Some fantastic pictures of the Audi TT courtesy of our personal leasing customer, from St Helens (Merseyside), who visited the team to collect their brand-new car the Audi TT. The customer, like many individuals, was new to the leasing process having previously visited local dealerships to purchase vehicles for cash or on hire purchase agreements.
Our customer had recently heard a radio advert, from another lease car broker, which discussed the benefits of leasing a car. Wanting to know more, our customer decided to make contact with us, as the local car leasing experts in the St Helens area. To explain simply, contract hire is a usership-style finance product which is based around a customer utilising a car (or van) for a set period of time – generally, 2, 3 or 4 years.
There is no ability to purchase or own the vehicle; customers wanting to own a car must pursue a cash-purchase, PCP or HP (the alleged “complicated” products).
A customer will get a monthly-rental price for the vehicle based upon the mileage they require (anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 per annum), whether or not they require maintenance to be included (driver/funder maintenance), the initial rental required (anywhere from a zero initial rental/zero deposit to a 3/6/9 spread initial rental) and of course the vehicle required (we supply any make and model).
As a rule of thumb, the more expensive the vehicle, the more expensive the rental, as you are effectively paying the cost of depreciation (subject to the caveat that some special offers can make more expensive cars cheaper due to discount/residual value).
To ensure we treat customers fairly, we do not profess that leasing better than other products; it is simply a different way of operating a car or van. For customers who want a new vehicle every 2-4 years and do not want the risks or problems associated with ownership, then contract hire is something you should consider. The customer for the TT wanted those very same benefits.
In terms of the luxury car shown here, the Audi TT Coupe Special Edition 1.8T FSI Black Edition 2dr S-Tronic [Tech Pack] [Petrol], this is based on the following configuration:
· Scuba Blue Metallic Paint
· Alcantara/leather – Black
· Matt brushed aluminium inlay
· 19″ 5 spoke blade design sport alloy wheels in black gloss finish
As standard the car includes 19” alloys, sports eats, air conditioning, electric adjustable and heated door mirrors, leather/alcantara upholstery, headlight wash system, hill hold assist, rear parking sensors, bang + olufsen advanced sound system, all weather LED headlights, green tinted insulated glass, privacy glass, ASR and EDL traction control, Audi connect, mobile phone preparation, cruise control, progressive power assisted steering, the Audi virtual cockpit with 12.3” LCD cluster, MMI navigation, black door mirrors, DAB radio, S Lien body styling, retractable rear spiker, 3-spoke flat bottomed steering wheel, tyre repair kit, keyless start, immobiliser, anti-theft alarm, electric lumbar support, first aid kit, auto dimming rear view mirror and a light and rain sensor pack. As a special edition, the car does have a good level of specification (sitting above the Sport and S Line) BUT you might want to consider adding heated front seats, the Audi parking system plus and the electric folding mirrors for a more perfect vehicle.
On the technical-side company car and business users can note the P11d of £36,270.00 and CO2 at 133g/km. The 1798CC 7 speed auto engine delivers 47.9 combined MPG, 180ps and 0-62 times of 7 seconds. Speak to your local Audi dealer about service intervals.
So would you select the Audi TT as your next car leasing option? Or would the Mercedes C-Class coupe or BMW 4 Series Coupe have your vote?
What was also raised during this transaction was the question of age – can an older person/retired person lease a car? The customer here was above 70 years old and wanted to know if this would prevent them from leasing a car.
The answer is simply that if you are aged 18 or more and have a positive credit history unless there are exceptional circumstances (i.e. a vulnerable customer) then you are able to lease a car.
For many retired customers, they own a house mortgage free and have a income/ pension, which makes the arrangement an affordable proposition. As older customers have to renew their driving licence every 3 years (when they reach 70), having a 3 year contract makes this a practical offering, as it protects against any risks where the driving licence is revoked. What older customers also like is the ability to a) use a new car (under warranty); and b) benefit from a funder-maintenance package. This creates a position where they need only pay for the fuel and the insurance on a vehicle; if there are any issues then the finance company or manufacturer will have to deal with them. At the end of the contract, the car can simply be returned to the finance company – there is no need to engage a dealership to discuss part-exchange and valuations! This reduces time and stress.
Find the webs best selection of Audi TT leasing deals right here @CarLease UK