Company Car: Passat Highline Vs Superb Style

godtabh

There is a small chance that I will be offered a company car in the next couple of months (subject to my/company performance).

I havent been given the details yet but I've been told that the 'purchase price' (I assume it will be a lease) cant exceed €35k.

Was doing some research and like the idea of the Passat Estate or the Skoda Superb Estate.

The Skoda Style 1.6tdi comes in at about €35k

The Passat Estate Highline comes in at the same price with the 1.6tdi.

Am I missing something here. They both seem to be very much the same level of spec. I thought the Skoda would be cheaper.

colm_mcm

It'll just come down to whatever you prefer, I think the Superb is a little nicer looking, the spec packs on the Passat are cheaper than they would have been before so there's nothing in it. One isn't better/worse than the other.

drunkmonkey

If you've kids or need some space to make them the superb is massive, roomiest car I've been in beside a limo.

godtabh

I haven't test driven either but they would be very high on my list. Once I'm given the official go ahead I'll be straight to a dealer. TBH I didn't think there would be so little it.

Have to kids so bigger the better.

grogi

godtabh wrote: »

There is a small chance that I will be offered a company car in the next couple of months (subject to my/company performance).

I havent been given the details yet but I've been told that the 'purchase price' (I assume it will be a lease) cant exceed €35k.

Was doing some research and like the idea of the Passat Estate or the Skoda Superb Estate.

The Skoda Style 1.6tdi comes in at about €35k

The Passat Estate Highline comes in at the same price with the 1.6tdi.

Am I missing something here. They both seem to be very much the same level of spec. I thought the Skoda would be cheaper.

I would rather go with Superb 2.0 Ambition and spend a grand on extras than 1.6 Style. Do you need the 3-zone A/C (2-zone is standard) and electrically adjustable seats (really awesome if you have many drivers that change frequently though)...

1.6 will be far to weak for a car that big TBH.

godtabh

For me a minimum would be leather, sat nav and decent wheels. Everything after hat is a bonus

R.O.R

Superb Style has full leather and built in Nav, that the Passat Highline doesn't get, and it's the Big screen Nav on the Superb.

Superb doesn't have the Auto Distance Cruise Control that the Passat gets though.

Really a toss up between the 2 models as to which bits of standard equipment are more useful for you. Highline BE with the 161 Tech pack comes out nicely - give the big nav and the virtual cockpit display - full leather is still an upgrade though, and the BE is €1,615 more than the standard Highline 1.6 Estate.

mickdw

The 1.6 is a joke in the saloon passat never mind an estate full of stuff. Passat is a beautiful car though.

godtabh

I thought the Passat came with leather as a standard option. Must have read it wrong.

Just been told that their maybe a stipulation that the car has to be German (for what ever reason) but a lad in the office has a VRS estate so maybe a Skoda would be acceptable too.

R.O.R

mickdw wrote: »

The 1.6 is a joke in the saloon passat never mind an estate full of stuff. Passat is a beautiful car though.

The new 1.6Tdi 120ps is actually OK. We had a Superb 1.6Tdi Ambition Hatch on long term demo last year. Did around 500km's in it one day and didn't find it lacking at all. An Estate with 5 up and a load of luggage might be a bit different though, but if it's mainly 1 person in the car, I wouldn't be overly concerned.

Other option would be a 2.0Tdi Ambition Combi with the Business Pack (Alcantara seats and 17" Alloys). Not 100% sure whether the Radio is already set up for Android Auto / Apple Car play (demo we had was), or whether you'd need to get that unlocked - that solves the lack of standard Nav. Amundsen Nav is €446 so not the end of the world, but I'd be adding Sunset Glass at €262 to set it off. If the budget won't stretch then the no cost Pacific Blue looked pretty good on the Ambition Hatch I supplied earlier this year - saves €665 for metallic

godtabh

Assuming its a lease deal is there much negotiation on price/discounts?

R.O.R

godtabh wrote: »

Assuming its a lease deal is there much negotiation on price/discounts?

That all depends on what your allowance is based on. If it's based on a max retail price of €35k then there's no negotiation on that as it's a published figure that your BIK is based on.

Would be rare to be based on the actual cost price of the car, as most lease companies don't release that info to customers, but there is a good bit of discount off the retail price.

Might go off a monthly lease cost and if that's the case a Passat Highline will work out cheaper to the company than the Superb Style.

grogi

R.O.R wrote: »

That all depends on what your allowance is based on. If it's based on a max retail price of €35k then there's no negotiation on that as it's a published figure that your BIK is based on.

Would be rare to be based on the actual cost price of the car, as most lease companies don't release that info to customers, but there is a good bit of discount off the retail price.

Might go off a monthly lease cost and if that's the case a Passat Highline will work out cheaper to the company than the Superb Style.

Why would the customer be interested how much the lease company pays anyway?

R.O.R

grogi wrote: »

Why would the customer be interested how much the lease company pays anyway?

If a driver had a €35k allowance on the actual cost of the vehicle, would be one example I could think of :pac:

godtabh

I assume there is some correlation between list price and monthly lease price?

colm_mcm

The projected future value discounts available and even things like the tyre size comes into it too.

godtabh

Tyre size comes into it? Fup me.

The lads here have a full maintenance package so I assume that helps with the projected future value as does the brand.

R.O.R

Difference between purchase price and projected future value, plus interest, give the monthly finance amount.

Servicing/maintenance/costs and tyres make up the maintenance amount, with a contingency amount for breakdowns built in. Possible uplift on the road tax amount to account for capitalising it up front - depends who the supplier is on that.

Rough figures over 3yrs / 120,000km is coming out €0.17 per month between a 1.6Tdi Highline Estate and a Superb 1.6Tdi Style Combi, so there's bugger all in it cost wise.

mrshopkeeper

godtabh wrote: »

I thought the Passat came with leather as a standard option. Must have read it wrong.

Just been told that their maybe a stipulation that the car has to be German (for what ever reason) but a lad in the office has a VRS estate so maybe a Skoda would be acceptable too.

Hello OP, going through the same process myself and I formed the same understanding re leather seats being standard on Highline when reading the brochures - did you figure it out yet?

GustavoFring

Add the sport pack to the highline for full leather and 18 inch wheels.

bazz26

A bit mad that the cheaper Golf Highline is now getting leather seats as standard while they are still an optional extra on the more expensive Passat.

Drummerboy08

Golf is around a while where the Passat is a fresh model...They don't need to spec up the Passat yet!

bazz26

Yep but you would expect to get a better base spec the higher up the class of car you go.

mickdw

The half leather passat highline seats are very nice. I would take them over leather.

Drummerboy08

bazz26 wrote: »

Yep but you would expect to get a better base spec the higher up the class of car you go.

Not really - if golf is at the end of its life, VW will up spec it.

If Passat is at the start of its life, you can't expect it to match the same spec of the older run out model.

millington

bazz26 wrote: »

Yep but you would expect to get a better base spec the higher up the class of car you go.

Not really like the Passat isn't a higher class of car, it's just bigger. Spec levels should be fairly equal


Anyway I'd be happy with either car although 2.0 is a must have IMO

ofcork

Was alongside a superb and dont like the panel gap on the crease in the front wing i assume its the bonnet but not great looking.

bazz26

millington wrote: »

Not really like the Passat isn't a higher class of car, it's just bigger. Spec levels should be fairly equal


Anyway I'd be happy with either car although 2.0 is a must have IMO

I understand that run out models tend to get kitted out but there is still a fair difference in price between a Highline Golf and Highline Passat. Same way if I were to buy a new BMW 5 Series over a 3 Series the base spec on the bigger more expensive 5 Series is higher.