Whilst it is lovely for you to have two cars paid for by the company
that is a totally ridiculous situation and is the reason that the car industry suddenly found itself up shit creek as it relies mostly on companies spunking totally unnecessary amounts of cash on cars which are then traded in having been barely used.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:22, 2 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

Are you jealous
Because you haven't got your new car yet?
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:24, Reply)

I am jealous as I would love someone to buy me a nice car,
but I'm also pointing out how utterly ludicrous it is.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:27, Reply)

I'll agree it's ludicrous
I want to bring my car if I move to London, but I see it possibly being a slight logistical issue.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:30, Reply)

It's less of a problem if you've got guarenteed parking
or at least relatively quiet permit parking. If you're going to do it, check out the parking situation in the evenings and weekends as well as during the day.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:32, Reply)

Sounds like a good plan
I'll leave it up here for a bit to start with and bring it down at some point afterwards. Also, be jealous that I have a car Al. Jealous I tells ya.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:34, Reply)

I have a car.
And a van, I don't even use my car as I use my van and therefore don't pay for fuel either.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:43, Reply)

Well, this has backfired
Now I feel jealous.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:50, Reply)

I sold my car when I moved to Manchester
and I haven't really missed it, although am allowed to borrow Wiggy's if I need to so I suppose I should shut up.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:32, Reply)

I agree that it's ridiculous
But the difference here is that since the company builds the cars in question, it's not spending anything like what you'd think on building them in the first place.

The actual manufacturing cost of a car is only a fraction of what it retails for. Management have to pay a lease charge on those cars for the 6 months that they have them. After the 6 months they are released into the dealership network as 'approved used cars'. The lease charge that the managers pay makes up a good chunk of the difference between what the dealer would pay for a brand new example minus any incentives, and what they pay for the lightly used example.

In short, they make as much money doing that as they do by selling a new car to Joe Public.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:30, Reply)

I consider myself well and truly told.

(Bazongaloid, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:33, Reply)

The problem rears its head though
when you have a large volume manufacturer doing that. Ever noticed how pretty much all the recent-ish used cars on a Ford dealer's forecourt are 'Ford Direct' vehicles with an Essex registration plate?

There's so many of them, there's little incentive to actually buy a new one.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Fri 27 Aug 2010, 9:37, Reply)