What’s the best mid-range SUV/Crossover to lease in 2019? Will the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage or this, the Peugeot 3008 be your new car?
The UK automotive market has never been so stacked with crossover vehicles from all manufacturers and we have definitely become a nation obsessed with these types of vehicles.
Saloons, estates and hatchbacks have all declined at the hands of the new family favourite.
But why are these cars such a popular addition? The move into SUV vehicles has happened over the last 5-7 years as many modern families now need a car which serves a number of purposes – they need room for children, boot space, specification (parking camera, navigation, leather, heated seats) and aesthetics.
The traditional people carrier is no longer seen as the route moving forwards as it lacks the higher driving position and style which the SUV offers.
Furthermore, it is no longer possible to run a multitude of cars in a family fleet due to vehicle costs, insurance, fuel and maintenance i.e. you cannot have the family car, estate car, sports car and spare car anymore (unless you are very fortunate).
As such the crossover just slots in nicely and continues to be the most popular and searched for cars on Google.
A big thank-you to our local personal leasing customer from Leigh (Greater Manchester) for visiting the team to collect their brand-new car; the Peugeot 3008.
Unlike most of our customers they elected to enter into a face to face transaction which is actually becoming more and more of a rarity in the modern online era. Is it safe to lease a car online? Can I visit the leasing broker premises? What should I do to ensure the leasing broker is legitimate? Many leasing brokers will not have a customer facing and focused premises but that doesn’t mean you cannot visit them. Unlike a car dealership, which relies on customers reviewing product and entering a showroom, as a broker we rely on you using our website to find the perfect car and finance product. However, for some of our older customers and more local customers (Leigh, Warrington, Wigan and St Helens) they may come to CarLease UK to have a conversation with us at our premises.
This is absolutely fine for us and we understand that you are making a significant purchasing decision and you may need an additional comfort that we exist and are a genuine business.
Sometimes it is just nice to talk to human being face to face and have all questions answered. With other companies they may not offer this service so do ask them before you visit; don’t just turn up expecting a showroom!
If you don’t want to visit the broker and conduct everything online what steps should you take to make sure you are going to have a safe and secure experience? In an online purchasing era, some companies have set-up fraudulent enterprises to take advantage of a customer’s trust. The leasing industry is no different and many companies are using social platforms like Instagram to advertise “no credit” based leasing deals which require non-refundable deposits of £500 (or more).
These types of companies often do not provide many details, if any at all, and we have already spoken to customers who have clearly fallen foul of their malpractices.
To make sure you are safe, check a number of key details with the leasing broker before going further:
· Company number/VAT number – it is very easy to takes these details from the website/email footer and input online into companies house ( or on a similar type of website.) Does this provide a registered trading address? Is the company a newly incorporated or long-standing company? Have the directors changed recently? Depending on how far you want to delve into the situation, just check a few key details to see if anything just doesn’t feel right;
· FCA/FRN details – all companies involved in providing financial services will need to be authorised and regulated by the FCA and must appear on their register. If the number if invalid or the details you find do not match the ones presented, you should not continue. The FCA operate to make sure a customer has a safe and secure experience. They also ensure that lending practices and processes are administered responsibly;
· ICO – the Information Commissioner regulate all things data protection and GDPR. As you are handing over personal details and banking information, the organisation must have an ICO number. If they do not, you must not proceed with them;
· BVRLA number – all “genuine” leasing brokers will be a broker member of the industry ombudsman, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. Working with financial companies and the FCA, this group ensures the highest industry standards and practices. They are also a useful contact, via a conciliation and mediation service, if things do not operate properly. Again, use the BVRLA number from the broker website to ensure the details correlate; and
· Finance companies – each leasing broker will operate with one, or more, of the UK’s leading contract hire and leasing funders. For the customer this is key as it offers them competitive pricing and an array of finance products. If you receive finance documentation from ALD, Arval, Alphabet, Lex, Leaseplan, Hitachi or Santander, then you can be assured you are dealing with a legitimate enterprise. If you want to make sure everything is ok, contact the finance company and ask them to check that the company is a broker for them. We all have to undertake audits and reviews from our finance companies which ensures proper practice.
For customers using the top-ranked Google leasing brokers, referral websites or main-dealerships there is an inference that everything will be ok. However, it is nice to get into the habit of checking the above to ensure that you, or your business, is happy to hand over personal and key details.
If any of the above do not match up or you note inconsistencies just think twice.
Remember, if it feels too good to be true or if you have doubts, it is better to be safe than sorry.
If all else fails, go with your local leasing broker and visit their premises to get a sense of the business!
In terms of the car shown here, the Peugeot 3008 Estate 1.2 PureTech GT Line Premium 5dr (Petrol Manual), this is based on the following configuration:
· Nimbus Grey Metallic Paint
· Imila Cloth/ Leather – Grey
· Satin Chrome Dash Trim
· 19″ Washington two tone diamond cut alloy wheels
So what specifications can you get in the Peugeot 3008? Which is the best one to choose? Rather than offer lots of options many manufacturers are offering different specification levels; this make life far easier under the new WLTP testing procedures. For 3008 customers the options are as follows:
· Active – the base model offers lane departure warning, safety pack, climate control, rear parking sensors, ambient lighting, leather steering wheel, cloth trim, DAB radio, Mirror lino (Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), chrome finish, 17” alloys, halogen fog lights and visibility pack;
· Allure – the most common option for most customers (specification/cost) offers connect SOS, safety plus pack, dark tinted rear windows, LED interior lights, front and rear parking sensors, power folding mirrors, blind spot detection, 180 degree reversing camera, Brumeo fabric for dashboard, driver seat lumbar support, 3D navigation, voice recognition, 18” alloys and door mirror mounted LEDs;
· GT Line – the more luxury model offers self-levelling headlights, extended LED interior lighting, Peugeot i-cockpit, mistral floor mats, upgraded roof lining, smartphone charging plate, diamond black contrast roof, twin exhaust, full LED headlights, LED fog lamps, LED indicators and door mirror mounted LED;
· GT Line Premium – the top of the line adds Peugeot open and go, electric tailgate, 230V socket, heated front seats massage, panoramic glass sunroof and 19” alloys.
As standard the customer’s car includes a black diamond roof, heated front seats with massage function, cloth/leather upholstery, driver seat lumbar adjustment, 180 degree reversing camera, 6 speaker radio system, dark tinted rear windows, heated rear window, emergency braking assistance, auto city emergency braking, hill start assist, mistral floor mats, Bluetooth, smartphone charging plate, lane departure warning system, front/rear parking system, Peugeot connect SOS, 3D connected navigation, digital clock, mirror screen with mirror link, 8” capacitive touchscreen with configurable 12.2” head-up display panel, i-cockpit system, sports button, body coloured externals, gloss black features, panoramic glass sunroof, sports front bumper, twin exhaust pipes, full LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED indicators, rear LED signature lights, climate control, full leather performance steering wheel, satin chrome interior features, blue ambient lighting, footwell illumination, safety plus pack, visibility pack,1/3 to 2/3 split folding seats, driver seat manual adjustment, 19” alloys, space saver spare wheel, electric tailgate with open and go system, deadlocks, immobilisers and anti-theft alarm. In terms of additional options consider adding adaptive cruise control and the focal premium HiFi sound system.
On the technical-side company car and business users can note the P11d at £31,155 and CO2 at 118g/km. The 1199CC 6 speed manual petrol engine delivers 54.3 combined MPG (EC), 38.8 (WLTP), 130ps and 0-62 times of 9.5 seconds.
So would you select the Peugeot 3008 SUV as your next car leasing deal? Or would one of the others be your desired route?
