468 – Choosing the right business car

Business owner wanted this – an Audi A6 allroad – but opted for a Volvo V70 because it was cheaper. He says he should have spent the money on the Audi and been more satisfied with his business car

Business Car Manager: Editor’s Blog

MAKING the right decision on your next business car is so crucial. And for most business owners getting a car that makes you feel good – a car you want to drive every time you start it up – is so, so important.

To prove a point, I met up with a small business owner on Friday – he was the husband of one of my wife’s interior design colleagues – and he was very kindly taking all of us to a social event.

He likes his cars – his ideal mode of transport would be a Range Rover or an Audi RS6 Avant, car tastes uncannily similar to my own. But for now he was driving a Volvo V70 estate. Nothing wrong with it he said. But nothing right, either.

“I was going to get an Audi A6 allroad, and was just about to sign on the dotted line when I was offered this V70. It was cheaper and I took it. And I still don’t know why. Every time I drive it, I regret not spending the extra on the Audi.”

I was recounting this story last night to Paul Bulloch, owner of leasing car providers Concept Vehicle Leasing. Paul admitted himself to this faux pas. “We’ve all made that mistake,” Paul said. “I once took this car – a Volvo S40 actually – because on paper it had all the spec. And yet it was the wrong decision. It was so uninspiring to drive that I didn’t look forward to getting in it. I jumped out of that as soon as I could.”

This isn’t meant to be a pop at Volvo; it is, by coincidence, just the manufacturer involved in each case. In fact, many years back, when a major leasing company was trialling a leasing scheme for used cars, I took an Audi A4 Avant diesel. It sounded good over the phone, but I hated its colour, the fact that there was still a faint aroma of cigarette smoke, and did everything I could to avoid driving the thing. Like Paul, I chopped it in for something I really wanted.

I recount these stories, though, as a salutary lesson to us all. It’s worth spending the money on something you really want, that makes you feel good every time you drive. After all, running your own small business is hard work. It takes up a lot of your time, but it does have rewards, and one of these should be a decent car.