NEC

I couldn't face <100BHP as my main transport, and wouldn't own another
car just for weekends.. I'm happy with the golf though, as it's not
super expensive on tax being a 129g CO2 engine.

 

It's 112bhp (combined electric and petrol power)... not a huge amount,
but not *that* bad, because it has the CVT box and electric assistance.

The new ones are much better, with the 1.8 engine - but my lot have
bought all the remaining stock of old shape cars, so have loads to go
through before new shape cars can be ordered. Shame, as the new one slip
under 100g, rather than the 104-ish g of the old shape.

But, they're expensive cars if you want anything other than base spec. -
list price of mine was around £22k.

 

I couldn't buy, run, and maintain the same car, that's true.

 

Maybe we're different.

 

My problem is, I can't really afford to be down by a couple of hundred
quid every month, in liquid cash.

With the allowance, my 300 quid a month (after tax) will comfortably
cover a reasonable car.

 

As I've posted, this all assumes I want (or need to have) something
equivalent to the company car.

I don't. My company don't care, they've already said I could use the
allowance to pay for the bike if I wanted, or just buy beer with it.
So an older motor, probably a Mk5 Golf will be covered to run by the
allowance comfortably after I've bought it out of the sale of the
Bandit.

 

That's more a month after tax than my allowance would give me, I guess
the size of our fleet means the lease rates are super competative, and
I'd only get the same a month, but it'd be taxed.

 

And you'd be a mug to go solo - ASLEF does its membership the world of
good.

 

Polo Bluemotion is demonstrably better. And £7k cheaper.

 

Demonstrably better at being a car 2 sizes smaller, maybe. (The Polo is
Yaris sized, the Prius is somewhere between a Golf and Passat in size)

But that's where the comparison ends.

 

My opt-out is £250 PCM before tax these days - which means the Prius
must be costing the company sod-all.

 

You're not missing anything. I don't think the world of journalism,
literature or television would suffer from his absence...

--
Veggie Dave
http://www.iq18films.co.uk

"To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim
that Jesus was not born of a virgin." Cardinal Bellarmine

 

In that case, I'll wage a Golf/Jetta TDi is a better real-world choice
(both financially and re overall fuel economy). But I doubt Green
holier-than-thou idiots would agree.

 

I reckon it is too. The fuel economy on mine seems to keep improving,
recently showing 53MPG for miles at a time sat at 80 with the cruise
control on, on an empty motorway, and overall averaging 45MPG on a
mixed roads commute across the last couple of thousand miles. That's
not the bluemotion golf either, it's the 140BHP TDI.

 

I'm getting around 45mpg with my foot flat to the floor most of the time
and 85 ish cruise when on motorways.

You'd never buy one yourself - but as a company car they make a lot more
sense than almost anything else in the class - to get even close to the
tax I pay, you'd have to go for a Golf Bluemotion, which gives you less
power and a significantly lower spec. level. (I have 6 disc
MP3/autochanger, JBL amp and speakers, full climate (Golf only has
Climatic), reversing camera, self-park(!), Sat Nav, Bluetooth, Cruise
(optional on the Bluemotion) and an autobox - which itself hits the
emissions if you opt for a VW with DSG).

Like I said, list price isn't cheap - but they are cheap to lease due to
the residuals - and very cheap for the end user.

I preferred my old Passat as a car, but I like the significantly lower
tax I now pay - and the extra equipment.

 

Christ no. Even double that is barely adequate, IMO. Triple is quite
nice though.

 

The public gets what the public wants. *Motorcyclists* need to
evolve.

 

Indeed. Variety is the spice of life.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

But I'm quite happy with what I got

 

Wasn't it Harley who called an engine the evolution?

We'll be expected to ride around on 45bhp singles next.