geoffshep69
Well-known member
Had my PHEV for 3 years now, and have really enjoyed it, but time to move on unfortunately and I’m not going to be replacing it with another one.
I got mine at a time when the tax treatment was extremely favourable, particularly with the government grant towards the purchase price and the 5% BIK tax. As a company car driver, it made a lot of sense at that time, as the monthly lease cost to me was about £100 than what I would pay for an equivalent diesel SUV. That was before adding in the saving from ‘electric miles; being cheaper than ‘petrol miles’ so it really was a bit of a no brainer for me at the time.
Unfortunately the increase in lease prices, plus the ever increasing BIK figure, means that it simply doesn’t make economic sense to take it on a company car scheme any more, and the high cost of the PHEV (in comparison to other petrol / diesel SUVs) means that it doesn’t make sense as a personal purchase either.
Appreciate that the economics aren’t everything, and some people will say they bought their’s for the environmental impact, etc. That’s fine, I have no problem with that, each to their own choice, but for me the figures have to add up and I’m not going to pay over the odds just for some perceived additional value that I am helping the environment.
I’ve liked the car, and have very few niggles with it. Its big, comfortable, easy to drive and has never given me a problem. It eats up the motorway miles when required, and is perfectly civilised (and quiet) to drive around town. The MMCS is adequate, rather than brilliant, and it’s a little clunky but its by no means terrible and I’ve had no issues with the sat nav despite what some others post on here. Fuel consumption (once battery depleted) has dropped off a bit over the past year, despite my driving style remaining constant. Not sure why that is, but I used to easily get the concensus figure of 35mpg, whereas now its more like 32mpg. The ‘racing engine’ can be a little annoying, but you soon learn to live with it and understand why its doing that. Its only when I have people in the car and it happens, that I feel the need to either explain the noise or to ease off the throttle a bit. The pre-heating is a god send in the winter, and the app is functional, albeit clearly a previous generation interface.
Couldn’t decide what to get next….wanted something a bit sportier, bit more upmarket, but also still with 5 doors and a hatchback. Would never ever consider going back to a saloon car with a ‘boot’. Considered Audi A5 Sportback, and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, but have ended up going for a Mercedes GLC Coupe. For some reason the lease price for the Coupe is slightly cheaper than the SUV, despite the list price being £3000 - £4000 higher.
Anyway, this forum has been a great source of information for me. There are so many on here who are prepared to share their knowledge and experience, so hopefully this forum keeps going strong for future PHEV owners.
All the best to everyone on here.
I got mine at a time when the tax treatment was extremely favourable, particularly with the government grant towards the purchase price and the 5% BIK tax. As a company car driver, it made a lot of sense at that time, as the monthly lease cost to me was about £100 than what I would pay for an equivalent diesel SUV. That was before adding in the saving from ‘electric miles; being cheaper than ‘petrol miles’ so it really was a bit of a no brainer for me at the time.
Unfortunately the increase in lease prices, plus the ever increasing BIK figure, means that it simply doesn’t make economic sense to take it on a company car scheme any more, and the high cost of the PHEV (in comparison to other petrol / diesel SUVs) means that it doesn’t make sense as a personal purchase either.
Appreciate that the economics aren’t everything, and some people will say they bought their’s for the environmental impact, etc. That’s fine, I have no problem with that, each to their own choice, but for me the figures have to add up and I’m not going to pay over the odds just for some perceived additional value that I am helping the environment.
I’ve liked the car, and have very few niggles with it. Its big, comfortable, easy to drive and has never given me a problem. It eats up the motorway miles when required, and is perfectly civilised (and quiet) to drive around town. The MMCS is adequate, rather than brilliant, and it’s a little clunky but its by no means terrible and I’ve had no issues with the sat nav despite what some others post on here. Fuel consumption (once battery depleted) has dropped off a bit over the past year, despite my driving style remaining constant. Not sure why that is, but I used to easily get the concensus figure of 35mpg, whereas now its more like 32mpg. The ‘racing engine’ can be a little annoying, but you soon learn to live with it and understand why its doing that. Its only when I have people in the car and it happens, that I feel the need to either explain the noise or to ease off the throttle a bit. The pre-heating is a god send in the winter, and the app is functional, albeit clearly a previous generation interface.
Couldn’t decide what to get next….wanted something a bit sportier, bit more upmarket, but also still with 5 doors and a hatchback. Would never ever consider going back to a saloon car with a ‘boot’. Considered Audi A5 Sportback, and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, but have ended up going for a Mercedes GLC Coupe. For some reason the lease price for the Coupe is slightly cheaper than the SUV, despite the list price being £3000 - £4000 higher.
Anyway, this forum has been a great source of information for me. There are so many on here who are prepared to share their knowledge and experience, so hopefully this forum keeps going strong for future PHEV owners.
All the best to everyone on here.
