Company Car - Sanity Check My Choice?

[ALPandy90]

After recent promotion, I am eligible to choose a company car from a list of very limited options. I'm looking for any advice or thoughts on my (provisional) choice...

Option A: at my eligible grade, I have one estate option (need estate because of dog). It's a VW Passat GTE. Basically dull as dishwater, but undeniably a capable car that would carry everything I ever wanted at reasonable pace. It's just a bit dull for me. Would cost be about £80/month all in so not too bad.

Option B: if I bump up a grade (and pay the upgrade fee) I can obtain a BMW 3 Series 330e Touring, in Sport flavour. This appeals to me much more, but ultimately will cost a tidy sum more. It's more like £250/month by the time I pay the tax and upgrade fee, which seems like a heck of a lot more than the Passat!

I'm trying to rationalise this by looking at what I'm paying for my 1 Series at the moment. Taking account of everything for the year (Tax, insurance, maintenance, MOT, tyres etc) that averages out a little of £300/month. So in simple terms, id be paying out less per month for either, which is a win. I'd rather the BMW, but am I being daft? Does it matter?

Which would you pick, and why?

[PeteinSQ]

Can you opt out and take the allowance?

[DoubleD]

Neither car will be all that fun, so take the cheaper car and then buy a 2nd car that will actually be fun to use at the weekend.

[emperorburger]

DoubleD said:

Neither car will be all that fun, so take the cheaper car and then buy a 2nd car that will actually be fun to use at the weekend.

I imagine the Passat will be usefully bigger as well.

[scoey1001]

I'd go with the Passat, still a very decent car and you're making a good saving. The £220 you'd be saving each month (on your current car) could go towards a nice toy.

[ALPandy90]

DoubleD said:

Neither car will be all that fun, so take the cheaper car and then buy a 2nd car that will actually be fun to use at the weekend.

Undoubtedly the sensible option, and one that I somehow overlooked entirely!!

Might refocus my efforts and look at finding a weekend toy instead!

Thanks all!

[DoubleD]

ALPandy90 said:

DoubleD said:

Neither car will be all that fun, so take the cheaper car and then buy a 2nd car that will actually be fun to use at the weekend.

Undoubtedly the sensible option, and one that I somehow overlooked entirely!!

Might refocus my efforts and look at finding a weekend toy instead!

Thanks all!

Good man. Come back when you have a weekend toy budget and we can work on that.

[lewisf182]

My brother has a 330e as a company car which is really lovely inside to be fair as it’s ex demo and has almost every option. However the engine is pretty poor when no charge left, isn’t particularly that fast and also has pretty crap fuel consumption, his 2nd car is an m135i which probably makes all the former points more obvious compared to if it were his sole car. It’s effectively just a tax dodge. Personally i’d go the Passat route and a nice weekend car.

Edited by lewisf182 on Sunday 29th November 18:24

[ZX10R NIN]

Good move take the Passat & get an enjoyable 2nd car.

[anonymous-user]

£80 a month for a new passat!? Bargain. That's a no-brainer there. Treat yourself to a car, or motorbike, you actually want as a pat on the back for promotion. If you need financial justification then your saving is the difference between the passat and 330e * # of months you're going to have the car for.

While the 330e will look nicer to you, they will both drive poorly compared to a focused weekend car/bike.

Any cars/bikes you've dreamt of owning in the last 15 years?

[shtu]

ZX10R NIN said:

Take the Passat & get an enjoyable 2nd car.

That's very much the right answer - may not be your first choice, but the Passat is a very capable and comfortable day-to-day car, and you're getting it for very little money.