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Topic: Company car dilemma

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checkley1973

10/7/2018 at 7:15pm
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636

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Quote: Originally posted by HighSlayer on 10/7/2018

Quote: Originally posted by checkley1973 on 06/7/2018
new tow bar every 3 years

???

New car every 3 years and each requires a tow bar at an average of £500.

SamandRose

10/7/2018 at 7:56pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: 2019 VW Arteon + 2002 Avondale Dart

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That's not the case - I had my existing towbar fitted as a dealer accessory at a cost of £150 or so. If I'm quoted silly money for a new towbar on the next one I'll simply have a man round the corner remove the existing one and then fit it onto the new car when it arrives.

I've been scratching my head about this for a while now - often when I should have been working - and as I see it I have three options:

1. Just go for the car I want with a diesel engine and to hell with the extra expense

2. Try and find a hybrid estate or SUV capable of towing a 1300kg caravan. That seems to be either a Mitsubishi PHEV or a Passat estate GTE (though with the latter costing over £10k more than the diesel model, it seems doubtful that I can get a competitive contract hire rate on it)

3. Get a smaller plug-in hybrid as a company car (maybe Golf or Audi A3) and change our second car (currently a petrol-powered VW Polo) for a larger diesel estate. This is not ideal given the amount of stuff that I fairly often would have to put into the company car. The other downside is that Rose would have to drive the larger second car from day to day and she doesn't like driving the Passat all that much, she says it's too long.

Can't get a cash alternative, I have asked and apparently the employer's liability insurance company aren't happy about personal vehicles being used for business mileage.

Have I missed anything out? I still don't know what to do ...!

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bessie500

11/7/2018 at 12:00am
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Volvo X60 Coachman

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That’s why I said the phev, let’s face it 7500 saving will pay for a replacement for your polo, if it’s not economical so what you don’t pay for your fuel on a day to day basis, but you do indirectly via a massive fuel tax & your Caravan isn’t really that heavy

Bessie

SamandRose

11/7/2018 at 3:15pm
Location: Midlands
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Thanks Bessie, understood entirely but I'm also mindful of Garry's comment that he hated his and couldn't wait to get rid of it. I think I need to drive one for myself and see.

Apparently the waiting list for the Passat GTE is so long that VW have closed orders indefinitely!

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checkley1973

11/7/2018 at 10:57pm
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636

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Quote: Originally posted by SamandRose on 10/7/2018
That's not the case - I had my existing towbar fitted as a dealer accessory at a cost of £150 or so. If I'm quoted silly money for a new towbar on the next one I'll simply have a man round the corner remove the existing one and then fit it onto the new car when it arrives.

I’m not sure what you bought or how long ago but I think you’ll be in for a shock. You can’t buy a towbar in a box for much less than £150. Then you need installation and a dedicated wiring loom. Yes you can botch it with universal electrics but the risk is great with new cars, especially hybrids.

A figure of around £400 for fixed and £500 for detachable is realistic.

You’re unlikely to be able to re use your existing tow bar, they are car specific so this is only really possible if you choose the same car again, which I don’t believe you want?

Baileyjake

18/7/2018 at 1:33pm
Location: West Midlands
Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4

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its a hard life having a company car :o)

i have seen quite a few towing caravans with PHEVs.

and i believe that the PHEV costs nearly as much as a shogun to buy.

they wouldnt have the kerb weight to tow my caravan nor the towing capacity.

for a 1300kg caravan though it would do the job may not be as good as a diesel car but then again you are not paying for it your company is.

when you mention the BIK tax are you saying the tax on the benefit is 40% of £7500 = £3000???

sounds a lot but have you tried buying a car lately and running it?

when i had a company car the BIK tax was less than i would have paid in fuel to commute to work without thinking about insurance, servicing and depreciation.

so you choices are pay more BIK and have a better tow car, pay less BIK and have a less ideal tow car or buy a second vehicle for towing.

i dont have a company car anymore but if i did i probably wouldnt have a caravan since my budget was so poor i couldnt afford to buy a car capable of towing anything.

my German colleague has a blue motion passat capable of towing 2000kg (according to him) but with a KW of 1490kg. this is a company car.

his Knaus transporter caravan has a MPLM of 1500kg so on paper he is towing over 100%. he never loads it to the maximum though and although he swears the passat is an excellent tow car he is asking for an X3 as a replacement company car.....dont think he will get it though.

Post last edited on 18/07/2018 13:46:21

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First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

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