I’ve been told by work to give them suggestions for my next company car.
I currently have a Mercedes A200 cdi Sport which I’ve grown to like but is hampered by a small boot and rear seat space is tight for my kids.

I want something that is going to be reasonable on tax,a little bigger,and a decent drive.

Budget would be up to around £28k, and it has to be diesel.

Not keen on SUV/ crossovers.

Currently the main contender is the Golf GT 2.0 TDI,( or R edition , GT with R body kit and seats) or if the leasing rates are favourable my favourite would be the GTD.

Other possible contenders are the Mazda 3 2.2 diesel Sport,(cheaper than the golf,loads of standard kit), Audi A 3 sport back 2.0tdi Sport, (less kit than the Golf), Seat Leon FR TDI, (nice but interior not as nice as the Golf and not much cheaper once you’ve added a few options to match the Golf spec) and the Volvo V40 d4.

A slightly left field choice might be the new Mini Clubman Cooper D now the new version seems to be a useable size.

Any owners of these here and what do you think?

BMW 2 Series? I believe it’s very clubman-like, ugly, but not AS ugly as the Clubman?

VAG seem to dominate this sector, A3, Golf, Leon will all be very similar, as you’ve said it’s a case of picking which one you like the look of and how much you care about the softness of the dash. I had a Leon hire car for a few days, a FR Diesel 180 I think, it was pretty good. The STW favourite the Octavia is very A3/Golf/Leon like, with a bigger boot and they’re usually good on lease rates.

Worth looking at the current Civic?

Giulietta?

If you want under 28k and more room then Octavia VRS would be a good bet for that money and judging by your other choices.

The Golf is naturally a good option for company car buyers as leases are reasonably cheap and BIK is reasonable.

Had a Golf GT Tdi for the past 3 years, covered 60,000 miles now. Its economical (55mpg), its comfy, handles pretty well (for a FWD hatchback).

Heaps more space than the 1 series I had before. the golf has marginally better build quality than the Seat, the Octavia feels about the same (driven both at similar mileages to mine).

Up for replacement next year and another Golf would be high on the list. Would consider a Focus ST Diesel, had a test drive of one and thought it was on par with the Golf.

I currently have a Golf GTE which is really cheap for BIK tax. Great car too. 0-60 is quick and local running costs me just the electric.

I’m swapping jobs though and have just ordered a Seat Leon ST. I considered the Diesel FR before going for the Cupra Black, but the FR might be a good option?

Any idea on the cost of the Golf GTE and how it compares with the diesel Johni?
I’ve looked at BIK over the next 3 years and it’s quite a sizable increase on what were low co 2 diesels.

Have the GTD, its a great car in all honesty. The adaptive cruise control is amazing. Do 60 miles commute on dual carriageways and it really helps.

Have just ordered my new one, Golf Alltrack auto…Now i can be even lazier as the auto will mean i havent got to touch the pedals at all!

Dont dont about lease costs but carwow was getting the alltrack price down from 28.1k to 23.3k

Budget would be up to around £28k, and it has to be diesel.

GTE is neither, it’s £34k list and Petrol.

and you are right Low Co2 BIK loop hole has been slammed shut!
https://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/company-car-tax-bik-2014to2020.pdf

I had a 2.0GT as a company car for a couple of years (just moved on from it). Great car. Really comfy, fast, economic, enough space for the kids + a boot full of gear. Didn’t cost a fortune either. +1 for the adaptive cruise. Standard cruise control is pointless, this really, really works. Also has the ‘fits anywhere’ appeal that only Golfs and Landrovers seem to have.
I would have got a GTD to replace it but the wait was too long (needed a car in 5 days!), so I got a BMW125d instead. Look like an utter chav, but it’s really good fun to drive and goes like a stabbed rat. Just nobody EVER lets you out of a junction or says thanks if you wait for them.

ps forgot to say i’ve wanted the Golf GTE, but had to get the GOLF GTD estate for the kids, will replace it with the Passat GTE estate.

Jolly Green Giant – Member
Any idea on the cost of the Golf GTE and how it compares with the diesel Johni?
I’ve looked at BIK over the next 3 years and it’s quite a sizable increase on what were low co 2 diesels.

Go to http://www.comcar.co.uk and that’ll calculate all the deductions related to BIK and any capital or employee contributions you make, it’ll also give you the projected cost over the next 2 years.

I had an astra as my last company car and really liked it. It was the top of the line one but would think that should still be in budget? Drove well but still comfy, really nice seats (leather + heated which is a definite win after winter rides) and a good size boot.

f you want under 28k and more room then Octavia VRS would be a good bet for that money and judging by your other choices.

I’ve got a vRS company car and can’t fault it really. It’s brisk enough, has loads of space and is reasonably well spec’d. It’s an easy car to live with and swallows bikes easily enough.

It’ll be a tough car to replace.

When do you need to order? I think they may have stopped taking factory orders until the facelift one is released.

The Gold GT D has the torison beam rear suspension. Only cars above 150bhp get the independent rear suspension which doesn’t ride as well as the independent.

Current 1 series is only 30cm shorter than a 3 series touring and is a lovely car. 120d is quick, 125d slightly quicker. Both get a real life 55mpg or more, kids with seats fit in fine, bikes go in the boot with front wheel off no problem. Have some mass torque RWD fun while you can.

Golf more practical than the A3 and larger for rear seat passengers. Audi more expensive/less kit as better finished imo. If you want rear space then an A4 Avant might fit the bill or a Passat estate as above is bigger again

Clubman’s not for me, ugly and expensive too imo.

I have a (perhaps illogical) mistrust of Japanese diesels.

Both get a real life 55mpg or more

Getting 41mpg average in my 8500mile old 125d, measured over the last 8220 miles.
Golf GT got 45mpg in the same driving – all B roads and across the Mendip hills 90% of it’s driving time.
Can get the kids in the back (a bit of a squeeze behind me, but I’m a lanky sod! and got the suitcases in as well going on holiday.
I should be in a bigger car, but 99% of the time it’s only got one person in, and I have Touareg for the family / towing duties.
Damn good fun though

Some useful feedback there. Regarding the Golf GTE, it would seem to only really work if you have somewhere to charge it on your commute, or do lots of short commutes v a diesel? The BIK savings though are very compelling.If the stats stacked up on running costs,maybe the company could be persuaded…£5k susbsidy too which narrows the gap.One to ponder……

Having had a 320d before the 120d I can imagine will be a lot of fun, but having looked at a colleague’s, pretty sure it would be no better than my A class for rear seat space.

Having suggested the Clubman I saw one earlier, and it looks a bit gawky, think I have crossed the A3 off the list too.Love the interior but otherwise a Golf seems to do everything the A3 does but with better kit.

Looked at the Mazda 3 in my local dealer earlier, not as classy inside as the Golf but size wise about spot on ,nice looking car and test driving one tomorrow. It comes with a very comprehesnisive kit list too. About the only option is to have leather beacuse it has parking sensors,claimte control,Bose stereo, etc all as standard. Think its going to be between the Mazda and Golf but I`ll take another look at the Octavia and Leon too.

Golf GTD owner here for a year now. It’s tremendous an absolute pleasure to drive, cruises all day and will overtake with an almighty punch when asked.

I have a V60 D4 as a company car which is not a bad place for long journeys. The business edition sneaks in below £28k. Reasonably quick and low tax. Not that big though – definitely not like my old 940…

What year 320d’s are you comparing against? Mine has loads of space in the back, I certainly think it has more than an A class.

PHEV is currently the way forward for company drivers

I’m waiting on a BMW 330e, way quicker than the Golf GTE!

Have a Golf GTD but, being honest, get hammered on tax for it. We have Audi’s, BMW’s, VW’s etc and the GTD is the most expensive to have tax wise.

Saying that, has all the tricks and an absolute pleasure to drive so what the hell 😈

Funky Dunc, no issue with the 320d it was the 120d that I was referring to as being small. Loved my 320d but sadly the budget would only get a 316d.

We’ve got a privately owned Mazda 3. The 2.0 Sport Nav hatch version. It’s a great car, and frankly I think it’s better than my Merc C220 top-of-the-range company car. Tempted to get a Mazda 6 next on the strength of it.

OP I have owned both Japanese and German cars and imo the interior of the Japanese cars is what lets them down vs the Germans – where they win is standard spec and reliability. I do reitereate if your are looking at Japanese to look at petrol ones (or at least check thoroughly their diesels on forums/reviews – my mistrust may be illogical but imo they focused more on v-tec type technology, I see very few diesels in Asia so I think their R&D reflects that)

Happy shopping and let us know what you pick

Interior of the Mazda is extremely good for a 20 grand car. Admittedly not as much in the way of soft touch plastics as the Germans do, but that stuff just wears anyway. The leather is excellent, as good as my old Jag and better than our Mercedes.

We got a couple of new Company cars last year. An Octavia VRs for one guy and a Golf GTD for me.

Both great cars, the Octavia has much more boot room, but my GTD is just brilliant. Superb chassis. The ACC is a game changer on longer m/way drives. I just wish I got the DSG box coupled with ACC. I cant fault it. Fast enough for me and hits a great compromise between sporty ride and comfort.

I have a Honda civic tourer. It’s very nice but not an exciting drive.

Giulia? If you’re looking at Octavias..

My gf has a 2011 Audi A3. I’ve found it comfortable in the back and I’m 6’3”. The dog (35kg shepherd dog) has lots of space and head height. Bikes aren’t allowed inside the car, but I did manage to fit 4 large cardboard bike boxes inside with the back seats down. On another day, I managed a crc bike bag, two suitcases, an 80L rucksack, acoustic bass guitar in flight case (massive) and rucksack with the back seats down.

I remember being impressed by the tow weight limit, although I can’t remember the exact amount. It could easily tow the family boat + gear.

About the Mini Clubman, I sat in one before GF got the A3. It is bonkers inside. Weird dials and funky interior. But, the van-like outer dimensions made me want to convert it into a camper 😀

Funky Dunc, no issue with the 320d it was the 120d that I was referring to as being small.

You’d be suprised how big and useful current 1 series is – its longer than the Golf’s referred to.

How usable is the rear seat Kryton? The one I sat in before was tight for knee room and a bit narrow.

What model and year is yours? I wonder if seats on the m sport are bulkier?

For those of you with a GTD do you know what your monthly lease is? I’m looking at 3 years, 30k per year.

As Lowey said ACC + DSG is a fantastic combination (other manufacturers have similar options) especially on the motorway

Mine is a ’63 120D MSport. I’m just below 6ft and with my seat set I could sit behind myself, but in honesty I wouldn’t want to do that for a couple of hours or more, I’d say it was “adequate”.

I had both my kids in car seats yesterday with no issue. Best / most economical diesel out there IMO, no VAG cheating issues and excellent performance with the RWD.

99% of the time it’s only got one person in, and I have Touareg for the family / towing duties.
Damn good fun though

…is me also.

As with BMW its the drive thats important, its focussed on the driver, so if you like to drive you will like it.

Plus in most BMW service centres you can sit and have a decent free breakfast whilst they service your car every 16000 miles.

Possibly dealer related but our consultants have gone from Mazda to the Octavia VRS estate and are really pleased.

The big chain Mazda dealers were by and large rubbish and we’ve have a few build quality issues. Kind of thing that has cost more than it should have to be able to send back after three years of lease.

I wouldn’t go for the BMW 330e, I’d go so far as to say that anyone who is waiting for one should quietly and politely cancel their order as soon as possible.

My pennyworth – once you’ve got kids just get a big car, Passat/Octavia/Insignia/Mondeo etc.

They’re barely dearer than a mid-sized one and are usually just as quick/economical (weigh little more but usually have better aerodynamics) and you get a lot more room.

I wouldn’t go for the BMW 330e, I’d go so far as to say that anyone who is waiting for one should quietly and politely cancel their order as soon as possible.

oooh why why why is it another #vwdieselgate scenario

oooh why why why is it another #vwdieselgate scenario

This is possible or a shorter waiting list means that mine will arrive sooner. 😈

For those of you with a GTD do you know what your monthly lease is? I’m looking at 3 years, 30k per year.

The problem with Lease deals are they change every week. One week there may be a really cheap deal on a Golf R for example… when I was looking the BMW 125d was ludicrously cheap.

On my GTD over a 3 year deal at 20k per annum we paid £1800 deposit and £271 per month. All figures are nett of VAT.

I wouldn’t go for the BMW 330e, I’d go so far as to say that anyone who is waiting for one should quietly and politely cancel their order as soon as possible.

Please tell me why? Your invaluable (obviously insider knowledge) can tell me something that current owners have obviously missed !