Best company cars £40,000 to £50,000

Many people associate executive petrol or diesel saloons with being the traditional company car, but while there are still plenty of these models available on the market, things have moved on. Not only are SUVs more popular than ever, but electric cars now offer some of the biggest Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax savings. 

The good news is that our list of the best company cars for between £40,000 and £50,000 comprises a variety including executive cars and SUVs, so there’s something for everyone.

The best company cars for £40,000 to £50,000

These are the best company cars for a budget ranging from £40,000 to £50,000, listed in reverse order.

BMW 330e

• Best estate
• Variant: Touring M Sport 
• Price: £49,980
• Powertrain: 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol plug-in hybrid
• CO2/BiK band: 33g/km/12%
• 0-62mph/top speed: 5.9 seconds/143mph

The 3 Series Touring has long been the ‘driver’s estate car’ – perhaps not the ultimate word in practicality, but every inch a BMW. That’s still the case with the 330e Touring, although in this model’s case, it also brings a clever plug-in hybrid system to make it a relatively good-value company car.

The 2.0-litre petrol-based plug-in hybrid powertrain can travel more than 30 miles on electricity alone, making it ideal for commutes. But over longer distances, it has all of the 3 Series’s best qualities: a beautiful cabin, engaging handling and responsive steering, plus a surprising amount of pace. And you can get all this for a maximum of £200 per month in tax if you are a higher-rate earner.

Hyundai Tucson

6

• Best SUV
• Variant: N Line 1.6T 265PS Plug-in Hybrid
• Price: £41,875
• Powertrain: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol plug-in hybrid
• CO2/BiK band: 31g/km/12%
• 0-62mph/top speed: 8.6 seconds/119mph

The Hyundai Tucson is a strong example of why plug-in hybrids are becoming more relevant again, particularly as company car choices. This is a mid-size SUV that can ultimately travel long distances purely on petrol power, if needed, but which can also do commuting and school-run duties on electricity alone, thanks to an EV range of 38 miles.

It’s a halfway house on costs, too, with a BiK rate of 12 per cent. That tax band means it’s a bit more expensive than an EV, but considerably cheaper than mild-hybrid options. N Line trim brings all the kit you’ll need, too. 

Kia EV6

6

• Best family car
• Variant: GT-Line 
• Price: £48,220
• Powertrain: 77kWh battery, 1x e-motor
• CO2/BiK band: 0g/km/2%
• 0-62mph/top speed: 7.3 seconds/114mph

Kia has ridden the wave of electrification to score sales hits, and the EV6 is a prime example of a terrific car that is pitched at customers who’d never have considered the brand before. In rear-drive GT-Line form, the EV6 has more than 300 miles of range, yet still has 226bhp on tap, which is enough for a punchy 0-62mph time of just over seven seconds.

And yet this is not a small car, with almost 500 litres of boot space and plenty of room for four people inside. It’s not the last word in involvement, but this more affordable single-motor version is actually our pick of the EV6 range – and electric power means the Korean model costs buttons in BiK company-car tax.

Nissan X-Trail

6

• Best seven-seater
• Variant: 1.5 e-Power Tekna
• Price: £42,810
• Powertrain: 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol hybrid
• CO2/BiK band: 135g/km/32%
• 0-62mph/top speed: 8.0 seconds/105mph

Seven-seat EVs are still relatively thin on the ground, so we’ve plumped for a hybrid model here. The Nissan X-Trail has proper family-SUV specs, with seating for seven people or almost 1,400 litres of boot capacity if you fold the second and third rows down.

The Japanese SUV’s wheels are powered exclusively by electricity, but it’s not provided by a plug-in system. Instead, it uses a petrol engine that acts as a generator.

There’s no getting around the fact that, with CO2 emissions of 135g/km, the X-Trail is one of the more expensive company car options here. But the Nissan has country-crossing ability and is vast, so some people may find it worth every penny.

Tesla Model 3

6

• Best executive saloon
• Variant: Long Range 
• Price: £49,935
• Powertrain: 79kWh battery, 2x e-motor
• CO2/BiK band: 0g/km/2%
• 0-62mph/top speed: 4.4 seconds/125mph

An outright Auto Express Car of the Year way back in 2019, the Tesla Model 3 has been kept fresh through online tech updates and revisions to its powertrain. That uber-minimalist interior has aged pretty well, and company-car taxation rules have continued to move the goalposts in the EV’s favour.

This is a saloon that can crack 0-62mph in less than five seconds, travel almost 400 miles between charges and refill at up to 250kW. Yet it’ll cost a higher-rate taxpayer only £33 in BiK. It may not have a traditional executive badge, but it’s a stellar choice regardless.

Best company cars £40,000 to £50,000

• BMW 330e
• Hyundai Tucson
• Kia EV6
• Nissan X-Trail
• Tesla Model 3

Best company cars by price bracket

• Best company cars under £25,000
• Best company cars £25,000 to £30,000
• Best company cars £30,000 to £40,000
• Best company cars £40,000 to £50,000
• Best company cars £50,000 to £60,000
• Best company cars £60,000 and above