EDITORS PICKS - 5 Ideal Cars For The Travelling Salesperson

Status symbol it may be for some, but cars definitely are not a luxury if your day job involves sales outside of your office. There’s simply no beating having your own ride if time really is of the essence, as punctuality can mean the difference between signing a lucrative deal, and getting the boot.

Outdoor salespeople can clock up decent amounts of mileage, so you do not want to be stuck with a less-than-ideal car for its intended use. You’d want a car that is good on fuel, but practical and powerful enough to haul whatever it is you may need to end up hauling around, and here are 5 cars which we think fits that bill to a tee!

With a claimed 482km of range from a single charge, range anxiety isn’t something you need to worry about even if you regularly pile on the kilometres in the Hyundai Kona Electric. Your mileage will quite literally vary, though you can expect some decent savings from daily running costs, as electric cars are generally cheaper to run than their petrol-counterparts, making it an attractive option for those working in companies with inadequate petrol remuneration. Sure, you can charge it from a public point, but the bigger savings will come for those with the means to house your own charging station.

Quiet in operation, it is easy for you to even hear yourself think as you drive from meeting to meeting. Oh how about this? Maximum shove is immediate, meaning that you can be ahead of the pack when taking off from the lights. It's century sprint timing is only all of 7.6 seconds, but where it matters most, is really in its initial acceleration!

While Hyundai cannot promise that you will not be late for a meeting ever again, it is comforting that you have quick-accelerating transport to get you there!

If you’re looking for svelte looks, decent gadgetry and a adequately torquey motor wrapped up in an affordable package, you need to take a look at the Skoda Octavia. It pairs a 1.4 litre engine with 150bhp on tap, with a 7-speed DSG gearbox that guarantees silky-smooth and consistent power to the front wheels.

Value may be one of the key reasons why this Czech compact sedan is popular, but hop into the car, and be amazed by how comfortable a ride it offers, all thanks to a suspension tuned on the softer side.

The Octavia is practical as well, with a cavernous boot which boasts 590 litres, and is easy-to-access courtesy of its liftback-style bootlid. With 250Nm of torque on-tap, your daily cargo should not make a significant dent to its performance or to its impressive combined fuel economy rating of 19.2km/l!

"But... I want all of that and I also want to go quicker!" you may say. The "hot" Octavia RS245 might be the answer, offering similar-to Volokswagen Golf GTi performance, the same versatility, albeit a stiffer suspension (including a totally different rear-end setup) but for less!

The latest crop of Mazdas marry design and engineering that will not look or feel out of place should it have come in a car from a more premium brand. An impressive feat, especially considering their price tags.

The 3 M-Hybrid is the latest example of the bunch. A well-built interior, rivaling those of Continental brands. Its mild hybrid architecture allows you to zip around in comfort, providing improved off-the-line acceleration, and it does so without breaking the bank. Electrical assistance also means better fuel savings, saving you some change at the petrol station.

Available in Sedan and Hatchback variants, development for the Mazda 3 even involved their engineers measuring the amount of head movement the front passengers make, when going over humps. Obsessive you might say, but coupled with Mazda's signature G-Vector Control, ride comfort is among the best in its class... perfect for those who spend hours just simply getting around.

Peel the SEAT Toledo’s VW-esque silhouette back, and you’ll find the same platform that went into the Volkswagen Polo and the Audi A1. This means you can expect similar VW-Audi Group build quality, minus the cost attached to cars from either marque.

As with its stablemates, practicality is excellent, aided by its liftback-style boot lid that makes loading larger items a doddle. Equipment is decent across the range as well, and the 1.4 litre turbocharged engine onboard, mated to a 7 speed DSG gearbox, means the car can lug itself, and whatever that it happens to be carrying, with no issue!

You’d expect some degree of compromise, considering the Audi A3 is the most affordable model in Audi’s portfolio. However, the designers and engineers at Audi don’t seem to operate on that philosophy, offering one the complete Audi experience despite its smaller footprint and price tag.

Expect a quality interior, trimmed with leather in all the usual touchpoints, and a quiet, refined ride. Its smoothness comes partially courtesy of the A3’s suspension, which nicely rides the fine line between sportiness and comfort, and its 1.0 litre TFSI engine, which actually makes quite a bit more power than you’d expect!

Look good bringing your clients around for a workday lunch... or even a 'Workday Joyride'!

Credits: Jek Ray Low