We have a great lease deal on the A4 2.0TDI 143ps SE Executive saloon - prices start at just £324.00* per month!

It’s superb value contract hire for a great car, please note this is for business contract hire only. For more information and to place an order, click this link.

*Price based on 3+35, 10,000 miles per annum, non maintenance. Subject to VAT. Business contract hire.

Skyfleet Car Leasing March newsletter

They’ve just announced the new Kia Magentis launch- which will be unveiled in New York on the 2nd April 2010. Quoted as ”A fresh design from the ground up, Kia’s all-new version of its popular mid-size saloon is completely transformed and embodies a bold, athletic and sporty visual energy.
Longer, lower and wider than the previous model, the new Magentis features a significantly longer wheelbase and will offer considerably more space for both people and luggage.”

Judging by the photos below it would seem they’ve designed a great looking car, and we look forward to seeing it! Unfortunately you’ll have to wait until an estimate of Spring 2011 to get one in Europe.

Check great Kia leasing and contract hire rates from Skyfleet Car Leasing

If you’ve driven over a pothole the advice is to stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check your tyres for any damage - a pothole strike can cause considerable damage when hit at speed. The tyres often take the brunt of the damage and can tear, if this happens have the tyre checked as soon as you can and replaced if necessary.

Further damage can sometimes occur to other parts of the vehicle - if in any doubt have it checked by a mechanic.

Some councils will review compensation claims for the cost of repairs to your vehicle after a pothole strike - check your local council website for information on how to do so.

It implies that perhaps the benefits are no longer quite what they were - and that perhaps, given time; the increased cost of diesel will make them even less economical.

An interesting point it makes, is that a lot of oil produced is not suitable for making large quantities of diesel, and has to be processed much further to produce it, and imported. This process requires a lot of energy- so some are saying that in terms of the amount of CO2 emitted (from production to burning in the engine), there is very little difference between petrol and diesel. Quote - “In other words, because getting that extra diesel is more expensive and energy intensive, your diesel car might not be doing the environment any benefit at all.”

Diesel cars are usually more costly to purchase, and to service. They do however tend to have good residual values - and this is passed on to consumers when they fund their car by contract hire and leasing.
In recent years diesel cars have been very competitive so if it’s a diesel you want, we recommend checking our leasing rates.

It’s worth bearing in mind though that petrol engines are becoming more and more economical and higher powered as technology advances, so don’t rule out a petrol engine when you look for your next car.
Some super efficient ranges to look out for - Mercedes Blue Efficiency, Volkswagen BlueMotion, BMW Efficient Dynamics, to name a few.

To read the full article from telegraph.co.uk check this link

Leasing with a “Sting in Its Tail”

When you come to lease your next vehicle, do you want the cheapest monthly rental or the lowest total cost to lease – they are NOT the same thing!

Would you be happy receiving a quote for your new car that is £30 a month cheaper than the next best quote, but with the potential prospect of having to pay thousands of pounds worth of recharges at the end of contract?

No? Please read on:

Well, we would not be happy obtaining a quick easy sale by quoting our customers the lowest rental available on the market if it exposed them to an unreasonable level of recharges at the end of contract. (Recharges are the costs the finance company may charge in the event that the vehicle is returned with damage to the bodywork, wheels, interior etc).

The figures we are talking about here are not insubstantial.

Mercedes A-Class - £99 a month over 2 years – Recharges £2700

Audi A6 2.0TDi SE - £289 A month over 2 years – Recharges £3500

Volkswagen Golf - £199 a month over 3 years – Recharges £1975

These examples are actual costs incurred by end users at the end of their leases.

We have been made aware of a number of cases whereby a vehicle has been returned to the funder in good condition; with perhaps minimal damage that was deemed to be “Fair Wear and Tear” Please see our Fair Wear and Tear blog for further information

The difference between the return policies of certain finance companies is quite simple: An independent finance company will dispose of all its vehicles at the end of contract at Auction. The vehicle is collected by an approved agent, fully inspected and a condition report completed at your premises and taken straight to auction for sale.

Some of the Manufacturers own finance companies are now re-marketing their vehicles at the end of contract through their dealership network. These vehicles are collected from you and a preliminary check as to the vehicles condition is completed at your premises – so far so good. You will often be asked to sign an indemnity, which stipulates that any damage the vehicle might suffer between your premises and the vehicle inspection depot is down to you.

The vehicle is then subjected to further scrutiny under fluorescent tubes to highlight any damage or paintwork carried out. If any paintwork carried out falls outside of the manufacturer’s specification and that includes the thickness of the paint – you will be billed for the work to be repeated.

Unless you check the recharge policies of the various finance companies currently offering Leasing options, you run the risk of incurring severe financial penalties at the end of your agreement.

Skyfleet recommend that you use Independent Finance Companies, to which we have access to all the major blue chip funders. We are able to access these cheaper alternatives and can easily provide you with a Manufacturers Own Finance option, which on the face of it might be offering a cheaper monthly rental, but we can almost guarantee you will end up paying far higher prices when the recharge fees are factored into your whole contract costs.

If you opt for one of these cheaper and inferior financial products, we recommend you put £100 per month by, to protect yourself from a nasty “Sting in the Tail”.

Here’s some examples of items picked out by over zealous recharge inspectors:

Paint Thickness

Hub cap damage?

We are finding ourselves faced with this misconception on an almost daily basis and I welcome this opportunity to set the record straight!

Ford increased their prices by an average of 12% last year! Shocked? I know we were!

Gripped firmly in the longest and deepest recession this country has ever faced, how can a manufacturer possibly manage to sell a vehicle by increasing their prices? We are reminded everyday that the car industry is amongst the worst hit industries and many are having to reduce their workforce and cut production to survive. Well the answer is fairly straightforward - the pound has been so weak against the euro that without these price increases, the manufacturer stands to lose money with every car that they import. I would estimate that most if not all car manufacturers will increase their prices this year by at least 10% Combined with an increase in Road Tax prices and the implementation of the new “Show Room Tax” the potential increase in the price of a new car could be as much as £2000!

More great news; new car availability is appalling (the “fields of surplus vehicles do not exist!)

Manufacturers all pulled production right back last year  in an attempt to reduce overheads and keep spending to a minimum, despite the fact that we are all still buying new cars, demand is outstripping supply!

We are finding it increasingly difficult to turn cars round within what we would deem to be a reasonable period of time and the situation appears to be getting worse. A factory order; car built to your exact specification, would historically take 6-8 weeks, but those days are fast disappearing. We are starting to see some factory lead times increasing to as long as 6 months. Combine that with the fact that whilst waiting for your car you are liable for the price increases and tax changes – it’s hardly a satisfactory situation!

What can you do to minimise the risk of paying more than you need too?

Taking all the above into account our advice is simple. If you wait, it will cost you more. Do you need any further reasons to stop stalling for time, in the hope that the prices are going to drop further? It is not going to happen, which is why there was never a better time to lease your new car than now!

For impartial and expert advice, please feel free to contact us on 01233 730260.

As well as some cosmetic improvements - the greatest new feature for our visitors is the addition of full maintenance pricing.

The cost for adding maintenance is available for mileages of 10, 20 and 30 thousand miles per annum - and for private customers as well!

We strongly believe full maintenance leasing is hugely worthwhile- and in most cases very likely to save you money.  A service and new tyres can be very expensive, and it’s something many drivers don’t budget for - it can be a nasty surprise when you least expect it.
Adding full maintenance to your lease spreads this cost across the length of your contract - and the finance company takes the risk of potentially expensive servicing costs.
You will also have the reassurance of having your tyres replaced with premium brands - at a time and place to suit you (mobile fitting is free - have it done while you’re at work!).

We hope you will find the website updates useful, if you have any questions about full maintenance contact our experienced team on 0845 00 66 5 66

And please check our new website - www.skyfleetcarleasing.co.uk !

If you don’t use LinkedIn - check it out! It’s a great way to reconnect with old contacts and to build new relationships.

We’re closed now until Tuesday the 29th December - we’ll be in between Christmas and New Year for short hours and then back fully in January.