unless the car comparison is like a ferrari F40 to a nissan micra then why bother worrying about it? you got a car, it goes places doesn't it?

It is not fair but I think ask for compensation would come off as petty. But 7k € is pretty substantial.

@L_Church, for some people a car is more than just a thing to go places. And a 7k € difference is quite a bit. I would personally be bothered by this as well if my colleagues got the better car when we all came in at the same time.

I'm assuming your car configuration is not covered by your contract? Is your company working with car levels or is there no real framework in place when it comes to ordering cars?

@SethR I see what you (and the OP) are saying, but I think the critical question here is "does he actually need a fancier car for his job?" Regardless of whether it's fair or not, if he's making waves without good professional motivation, he's probably going to lose ALL cars (and his paycheque too) by pushing this too hard.

@Steve-O I think there's a difference between a company car that's provided strictly for performing job duties, versus a company car that's provided for personal use as part of a compensation package. If the first was the case, I'd say you were 100% correct. But the OP seems to be indicating that the second situation applies here.

@Steve-O Not following that logic. Did the colleges need a fancier car?

@paparazzo Surely you've been around this stack long enough to understand that companies have reasons for short-changing people like this. I'm not saying it's fair, but it happened. Fighting the PTBs without a firm, business-related argument is only going to give them motivation to cut the OP loose instead. I'm not saying he shouldn't fight it, I'm just saying he should have a good reason for doing so.

One important point: What does your contract say? Did they promise a car with a specific price or features? Did they just promise "some car"? Or is it simply a custom in the company to give employees a car? This will influence what you can or cannot ask for.

@paparazzo - If this is a company-standard benefit that is part of the overall compensation package, then the poster has every right to be upset. Doubly so in that the company expects him to accept the consequences of their error. The company needs to make it right with an equivalent car, and an apology for the delay. What the cost to the company is for the car is irrelevant.

@WesleyLong Not going to debate it with you. My comment was pretty soft.

Do you have evidence that they are spending less on your car or is the 7K Euro you evaluation of the retail price difference? Your compensation is based on their cost, not the features in the car.

Is your car the same model year as theirs?

What I'd ask is why you think a larger car with a bigger engine is "better". Does the company pay for all your fuel as well as the car? (Reminds me of a friend who took a job in Britain, and asked for a good British sports car as company car. They stuck him with a massive 7-series BMW that would barely fit in the street he lived on :-()

Reread your contract - exactly what is written about the item? That's all you're entitled to.

@L_Church that's like saying you should have no issue with colleagues the same level getting paid more than you as long as you're still able to "pay the bills".

A company car for a sotware engineer? Sounds like you hit a mega meal ticket. I'm struggling to get a decent mechanical keyboard....

I didn't get a car. Can I get compensation?