A ROW is brewing over high profile claims that Britain's fleets dismiss vital factors when acquiring company cars.

A new survey argues that quality, desirability and handling play no part in the choice of vehicles for Britain's fleets, which are instead entirely focused on discounts, future values and running costs.

The allegation is part of a 'real-world' car sales list produced by Autocar magazine, which has stripped out fleet sales to identify the cars sold to the private market.

Although the figures are widely available, Autocar claims to have 'lifted the lid' on secret industry documents that show what private buyers really spend their money on.

A spokesman for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders questioned the claims made in the research, saying: 'I don't think there is a fleet manager in the land who does not consider quality, desirability or handling when creating a choice list.

'Clearly running costs are important in the buying decision, but they are all key factors. Furthermore, private buyers don't focus solely on quality, desirability and handling, they also look at running costs and discounts.'

But a spokesman for Autocar said the research simply revealed that superminis dominated the top 10, showing that drivers were doing their best to help the environment.

And he complained that despite this, the Government increased motoring taxes year after year.

2003 sales figures
Manufacturer Top 10	Retail Top 10
1. Ford Focus: 129,054	Ford Fiesta: 56,790
2.Vauxhall Corsa: 108,307	Renault Clio: 55,768
3. Ford Fiesta: 95,887	Peugeot 206: 47,822
4. Vauxhall Astra: 90,241	Vauxhall Corsa: 42,522
5. Renault Clio: 83,972	Ford Focus: 39,562
6. Peugeot 206: 73,185	Volkswagen Golf: 37,390
7. Volkswagen Golf: 67,222	Ford Ka: 35,590
8. Ford Mondeo: 60,046	MINI: 35,037
9. Ford Ka: 52,826	Nissan Micra: 33,308
10. Nissan Micra: 52,634	Volkswagen Polo: 32,594

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