Thinking of taking the plunge...

[TheMightyKingTubby]

Hi
I'm toying with buying the GX4h and putting it through the books of my limited company. I would mainly be using it for my 10 mile commute to work which is primarily country lanes with the last couple of miles being on the edge of Milton Keynes. So, 20 mile around trip 4 or 5 times a week with local running at the weekend when I revert to a dads taxi for my two kids.

Once a week max I do a round trip of 110 miles, with about 90 of those miles on the motorway.

I will be replacing my old Rav4 with the Outlander - the RAV4 is a great car but its a bit long in the tooth now and at 29mpg not the most efficient of cars! I reckon I spend about £300-£350 a month on petrol.

I'm sold on the looks and practicality of the Outlander but what will be the real decider is cost. Do you think that the monthly lease cost will be offset by my savings in petrol based on the above commute? What is the experience of others on this forum - have the predicted savings come true or should I be wary of believing the marketing hype?

 

[gobiman]

My experience so far (1500 miles) is similar and I would comment as follows -
1. I (or more accurately my wife) uses it as a schhol run car in London (15 miles a day). It runs on all-electric. Key issue is being able to charge at home. In London, it will do around 22-25 miles maximum on electric. On country lanes it would do a bit more. Cheap motoring!
2. For longer trips, I typically hit SAVE as the speed limit hits 70 as electric is optimised for town/lower speeds. For estimating the cost of your weekly trip, it will be roughly 35 mpg at 70 mph (for 90 miles) + one charge (whatever that costs but not much).
3. I bought it outright in my company (100% write-off against tax year 1) and BIK is 5% so very efficient. Not sure about leasing.
4. Overall I'm delighted. It is a very efficient, spacious and safe vehicle for bussing the children around and I really enjoy driving it in town. I'm lucky to have other cars for fun!
Hope this helps

 

[TheMightyKingTubby]

Thanks - very helpful.

I don't do a huge amount of motorway driving so I can take the hit on economy for the occasional blast up the M1

I guess the key to this car (from an economy point of view at least) seems to be using it for short hops around town/in the country with regular charging.

 

[gobiman]

Spot on.
In my view,it really works best for a rather niche profile -
1.Being able to charge regularly (ideally overnight at home).
2.Short commute/school run - ideally within 30 miles before recharge.
3.Ability to company fund to maximise tax efficiency. Bonus of congestion zone free for London.
I'm not sure it is the ultimate eco weapon and some potential buyers do seem to be trying to do round pegs in square holes (and convincing themselves it works for them).Although it is quite comfy long distance (and of course you can actually do long distance in it!), after 30 miles or so you are simply driving a rather heavy 2 litre petrol SUV - a diesel X3 is far more efficient. There have even been a couple of negative reviews (one in Sunday Times) criticising the car's performance (without having access to regular charging) which in my view simply miss the point.
Personally I find it an ideal urban/suburban runaround - nippy, spacious, safe, efficient, easy to drive (great reversing cam) and with a surprisingly tight turning circle - and I can still drive to Scotland or the Alps without worrying about recharging. I also like the fact it is smart but quite anoymous to look at and unlikely to upset the anti-SUV brigade or attract the attentions of thieves or keyers.

 

[Eggtastico]

buying.. 100% tax write off in the first year
5% bik
zero car tax (how much is road tax for a similar sized car?)
business pays you 16p per legitimate business mile

IF you can recharge at your place of work.. (ie so your not paying for the electric)
then free motoring D

 

[maby]

A lot will depend on your driving style, you know. You already know that the electric range is limited - it will be enough to cover your short weekday trips - it's that 110 mile motorway trip that will be the critical factor in your calculations. You will find plenty of people here that will tell you that the fuel economy after the battery is flat is little better than 30mpg. They must have a heavy right foot. You will also find plenty complaining that the electric range is a lot less than the headline 32 mile range. People are discussing all sorts of strategies for maximising fuel economy - I think it is simple - drive gently! I was having no difficulty in achieving 43mpg with a flat battery over the weekend - but I seldom drive at more than 60mph and hardly ever touch the accelerator - I drive on cruise control almost all the time - including in town.