Keep A8, or Brand new A4?!
 

Hey all!

I know this is a slightly silly question to ask on an 8 forum, but it has gotten me thinking more than I expected it to.

I had an interview today (all seemed to go well, its working for a travel agent who specialize in the Non profit sector) I would be doing business development and New Business.

The question has come up, if I did get the job (or any other that could see me in a similar scenario) They provide their Sales execs with brand new TDI A4s or provide the option to "opt out" and take the extra cash on your wage instead which means you have to use your own car.

Benefits of company car are
Brand new car
Insurance paid for
Road tax paid for

Or use the A8...? I didnt have the option at my last place because you didnt get the choice, you had to use your own motor, but now I have the choice Im not sure. The 8 is a great car, but its getting a little dated. If I sold it and took the company car I know I would miss it.

Speaking from experiance, I would now never be without my own car. The grass always seems greener etc etc.

I would personaly take the extra wage, the A8 is a well respected car, regardless of age.

Just my opinion of course, and I am sure you will be happy either way.

Bex +++

Company car also == More tax.

You pay based on the CO2 emissions and a percentage of the car's value.

http://cccfcalculator.hmrc.gov.uk/CCF0.aspx

Using a new 136HP standard A4 Diesel @ 25k (120g CO2) gives you a tax liability of about £1300/year (assuming no fuel card) which means your tax allowance goes down by 3250.

If you go with the SE Quattro 170PS @ 29k (145g CO2), takes that tax code down by a whopping 6 grand, meaning you would pay out nearly 2.5k extra (assuming you'd be on 40% tax).

I'd go with the allowance option.. If you get a decent accountant, they should be able to get you more money back at the end of the year too.

Well I Guess I'm in a position to answer here as I have a company car A4 2.0T S-Line and an A8 personal car but I'd still recommend the company car. A lot of it depends on your mileage and how many miles youve got on your 8 and what size engine etc, Miles per gallon on my A4 is still nearly double that of the A8 even though its petrol and the only thing I'd do different in retrospect would be to have had quattro on the 4 too as I find myself using the 8 more in the snow.
The A4 is 212bhp which is pretty spicy for a 2 litre.

I suppose another option is to do what I do - take the Company car then keep your 8 for smiles and weekend fun! best of both worlds and also the 8 will need less money spending on it so often as you wont run up so many miles in it :D

Hi Bex

Yeah I have had lots of company cars in the past. Passats, Vetras and Astras. I do prefer my own car, but it does put a smile on my face when I have a company car and a brand new tax disc arrives in the post from Head office! :D I think one of the lures of the company car is that its a brand new A4. If it was another vectra, Passat or Nissan I think I would be certain than my own car is the way to go!

Yeah company car does work out more expensive on tax, but even when you opt out you still get taxed on the car allowance you get given. I think its not as much though. If I opt out and keep the 8.. i really need to pull my finger out and finally get the LPG. I would also want to upgrade to a better head unit (currently RNS-D) so it would mean spending a bit on the old girl. Which off sets the fact that I am opting out and earning money on it. another plus for opting out is that I the revenue for what ever the cars worth (resale value) when I am done with it. Which you dont have with the company car.

HA HA!
The Misses wouldnt let me keep both, especially as I have the Mini pick up for weekend smiles. I think I would be a lot more attracted to the A4 if it was quattro.. I like having the option to drive to a ski resort when the airports are closed and my flights are cancelled!

I think the best thing to do is keep the 8 for now, work my butt off and work my way up to director level! Then I can get a brand new 8! +++ lol
Its not actually so ridiculous in this case, the role is available because the guy I would be replacing has been sent out to the US to run one of their new offices! Not bad career progression! ++++++

If your doing mega miles, I'd opt for the A4 without a doubt, or even better a 3 series. The 8 is a great car but you never know when big bills are looming (are you still on your original gearbox?) or when/where it may leave you stranded. With the A4 you will have warranties/replacement cars from Audi and lower everyday running costs. It will be less headache in the long run, if however you can afford to keep the 8 as a weekend/special occasion car then that would be ideal.

I'd opt for the 3 series over a front wheel drive A4, its a better drive. The BMW service in my experience is in another league to what Audi offer and then there is the fact BMW have enough faith to put an unlimited mileage warranty on their cars rather then the pesky 60k capped one that Audi offer. I know its a BMW but its hard to ignore what a fantastic product they put out, just my unbiased opinion.

hmmm you do make a good argument amar, but being a classic mini fan do you know how much ribbing I would get for driving about in a BMW?! :-(

When its a company car I dont think the warranties etc matter all that much?

My 8 is still on its orig gear box i believe... :( i guess that something I need to think about.

I dont think i will be doing huge miles (in the 8) as most of my travel will be done out of the country or in and around London by train. its only those odd customers in the uk outside of London that i will be driving to.

I havent even got the job yet, so this is all "what if" but at the end of the day there is a strong chance I will be in this situation weather it be this job or a different one.

I think If I get a chance, I will pop to the BMW show room and go back to the Audi one and check out the cars so at least I know what I am getting myself into. Or I could just get a brand new 8 on finance! lol........ god the misses would KILL me! :ROFL:

If you want hassle free motoring.. Company car all the way, I used to have them up until about 5 years ago.

I do about 20k/year in my '8, though possibly a bit less now that I've started a new job a few months ago and we use the XC90 for family trips with the dog.

Do some more sums and yes, you get taxed on the allowance as it essentially becomes part of your salary, but if the '8 is essentially paid for, and you can put that money away every month by standing order to a completely seperate account, you'd be surprised how quickly all the bills can be paid.

There's rarely a right or wrong answer for this, and sometimes it's even just down to 'which car do I like more'. Just don't buy Bavarian (unless it's beer!). :D

I've come at this from every which angle over the years, and heres my take on having a company car:

Pros:

Fixed cost motoring
Park it anywhere and not care
Brand new motor, can be nice, A '60' plate is always impressive +++
No insurance / tax / service worries
No concerns your private motor might let you down just before an important meet.

Cons:

Usually stuck with the same car for 2/3 years
Usually limited as to what options etc you can have
Usually cant modify it to make it more useable (eg sat nav etc)
Unless you do a lot of personal miles, the co car tax usually isnt worth it
Terminating your private car insurance usually loses you 3rd party cover etc for other cars
In my experience, most jobs with a 'company car' usually start with a 6 month probationary period where you get the drive the fleet offcast before getting a decent shiny new motor, so prepare for some aging un-tax friendly heap if thats the case :o


Of course, opt out schemes these days have become more and more complicated with HSE implications, so its common place now to be limited on age / engine size etc depending on whether they are providing fuel etc.

Personally, I love my 8, and driving around the country getting from A to B is what it was built to do. I genuinely avoid any jobs that constrict in any way the potential for me to run my personal A8 as an opt out as I just know having to drive anything else would be pants in comparison.

So, in summary, if you're a car enthusiast, I'd recommend the (usually) increased flexibiliy of an opt out. Alternitively, go for the company motor, but either way, good luck +++

My fourpence says a company car, kind of ties the company into you, a little. This could make a difference if decisions are being made about who goes, who stays.
I personally would not want to put heavy miles on an ageing 8. You won't be impressing anyone when it lets you down and being realistic, she will.
A4's, 3's they are all great motors and you can always go back into personal ownership, with a newer 8 if you want, at some future date.
Good luck with the outcome +++