Why Ford and Vauxhall are so popular fleet cars? Are they cheaper to buy?
If so, why other manufacturers are not trying to make them more competitive?
|
Company fleets or rentals?
They've always been popular rental fodder in the past, bought very cheaply, run for 6 months and around 10k miles and sold on a few months later at close to if not over purchase price, not a bad business model.
|
A particluar example was the deal between Vauxhall and British School of Motoring (before GM went in bankruptcy protection). Vauxhall supplied Corsa and Astras to BSM at no cost. BSM ran them for around six months, where they were then replaced. The ex-BSM cars were sold through Vauxhall dealers as Network Q cars. The pay-off for GM was that fairly high numbers of learners who passed their tests, bought the same make/model of car they learned to drive in - ie Vauxhalls.
When GM hit financial trouble, they cancelled the arrangement with BSM. BSM went for a while with Fiat (mainly with the 500). However, they have returned to the GM fold (I think with a different deal) as instructors found the Fiats too small (not particularly as regards teaching, but regarding using the Fiats as everyday transport).
|
Since quite large sums are involved, one can't help suspecting that manufacturers or middlemen may offer fleet buyers certain inducements - junkets to Bali with complimentary dancing girls thrown in and a goody-bag of gold and jewels to take home, that sort of thing. Members' enclosure at Ascot. Centre court final at Wimbledon. Boxes at Sadlers Wells. Briefcases full of hundred dollar bills.
But perhaps I am slandering a sector that for all I know is an example of po-faced probity that would put the Archbishop of Canterbury to shame.
|
|
Remember when I bought a new Primera back in 2001, using the CSMA car buying scheme. Got the full fleet discount - 17.5% off the pre-VAT price, plus a further 4%, free metallic paint and the fleet RAC cover (which was three years rather than one year for private buyers). Would have also got a similar discount on a new Mazda 626.
|
>> Since quite large sums are involved, one can't help suspecting that manufacturers or middlemen may
>> offer fleet buyers certain inducements
Manufacturers have certainly been known to lend out demonstration models to fleet buyers for evaluation. A chap I know who has responsibility for a fleet of a few hundred small vans is often given brand new, fully-fuelled vehicles for assessment. The last one I saw him assessing was a Peugeot RCZ, and at his wedding a few years ago he was able to assess a brand new Audi A8 for two weeks, handily.
|
Also, I think we in Britain have a historical inbuilt snooty derision of certain brands which have traditionally been favoured by company fleets. The commonplace company car culture was a fairly much UK thing in Europe anyway until quite recently. Resultantly brands such as Ford and Vauxhall were seen as somehow not quite the thing despite both manufacturers having produced really very good cars commensurate with the competition of their time.
One reason both of these brands continue to enjoy success with the fleets is that they are actually both pretty good manufacturers however much cultural prejudice would like them not to be.
In my opinion...
:-)
|
And joking (or slander) aside, fleet managers are quite often hard-headed, hands-on, experienced vehicle men who know the cradle-to-grave running cost figures for the models they have had to manage in the past. They can of course be taken by surprise when a manufacturer comes up with a bad model, as they all do sooner or later.
They are probably good people to talk to when you are thinking of buying a car, a run-of-the-mill one anyway. They can give an assessment of reliability, running costs and so on, but can also tell you whether drivers like a particular model or not, and why.
|
>> They are probably good people to talk to when you are thinking of buying a
>> car, a run-of-the-mill one anyway. They can give an assessment of reliability, running costs and
>> so on, but can also tell you whether drivers like a particular model or not,
>> and why.
Only whilst relatively new and under warranty though and given the purchase prices they can get.
Their experience, good though it is might be nothing like the likely findings of a private buyer who keeps a vehicle for the fourth or fifth year, and has the misfortune to have badly misjudged the attitude of the maker or their dealer to out of warranty help.
|
>>>Fiats too small (not particularly as regards teaching, but regarding using the Fiats as everyday transport).
There was a comment a while back that whilst fine for an examiner and driver, it was very cramped in the back if the examiner's supervisor was also in the car (assessing the examiner).
|
Its called "manufacturer support" in the fleet business.
The support could be large discounts, servicing incentives, financing, or even lease company ownership (one lease company working for large corporations is owned by VAG Finance Ltd UK)
|
|
Zippy - didnt BSM cut their deal short with Fiat as the examiners said it was to small to sit in the back of?
|
|
Network size / support will also influence fleet buyers. Ford and VX have big dealer networks so can support their product well (level of service aside) which must be a factor when you are obtaining vehicles that are paying their way. Time is money!
|
I thought the examiners sat in the front passenger seat and if they were being assessed, it was the assessor who sat in the back.
I am happy to be corrected as I am only repeating hearsay!
|
|
You are probably right. I think the 500 may be on list of unsuitable cars for taking your test now.
|
I stand corrected. You cant take your test in:-
BMW Mini Convertible
Ford KA Convertible
Toyota IQ
VW Beetle Convertible
But the 500 is OK
|
Thanks for that Mikey,
I had no idea that there was a list of prohibited cars!
Now awaiting a torrent of flames ......
Are not all of the cars listed.....
Girls cars!!!
Running for cover!
|
Why fleet buyers prefer particular makes? - -
