Moving up the pay grades at work has it's advantages...

i now can chose a company car.

however the list i have to chose from is VERY restricted, they all have to meet certain crash safety results, emissions, insurance groups etc etc.

i literally get the choice of about 25 different cars.

i natural got very excited and was ready to get a 3 series bmw or a Alfa 159/Guiletta but no BMW's or Alfa's on the list at all.

i have Mondeo, Laguna, A4, A3, Corsa, insiginia, Focus, Golfs, Jetta, Megane Coupe, all Mini models but not petrol S models and Mazda's to chose from. interestingly the Fabia vRS is in the list but as one of the few cars alongside the Golf GTD and the Megane coupe diesel sport thing that you have to pay extra for.

Now i absolutely detest Audi's, Vauxhall's and Ford's. it doesn't leave me with alot. the sportiest car i can get out of the list is a Mini Coupe SD Chilli/Sport pack.

now i know they are ugly, but they are rare(for the moment) and the 143bhp engine(out of a 118/318d bmw) can be mapped upto 180bhp so i can extract more performance.

but should i pay the £160 odd extra a month for a vRS hatch that i can't order any options for or go for the Mini Coupe SD and spec the Harman Kardon sound system for. a £16k car versus a 23k car which is cheaper run??

It goes against every fibre in my body but i'm strangely tempted by the SD

Difficult choice - you'd have to weigh up the tax implications of both cars, if that is one of your deciding factors?

Suspect that the vRS will be lower in tax but not sure.

You'll be unlikely to remap as the car won't be 'yours' to own.

Ok, I know what you said, but I was very impressed by the latest Mondeo TD; I actually had to ask if it was a diesel for one thing (and that's never happened before).

I think you would be mad to pay the extra 160 every month to lease a vrs when you have the choice of a load of "free" cars.

Depends how practical you need the car to be but at least you can fit 2 people in the back of a normal MINI. The coupe would certainly be different.

i rarely carry passengers, and as daiking says, why pay extra for the vRS which has a 5k lower list price.

i want someting as sporty as possible. so Mondeo TD no matter how good is not gonna to be right for me.

Remember i work in image conscious Tunbridge Wells, I genuinely think the Mini Coupe is hideous as certain angles, but it's new to the market, trendy and the girls will like is too.

I'm contacing HR though because both the 120d coupe and the 1.4 mulitair Guiletta both meet all the crash safety, emissions and insurance restrictions and i would really like one of them.

And what the company doesn't know won't hurt them. (so if i chose to remap it i WILL)

Everyone at work thinks i should get the 140bhp A4 convertible but i just despise what Audi stand for to have one, plus then i will simply blend in with the 100's of Estate agents and recruitment consultants that drive them around here

I've decided i'm gonna pop down to the Mini dealership and take a drive in the SD, if it's good and i can bare the way it looks then yes.

if not i will take the £5000(per year) company car cash benefit instead and that will basically pay for a vRS estate when the No vat offer comes back after christmas

If you can get a mondeo titanium or better they have sports trimmings.. will be better equipped than the rest, and will out-handle everything but maybe the mini.

Dont rule it out until youve tried one.

a Front wheel drive diesel saloon, i know the mondeo ride and handling remarkable well compared to higher priced rivals, but the engines themselves are poor compared to BMW diesels that seem to be more fuel efficent and powerful than any other diesels.

a 320D will get me 177bhp 58.9mpg combined 114kgm emission(£95 a year road tax) and 0-60 in 7.6secs all with dynamic rwd handling.

a mondeo 2.0 td 150bhp has a combined figure of 54.1mpg 131kgm emission(£135 road tax) and 0-60 in 9.0secs

I'm someone that doesn't want/need aircon, tyre pressure sensors, folding wing mirrors, traction control, cornering lights, sunroof etc etc

only stanard equipment i'm interested in is leccy windows and PAS and the only options i would spec is Cruise control and upgraded hi-fi

in fact if the Fabia vRS had leather and upgraded hi-fi on there options list i would already own one!

i drove a 2008 1.8tdci 130bhp mondeo and it's very good to drive. but just not my image thanks

i drove a 2008 1.8tdci 130bhp mondeo and it's very good to drive. but just not my image thanks

No offence Sonner, I drive round in a Greenline Fabia, but I never thought I'd hear a Skoda Felicia driver say anything about image on a decent car like the Mondeo. It is a bit of a barge these days though. Grown too much IMO.

Surely it's a work hack?

Depending on the engine/trim, I'd probably be looking at the Golf personally.

And what the company doesn't know won't hurt them. (so if i chose to remap it i WILL)

Insurance co's will check for maps in the event of a claim, and you firm's company car policy as well as there insurers will have clauses against unauthorised modifications. The car will be covered under the whole businesses insurance (liability, stock, building etc). It's rare for companies to split their insurances. So you could void ALL their cover making you VERY popular.

IF something happened and you mapped it, you really would be in it. The golden rule on co cars is unless your firm agrees, then dont do it. As has been said it's not your car. Our contracts/company handbook/car policy clearly states unauthorised modifications to company property is gross dismissal.

I suspect if they are that anal about the choices available to you, yours will be VERY strictly controlled and monitored.

I assume this is your first company car?

Insurance co's will check for maps in the event of a claim, and you firm's company car policy as well as there insurers will have clauses against unauthorised modifications. The car will be covered under the whole businesses insurance (liability, stock, building etc). It's rare for companies to split their insurances. So you could void ALL their cover making you VERY popular.

IF something happened and you mapped it, you really would be in it. The golden rule on co cars is unless your firm agrees, then dont do it. As has been said it's not your car. Our contracts/company handbook/car policy clearly states unauthorised modifications to company property is gross dismissal.

I suspect if they are that anal about the choices available to you, yours will be VERY strictly controlled and monitored.

I assume this is your first company car?

To add to this, if anyone remapped one of our company vehicles it would not only give the insurance company a reason to get rather upset about our fleet policy, it would also earn them a quick way to a disciplinary. So the long term effects should be considered before doing it.

The petrol mini one is a hoot to drive and the mini cooper D is similar.

While I've not driven the SD, I'd say it's very much worth a test drive.

The TLC service is handy and cheap compared to paying as you go.

The one, will quite happily see of much faster cars on the twisty corners and while it won't keep up on the straights, they'll struggle to get past on a country road. Lots of fun

If your image conscious I would not get a mini coupe!!! That's worse than a guy driving a ka!!!

Why not drive a few of them?

If image is everything then I doubt you'll do better than the Mini. I think it's ugly as sin but that won't stop 'fashionable people' liking it.

If it was someone elses money I might actually look at the Megane Coupe.

320d is just as common as the Mondy. Better but still common.

I see the insurance agrument, and i think yes you could be right about the company taking discplinary action, but the insurance company itself won't matter as we have our own inhouse underwriting and insurance so they WON'T chuck out a claim on that basis. infact i'm pretty sure i can add modifications anyway.

a quick call to the underwritiers of the scheme will tell me where i stand. i've already added lowering springs(eibach springs) to the quote and it's no extra cost either but the terms say that i have to pay for the removal of any modifications made to the car if i give it back.(so i must keep the original springs just in case)

yes this is my first company car though.

I understand that for Boss Fox's type of business it would have potentially huge implications with the insurer but you have a transport firm so thats different.

I will double check everything though as i don't wanna land myself in SH IT at work

You really are thinking about a MIDI Coup, aren't you? Even though it's going to make you look like a tonsorial artist with a liking for musical theatre!

woah woah woah Ken, i don't like it, it's just the newest, shiniest and nippiest car available on the list,

all i want it speed and handling. i hate MINI as a brand but i know all my Tunbridge Wells friends/colleagues will be Jealous.

Update to all, the company said i can only remap it with an approved Mini dealer that warranty aprroves the work and i must pay for it and if i have to give it back i must pay to put it back to standard too.

So looks like my company are gonna let me lower it and remap it :p

though thinking about it if i am gonna drive a car i dislike and look like a tit at the same time should i just get the A4

Are you really choosing your next car on how jealous it will make your friends?!! :wonder:

Having only seen 2 of these Midi Coupes I've got 2 images in mind:

1/ Blonde bimbette with her hair blowing (and pink steering wheel cover)

2/ Short haired bloke with a Freddy Mercury moustache

woah woah woah Ken, i don't like it, it's just the newest, shiniest and nippiest car available on the list,

all i want it speed and handling. i hate MINI as a brand but i know all my Tunbridge Wells friends/colleagues will be Jealous.

Update to all, the company said i can only remap it with an approved Mini dealer that warranty aprroves the work and i must pay for it and if i have to give it back i must pay to put it back to standard too.

So looks like my company are gonna let me lower it and remap it :p

though thinking about it if i am gonna drive a car i dislike and look like a tit at the same time should i just get the A4

So long as you have this in writing, then thats all good.

Just be sure you're 100% happy, as you'll be stuck with it until the next scheduled change. Not only comfort and toys, but is it a suitable size for current family needs - as thats what your paying for. The mini will effectively be a 2 seater, and is even pretty small for young kids.

I would get an extended test and fully test it including shopping and ferrying passengers. You may find it's simply not practical in reality.

So long as you have this in writing, then thats all good.

Just be sure you're 100% happy, as you'll be stuck with it until the next scheduled change. Not only comfort and toys, but is it a suitable size for current family needs - as thats what your paying for. The mini will effectively be a 2 seater, and is even pretty small for young kids.

I would get an extended test and fully test it including shopping and ferrying passengers. You may find it's simply not practical in reality.

You can get three adults in a mini hatch, 4 at a push, but three isn't so bad.

You can get three adults in a mini hatch, 4 at a push, but three isn't so bad.

But I thought we were talking about the coupe?

But I thought we were talking about the coupe?

So we were, my bad.

In that case, the rear hatch is really heavy and very hard to lift single handed, due to the huge expanse of glass.

It doesn't look so bad in the flesh in the right colours and the boot is an ok size, but there is obviously no height on it.

It doesn't look so bad in the flesh in the right colours and the boot is an ok size, but there is obviously no height on it.

You think, I thought it looked awful when I saw it. It was next to a countryman as well and it still looked ugly.