Best company cars under £15,000
Here are the best company cars for less than £15,000
Company cars come in all shapes an sizes, from city cars to large SUVs there's more choice than ever. There's also the possibility of getting an electric car, with the government pushing for electrified vehicles on company car schemes, this could be your best chance for zero-emission motoring. You'll even find some electrification in the under £15,000 price bracket with Suzuki's mild-hybrid Swift. Volkswagen's up! is one of our favourite city cars and can make for a great company car, along with the spacious and rugged Dacia Sandero Stepway supermini.
Scroll down to see the best company cars you can choose for under £15,000...
Fiat 500 1.0 MHEV Pop
- Price: £14,675
- Engine/power: 1.0-litre 3cyl/69bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 105g/km/26%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 13.8 secs/104mph
The Fiat 500 is popular because of its retro-but-modern looks and affordable price. It’s not the most practical choice – the rear seats are quite cramped and the boot is tiny – but the 500’s style adds a sense of fun.
Best of all, the 500 comes with endless customisation options, so there’s bound to be a model for anyone. The 1.0-litre 500 uses a three-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology. This means there’s a small electric motor that harvests energy when slowing down and uses it to boost the engine’s efficiency. It’s unnoticeable in normal driving but helps keep CO2 emissions – and therefore tax bills – low. The engine itself is efficient and enjoyable to use, and it stays quiet on the motorway, plus its low power output means it’s cheap to insure.
Kia Picanto 1.0 DPI 66bhp ‘1’
- Price: £12,250
- Engine/power: 1.0-litre 3cyl/66bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 110g/km/27%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 14.1 secs/100mph
If you need a really practical small car but want to keep tax bills down, the Kia Picanto is a great option. It’s one of the roomiest city cars you can buy; the hatchback has a 255-litre boot, which is nearly as much as some cars from the class above, while the rear seats are spacious enough for adults.
The Picanto is good to drive, with a comfortable ride and satisfying controls, including a slick manual gearshift. The 1.0-litre non-turbo petrol engine is really efficient but requires a different driving style because it’s a little underpowered – a 0-62mph time of 14.1 seconds could be from a 1970s company car spec sheet, rather than one from 2022.
Life isn’t all about speed, though, because the Picanto is strong in other key areas. There’s loads of headroom and legroom inside for a small car, and even the entry-level ‘1’ model comes with Bluetooth and hill-hold assist. If you can persuade your company to spend around £1,500 more, the ‘2’ gets autonomous emergency braking, air conditioning and smart alloy wheels.
Suzuki Swift 1.2 MHEV SZ-L
- Price: £15,499
- Engine/power: 1.2-litre 4cyl/82bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 106g/km/26%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 13.1 secs/112mph
It’s a left-field choice, but not because the Swift is lacking – it’s efficient, fun to drive, practical and reliable, and an excellent small car. With mild-hybrid tech, it drives like any other petrol car, but emits just 106g/km of CO2. This means it’s cheap to tax, but the engine is efficient and enjoyable to use.
TrustpilotThe low-spec SZ-L model is quite well equipped despite its low price, with LED headlights, 16-inch alloys, AEB and smartphone connectivity, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Hyundai i10 1.2 SE Connect
- Price: £14,985
- Engine/power: 1.2-litre 4cyl/83bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 124g/km/29%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 12.6 secs/106mph
The i10’s low list price results in cheaper tax bills for company car drivers, but we love it for many other reasons. Here we’ve picked the 1.2-litre model, which is smoother than the 1.0-litre three-cylinder, but still emits only 124g/km of CO2.
It’s powerful enough to keep up with traffic around town and the i10 is great to drive: it’s light and nimble, but is also comfortable even on bumpy city streets. SE Connect trim comes with the crucial extra equipment that modern car buyers need. There’s an eight-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity and plenty of safety kit, too.
Dacia Sandero TCe 90 Expression
- Price: £13,595
- Engine/power: 1.0-litre 3cyl/89bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 120g/km/29%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 11.7 secs/104mph
The latest Sandero range, is cheap enough that it even rivals some electrified cars for affordable company car tax bills. Fuel economy is reasonable and performance is decent; considering the bargain list price, it’s really hard to fault.
Yet the Sandero doesn’t feel like a cheap car. It uses tech from the new Renault Clio and drives similarly, despite costing much less. It’s comfortable, relatively quiet and composed, plus it has a pleasant interior.
It’s a big step on from the previous version, but you still probably want to stick to the higher model lines to get all the modern kit you want. Expression trim includes an eight-inch sat-nav screen with smartphone connectivity, plus cruise control, auto lights, climate control, a rear camera, AEB and LED lights.
Volkswagen up! 1.0 65PS 5dr
- Price: £14,350
- Engine/power: 1.0-litre 3cyl/64bhp
- CO2/BiK band: 118g/km/27%
- 0-62mph/top speed: 14.9 secs/100mph
Whether you’re buying privately or looking for a company car, the up! is a great-value option. A low list price and efficient 1.0-litre engine mean it’s affordable to tax and cheap to run.
It’s remarkably quiet for a city car, too, even on the motorway. Yes, you need to plan overtakes well in advance, but if you can live with that, the up!’s comfort and refinement on long trips are impressive. It’s fun to drive as well, thanks to its low weight and willing engine. Even the cheapest trim comes with alloy wheels, Bluetooth and DAB radio, while you can take advantage of VW’s apps and the car’s smartphone holder if you have a compatible device.
