If you are a business, you might be considering getting vehicles for your employees, otherwise known as a fleet of cars.
There are loads of benefits of getting a fleet of cars for your business and there are lots of ways to go about getting a fleet.
But where do you start? The best place to start is to look at which cars you are going to get. Once you know which vehicles you want in your fleet, you will be able to move onto the next steps.
So which fleet cars are the best?
In this article, we look at the best fleet cars of 2017, the benefits of fleet leasing and how it works.
BMW 5 Series
BMW are hugely popular as company cars, they are often very affordable to lease and their executive look makes them very appealing to employees. One of the best BMW’s for your fleet is the 5 Series. It looks good, has a luxurious interior and comes with a huge standard specification including dual-zone climate control, cruise control and heated seats. It offers support for a range of tablets, of which can be adjusted to any angle, as it is on a 360 degree rotating frame. It also comes with the latest iDrive system, gesture control and semi-autonomous driving features. There are four suspension set-ups available and all models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Both diesels are efficient, with the 520d the most efficient.
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta has been around long enough and is popular enough that it is pretty much synonymous with Ford now. It also makes a great company car as it’s great to drive, doesn’t cost much to run and looks incredibly stylish. The engines are based on the turbocharged 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine and the 1.5 litre TDCi diesel engine emits just 82g/km of CO2, making it a great car for low company car tax.
Standard equipment includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, DAB and Bluetooth.
Mazda CX-5
If you’re looking for a fleet of cars that are reliable, then you can’t go wrong with a Mazda. And the CX-5 handles well, is hugely comfortable and is more refined than the previous model. There are two options when it comes to the diesel engine and one petrol unit. With the diesel engines you can get either a four-wheel drive and/or six-speed automatic gearbox. Additional features include privacy glass, auto lights and wipers as well as a seven-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, DAB and Bluetooth. Mazda also have SkyActiv engine tech which allows the performance of a large car but the economy of one that is much smaller. This means that the petrol claims a very respectable 47mpg and emits 149g/km of CO2. The diesel engine varies depending on which specification you go for. However, the two-wheel drive manual will see you 56.5mpg and will emit 132g/km of CO2.
Mini Countryman
Mini’s have always been popular, and there’s no question that your employees will be thrilled with the Mini Countryman. It comes in various four-wheel-drive versions and engines range from 1.5-litre petrol engines to 2.0-litre diesel. There is also a hybrid version available if you are looking for low company car tax. The manual claims an mpg of 62.8 and 118g/km of CO2. Standard equipment includes a colour navigation system and DAB radio as well as front foglights, leather clad steering wheel and heated wing mirrors.. You can also get a media pack which comes with an infotainment screen and Bluetooth pairing.
Vauxhall Insignia
The Vauxhall Insignia is great if you want something that looks the part, drives well and is just as executive as the likes of BMW but don’t want to compromise on price. The newest Insignia has more powerful headlamps, a new radiator grille and a redesigned lower valance. There are also new powertrain options including the efficient Ecoflex 1.6-litre turbodiesel, returning 75mpg and emits just 99g/km of CO2. The Insignia comes with an 8 inch colour touchscreen as well as a DAB radio and sat-nav. Entry-level specifications come with DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and automatic lights. Higher specifications will get the likes of tinted rear windows, anti-dazzle rear view mirror and adaptive headlights.
Land Rover Discovery
Land Rovers have become increasingly popular as of late, particularly with the rise of SUV’s in towns and cities, so the Land Rover Discovery is perfect if you also want to be on trend. There are now both six and four-cylinder options available and a revamped V6 engine. The best for the environment and for your wallet is the 2.0-litre diesel which boasts 43.5mpg and emits 171g/km of CO2. In-car tech features include rear-seat entertainment screens, wi-fi and surround-view cameras. You can also have an in-car TV for those longer journeys. Even in the lower specifications you get an impressive infotainment system, but this is upgraded to a more high-definition display and 10GB of memory space if you go for the higher specifications.
Nissan Micra
If you’re looking for a smaller fleet, then the Nissan Micra is the perfect car. It drives well, is hugely reliable and is great for the environment. You can choose from a 0.9-litre petrol engine as well as a 1.5-litre diesel. On the higher trims you get an infotainment system that comes with a 7 inch touchscreen and you can also have a built-in sat-nav and DAB radio. You can also pay for Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink so you can use your phone apps on the screen. Another impressive option is Bose stereo speakers. Other features include Bluetooth, cruise control and privacy glass on the higher specifications. Emissions range from 99-103g/km of CO2, so regardless of which engine you choose you are still going to be pretty environmentally friendly. Mpg also ranges from 61.4-88.3, so they are kind to your wallet too.
SEAT Arona
After the success of the Ateca, SEAT decided to venture further into the SUV market with the Arona. The engines on offer are 1.0-litre turbocharged petrols with a 1.5-litre petrol available from early 2018. On all trim levels you get the Infotainment system, which varies in size depending on which specification you go for. You also get a built-in sat-nav, DAB radio and wireless phone charging. You also get Apple Carplay and Android Auto mirroring. Other equipment includes cruise control, rear parking sensors and rain-sensing wipers on higher trim levels. You can also get keyless entry and adaptive cruise control on the highest trim level. The Arona claims between 55-71mpg and the most eco-friendly is the 1.0 TSI SE which emits 111g/km of CO2.
Honda Civic
Another hugely reliable brand is the Honda Civic and it is perfect for a company car. There are seven different trims to choose from as well as a choice of two petrol engines, a three-cylinder and a four-cylinder. A 1.6-litre diesel is thought to be following soon. By class standards, the Civic is comfortable to drive and drives well. The infotainment system comes as standard on the higher trims and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. You can also get a DAB radio on the higher trims and an eight-speaker sound system. If you upgrade to a higher trim you get an 11-speaker stereo.
Other equipment includes leather-trimmed steering wheel and driver seat lumbar adjustment. You can also get a safety pack that includes blind spot monitoring and cross traffic, as well as keyless entry.
Depending on which model you go for depends on the economy but ranges from 36.7-78.5mpg. The CO2 emissions also vary, ranging from 98-106g/km of CO2.
Skoda Kodiaq
If you’re looking for something larger but don’t want to compromise on price, then the Skoda Kodiaq is perfect for your fleet. You can choose from a five-seater or a seven-seater model, and engines range from a 1.4 petrol to a 2.9-litre diesel. You can also choose between front and four wheel drive as well as manual and automatic gearboxes. The Kodiaq comes with an optional adaptive suspension which means you can soften or stiffen the suspension as you wish. The infotainment system is available as standard in any trim apart from the entry-level S. DAB radio, USB sockets and Smartphone mirroring also come as standard. The range-topping model comes with wireless phone charging. You can also turn your Kodiaq into a wifi hotspot if you opt for the Technology pack.
Other features include keyless entry, folding tray tables and dual-zone climate control. Mpg ranges from 38.2-56.5 and the emissions range from 131-170g/km of CO2.
So those are some of our top choices for fleet vehicles.
What are the advantages of getting a fleet of cars?
There are loads of advantages to getting a fleet of cars. These include;
- It’s good for company morale
- Giving your employees a company car is a great way of boosting morale
- A company car attracts the best employees
- We have proven that in a study we did (Holly include link)
- It’s good for company image
- If all of your employees are driving nice cars, then it does wonders for company image
- If you lease your fleet, you get a huge number of tax benefits as well
How to get a fleet of vehicles
You can get a fleet of vehicles from either a vehicle broker or a dealership. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and they are suited to different people, businesses and fleets.
You will also have to consider what your fleet is going to be. Are you going to give your employees all the same model, trim and specification? Many businesses vary their fleet depending on the level of employee, the more senior roles get more executive vehicles, for example. Others, however, simply give their employees a budget and let them find their own vehicle and deal. In conclusion, there are some great vehicles out there that make great company cars. The cars above aren’t the only vehicles that make great company cars, but they are all economical, will cost you little in company car tax and will look great for company image. There are loads of advantages to getting a fleet of vehicles including the fact that it attracts the best employees and is great for morale. It also makes your company look good if your workers are driving around in the same brand new vehicles.
