Summer is definitely on route in the UK (finally!!) – so what is the best convertible to lease in 2019?
Of course budget will be a big factor for many customers, so getting the Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini may not be quite possible!
Being more realistic, there are some great prestige (but affordable) cars on the market – the Mercedes SLC, Porsche 718 Boxter, Mazda MX5 Convertible as well as Nissan 370z or Jaguar F Type and now this new addition, the BMW Z4.
Sports cars and convertibles have been declining as economic pressures, insurance costs and fuel costs make many families choose their “fleet” more carefully.
It is no surprise that SUV/crossover cars have continued to increase in popularity, as a one size fits all solution is sought.
A big thank-you of course to our account director from one of our finance companies for visiting the team in their new car!
So what does a leasing broker do with my convertible lease enquiry? Our personal and business contract hire customers arrive with us via our website, through social media (Instagram) or though one of our referral partners. However, for some customers who are new to the process there is a lack of understanding as to what we do and who we are?
As a leasing broker, not a lender or dealership, we do not physically own the vehicle the customer is procuring nor do we hold/deliver the stock to our customers. We sit very much in the middle of the process and act as a conduit between customer, finance company and dealership. In the UK there are a number of finance companies who offer contract hire and leasing solutions – Arval, ALD, Leaseplan, Lex, Hitachi and Alphabet for example. However, there are many more than this.
Each finance company will provide us, as the broker, with access to a price per month for a car based on its annual mileage and term; the prices will not be the same. Every finance company will have a different residual value on each car (basically what they think the car will be worth at the end of the contract).
While our customer may want the cheapest monthly rental possible, you sometimes have to consider other factors outside of this. Some finance companies allow an informal extension (keep vehicle beyond contract end date), some offer enhanced maintenance packages (cover punctures and offer breakdown recovery) and others will allow you to buy the car at the end of the contract (contract hire is not an ownership product).
The crucial point is that the price per month is not the only thing you should consider; there are other key elements which should form part of your decision making process.
Do raise this with your leasing broker when making the enquiry.
So the leasing broker doesn’t deliver the car? When you place an order with us, you are instructing our team to place an order for the vehicle with a franchised dealership (in most cases). Some customer think that the leasing broker owns the vehicle and that this is sat at their premises; in almost all cases this isn’t a true reflection of what is happening.
We operate with a select number of franchised dealers who will order the vehicle and arrange delivery of it.
They will also ensure that the vehicle is registered to the correct finance company. While some customers do ask that we use a local dealer, this isn’t always possible as discount levels between different dealer groups can happen, some stock offers necessitate us using a designated dealer and, quite honestly, some dealers are no longer on our preferred list as their standards do not meet our own.
For example, some dealers will deliver a vehicle on a transporter to the customer free of charge rather than have the vehicle “driven” to them. Some offer a scheme of ensuring there is a full tank of fuel or the car will be delivered by a “product genius” rather than a logistics agent.
Again, customers need to be aware that in forcing a cheaper rental mentality this can lead to them being disadvantaged in other areas; the delivery process is where we see most of the complaints arise.
Some customers expect the showroom-style flowers, champagne and bright lights experience – in a frugal but efficient world of leasing, there is just little room for this.
Make your service levels and intentions known to the leasing broker/finance company at the outset so they can deliver the right experience for you.
In terms of the car shown here, the BMW Z4 ROADSTER sDrive 20i M Sport 2dr Auto, this is based on the following configuration:
· Alpine white Solid Paint
· Vernasca leather – Magma red with decorative stitching
· 18″ Double spoke M light alloy wheels in bicolour ferric grey – style 798M
As standard the car includes cruise control with brake function, 18” alloys, choice of soft-top colour, front/rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, advanced loudspeaker system, heated windscreen washer jets, ASC, brake energy regeneration, CBC, DTC, floor mats, start-stop, BMW live cockpit, folding exterior mirrors, anti-dazzle interior rear view mirror, kidney grille in mesh design, automatic headlight beam thrown control, LED indicators/running lights/rear lights, air conditioning, steering wheel, ambient lighting, M sport seats, electronic differential stock, driving assistant, head up display, wifi preparation, heated steering wheel and electrically adjustable front and passenger seats. In terms of the additional factory options consider – wind deflector, technology pack (this adds enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging, harm/kardon sound system, head up display and parking assistant) and the M Sport Plus Pack (M sport suspension, 19” alloys, braking system, M seat belts and the high-gloss shadowline).
On the technical-side company car and business users can note the P11d at £38,420.00 and CO2 at 139g/km. The 1998CC 8 speed auto petrol engine delivers 46.3 combined MPG (EC), 38.7 (WLTP), 197ps and a 6.6 seconds 0-62 time.
So would you select the BMW Z4 as your next car leasing option? Or would one of the other alternatives be your preference?
