Most cars on personal or business contract hire are available with a limited choice on specification and it’s very rare to customise your own spec unless you are willing to pay a premium. When leasing a car, features and specs are often not considered as the main focus remains on budget, finance criteria and application process.
If you’re trying to find the best featured lease cars and get the most out of your budget then there’s a few common features which we believe are worth considering as it probably won’t cost you or the broker much but it could make the difference in closing the deal.
- Satellite Navigation
This is probably the most desired feature and in our opinion the best value for money. A navigation system combines convenience with time saving benefits to get you almost anywhere in your country without much hassle.
Typically worth £400-£750 as an extra but if you opt for the more premium package or model you’ll almost certainly expect this to come as a standard feature.
Many drivers opt to use the Google Maps App on their phone using a flimsy mount on the dashboard but nothing beats an integrated full colour wide screen propose built and positioned to your convenience that works seamlessly through your entertainment system taking priority over your music at crucial points.
- Smart Entertainment (phones, data streaming, Bluetooth, USB)
There are many gadgets that allow you to connect your smart phone through radio channels with crackling music that often breaks connections during your journey switching over to a an unused channel that can be disrupting while you are driving.
Smart in-car entertainment is designed to integrate not only your music, but also your phone calls, contacts, and some are even clever enough to read out your messages while you are driving.
Another feature which is becoming more widely available in standard spec cars is a USB slot that can atomically pick up your song list and let you control it through your entertainment system.
A rather recent addition to in-car entertainment is the SIM card slot which enables your vehicle to connect online to stream data whether it be emails, music or even videos.
So if you’re a driver that spends a lot of time driving to new locations or sitting in regular traffic then these features are definitely worth considering.
- LED Lights (Day lights)
LEDs headlights have become a trend that has got people buzzing in the night and day. Many of the reputed European car makes such as Audi A4 have been implementing these striking curvy and straight cut strips of bright lights for a few years and it’s changed the look of cars in the day.
Taking away the fact that day lights improves visibility in country that don’t get much sunshine all year round, we must admit it looks pretty cool.
Although most new cars are now upgrading their headlights to include day lights it may be worth filtering the car makes and models that do have them to help you choose which car to lease.
- Interior (Leather heated seats and led lit trim)
Now this is personal choice and more related to driver and passenger comfort. Leathers are always a favourite but may come at a cost whether you pay extra or choose a premium spec. It is however worth bearing in mind that if you prefer heated seats then it most likely to be leather.
Trims again a personal choice but cars like Mercedes C Class Saloon have subtle led glow lights fitted neatly behind the edges of the trim that creates a nice and relaxing mood especially during night driving. Another benefit of this feature is that your cabin is not pitch dark so if a passenger drops a small object it can be found without waking up snoozing passengers.
- Tyre (Run Flats, Inflation KIT and Spare wheel)
There couldn’t be anything more frustrating than having a flat tyre and finding there isn’t a spare in the boot or any inflation kit to get you moving quicker than rescue response times. So it’s worth asking the question to your car leasing broker as it could save a lot of hassle if such an incident occurs.
Most BMW cars however do come with run flats that are designed to run over a flat tyre up to an impressive 55 MPH.
Written By: Mark Holland
I love tech and gaming, and am always looking for the 'next big thing'...