Renault Megane Cabriolet

If you are trawling the Internet, researching and comparing contract hire prices on loads of sites, it is always sensible to make sure you are comparing prices on a like for like basis. You may see a really cheap contract hire “headline rental” that looks too good to be true and there are many ways that other companies may manipulate the rental of the vehicle they are offering you, to do this.

Below is a useful Contract Hire Checklist which should help you compare prices on a like for like basis.

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The Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 3-door is currently on offer on Volkswagen contract hire from only £172+VAT per month.

This really is an economical, low CO2 hatchback with a combined mpg of 81.7 and the car emits only 91 g/km of CO2. Built to the usual Volkswagen build quality this is an ideal company car for any small business fleet if value for money is on your shopping list.

Volkswagen contract hire terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over a four-year year contract at 10,000 miles per year – total 40,000 miles.

- Only three month rentals in advance followed by 47 subsequent rentals.

-  This totals 50 equal payments

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and all other accessory options can be added to your vehicle at an extra cost to the rental shown above.

- Please note the image we have shown may not represent the exact model.

- Pricing is subject to change at any time and must be verified directly with each vehicle leasing supplier.

- Three year rental is from £183+VAT per month.

V8 engine fitted in B 55

Mercedes-Benz trainees have constructed a one-off Mercedes-Benz B-Class B55 with a V8 engine and rear-wheel drive as a project completed in their training workshop. The idea came from Rastatt plant manager, Peter Wesp, and the brief was quite simple.

1. The spatial concept of the B-Class was to remain unchanged.
2. Only minor conversions allowed on the outside too.
3. Interior was upgraded to the new vehicle class they were aspiring too.
4. The conversion has to be suitable for day-to driving.

A standard B-Class B200 CDI was used for the project and the standard engine was replaced by a 5.5-litre V8 developing 388hp together with a seven-speed automatic transmission. Twin exhaust pipes at the rear capture the burbling sound of the V8 and the car has parts poached from the C32 AMG and E-Class as well.

Mercedes-Benz B 55 with V8

Painted in a trendy white with dark-painted louvres and smoked headlamp lenses the B-Class certainly stands out but only gives a discreet impression of the power beneath the bonnet. Although no official performance figures have been released the Mercedes-Benz team is confident the car can reach 0-100 km/h (62mph) in under 6 seconds. Mercedes-Benz car leasing on the standard B Class range is also on the site now.

The Government has announced its plans to ensure that local authorities and the police will have to publish full information about speed cameras in your area. The proposals have been announced by Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, and the data requirements could include information on accident rates at camera sites,vehicle speeds and the number of offences recorded by the cameras.

Mike Penning said,”Public bodies should be accountable and if taxpayers’ money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public”.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is consulting on a new single government data list and this can be found at http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment

/decentralisation/tacklingburdens/databurdens/. This also includes the proposal for speed camera inventories to be made public by local authorities to support public accountability.

The Freight Transport Association has condemned the latest fuel duty increase of 0.76 pence per litre that comes into effect on the 1st January 2011. This will be the third rise in fuel duty since April 2010 and puts a further strain on operating costs of UK hauliers.

This fuel duty increase will push diesel prices to within four pence per litre of the all-time highs reached in July 2008, when oil prices were as $145 a barrel.  Diesel represents about 35 per cent of running a truck and this additional burden is likely to be passed onto customers, where possible.

The FTA’s Chief Economist, Simon Chapman, commented,”Diesel is not an optional extra for the industry. It is essential to keep shops stocked and businesses supplied with materials. Rises in fuel commodity prices have already left operators facing diesel prices nine pence per litre higher than a year ago-adding £3,800 per year to the bill of running an articulated truck. This latest fuel duty increase, together with those previously introduce this year will add a further £1,200 per year”.

If you are looking for the cheapest fuel prices in your area click here.

Audi A3

One of the best ways to find a car in your lease budget price range, by brand, by transmission, by fuel and type & length of contract is to use the Vehicle Type Car Leasing Shopper (for vans too). For example, by selecting Hatchback, Audi, Diesel and then clicking to see the results, you will see a range of affordable cars. Once you get a set of results you can easily modify the contract terms as well by using the buttons on the left of the page and clicking the “UPDATE RESULTS” button.

One of the many benefits of contract hire leasing is that sometimes a car that costs more to buy outright, can actually be less expensive when leased. This is due to a number of factors but the biggest reason is vehicle depreciation. If you want to know how a contract hire leasing rental is calculated then click here.

For example, an Audi A3 2.0 TDI 3-door diesel hatchback with Start/Stop, has a manufacturer list price today of £19,595 and on Audi business car leasing on a four year contract, non-maintained, 3+47 rental profile and 10,000 miles per annum, the contract hire leasing rental is £240.00+VAT.

The Audi A3 1.6 TDI SE diesel Sportback has an Audi manufacturer list price of £19,470 – pretty much the same as the model above, but the contract hire leasing rental on the same terms is £226.00+VAT.

They cost the same but the Sportback is £14 per month less expensive. On a 50 month contract rental profile this is a saving of £700. So why not give the Vehicle Type Shopper a go and see what you can afford- don’t forget to click the Orange Button on the right with the white cross to see all the rentals compared.

If you want to see combinations of manufacturers then tick the ones you like i.e. Audi, BMW and Volkswagen for example and don’t forget VAT goes up on the 4th January 2011 to 20% from 17.5%.

Skoda Superb

The Skoda Superb Estate has been voted “Best Estate” in the Daily Express’s Motoring Oscars and MSN cars also named the Superb Estate and Fabia vRS in the list of MSN Cars’ Best Cars of 2010.

Nat Barnes, of the Daily Express, said,”Superb estate has a huge 1,865-litre boot. Better still, prices start at just £17,720, undercutting the Mercedes E-Class by more than 12 grand. You won’t find more metal for your money”.

The hot Fabia vRS also made MSN’s list and Peter Burgess of MSN Cars said,”I had no preconceptions about the vRS, but within 100 metres I was smitten.The 180hp supercharged engine and turbocharged 1.4 is a dream, the DSG transmission superb and the chassis sublime. Simply enormous fun”. Skoda business car leasing is on the site now for all models in both ranges.

The ACEA economic report has announced that European total vehicle production in the EU rose by 15% in the first nine months of 2010, when compared to the same period in 2009. Car production rose by 13%, with vans expanding in all segments, in all three quarters as well.

The ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) was founded in 1991 and represents the interests of the sixteen European car, van, truck and bus manufacturers across Europe. The Association members include some of the major manufacturers, including the BMW Group, FIAT Group, Ford of Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group and Volvo Cars to name just a few.

These figures and other data can be found in the latest ACEA Economic Report published on the ACEA website.

If you are driving over the New Year, perhaps visiting relatives, then TRACKER, the leading fleet tracking expert, also offers a traffic and travel service off their website. The service uses standard Google map controls and TRACKER’s traffic service shows any UK location and displays up to date local traffic congestion.

Stephen Doran, Managing Director  of TRACKER, said,”The TRACKER website features up-to-the minute traffic and travel information across the UK, helping motorists avoid traffic congestion and icy or snowy conditions.We also use roadside cameras, so that drivers can see conditions for themselves and make informed travel decisions”.

New Mazda2

Mazda has launched an automatic version of the Mazda2 as part of the recent model upgrade and is expecting large demand from Motability drivers and driving schools. The Mazda2 has always been a favourite when leasing a car through the Motability scheme and this new model is bound to be popular. The Mazda2 will also join Mazda’s special driving school programme alongside the lower-medium sector, Mazda3.

Upgraded Mazda2

The new five-door automatic Mazda2 is being badged as the “TS2 Automatic” and has a four-speed automatic transmission paired to a 1.5-litre engine, returning 44.8 mpg and with CO2 emissions of just 146g/km.

The nine-strong new line-up in the Mazda2 range offers a choice of three petrol (1.3-litre 72ps, 84ps and 1.5-litre 102ps) and one diesel powertrain (1.6-litre 95ps) with four generous equipment levels.

The trim levels are TS, TS2, Tamura and Sport and every model now comes with remote central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows, electric door mirrors, a piano-black centre stack, CD radio with auxiliary jack and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm. Mazda business car leasing is available on the Mazda2 range now.