For many years, the large executive saloon was the company car holy grail, its blend of size and status telegraphing your successful ascent of the corporate ladder. Yet the arrival of numerous niche models as well as the huge success of the SUV has meant these machines don’t quite have the allure they once did.
However, put your rational business hat on and you’ll find these sober-suited saloons make plenty of sense. They still look the part plus, more often than not, they drive well, many of them even boasting that firm favourite of keen drivers, rear-wheel drive. Better still, because they tend to feature lower asking prices and CO2 emissions than their SUV stablemates, they’ll save you a bundle in benefit-in-kind (BIK) bills. So here, in alphabetical order, are our top 10 executive car picks for company car drivers.
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Audi A6
A6 50 TFSIe Sport Quattro:
Like the Volvo S90 (see below), the Audi A6 isn’t the greatest of entertainers, but its blend of hushed refinement, sharp design and an interior dripping in cutting edge tech still gives it plenty of boardroom bragging rights. As you’d expect it’s the plug-in variants that make the most sense for company car drivers. Following the demise of the V6-powered 55TFSIe versions, all models are now powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder mated to an electric motor that can carry you for 43 miles in zero emissions mode. With both power sources working together these 50TFSIe models deliver a decent 295bhp, which is as much as you’ll likely ever, plus an impressively low BiK rating of just 8%.
BMW 5 Series
530e SE:
Few cars have held sway in the company car pecking order quite as convincingly as the 5 Series. For decades, the big BMW has been the top choice for go-getting executives who want to dress to impress. Yet with its engaging rear-drive handling and a range of engines that blend power and efficiency, the Bavarian big shot is great to drive, too.
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