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It’s been a long time coming but I ordered my new car today. It is another compromise car as I attempted to go via the grants route but they were rather insistent on me having full independence, which is a lovely noble thing but a complete waste of time as I need to have someone with me anyway once I have left the car and for me to go the WAV/large van type vehicle with multiple and complicated adaptations.
All I actually needed was a larger, high up car…and maybe, yes, I am not quite ready mentally to go down the WAV route yet and being in complete denial.
I have obviously have had to stick to a low budget for an advance payment, so I pared my requirements down to “Will my chair fit in the boot” and “Can I get in and out with not too much pain or discomfort”. So off we popped today to look at my two shortlisted cars (shortlisted because the boot litres were only a little bit smaller than my current car and because they had advance payments of less than a grand).
First car was a no go, the wheelchair would not go in at all and my son and the Motability guy tried every which way to do it. We then walked over the road and tried another car (not on the shortlist), the wheelchair fitted, I could get in and out (ish) but it was missing so many things and at double the AP of the shortlisted cars, that it was a no go.
I’ve finally settled on a Vauxhall Crossland Ultimate (auto), the chair fits easily although my mum’s scooter won’t fit in at the same time in the boot (the compromise – we will have to drop a seat and fandangle things a bit if we need to take it anywhere) and I could get in and out with only a small wince but it comes with all the things that were important on my original list to make driving life less painful and free adaptations for the handbrake and steering wheel.
I’ve thrown caution to the wind and gone for the Red (with black roof and highlights) as it reminded me of a 13/14 year old me back in the 80s decorating my room and colour coordinating my clothes. I usually do much more muted or darker colours and I was taken by the dark blue but I thought, begger it, if I can’t be daring in my 50s, then there is no hope for me.
They’ve advised probably 6 months waiting, I’m taking that with a pinch of salt but I’m in no hurry and can quite happily continue driving my current car in the meantime and a six month wait would bring me very handily to the 5 year point and the end of the two year extension.
Maybe when it is time to get the car after that I will be more mentally ready for the big van type vehicle and/or have somewhere where I could actually park it, it would have been an absolute nightmare parking one of those round here or at work!
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?? I quite like the grand land too, could be my next if I don’t extend..
I quite like the grand land too, could be my next if I don’t extend..Couldn’t quite stretch to the Grandland unfortunately, that would have been pretty much perfect in terms of space.
Nice one Sue. Red cars are the fastest.
Hehe, think my days of being fastest are well and truly over. I do more granny style driving now although I do have my moments….
I love your message Sue. I do.
It’s full of humanity, real world, often hidden, fears and doubts. Regardless of physical limitations you echo most people I think.
I hope I’m making sense.
Best wishes
Harry
Yes the APs are so expensive now Sue, I’ll be checking a little later on in the year before making a choice, or maybe just extend..
Extension takes lots of pressure away as this is my 1st time around, and didn’t have transport while waiting for delivery last time..
A friend of mines got the Vauxhall he loves it, says great on fuel too??
Yes the APs are so expensive now Sue, I’ll be checking a little later on in the year before making a choice, or maybe just extend.. Extension takes lots of pressure away as this is my 1st time around, and didn’t have transport while waiting for delivery last time.. A friend of mines got the Vauxhall he loves it, says great on fuel too
I’d extended the maximum I could and the wait and see thing hasn’t worked out for me at all, either vehicles removed from scheme or gone up beyond my price range, it was all getting very frustrating.
I understand where the grants team was coming from with the grant but it all seemed a bit OTT, a bit hammer to crack a nut sort of thing. Solutions were out there with cars, large ones granted but there were still options that would have worked with the minimum of adaptations but they got hung up on complete independence when that is not my life anyway, especially when things were based on me having a power chair and I can’t afford one (wheelchair services are a no go, my needs fit but my house doesn’t and that is a basic criteria).
The good thing about the car I’ve ordered is that the boot can be enlarged to almost what my current car has, so it might not be as much of a compromise as I think. The current car fits my chair and mum’s scooter in easily and I must admit, it had a lot of go in it on the test drive yesterday. It’s going to be an adjustment going back to a petrol car, I’ve been driving diesels for over 20 years but maybe it is for the best now that my ability to drive the long distances has gone by the wayside.
As a further note, the Motability specialist at the dealership was brilliant, best experience yet. It helped that he too had a disability and so could understand some of the challenges and made adjustments for them without us having to ask but he also didn’t do the hard sell…he makes a mean cup of tea too which is always a good thing in my book and even better, I got two cups of it and some home made chocolate!
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