SIX OF THE BEST USED EXEC CARS FOR UNDER 5000

It might not sound possible, but a budget of £5000 really will get you a decent example of either a fairly swanky executive saloon or a classy big hatchback. That means ample room for at least four, lots of comfort, some premium entertainment in the cabin and an image that is distinctly up-market when you pull up to your driveway. Here are our top half dozen examples to help you go up in the world without sending your finances down into a death-spiral. 1. VW Passat best-used-execs-under-ps5000-11.jpg Yes, our first suggestion is a Volkswagen with a diesel engine, and you need to take that on board. Having done so, you’ll enjoy a large and luxurious saloon with a spacious cabin that feels really well made. The lines are definitely up-market and it’s a good way to travel big distances. It’s not that much more expensive than a Ford Mondeo, but it’s lots classier. Our choice: 2009 2.0 TDI Sport, 81,000 miles, full service history, £4795 2. Ford Mondeo best-used-execs-under-ps5000-10.jpg Oh look, we were just talking about you. The Mondeo is about as big and spacious as the Passat, but it’s a more enjoyable car to drive. There are plenty to choose from, many ordered with higher trim levels, so you should find one to suit you. Fairly cheap to buy, fairly cheap to run, pretty reliable – there’s plenty to recommend. Our choice: 2008 2.0 TDCi Ghia, 86,000 miles, service history, £4466 3. BMW 3 Series best-used-execs-under-ps5000-9.jpg You’ll note we’ve chosen a petrol engine here, which is largely down to addressing any qualms about reliability. That means an even better driver’s car, certainly better than the two above it, and of course a classy one. But in terms of value for money, it’s not quite at the top. Our choice: 2006 318i SE auto, 70,000 miles, £4495 4. Honda Accord best-used-execs-under-ps5000-8.jpg This earlier Accord was very well received, for obvious reasons. Again, we’ve gone for a petrol engine, which gives you an enjoyable driver’s experience, matched by great comfort for the passengers. This is a great cruiser, really quiet at speed, so if you want to do the miles, this would be a great choice. Honda’s reputation for reliability should enhance your peace of mind even further. Our choice: 2007 2.0i VTEC EX, 62,000 miles, full service history, £3949 5. Mazda 6 best-used-execs-under-ps5000-7.jpg The Mazda 6 isn’t really outstanding in any particular way, but it does a lot of things very well. It’s reliable, well built, economical and actually it’s a pretty good car to drive. The downsides are that the ride is a bit firm and the rear roofline limits rear headroom, but otherwise the pluses heavily outweigh the minuses. Our choice: 2009 2.2d TS2, 80,000 miles, £4495 6. Seat Exeo best-used-execs-under-ps5000-6.jpg As the lines indicate, this is Seat’s take on the Audi A4 since they’re all part of the same group. As such, it’s solidly built, with a good range of engines along with plenty of standard kit. The cabin isn’t quite up to Audi standards, and depreciation is a lot worse than the A4s – but that makes it a great buy used. Our choice: 2010 2.0 TDI SE, 89,000 miles, full service history, £4500 Graham Scott is a writer for WhatCar.

Tesla Model 3 Sales Could Tank When Federal Tax Credits End

Tesla Model 3 Sales Could Tank When Federal Tax Credits End Mike BrownTesla Model 33h ago In many states, new owners of electric vehicles get a sick tax break from the federal government as a reward for helping save the environment, something that could be a major selling point for the Tesla Model 3 — at least until the benefit goes away. A new report released Friday shows that sales of Elon Musk’s affordable, mass-produced electric vehicle could slump when federal tax credits disappear. Current electric buyers can receive up to $7,500 in federal credit under existing rules, but these credits will be phased out once an automaker sells 200,000 registered plug-in vehicles. And Tesla has bold ambitions to sell far more than that. A report from Edmunds shows that electric vehicle sales in the state of Georgia slumped when lawmakers removed state-level incentives, particularly at the lower end of the market. This pattern could repeat itself nationwide. “The majority of consumers are still looking for the best price on a vehicle that meets their needs, and until EVs can be used as seamlessly as their traditional engine counterparts, mass adoption will continue to be a challenge without some kind of financial incentive,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis for Edmunds. To find out what may happen when federal credits expire, the team looked at Georgia, which used to have the second highest electric vehicle sales rate in the country behind California. In 2015, lawmakers ended a $5,000 state tax credit scheme, and sales dropped like a stone. The sales drop in Georgia. The sales drop in Georgia. Before the cut, Georgia accounted for 17 percent of electric vehicle sales in the United States. After, the state accounted for just two percent. ADVERTISEMENT Report Advertisement The biggest casualty was the Nissan Leaf, which has a list price starting at $30,680 and never saw anywhere near the same sales figures after the cut. The $68,000 Tesla Model S recovered after a few months, and now the luxury electric vehicle has the same sales figures as the entry-level Leaf. Buyers with large amounts of money were seemingly less concerned about the credit cut — but those aren’t the people Musk wants to market the Model 3 to. Tesla is currently gearing up to launch the Model 3 entry-level vehicle at $35,000 before incentives, targeting a similar market to the Leaf. The manufacturer is aiming, however, to produce 500,000 cars per year by the end of 2018, which would trigger the gradual revocation of the federal incentives if all of those cars are sold. When a manufacturer reaches the federal threshold, the phase out begins at the end of the quarter after the limit was reached. At that point federal credits drop to $3,750 for six months, then $1,875 for a further six months, and then they are removed completely. Tesla may have found itself immune to Georgia’s tax credit cut, but if the Leaf is anything to go by, the Model 3 will be working with an audience far more sensitive to price changes. The wider industry may find itself running into the same issues. “It will take a significant rise in gas prices or stricter government mandates to drive sales of EVs at high volume,” Caldwell said.