Current lead times

[Petrolpusher]

I'm just embarking on my search for a new company car - currently in a very high spec. BMW 520d Luxury with a load of options. Most of my colleagues are going with the BMW 330e MSport for the BIK savings - but kit levels are relatively poor and I'd prefer to pay a little extra each month to get a bigger car with more of the luxuries I'm used to. Now Lexus have added CarPlay to the ES, it's shot to the top of my list.

Down side is that BMW residuals and / or manufacturer support means the lease rates are more competitive  than Lexus - even though the ES300h is £5k cheaper than the 330e, the lease cost is higher, so I would only be able to order a base ES and may not even get metallic paint (I want Mesa Red!).

The BMW goes back first week of June - so I need to plan my order to ensure I get my new car in time, or I end up continuing to pay a lot of tax on a 100k mile car.

Are lead times still crazy? - one of my colleagues says he ordered Spring 2019 and still doesn't have his ES!

[Habu]

Your nearest Lexus centre would be able to advise an approximate date based on your model, trim and colour choice.  These dates are pretty close to the actual date.  I don’t understand how your colleague has been waiting 9 months; that doesn’t sound right.  Normally, a factory order is bang on 3 months from order to receipt but when the ES was released 12 months ago us ‘early adopters’ ended up waiting around 6 months because of demand and availability of the 4th generation engine and hybrid system.  Again, normally, once the initial rush is over to be one of the first to own a new model things settle down.

Speak to your nearest Lexus centre and let us know how you get on.

 

[Petrolpusher]

Not had time to check with Lexus yet - the ES disappeared from our car list for a week... it's back now, but just 4p under budget.

I get the feeling it may drop out of scope if I can't order it this month. This will push me to a BMW 330e Sport - my colleagues have all ordered the MSport, but I need lumbar adjust and just can't add it to an MSport as it goes over £40k. (When did such an ordinary, fairly cramped, saloon get to such silly money?)

[royoftherovers]

6 minutes ago, Petrolpusher said:

Not had time to check with Lexus yet - the ES disappeared from our car list for a week... it's back now, but just 4p under budget.

I get the feeling it may drop out of scope if I can't order it this month. This will push me to a BMW 330e Sport - my colleagues have all ordered the MSport, but I need lumbar adjust and just can't add it to an MSport as it goes over £40k. (When did such an ordinary, fairly cramped, saloon get to such silly money?)

The new Toyota Camry ?

Walk away from the crowd !

[Petrolpusher]

I would, if Toyota were on our list.

We only have what the business consider 'premium' brands.

Audi, BMW, Lexus, VW and Volvo.

[F.A.]

2 hours ago, Petrolpusher said:

I would, if Toyota were on our list.

We only have what the business consider 'premium' brands.

Audi, BMW, Lexus, VW and Volvo.

VW... premium, really? I wouldn’t class that as any more premium than Toyota, but I guess the press do. 
 

No Mercedes? 

[Petrolpusher]

Mercedes were removed a couple of years ago when Lexus were added (Truly proving they are the 'Japanese Mercedes'!) - because they didn't offer any emissions and tax efficient 3 and 5 series sized cars. Whilst they do today, the prices push over £40k, which is making some cars prohibitively expensive once the lease company has added the extra VED to the monthly cost.

However, the whole thing has backfired in a big way - Volvo and VW were added on the promise of PHEVs which help our fleet average CO2 and save end users significant money in BIK... but the monthly lease costs are so high, nobody gets to choose a VW or Volvo PHEV anyway!

If the ES300h falls off our list, I'm back to a 330e as being the only choice. I could have a UX or IS, but recent monthly price rises have taken the specifications I'd have wanted out of budget (I had looked at the UX250h Premium+ Tech and Sound - can now only have Premium + or F-Sport Nav, similar story with the IS300h which was available as a Premium+, now only as comfort or sport)

I have got an interview for a promotion in a week or so, should I land that, I guess an ES300h in Mesa Red will end up on my drive.

[i-s]

3 hours ago, Petrolpusher said:

I would, if Toyota were on our list.

We only have what the business consider 'premium' brands.

Audi, BMW, Lexus, VW and Volvo.

Volvo are missing a trick by not putting the T5 TwinEngine hybrid into the S/V60 - they should be able to get that under the £40k threshold. 

Would your business add Tesla to the list? They would easily recoup a few £ over the £40k on the fuel savings, and your BIK would be 0 for 2020. Way more spacious than a BMW 3. 

[Petrolpusher]

I work for the world's largest oil company!

[i-s]

8 minutes ago, Petrolpusher said:

I work for the world's largest oil company!

So.... 340i then? 😛

Company should cover the BIK! (Yes, I know that's not how that works... just musing on the entertaining clash between BIK rules and your company's mission)

[Petrolpusher]

We always joke that we should be encouraged to order 5lt V8 Mustangs! If they weren't available for personal use, we could get away with nil BIK, too...

However, the strangest thing is that we have a 120g/km CO2 limit on company cars as, although we are an oil company, we need to be seen to be 'responsible'.

[Petrolpusher]

So, after a lot of digging around, I have found the WLTP emissions.

 

120g/km.

 

Which means, post April 2020, none of the current Lexus range is viable as a company car. I hate BIK - I do 30-35k miles / year, less than 1k is private - yet my tax bill will run to nearly £330 / month to have a suitable company car.

 

*sigh*

 

Looks like it's the same as everyone else, then - a BMW 330e.