off the mark without spinning !
According to reviews the tuning boxes squeeze a lot more power out of the PD engines than the TDCi so it would be good fun to fit one to the 150 for the drive to Le Mans etc !!
Could be as quick as 7.5 to 60 in a diesel Seat (great!) I also think half the appeal of the Seat is that its discreet enough to go un-noticed
Hmmmn, the Audi is a nice badge though.
It's tough, but I think the Seat wins?? ya / na ?
Have had a go in 320TD Compact, I'm quite impressed, lots of little girls look at you (or at least you feel a bit more noticed than in a Focus)....
it's very quick, loads of pull, feels and even sounds (yes diesel sounds) better than the VGA TDi group engines... hmmmmn
There's an ES model on the market from bmw at the moment which gives you 16" alloys, air con, cd player all as standard and will cost me no more than a new golf to lease !! hmmmmmmmmmmn
I know it's no the 320d Coupe, but the 320TD ES Compact is the next best thing - right?
Either way I'm still going to feel girly going to Virginia Water Pistonheads meet in it lol best keep kitching rides in Cerby's 
it's very quick, loads of pull, feels and even sounds (yes diesel sounds) better than the VGA TDi group engines... hmmmmn
There's an ES model on the market from bmw at the moment which gives you 16" alloys, air con, cd player all as standard and will cost me no more than a new golf to lease !! hmmmmmmmmmmn
I know it's no the 320d Coupe, but the 320TD ES Compact is the next best thing - right?
Either way I'm still going to feel girly going to Virginia Water Pistonheads meet in it lol
best keep kitching rides in Cerby's pbirkett said:
I'd definitely go for the Leon Cupra TDI over the Focus TDCI to be honest, it looks better, will probably drive just as well, if not better, will be better built, return higher MPG than the Ford and is a lot quicker.
ahh the its german (vag bits) so it will be more reliable , errrm not true . the focus has proved to be very reliable , even beating the german cars (not difficult) in a TUV test of 3 year old cars the fiocus came out on top , as as for the leon being a better handling car , i Doubt it very much
chris_lx said:
4. Audi A3 TDi, same 140BHP engine, looks better but it's very expensive for what is in effect no more car than the Seat / Golf ?
Audi A3 TDi OH
Not showy or pretentious but nicely understated and classy yet surprisingly well-equipped and spacious! Mine's even been admired by the boys
much to Trev's annoyance! 
Go for the 'red i' if you can, ie, the 140bhp
>> Edited by cosmoschick on Friday 7th May 10:46
seat leon would have a smoother engine i had a 130pd bora sport for 3months (but still did 13000 miles!)i know a place that can chip the 150bhp engine to over 180bhp (Temple laugherene motorsport in Worcester).
did you know that for similar money you could get a mitsubushi warrior for similar price, and becuase of a loophole in the law comes under commercial vehicle tax band. which is about £150 a year compared to almost £3000 you will pay on the others.
Bit of a gay car i know but it has 5 seats all the modcons and you can chuck tons of shit in the back. and spend the money you save on a weekend car of your choice!!!!!
did you know that for similar money you could get a mitsubushi warrior for similar price, and becuase of a loophole in the law comes under commercial vehicle tax band. which is about £150 a year compared to almost £3000 you will pay on the others.
Bit of a gay car i know but it has 5 seats all the modcons and you can chuck tons of shit in the back. and spend the money you save on a weekend car of your choice!!!!!
It's an interest free loan / Inland revenue approved scheme (in other words it's a tax dodge) so I only pay tax on the fuel card.
Sadly none of the cars I wanted were Rear Wheel Drive, and being 22 I went for the BMW 320TD Compact ES, apart from having to pay extra for things like wheel nuts & a steering wheel it was quite good value.
Now I can enter the motoring world of excuses for rear wheel driven cars, and it will never be "I was driving too fast" or "I didn't know what I was doing"
Goodwood skidpan day thing that I did last year should be enough to prepare me & not to mention BMW's come with law of physics defying computers to help keep me on the road..... right ? erm....
I've got a 1.6 focus as a hire car at the moment, I used to have a 1.8 with my last company, it's very good fun and I'd say it has much better handling than the Seat Cupra I've driven... using a little ridedrive.co.uk technique I got it past my mates 2.0 as well which he wasn't happy about !!
Diesel Torque for ever !
Sadly none of the cars I wanted were Rear Wheel Drive, and being 22 I went for the BMW 320TD Compact ES, apart from having to pay extra for things like wheel nuts & a steering wheel it was quite good value.
Now I can enter the motoring world of excuses for rear wheel driven cars, and it will never be "I was driving too fast" or "I didn't know what I was doing"
Goodwood skidpan day thing that I did last year should be enough to prepare me & not to mention BMW's come with law of physics defying computers to help keep me on the road..... right ? erm....
I've got a 1.6 focus as a hire car at the moment, I used to have a 1.8 with my last company, it's very good fun and I'd say it has much better handling than the Seat Cupra I've driven... using a little ridedrive.co.uk technique I got it past my mates 2.0 as well which he wasn't happy about !!
Diesel Torque for ever !
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