Having a pickup as a company car might be quite an odd concept for some (it certainly isn’t traditional) but we predict that it will become increasingly popular in the coming years.
But, which pickups make the best company cars?
In this article, we take a look at the pickups that are on the more luxurious side and therefore would make great company cars.
What are the advantages of having a pickup as a company car?
Firstly, why would you even get a pickup as a company car?
There are quite a few reasons why, for example;
- They are practical
- They make practical vehicles for both business and private use, particularly if you are doing long journeys or occasionally drive on rougher terrain.
- They are luxurious
- Not something you might be expecting, but pickups are becoming pretty luxurious. You’ll find this out in a little bit but there are some pickups that are even more luxurious than cars.
- They are taxed as vans
- This is important because with the company car tax changes you could end up paying more for your company car. However, a pickup is considered a van, which means that it has a fixed BIK rate regardless of the P11d value, CO2 emissions etc. This can save you a huge amount of money. For more information on company car tax for vans, you can read our article here.
What are the best pickups for a company car?
So, which pickups are the best suited to double up as a company car? Let’s take a look at our favourites.
Ford Ranger
Fun fact; the Ford Ranger was the first pickup to receive the five-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP. It’s also one of the easier pickups to drive and comes with a range of updated safety equipment that makes it more like a car than ever before.
It can switch between two and four-wheel drive depending on the terrain and has plenty of interior space, which means you can comfortably fit a family of four.
It can return up to 43.5 mpg and for an extra cost, you can add a lot of safety equipment. This includes lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation.
Nissan NP300 Navara
The brand new Navara is one of the most highly rated pickups, and with good reason. It’s also the most efficient in its class, achieving 46.3mpg.
It comes with the NissanConnect sat nav and entertainment system which means that as long as your smartphone is compatible, you can use social media and other apps hands-free. Its interior is about as luxurious as you can get from a pickup with dual zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof and zero gravity inspired seats to help your posture. Seats that are inspired by astronauts. Imagine.It also comes with loads of safety equipment with forward emergency braking, vehicle dynamic control and traction control system. It also comes with electronic brake-force distribution which increases rear braking power if you are carrying a heavy load. Plus, you get Nissan’s five-year warranty. Which is always a bonus.
Volkswagen Amarok
The Amarok is one of the best-selling pickups in Europe. It’s a considered a more premium pickup than the other two and comes with a lot of equipment as well as an executive interior.It can carry five people comfortably which makes it perfect for family trips on the weekends. It has selectable two or four-wheel drive and comes with hill start assist and hill descent control. It also comes with leather interior, heated front seats and privacy glass. It also comes with an infotainment system. Essentially, the interior is more executive saloon than it is a pickup. Which makes it a perfect company car. It can achieve 37.2mpg which is more than the Ford Ranger but less than the Navara but it more than makes up for it in luxury.
Toyota Hilux
Did you know the Toyota Hilux has been on sale for nearly 50 years? Obviously, it’s had a few face-lifts since then but over 18 million have been sold since it first hit the roads. The Hilux is known for its reliability and practicality but that doesn’t mean that it has compromised in luxury. The interior is more Toyota Auris than commercial pickup and comes with a range of equipment. The entry-level model gets heated door mirrors, Bluetooth, steering wheel audio controls and a cooled glovebox.
Safety equipment includes hill start assist and trailer sway assist. The higher spec levels get Toyota’s Touch 2 infotainment system with DAB radio.It manages 40.4mpg, more than the Amarok, and it comes with Toyota’s five-year/100,000 mile warranty. The Hilux also has great resale values, even more so than its rivals.
Mitsubishi L200
The Mitsubishi L200 has become a bit of a favourite, and it’s easy to see why. It comes with a huge amount of equipment and is one of the better-looking pickups on the market today. The five-seat cab means you can fit a family comfortably and there is a generous amount of standard equipment.All models get air-con, switchable four-wheel drive system, traction control and Trailer Stability Assist. Other trim levels include things such as DAB radio, privacy glass and lane departure warnings. Safety equipment includes stability and traction control system and an adjustable speed limiter.There is plenty of space inside, and it looks more like a car than it does a burly pickup. The entry level can achieve 40.9mpg and the highest spec can achieve 39.8mpg, so the numbers aren’t bad compared to its rivals. It also comes with a five-year/62,000 mile warranty with 12 years of anti-corrosion cover.
The Great Wall Steed S
If you’re looking for a pickup that does the job but don’t want to compromise on price then the Great Wall Steed S is the pickup you want to look at.The Steed S prides itself on reliability and safety and comes with the equipment to prove it. Some of the safety features include anti-lock braking system and electronic brake force distribution. It also comes with leather interior, heated seats and Alpine double DIN radio.
Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-MAX has a very impressive premium range. Take the Yukon, for example. The Yukon is between the entry level and the highest level D-MAX trim and comes with an impressive amount of equipment.For example, leather steering wheel (with audio and cruise controls), 17″ alloys and a load liner to make it even more prestigious. It also comes with a six-speaker audio system with speakers embedded in the roof lining. The roof lining. All new D-MAX pickups now come with a 125,000 mile/5 year warranty. There is also a new D-MAX being launched very soon…so keep your eyes peeled.
BONUS PICKUP: Mercedes-Benz X-Class
We couldn’t finish this article without mentioning the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. The reason it’s not on our official list is because it hasn’t been released yet, but should be launched late this year (2017).
The X-Class is said to be a game changer for the pickup market, and will pave the way for even more luxurious pickups in the future. Mercedes claim that this is the ‘world’s first premium pickup truck’ and is part of the deal with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Which might be why it’s built on the same platform as the Nissan Navara and the Renault Alaskan.
The interior wouldn’t look out of place in a Mercedes executive saloon, featuring brushed metal and carbon surfaces with black leather upholstery. It comes with a free-standing tablet display and functions can be controlled with the touchpad interface. Okay, we’ll stop swooning now. But, come late 2017, this will be at the top of our list for company pickups.
Hopefully this has given you some idea into what pickups you might want to be looking at for a company car. All of these have versions (double cabs) that mean they qualify as a van in the eyes of the HMRC. Therefore they are eligible for the fixed rate rather than the sliding scale.
The hi lux is a great vehicle but no Iso fix seat anchors , which is a bit of a let down for a so called family pick up. I’ve had 3 . But have just ordered my second ford ranger . The Mitsubishi l200 is also a nice vehicle but doesn’t have the build quality or strength that the ford & Toyota have .