new company car decision help

GTanny

GTanny

GTanny

Soldato
Joined
24 Dec 2002
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Humberside
Hi,

im due for a new company car near the end of the year but as we have to have spark arresters fitted they take around 6 months to come through so ive been asked to make my choice.

unfortunatly ive had no prior experience with any of the cars on offer so id like some advice please.

i have a choice of 3 cars but multiple specs and engines (all diesel) so the choices are:

Skoda Octavia (all hatch):
1.6 TDI CR Elegance 5 dr 10
1.6 TDI CR Greenline 5 dr 10
1.6 TDI CR S 5 dr 10
1.6 TDI CR SE 5 dr 10
1.9 TDI PD Elegance 5 dr 10
1.9 TDI PD S 5 dr 10
1.9 TDI PD SE 5 dr 10
2.0 TDI PD Se 5 dr 10

Skoda Superb:
1.9 TDI PD S 5dr 10
1.9 TDI PD Greenline 5dr 10

Renault Megane:
1.5 dCi 106 Privilege Tom Tom 5 dr 10
1.5 dCi 106 Dynamique Tom Tom 5 dr 10
1.5 dCi 106 Expression 5 dr 10
1.5 dCi 106 Privilege Tom Tom 5 dr 10
1.5 dCi 86 Expression 5 dr 10
1.5 dCi 86 Extreme 5 dr 10
1.9 dCi 130 Dynamique Tom Tom 5 dr 10
1.9 dCi 130 Privilege Tom Tom 5 dr 10

Renault Megane sport tourer:
1.5 dCi 106 Expression 5 dr 09
1.5 dCi 86 Extreme 5 dr 09

so there my choices and the ones in bold are the ones i think are my top 5 with a skoda superb being at the top but only just due to the size but ive read the 1.9 engine isnt the best and both are relativly low spec models with the greenline being a little bit better from what ive read.

my current car is a toyota auris and the boot is far to small for day to day life with a young family and only just get by for work.

i think ill go to the dealerships and have a look around but im just wondering if anyone has had any experience with any of them or just wants to add there 2p (also i dont car about getting the cheapest tax code i want the best car available)
 
I guess out of those I would go for the 1.9 dCi 130 Privilege Tom Tom 5 dr 10. Shame the Superb's doesn't come with a more powerful engine.

What is more important? Comfort or performance?
 
Morba said:
That's a limited list! No chance of having cash alternative?
Click to expand...

unfortunatly no, its all to do with availability of cars that the lease company are willing to have spark arresters installed on as the models we now require are basically a new exaust system.

and im not too fussed about performance but i would like to be able to have some fun when im by myself, safety and practicality are far more important, but having a toyota auris for the last 2.5 years ive found ive got used to not having the fun of driving and i prefer a nice steady cruse
 
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The new Superb is the best car on that list, but the 1.9 is getting a bit long in the tooth.
The 2.0 in the Octavia is good, but the new Megane is very good too.

Depends if you mind having another small car though.
 
The Superb is a noticeably better quality car than anything else in that list. Given the engines in all of them are crap, I'd rather have a slightly more crap engine powering a fundamentally better car.

Chosing between a 2.0 TDI and a 1.9 TDI is like deciding whether you want to go on holiday to Benidorm, or Palma de Mallorca. Technically one is better than the other but frankly neither of them are that great unless they are cheap, so meh :p
 
Morba said:
What's a spark arrester?
Click to expand...

its essentially a filter to stop any hot ash or sparks leaving the exhaust system, its a requirement of one of the refinarys i work due to health and safety, although the refinary next (producing very similar products) to it has no spark arrester reqirement and also lets on petrol engines.
 
Superb Greenline. According to WhatCar?, the difference from S is cruise control and an umbrella, along with all the green stuff. An umbrella!

It's probably the nicest place to sit out of those choices for x hours a day too.
 
The old Superb came with an umbrella in one of the rear doors, ala RR Phantom.

It's a nice touch :p

The split tailgate on the new Superb is pretty nifty, it's a very good car.
 
Captain_Slick said:
Superb Greenline. According to WhatCar?, the difference from S is cruise control and an umbrella, along with all the green stuff. An umbrella!

It's probably the nicest place to sit out of those choices for x hours a day too.
Click to expand...

i was leaning towards the superb before and it seems to be the car of choice (best of a not great bunch i know but its better then a lot of people get offered so im not going to complain)

and as strange as it seems with a job with a company car there isnt much driving involved, most places are within 3 miles of the office, its just the areas we have to access with the cars (refinerys, jettys) and the chemicals and contaminated gear after use we transport in them (benzene, crude oil, fuel oil, sulphuric acid etc...).

they have toyed with the idea of a few company vans but luckily we kept the cars as if it was down to me i know i wouldnt be able to afford much more then an old and basic car.

we also do get longer jobs around the uk but we have multiple offices around so its rarely more then 200 miles round trip.
 
I'd be annoyed with the crappy engine choice but the new Superb is actually a very good car and you could certainly have a much worse company car.

Get the Superb, none of the engines are any good there and nothing is going to grab you by the balls so you might as well get the biggest and best car.
 
[TW]Fox;17027455 said:
whether you want to go on holiday to Benidorm, or Palma de Mallorca.
Click to expand...

Pedantic mode on

Palma de Mallorca is actually a very classy city with a superb Harbour and very upmarket bars / restaurants

unless of course you meant Palma Nova /Magalluf :p
 
I like the Superb, just not with that engine. Fine in a Fabia, not in a stretched Passat.

Would have to be the Octavia 2.0 then.
 
may be no help but a perspective from a pssenger point of view

A hotel I stay at used to pick us up from airport in an A8 or 7 series, they now use Superbs which are much more comfortable
 
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