Case study: Mark’s journey to plug-in power started with Leasing.com
Mark, a professional photographer who lives in Scotland recently saw our offer of £20 in vouchers for case studies about using our site. Here’s his Leasing.com journey.
I am a professional photographer and collected a brand new Mini Countryman PHEV from the main dealer in Edinburgh in February 2022, having sourced a deal via Leasing.com.
I need a “Swiss army knife” type of vehicle that will go pretty much anywhere but scrub up nice for when I need to make a good impression, both business-wise and personally. I had been running a Land Rover Freelander which I owned outright, part funded with a personal loan.
The final straw with my old car was the knowledge that the next service was going to be a big one - well over £700.
The Freelander was a fabulous vehicle that ticked all my boxes but, with the rising cost of diesel, it was becoming expensive to run. The final straw with my old car was the knowledge that the next service was going to be a big one - well over £700.
I’d been thinking about a PHEV, and the Countryman in particular, for a while. So I ran the numbers and it became clear that the monthly rental cost would be more than offset by the savings in loan repayment, used car warranty costs, road fund licence and the general maintenance costs of running an older vehicle. (The Freelander was a 2014 model). Plus, of course, there were the fuel savings.
Having seen Leasing.com pop up before when researching leasing costs, I decided to have a look at what was available. Two vehicles came up, both available from stock in the main dealer in Edinburgh (I’m based in the Highlands). There was nothing else showing availability until late summer.
I registered an interest and, within 24 hours, I’d been contacted by the dealer.
I’m self-employed and not VAT registered, so I opted for personal contract hire on a 6+35 basis, 10,000 miles per year, non-maintenance. I registered an interest and, within 24 hours, I’d been contacted by the dealer.
Long story short; we did a deal and the dealer also agreed to buy the Freelander at a competitive price, saving a lot of hassle.
I have to say I’m delighted with the Mini. Around three quarters of my annual mileage involves journeys with a radius of around 12 miles, which I can achieve running on full electric.
The car plugs conveniently into the external 13 Amp socket on the side of my house and, having only a 10kWh battery, will happily charge from one of the 7kW chargers that can be found in supermarket car parks (many of which are free to use) in just a couple of hours.
It’s nice to be back driving a brand new vehicle with no worries about reliability or maintenance costs. I’d forgotten what peace-of-mind leasing brings.
So, more often than not, I’m charging mine in the Tesco’s just round the corner. All in all, the savings have been dramatic, especially against the backdrop of rising fuel prices.
It remains to be seen how the Mini will cope with the toughest Highland winter weather. Although technically four wheel drive, I’m not sure how it will compare to the Freelander.
However my intention is to buy a set of winter wheels and tyres in the autumn, which should make all the difference. I’ll pay for those with some of the funds left over from selling the Freelander!
It’s nice to be back driving a brand new vehicle with no worries about reliability or maintenance costs. My last contract-hired vehicle was a Mercedes C-Class some years back. I’d forgotten what peace-of-mind leasing brings.
Remember, you can get £20 worth of vouchers if you tell us about your experience using Leasing.com. If you're still looking for your dream lease deal, you can start your journey by hitting the button below.
