A big thank you to one of our Ford suppliers for visiting us in their latest fleet addition – the Ford Focus Diesel Hatchback 2.0 Tdci 185 St-3 Navigation 5Dr Manual.
This is very much the Ford answer to the VW Golf GTD, the Audi S3 and the BMW 1 series M Sport. As you can see, the team over at Ford have produced a fantastic looking vehicle.
The issue with these types of cars is that they do very much appeal to the younger-generation. Can you lease a car if you are a young-driver? The short answer is that so long as you are 18 years or older, you are able to apply for a contract hire vehicle. However, it is not always that simple. The first consideration for a younger applicant is credit history. As contract hire and leasing is a credit-based product you do need to complete a credit check before being able to proceed. This involves providing a number of key details about yourself:
· Full name;
· Date of birth;
· Telephone number / email;
· 5 year residential history;
· 3 year employment history;
· Income / expenditure; and
· Answering some key questions.
As a young-person, you do need to establish credit history as quickly as possible and in a responsible manner. By inputting your details in online credit check systems, you can access a basic credit report for yourself and start to understand what potential issues or problems you might face – not only with leasing car but for when you apply for a mortgage or even a mobile telephone contract.
Contracts hire is very much for those individuals with prime credit, so do review this first. In some limited circumstances, we may tolerate a “joint application”, where a parent who lives at your residential address applies along with you to support the application.
The other consideration for young-drivers is car insurance. To be clear, contract hire and leasing does NOT include insurance, contrary to popular belief. Car insurance is something which you must organise yourself.
Again, to target this practicality, before electing to proceed with a new vehicle, do ensure that you get an insurance quotation first. In some cases, we have been informed that our customers are paying more per month on their insurance than on the new vehicle! With inflation and Brexit, car insurance is continuing to increase.
What we do not want to happen is for to you commit with CarLease UK for a brand-new vehicle and then, after delivery, realise that this is no longer an affordable proposition.
In terms of the car shown, the Focus 2.0 Tdci 185 St-3 Nav, this is based on the following configuration:
· Solid – Stealth grey
· Leather – Charcoal black
· 18″ 5 spoke rock metallic alloy wheels
As standard the car has a number of great features including cruise control, rear parking sensors, SYNC 3 navigation, 8” colour screen, adaptive lighting, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, body coloured bumpers/handles/door mirrors, electrically adjustable (and heated) door mirrors, fog lights, heated front and rear window, LED lights, twin exhaust pipes, hill start assist, red brake calipers, dual zone air conditioning, heated front seats, leather upholstery, keyless start and a mini spare wheel. As the ST3 is the “top spec” within the range, there is very little else you can add to the vehicle – consider the privacy glass, rear view camera and heated steering wheel for a perfect combination.
On the technical-side, company car and business drivers can note the P11d at £28,114.99 and the CO2 at 110g/km. The 1997CC 6 speed manual engine delivers 185ps and combined MPG of 67.3. Insurance group for the ST3 is 26.
So would you really choose the Ford Focus as your preferable leasing option over the BMW, Audi or VW?
Let us know your thoughts and comments below via Facebook!!
Find the best deals for personal or business use on the all new Ford Focus ST3 by clicking here – available from today at CarLease UK