Luke Plaizier

I am currently driving a VT repmobile for a company that seems to be dedicated to buying and running GM cars - and my current repmobile just had an EFI computer meltdown 6 months from the end of the lease. Some of the staff have bucked the company policy to get themselves a Ford, but in doing so have had to resort to Novated leasing and salary sacrifices. In a high-mileage car (the VT has done 100,000 in 2.5 years), going Novated is not a very good idea.

What I am interested in finding are numbers - preferrably independent - that can help me convince the boss to replace my repmobile with a blue-ovalled equivalent.

Are there any numbers available that can demonstrate that a Falcon has a lower Total Cost of Ownership over a Commodore for the same usage?

The purchase price is the first argument that doesn't favour a Falcon - comparing VXII Executive to Falcon Forte/SR. And neither does the fact that the VT is more frugal on petrol. And that, my friends, is the basis of their purchasing decision.

Passion doesn't count for much when the bottom line has pride of place. And what I'd like to do is try to show them that they are looking at the wrong bottom line.

So are there other numbers that show lower running, maintenance and repair costs over the life of each car that might help?

I have my sites set on a Manual SR Wagon, if they are indeed available. I can't figure it out from the website.....

Any assistance would be appreciated.


Lukeyson

botch

there is one small company here which has xr6's for rep's cars and fairlane ghias for the managers (of course)

i think that because these cars hold thier value heaps better (even with higher k's than standard) they keep using them, and update every few years.

dunno about hp / leasing deals. maybe you could shop around companies...ummmm maybe try....

ford leasing
jml fleet management?
P+L leasing???


maybe you could convince them into a second handy with a few thousand k's and balance of warranty??

my thoughts and guesses worth anyway.maybe someone else will know more.(not hard):eek:

BOF

Use the NRMA for the running cost fight as the Ford wins this. As for resale, this is the bastard that gets me every time, like it or not, in the real world with real dealers the VT will piss all over an AU. We have various deals for our fleet, change overs every 20,000km for the luxo liners and 40,000 for the Forte, Futura and S Pack, We would save a few $$ if we went GM, but those calculation are well hidden in my bottom draw:D a little creative accounting ensures a few more Ford sales each year and keeps me driving my AU2, I aint driving no stinking GM.

Geoff Polites

I will ask one of our Fleet Sales people to see what data we can provide you with to help you.

Jimbo

Perhaps you could work out the numbers using a Dedicated LPG Falcon as a comparison. The leasing price for this option is good and the fuel price even better. Might even turn the whole fleet around!!

http://www.ford.com.au/lpg/Dedicated_LPG.asp

http://www.ford.com.au/lpg/Cost_Saving_Calculator.asp

Nipper

Lukeyson:

I am sure just by obtaining a quote from your leasing company on a Holden Commodore and a Ford Falcon you will notice a difference in the monthly costs.

I take it your company runs Fully maintained operating leases through a lease company such as Custom Fleet etc...??

I have recently arranged leasing of my new XR6 and found that if your company is able to obtain National Fleet Discount and the fact that the company will be able to claim back the GST following purchase the cost of the Falcon is cheaper.

My camparison was against a Commodore S Supercharged 6 one of the other guys at work wanted one at the same time I went for my XR. On a fully maintained lease arrangement ( ie all costs including maintenance, rego, insurance, motor club and fuel) the XR was $ 60 per month less than the Holden. I convinced the other Guy to get an XR (another convert to the blue oval).

Oh and by the way don't forget Fords new service policy on its new cars.


Let me know if I can give you more info..

Nipper....

Luke Plaizier

Thanks Geoff (or Sheila).

Nipper, I noticed that you are from Newcastle as well. Small world I guess. For a moment there I thought you might have been someone I know.

I hadn't even considered dedicated LPG as an option. I've done a small amount of research, and it appeared that you don't get a very good return on investment over a 3-4 year lease period for LPG. But I was admittedly looking at dual fuel. Time to re-open the options perhaps.

I'll try the NRMA route as well if I can find something online.

Thanks everyone. (And anyone else who may have more suggestions).


Lukeyson

HO HO HO!

Good luck: You are fighting the good fight. I think also falcons may be slightly cheaper to insure than holden but I'm not sure

Luke Plaizier

Yes, insurance, I'd missed that.

Thanks

Lukeyson

Luke Plaizier

I hate to be the voice of irrational emotional despair here, but I hardly feel like buying a Falcon any more after the Bathurst result.


Luke