I Need Business Vehicle Advice

[Diggerdan11]

Hey everyone, I am looking for some advice on what vehicle to lease for my business.

I am going to be opening a restaurant. Its a Fast Casual Mexican franchise, and I have signed a deal to open a minimum of 5 locations. After a 2 years process trying to find the right property to lease, We finally found a location that will work, we have signed our lease documents and hopefully we will be open by the middle of September. I also have 2 more locations coming down the pipeline in the next year or so.

In our business we do catering orders. Not a huge amount, but enough that it is a good idea to have a vehicle specifically for delivering those orders. I will also be using it to drive from location to location ( the second location is 50 miles from the first), plus it will be wrapped in a graphic so it will be a great advertisement.

I have trying to decided what vehicle to lease that will work well for what I need. I am looking for something that has a flat cargo space, so wagon, hatchback, or small suv. The rear seats need to fold mostly flat (a slight slight angle will be ok), it needs to have decent cargo room or at least decent space for pans of food. It also needs to get decent gas mileage since I will be driving it quite a bit.

I do not want to spend more than $450 a month on a lease (36 months 15K miles or more a year). Im looking for a normal average vehicle, so dont suggest a 328i wagon or something. LOL

I car that is a wagon or hatchback will work the best, but I am also open to a small suv. It does not have to be AWD. I live in Portland, OR so it is not necessary despite what some people in this city believe.

What do you guys/gals think? Any advice?


Just to narrow it down. I refuse to get anything Toyota, or anything from FCA (Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram). Right now the front runner is the Ford C Max. It is a really cool car with lots of cargo room, cool gadgets, and it gets 42 mph city, plus they have awesome lease deals.

[Apex Everything]

Get a Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid.

[Diggerdan11]

Originally Posted by Apex Everything

Get a Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid.

I actually looked at one today. I was surprised how much cargo room there is. It's definitely an option

[Red Bread]

Honda Fit, if you know how to use a third pedal. Skip if you don't.

[overcoil]

I don't know catering but it seems to me if your transporting food you don't want a cargo area with windows. Windows would let in sunlight and create radiation heat, glass may be able to cut down on UV wavelength but not the infrared. Even if your transporting warm food not sure windows are the right way to go.

[Diggerdan11]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

I don't know catering but it seems to me if your transporting food you don't want a cargo area with windows. Windows would let in sunlight and create radiation heat, glass may be able to cut down on UV wavelength but not the infrared. Even if your transporting warm food not sure windows are the right way to go.

That should not be an issue. Travel times are pretty short. The corporate owned stores use Hyundai Velosters for delivery, and other franchisees use vehicles with Windows.

[clutchdj]

Jetta sport wagon TDI.

[BEM-S4]

You can get a 2016 exec demo 3-series sport wagon for very little $ right now. My dealer has one $55k MSRP listed for $44k with I believe 3k on it. Would lease well under $400 a month.

[Diggerdan11]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Jetta sport wagon TDI.

You can't buy TDIs anymore, but the regular Jetta sport wagon is an option

[Alfisti]

Considered XC70 or if that is too rich, a Prius hatch?

[hockey21]

why do you need to lease? can you buy at the end of the lease?

chevrolet colorado? toyota tacoma? get something you'll keep at the end

[Diggerdan11]

Originally Posted by hockey21

why do you need to lease? can you buy at the end of the lease?

chevrolet colorado? toyota tacoma? get something you'll keep at the end

There are a couple reasons to lease vs buy in this situation.

1. Cost- leasing a vehicle is much cheaper than financing. Our margins are going to be very thin and we don't want to spend anymore than we have to.

2. Taxes- there are better tax advantages to leasing than buying. Unless you buy a vehicle over 6000 gvw which is a weird loophole.

Now once the business is up and going and in 3 years when the lease comes up then I will most likely end up buying something for myself and use it for business enough to benefit from the tax advantages

[Efthreeoh]

Why not go with one of the new small commercial delivery vans offered by Dodge, Ford, or Nissan? Seems to fit the bill perfectly and all are designed for heavy commercial delivery use and low maintenance costs. Throw in vinyl silk screen graphics (easily removable upon lease turn in) and you have a mobile billboard for your business. You can lease these vehicles as turnkey for the purpose (i.e. warm food delivery catering) if you go to a fleet-service provider. They'll provide the vehicle to spec with the necessary storage apparatus for food and add the graphics as well all for a single monthly lease cost, and write-offable as business expense.

Good luck with the new endeavor.

[1MOREMOD]

+1

[Diggerdan11]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Why not go with one of the new small commercial delivery vans offered by Dodge, Ford, or Nissan? Seems to fit the bill perfectly and all are designed for heavy commercial delivery use and low maintenance costs. Throw in vinyl silk screen graphics (easily removable upon lease turn in) and you have a mobile billboard for your business. You can lease these vehicles as turnkey for the purpose (i.e. warm food delivery catering) if you go to a fleet-service provider. They'll provide the vehicle to spec with the necessary storage apparatus for food and add the graphics as well all for a single monthly lease cost, and write-offable as business expense.

Good luck with the new endeavor.

I have thought about those but I'm not sure. Catering is not going to be the main purpose for the vehicle and those vans are pretty basic. I will spend quite a bit of time in the vehicle so I want something that is comfortable for long drives.