A friend is looking for a new company car and looking at a BMW 318d Touring as it is cheap on company car tax due to low CO2 emissions without being too sluggish and having plenty of space. Anyone got anything similar to reccomend to him? Everything I can think of isnt as good on the CO2 bracket and therefore wouldnt be as cheap!

Tell him to check out the new X1, i had a test drive today. its about £5k cheaper for similar spec and still 18% tax and a much better size.

depends what you mean by 'plenty of space'

granted mine was the old shape, but I had a 320d Touring & the boot is seriously limited for an estate car – too small really for all my kit. The wheel arches really do encroach.

I could just about get my bag of stands in the boot, but there was very little room for anything else; by comparison, I now have a Saab 9-3 Sportwagon. The bag of stands, snare, cymbals and 4 rack toms all fit in the boot & I can still see out of the back. Kick & floor tom still have to go on the back seat but to get all that in the back I'd probably need a van (or a Volvo V70)

this is the kit I'm talking about:

However, if the boot size isn't that important then yeah, it's a good car.

Nothing like that just the ability to get the bike in the back (even if the front wheel has to come off) without too much hastle

I have been keeping an eye on the diesel estates on the market. I test drove a Beemer and to be honest I found it nothing special, although I'm sure it would be a comfy cruiser.

The other ones to look at are the Skoda Octavia, Seat Exeo (rebadged version of the previous generation A4, very polished motor for the dough), Audi A4. There are some very clean-engined Mercs on the market that look lovely.

I really shouldn't like that X1 thing, but hmmm…something about it…

Insignia tourer is a hard package to beat if your not a badge snob 🙂 my parents just got a SAAB TTid aero and its a lovely bit of kit and cheap tax too 8) so plenty to choose from..

I wouldn't describe a 3 series touring as having plenty of space. The opposite, having too little space. I thought as an estate the 3 series was pretty useless, there are lots of far more capable load luggers.

Not sure on why you want to go the rear wheel drive route with a low power engine either? Big powerful engine and rear wheel drive, yes please. Small lower power, save your money and get rear space (save by not having drive shaft and rear diff etc) and get front wheel drive.

Just my thoughts when I looked at buying a new 320d auto se touring last year.

If you want space, get a proper estate, or something like a Zafira.

Otherwise get a saloon (and either a towbar rack or roofbars), for the quietness (and cheaper on tax).