Getting the details right requires judgement

By Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor, Glass’s Guide

GETTING the specification right on a new business car can be a complicated process.

It’s been a while since I changed my company car but I can just about remember the dilemma. I get asked this question often and whilst there are different answers for different models and price points, here is just one example on a volume product.

Let’s take as an example a big seller from Audi (as I happen to have the price list to hand) – the Audi A3 2.0 TDI S line 3dr. (I’ve chosen the S line over the SE as it retains a higher percentage of its value.) What would you be tempted to add to this car?

Metallic paint? Perhaps sat nav, sunroof and various techy gizmos? The answer is that the car needs some boxes ticked to make it stand out; but not too many as a fully specified car may cost many thousands of pounds extra and will only ever be worth a dwindling proportion of the more you tick. I’d suggest a perfect new car order (and a perfect used forecourt car in three years) would be