I will soon be getting a company car. I have a choice of: A new Mondeo or Focus, Volvo S40 or V50, VW Passat or Golf, BMW 1 series or Audi A3. What would you recommend the best car to have for comfort & extras included in the car as standard, as I'll be doing a lot of mileage?
Adam Reilly, Mexborough, UK
Hi Adam,
Spending like-for-like money, the Fords should come with the most extras. But often it’s down to how well you haggle for the extras with the salesman.
If you are doing a lot of mileage, it’s not extras you really need. Heated seats and Google earth on a dash-mounted plasma are overrated in terms of improving driver comfort.
I have never found a seat so cold that it prevented successful clutch operation. Satellite navigation numbs the brain and takes your eye off the road.
What you need is a car with a smooth ride, low wind and road noise and an engine that is not struggling to accelerate or cruise.
So if you go for the Passat, V50 or Mondeo, do not buy the small 1.8 to 2.0 litre engines. Get a bigger unit or you will spend more on Anadin than you save on petrol.
I would skip the BMW 1-Series. I would go straight to the Audi A3 with the 2.0 litre engine. Or next I would consider the Golf and Focus, with equivalent engines. You will age rapidly if you buy a big underpowered car, no matter how many extras it has.