If you’re looking to replace your company car and have your heart set on a new Audi, these are the models you should be looking at…
Audi is very much in the premier league of company cars. If your employer is happy to foot the contract hire bill for an Audi, you must be in the boss’s starting eleven.
Choose wisely, though, and a premium badge doesn’t have to mean a premium tax bill. The German manufacturer has a wide array of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric cars in its range, and their favourable benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates make them surprisingly affordable for business drivers.
In this feature we’ve picked the five best Audis to choose as company cars. In each case, we’ve picked our favourite tax-beating model from within the range, and there are links to our full reviews so you can read more. We’ve also calculated the monthly tax bill for a 40% taxpayer. If you pay tax at 20%, just cut the BIK figure in half.
5. Audi A6 Avant
Best model 50 TFSIe quattro Sport | What Car? rating 4/5 | CO2 emissions 30g/km | P11D price £56,350 | Monthly BIK tax rate 2021/22 @40% From £225.40
The A6 Avant is an estate car that’s easy to like. It’s good-looking, comfortable and practical – and it makes a great company car too.
For high performance and low tax bills, choose the 50 TFSIe plug-in hybrid. It’s capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in 6.3sec, yet emits just 30g/km of CO2. Together with an all-electric range of just over 30 miles, that puts the 50 TFSIe in the 12% bracket for BIK tax.
The small dent in your monthly pay packet isn’t the only reason to choose the plug-in hybrid over the other petrol or diesel options in the range. Wafting around on short journeys using electricity alone makes for impressively quiet progress, although the A6 Avant isn’t as good to drive as the rival BMW 5 Series Touring.
We’d stick with the entry-level Sport spec because it’s well equipped and keeps the monthly BIK bill as low as possible.
4. Audi Q7
Best model 55 TFSIe quattro S line | What Car? rating 5/5 | CO2 emissions 59g/km | P11D price £71,105 | Monthly BIK tax rate 2021/22 @40% From £379.23
We rate the Q7 as one of the best cars in the world. Few rivals match its limo-like comfort, peerless build quality and high-tech engines.
For private buyers, the 55 TFSI S line would be our pick, but if you’re considering the Q7 as a company car, the tax savings offered by the plug-in hybrid 55 TFSIe are too big to ignore. It sits in the 16% BIK tax bracket for 2021/22, whereas the petrol will cost you a fair amount more. So for such a big and luxurious SUV, the plug-in hybrid’s monthly benefit-in-kind payment is very low.
The combination of V6 petrol and electric power makes this Q7 very fast, with a 0-62mph time of just 5.9sec. Reckon on around 20 miles of pure-electric running in real-world conditions – enough to complete many commutes without using any petrol.
3. Audi Q5
Best model 50 TFSIe quattro Sport | What Car? rating 4/5 | CO2 emissions 35g/km | P11D price £53,805 | Monthly BIK tax rate 2021/22 @40% From £192.16
For private buyers, we reckon the punchy 40 TDI diesel-engined version of the Q5 makes the most sense. However, for business users, the plug-in hybrid version is the one you should be looking at.
The 295bhp 50 TFSIe offers all the performance you’re likely to need, and can do most journeys without using any fuel at all (the official electric-only range is up to 37 miles).
Low costs are only half the story here, though. The Q5 also has the best interior of any large SUV, with a pleasing mix of high-quality materials and buttons that feel built to last. It’s a practical choice, too, with a boot that can easily take your family’s holiday luggage – even though some space is taken up by its battery pack.
2. Audi E-tron
Best model 55 quattro Sport | What Car? rating 4/5 | CO2 emissions 0g/km | P11D price £74,820 | Monthly BIK tax rate 2021/22 @40% From £24.91
Going electric has even more advantages for company car drivers than for regular buyers, because by running a car powered solely by electricity, your monthly costs are reduced to a pittance. And don’t go thinking the E-tron is only here because it’ll be cheap to run, either: it’s a thoroughly recommendable electric SUV in its own right.
Let’s start with the range, which on 55 models is an official 254 miles. If you’re commuting and doing the school run, that means you might only need to charge up once a week. And as with other Audi models, you get an interior that’s near-unmatched in terms of quality.
Your family will like the E-tron, too, because it offers plenty of space for front and rear passengers to stretch out, and its boot can swallow up to eight carry-on suitcases – one more than the rival Jaguar I-Pace.
1. Audi Q4 e-tron
Best model 40 Sport | What Car? rating 4/5 | CO2 emissions 0g/km | P11D price £46,725 | Monthly BIK tax rate 2021/22 @40% From £15.58
You have a choice of three power outputs with the Q4 e-tron. We think the mid-range motor strikes the best balance between price and performance, while the starter-spec Sport has all the equipment you really need.
You get a bigger battery as well as livelier acceleration if you go for the 201bhp motor in the 40. This gives an official range of up to 316 miles. Even if it doesn’t quite match that figure in real-world driving, the Q4 e-tron should handle London to Birmingham and back without stopping to recharge.
You’ll also travel in comfort, thanks to the Q4 e-tron’s superb ride and luxurious interior. On the other hand, it’s not the most scintillating car to drive down a twisting country road – it’s a long-distance express rather than an electric car for enthusiasts.
The incredibly low tax rates that apply to electric cars for the next few years make the Q4 e-tron an absolute bargain for business drivers, and takes the top spot here.
Quickly check your BIK bill with our company car tax calculator >>
Keyword: Best Audis for company car drivers 2022