A soggy day for it: some of the cars assembled for the judging process for the Professional Driver awards
Business Car Manager: Editor’s Blog
ON TUESDAY I was at the Sandown Park race course not to watch the finest race horses run, but to judge the finest cars for the chauffeur and private hire market for the Professional Driver awards.
A rather nice BMW 530d had turned up at the office the day before and it was this I drove to Sandown as it was on the judging list. However, as I parked up I did have a bit of a shock.
There was my black Audi A6. I did a double-take. Sure enough: a black A6 SE in in 2.0 TDIe trim. I couldn’t remember the editor asking me for my car…As I moved closer it suddnely became clear – a ’10’ plate.
Later on I recounted this story to editor Mark Bursa (who also edits our sister title Business Van Manager). Mark said the A6 was emerging as something of a dark horse among the executive car contestants based on its specification, size, and value for money. Hard to disagree! However, Mark is currently sorting through all the voting forms so we won’t have any whtie smoke for some time on the winners.
I drove a wide range of cars. I love the look of the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, but its engine refinement is well wide of the mark. The Skoda Superb Estate was a complete revelation: quiet, refined, spacious…no wonder the Superb is our Best Family Car in our Best Business Cars supplement.
However, the interior space of the Superb is made to look miniscule by the rear passenger space available to captains of industry in the back of the Jaguar XJ LWB. It is truly capacious. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to drive this car, but did get a blast in the Jaguar XF – what a car. My drive of the day.
I suspect the Jaguar XJ will have its work cut out against the BMW 730d LWB, though. The sheer refinement of this car is amazing. Not only that, chauffeurs will get so much driving satisfaction from behind the wheel.
What else? There was the new Saab 9-5. Some of the judges there were giving the car a bit of a hard time. My feeling was that it was unwarranted. It looks great – nicely different in the executive car market. It’s large and spacious too.
Certainly there’s an over-emphasis on too much plastic in the interior; and the quality is not up to Audi standards. But it’s a very interesting car now that Saab are fully back on the automotive map. And check this out too: according to Concept Vehicle Leasing, which supplies our contract hire quotations, you can drive this car for
