Advice on next car please

chile_paul

Hi all,

I'd really appreciate some advice on my next car as I'm a bit stumped.

I currently have a VW Passat Saloon on a company car scheme - I've done 82,000 miles in the last 4 years with regular 3-4 hour motorway journeys at least once a week.

I also have 2 children under 5 (no plans to add to the family!) therefore having plenty of boot space for prams, travel cots, bikes etc is really important. Also, given I'm posting on MSE cost is really important to me.

I had fully expected to replace at the end of the term in April with a VW Passat Estate - however I've been thrown by my company no longer having VW's as an option. My choice is between BMW, Audi or Mercedes.

I've just test driven the BMW X1 (as the cheapest estate option) but am now discounting this as the boot is not big enough and the back seats are too cramped for the children.

Does anybody have any suggestions of what I should go for?

It's also crossed my mind to opt out of the company scheme (I'd get a cash alternative) and either:

Lease
Buy brand new
Buy nearly new

If I bought, I wouldn't need finance. I'm presuming that buying nearly new is going to be the most money saving option as I believe that most of the depreciation costs are in the first couple of years?

forgotmyname

A4 = Passat in previous incarnations. Slight step apart. But usually its rebadged one way or the other.

Sy why not get the Passat with an AUDI badge?

chile_paul

forgotmyname wrote: »

A4 = Passat in previous incarnations. Slight step apart. But usually its rebadged one way or the other.

Sy why not get the Passat with an AUDI badge?

I went to have a look at an A4 at the weekend - boot still seems small? Not much bigger than the BMW X1 I recently test drove?

Clive_Woody

Private purchase/lease either a Skoda Octavia Estate or if you need something even bigger a Skoda Superb estate.

ThinkingOutLoud_2

BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer ?

BeenThroughItAll

forgotmyname wrote: »

A4 = Passat in previous incarnations. Slight step apart. But usually its rebadged one way or the other.

Sy why not get the Passat with an AUDI badge?

A4 is more closely related to the Golf - the A6 is the Passat sized equivalent.

oligopoly

Similar to me in that buying a car, the resale value will be killed by the high mileage. I'm thinking of leasing a QashQai - around £260 per month for 3 years on a 25k mile package. Plenty of room for kids and equipment and a comfortable drive

andrewf75

Of the 3 options I'd say buying nearly new is definitely the best option. As you say, the depreciation is heaviest in the first few years. If you don't need finance i.e you have the money, it seems a no-brainer to buy rather than lease.

oligopoly

andrewf75 wrote: »

it seems a no-brainer to buy rather than lease.

But do double check on the depreciation. Let's say you buy a relatively new car on 15,000 miles. 3 years later when you've added your 60,000 miles, what's that car going to fetch? Or put it another way, work out what sort of money you're paying each month in depreciation - plus any repairs that would have been covered by a lease warranty - and then see how comparable it is against a Qashqai lease. Just a thought...

andrewf75

oligopoly wrote: »

But do double check on the depreciation. Let's say you buy a relatively new car on 15,000 miles. 3 years later when you've added your 60,000 miles, what's that car going to fetch? Or put it another way, work out what sort of money you're paying each month in depreciation - plus any repairs that would have been covered by a lease warranty - and then see how comparable it is against a Qashqai lease. Just a thought...

I guess a lot depends on whether you would sell or keep it after those 3 years.

Herzlos

Do you have restrictions on what you can buy nearly/new or the age of your car?

For instance, can you just keep your 4 year old Passat, or even just buy another one of them?

That said, I'd also look at the Insignia, which is huge even in non-estate form, and the Mondeo. Used prices drop like a rock so you can get pretty good deals on nearly new.