Thank you to our existing personal lease customer from Winwick (Warrington/Cheshire) for visiting the CarLease UK team in Leigh to collect their brand-new car – the VW Golf.
Our customer’s fourth car from us over the last ten years, was an automatic one for the first time ever. Having previously enjoyed two manual Audi A3’s followed by a manual Golf, the customer’s increasingly difficult commute to work in traffic was making them consider an alternative approach for their new car.
Should you go for a manual or automatic car? Obviously this will come down to a) costs; and b) driver experience. Historically automatic cars were significantly more expensive and produced on a much smaller scale compared to manual variants. Many customers would only see an automatic gearbox if they were looking at an executive or luxury vehicle.
You also had the issue that many automatic transmissions were not particularly comfortable and many drivers complained about the way the vehicle operated – poor gear changes, loss of power, inefficient on fuel, faults etc
In the last 3 – 5 years, things have changed dramatically, as manufacturers are adding an automatic option to many of their cars; this is no longer the reserve of the luxury and executive vehicle class. You also have a much smaller gulf in price between the manual and automatic options for many cars.
In the scenario above, the difference between a manual Golf and automatic Golf was merely £15 per month.
The biggest change for many manufacturers has been in the quality of the automatic gearbox – most modern autos are smoother, quicker and more fuel/CO2 efficient than the manual options. Put simply, the car is better at driving than you are. The DSG option in VW is a prime example of this; many drivers would not even consider a manual now because of its performance. For those experiencing traffic or covering high-mileage, the automatic option is something that needs consideration.
Not only will this make your experience much better, by not having to change gear you can focus your attention on driving and road safety.
In terms of the car shown here, the VW GOLF DIESEL HATCHBACK 1.6 TDI GT 5dr DSG (Auto), this is based on the following configuration:
· White Special Soiled Paint
· Art velours cloth – Titan black/Quartz
· 17″ Dijon alloy wheel
As standard the car includes heat insulated glass, intermittent wipers, automatic post collision braking, electronic parking brake with auto hold, electronic differential lock, front and rear carpet mats, Bluetooth, adaptive cruise control, driver alert system, front assist with radar sensor controlled distance monitor, collision mitigation, front and rear parking sensors, stop/start system, 8” colour screen, automatic dimming rear view mirror, body coloured door mirrors with integrated indicators, DAB radio, LED fog lights, range adjustable headlights, XDS differential lock, steel space saver spare wheel, alarm with interior protection, 60/40 split folding rear seats, mirror pack ,light and sigh pack, ambient light pack, air conditioning, 17” alloys, navigation, Apple car play and multifunction leather steering wheel. In terms of additional factory options consider – winter pack, rear view camera and climate control.
On the technical-side company car and business users can note the P11d at £25,830.00 and CO2 at 107g/km for working out company car tax exposure. The 1598CC 7 speed auto engine offers 68.9 combined MPG, 115ps and 0-62 times of 10.5 seconds. Service intervals on a diesel VW Golf are every 24 months.
So would one of the UK’s best-selling cars be your select leasing option? Or would the Audi A3, BMW 1 series or Mercedes A Class be your choice?
Find the best VW Golf lease deals online @CarLease UK – or – read more automatic lease deals below…