Business Car Manager highly rates XC60

[simonjedrake]

The below article in todays Business Car Manager online magazine highly rates the XC60 D5 SE

http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/...olvo-values/1/

[Considered1]

Sounds like it was written in 2013, touchscreen as standard err yeah of course, did you actually drive one mr Journalist?
Also don't know why anyone would want to pay £400pm company car tax benefit on a D5, which is what I'd expect a publication like "business car manager" to headline a new D4 (which is mentioned for two lines at the end, but most reader probably won't get that far!)

[Harvey1512]

D4 is the future for the company car market due to the low emissions and tax. Fleet managers would not let you near a D5 now unless you were the top dog.

[tickedon]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

D4 is the future for the company car market due to the low emissions and tax. Fleet managers would not let you near a D5 now unless you were the top dog.

Tax is for the individual though, not for the company... The NI would be pretty negligible.

[Harvey1512]

Originally Posted by tickedon

Tax is for the individual though, not for the company... The NI would be pretty negligible.

Quite correct but I think fleets now are often bracketing cars allowed by drivers by emissions as well as by price. Not so for small companies where greater flexibility exists but more so for bigger ones. I don't know what the lease costs are like for D5's but the D4 lease costs are very aggressive.

[Considered1]

Benefit in kind rates are set to increase for the next few years so higher tax for both employee and employer, especially for higher emissions like the D5. Depends how big the company is if they can pay £1500 per year NI per vehicle. 13.8% of say 26% of £40,000 certainly not negligible.

[tickedon]

Originally Posted by Considered1

Benefit in kind rates are set to increase for the next few years so higher tax for both employee and employer, especially for higher emissions like the D5. Depends how big the company is if they can pay £1500 per year NI per vehicle. 13.8% of say 26% of £40,000 certainly not negligible.

No, but the difference between the engines is - taking a XC60 D4 SE Lux Nav vs XC60 AWD D5 SE Lux Nav, you'd pay about £298 more NI as an employer now and about £312 more in 3 years time (assuming NI rates don't change). My only last thought is that I thought most people were moving away from providing the company car, as it's no longer the tax efficient perk it used to be.

[Harvey1512]

It's not the perk it once was but I like it still as it offers worry free motoring. There is now a very real choice however whereas in the past it was a no brainer.

[ChrisL]

I work for a large multi national healthcare company and at the start of the year we imposed a 130 emissions limit on all company cars below senior Vice President level!

Whilst the d4 gets below it and lease pricing is good, they need to improve their autos. I really fancied one but goes up 2 brackets and would cost me 30 quid a month in tax more. The 5 series touring (my second choice car) is in the same bracket so much less impact on tax. Sp I do think this will limite the XC sales somewhat (although q5 and x3 failed to come within my monthly allowance)

[GS79]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

D4 is the future for the company car market due to the low emissions and tax. Fleet managers would not let you near a D5 now unless you were the top dog.

Well, not necessarily..in an SUV the d4 can produce similar, or greater emissions and lower economy than in, say, an S60 or V60 D5. Depends on the variant, of course. AND, the D5 polestar upgrade doesn't affect nominal emissions in my V60, so for me, it's the ideal choice.

of course its only relevant as long as current tax bands are in place, which may push buyers to lighter cars using that engine variant...

Though if I was in the market for an SUV then I agree, I'd have it as a D4 due to the mpg penalties and tax implications of a D5 in that car..