Bmw Contract Hire

I'm starting a new job quickly with sales £ 400 Car Allowance ... I already had a company car so never had to think about contracts vs. leasing vs. buying higher ... I am a bit clueless about anything!

I really like the BMW 1 Series .... with an annual mileage of 20,000 miles that I would be able to afford it on my (tax) a car allowance £ 400/month? With a little maintenance included? All advice greatly appreciated!

Since you do not have to worry about maintenance why not get something different and more elegant.
I would go for the new Alfa Romeo Mito
http://www.alfaromeo.co.uk/uk/cmsen/mode ...

Sounds like your company pays you an extra 400 pounds to finance or fund your own vehicle then you will be responsible for maintenance / repair / circulation tax of insurance / etc etc
Are you able to get the mileage business???
As you are an individual lease is not an option you might owe VAT on rentals and could not recover. You should consider any additional expenses above, call your local dealer BMW and ask them to various financing options. But you have to get one for £ 400.

for up to £ 400 per month, you can, in theory, get a Merc CLS, or somthing in the range Jaguar XF, which are very nice cars.