The lessor evil?

A small problem to which I think I know the answer. We have two cars, both ‘57’ reg: a Toyota RAV-4 XT4 and a Hyundai Tucson CRDT Limited’. Both cars are leased, the Toyota by my wife, and the Hyundai is my company car. In about 18 months when both leases expire I am due to retire, and I need to buy a car (first one in 40 years). The Toyota will have less than 30, 000 miles on it and is immaculate, but no warranty. The Hyundai will have about 90,000 miles and be ‘slightly rough at the edges, but nothing a good clean won’t cure. It will have the 2 years left of its 5 year unlimited mileage warranty. I want a 4x4 type vehicle as we have a touring caravan that we use a lot. Both cars tow it well, though we tend to use the Hyundai most as it’s a company car. I like the Hyundai, but my wife hates it. I also like the Toyota but as it has been my wife’s personal car that I am not allowed to drive, (in fact usually I have to sit in the back) she is very reluctant to let me buy it. I will be able to buy either car at a ‘trade’ price (I work for a company in the same group as the leasing company) so price is not a problem (I should have a budget of about £16,000). Or should I just look for a good 2nd hand Tiguan or XC60 or Q5 or Kuga or Freelander?

Asked on 11 July 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
The Tucson will be for nothing. £5,000, or something like that. The RAV is likely to be twice as much. Obviously make sure the timing belt of the Tucson is changed. But make your final decision closer to the date, by which time one or other might be getting tired, or you might be getting tired of it. And, of course, used examples of Audi Q5s and Volvo XC60s might have dropped into your price bracket.
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