Help Me Find a Daily Lease For Work
 

Recently self-employed and will driving between Richmond and Downtown a ton so I am intrigued by the idea of leasing a vehicle. I definitely don't want to be jumping all through Vancouver and into Downtown with the E46 M3 for various reasons (VI, wasted km's, gas, trunk space).

I have two parts to consider..

1. The vehicle

I'd like something that:
- has room to haul stuff (either hatchback/fastback with hatch)
- fun around town but still relatively comfortable
- preferably 6spd
- not too ridiculous on gas
- Android Auto
- would prefer a shorter lease - under 40 months preferably

The GTI/Civic HB (and of course Golf R/CTR) comes to mind immediately but I am open to others. How would you guys compare them for my use case? GTI would be more mature whereas Civic comes off as more boy racer. I don't have to go see clients per se so it's not a huge factor.
Does anyone have a considerable amount of seat time in both and can chime in?


2. Budget and Feasibility

Budget: unsure. In what case would it make sense to get a lease with a monthly cost of $4-500 vs $800+?

Since I just started my self-employment, how would it affect me getting a lease? Would I just need a larger downpayment (if so how much am I looking at)?
I understand that a lease is tax-deductible and the max is $800/m. I'm estimating my business use is approximately 70-80% as I will still be insuring my M3 (for the time being - at least until winter).

Don't have a car to suggest, since similar ish situation.

But keep all your reciepts: gas, maintenance, parking, etc.

Make sure you have a mileage log that records both your business and personal trips. It should include date and time, start and finish point, km driven, and purpose. Trips from your home to your main place of employment do not count as business.

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I just bought a 2020 Civic Sport Touring hatchback last week. GTI reliability and fuel economy were main knocks against it for me.

Some thoughts here:
Have driven Golf 1.4T/1.8T/R.
Have driven Civic Touring Hatch.

• Highway Driving/Longer Trips: how often do you do these? I find the Civic really loud as far as road and wind noise goes. I've done 8 hours in a Golf with no complaints.
• Comfort: IMO the Golf's ride is shockingly good - it drives like a much bigger car as far as ride comfort goes. Felt door seals make for good noise comfort.
• Cargo Space: how much do you need of this? The Golf has more small item storage (phone cubby under the infotainment, much larger compartment on the left of the steering wheel) but the Civic has much more outright storage (12 big rubbermaid totes vs. 9 in the Golf). For me, my road bike literally JUST fits in the Golf, so if I were taller or had a larger bike, I'd need the Civic.
• Driver Assist: Both don't have full speed auto steer but the Golf gets marks docked for not having a true stop and go radar cruise on the GTI (requires you to brake from 2kmh down to 0. The Golf R has a electronic parking brake and full stop and go). The one feature that's bumped me up to the 800/month lease range is the full speed auto steer because I don't add value when steering in Lions Gate/Massey/Oak traffic jams and I'm often dead af after long days dancing or training for triathlon.
• Transmission: I hear the Civic transmission ain't great but haven't driven it yet. I hear the GTI/R clutch is pretty weak - like slipping after a couple hard launches. Not sure if you have an S/O or friends who might drive it on a road trip, but the DSG might be a nice option to have.
• Fun: The Golf R was fun because it's just so capable but it's not super engaging. I hear the GTI is more engaging in general. I think the Civic Type R is the one to go for if you wanted something real fun... but since this is your more 'practical' car, not sure how much that matters.

Have you considered the Mercedes C class wagon?

But the base civic is so ugly even type r only looks good from certain angles. What about the Corolla hatch, :alone: what has the world become when I recommend a Corolla, but it does look way better than civic

I love the way the Corolla looks, especially in Blue - drove a friend's around for a week.
The CVT with the 2.0 is clever - launch gear makes for solid feel and it shifts crazy quick above 60kmh if you wanted to mess around with the paddles.

Similar to the Camry I had, they've got this nice duality to it.
Mostly comfy, 'boring', but with well weighted controls when driving day to day, but the harder you drive it, the car seems to wake up and the turn in is pretty sharp.

The interior and cargo area is noticeably tighter compared to the Golf and Civic though.

Corolla is a lot smaller, a lot weaker. XSE hard to find with a 6MT.

Civic Sport Touring got an insulation upgrade for 2020 with the facelift. Still louder than the Golf but quieter than 2016-2019 models. 1.4T was super weak, IMO. Golf gearing was weird.

+1, the 1.4 was hella weak compared to the 1.8T that I drove before.
The 0-60 on paper is the same but the turbo lag and lack of midrange torque is obvious the moment you drive it off the lot.

OP mentions he will be mostly driving from Richmond to Downtown Vancouver. I don't think he's looking to win 1/4 mile drag races on Granville or Oak Street since he's trying to avoid getting a VI and looking for fuel economic vehicle. If any of that meant fuck all, then he should just stick with his E46 M3 because so many little boys will drop their pants when they see him stroll down Hornby and Robson.

Drive both - I am very confident you'll end up with a GTI since you like the German feel (heavier steering, different seating position, sportier) compared to a Civic. If you are looking at new cars under warranty, I think any difference in reliability is moot - it's not like you are keeping it for 10+ years.

If you want to try a cheaper option, you might try driving a Mazda 3 hatch. It's not going to be as fast as a GTI but a lot cheaper and I really enjoy ours with the 2.5 GT package.

-Mark

Basically what AstulzerRZD said.

Make sure to get the 1.8T in the Golf (2015 to 2017? I think) 2018 is the facelift and they replaced it with the 1.4T. Like the others have said, the 1.4 really lacks the low to mid range torque that the 1.8T had

Infotainment wise, I believe the Honda ones are laggy and not as responsive as VW's

Sorry for the OT but does this apply if you're incorporated and the company owns the vehicle?

If you do a lot of city commutes, many of my wife's colleagues drive some form of Hybrid or pure BEV. This cuts significant portion of commuting cost. And if you go with BEV or PHEV, you can even receive the full $8000 subsidy when leasing 3+ years, cutting your cost even further.

You already have a fun car (M3), a boring car that'd get you from A-B reliably and cheaply would be my main focus if I were you. Or if you go something like a Tesla... fun/cost efficient can co-exist.

Agreed. Unless clients are going to see it, get something cheap and reliable.

My company car is basically invisible and I love it.

They just announced the Mazda 3 hatch turbo for Mexico Market (Canada/US reveal on Wednesday).

227/250hp, 310lbft tq, AWD, 6 speed auto.

(I'm assuming it's your incorporated company) If you're incorporated, you have to pay the company for personal mileage driven. So if say its $800/mo, and its 50% business 50% personal, then you'll have to pay the company $400/mo for personal mileage. Otherwise, at the end of the year, it'll be treated as a dividend, and thus income.

Wow, you can lease a base civic for a little over $200/mo. Didn't realize a new car could be that cheap

The base 2020 Civic Sedan DX manual has no AC. The LX and up has AC.

I drove the new 2019 GTI Autobahn for around 2000km and I wasn't a fan of the DSG due to the way it shifts. In manual mode, there is a bit of a delay when you use the paddle shifters. Auto mode just takes you to the highest gear when it can. I know it's blasphemy but I feel that the CVT in the Civic is much better as a daily driver.

On the GTI, there isn't much front grip so even with the LSD, traction control will intervene. I liked the digital display on the GTI and the Titan Black leather seats; they are super comfy compared to the 2018 Civic LX seats. The Fender audio system is sounds pretty good as well.

The OP's problem is that the GTI doesn't really have a direct competitor as the Sport Touring on the Civic HB doesn't have the Si's LSD and transmission. The Si trim only comes on the Sedan and Coupe and has shorter gear ratios as well.

2020...
no AC lol

That's terrible.

They don't generally sell the DX trim. It's one of those things to get you in the door.

Some dealers will have it in stock, or you have to ask for it.

i was thinking the leaf would satisfy the hatch portion, and the gas savings for that amount of travel would put a dent on costs

Moreso wondering if the company has to track mileage, daily, as an o/o would have to. Car is 100% only driven for business.

Get a Lada