Just out of interest, if you leave the towbar on the car at the end of its lease, does it invalidate the good condition bonus, or could you still be eligible for it if the car is otherwise in good condition?
I got a towbar fitted on my BMW Gran Tourer in 2018 but only towed twice before having to give up caravanning for good as I couldn’t manage on my own and am now mostly in a wheelchair.
I took the towbar off my last car VW Tiguan at my expense before I handed it back. Annoyingly my return date was a week before they put the gcb up from £250 but I was still slightly in credit after paying for its removal.
Now wondering what to do come next year? I don’t want to go to the hassle and expense to take it off if I don’t have to. I always look after my cars but have scuffed one of my BMW’s alloy rim after catching a kerb. It was either that or getting hit by a lorry who had crossed the centre line around a bend. I guess I should get this repaired to not affect gcb qualification…?
On a separate note, I’m disappointed to see the GT disappearing off the list. It’s an awesome car. Lovely to drive and very comfortable. Rubbish to demist though in the winter due to its tiny windscreen vent. The seat height is better unlike the 3 series, which I’ve got no chance of getting in and out of as the seat height is practically on the floor. MPVs are quickly going out of fashion. I no longer need a diesel, so would prefer a hybrid or PHEV next time, or an economical petrol with a much cheaper ap. Guess it’ll have to be an SUV again. I just need a big boot 90cm deep minimum, privacy glass and an auto gearbox as I need hand controls and left foot accelerator. The boot size requirements rule out cars like the Ateca, Karoq, 3008, Grandland X etc. I like the spec of the new Kuga but have not had a good experience at Ford dealers in the past. I had Toyotas for many years and love the RAV4 but the ap is so high. I had a Prius up to 2009 but had to trade it in for a Verso MPV due to the low seat height. Estates are perfect size-wise but I need one with a comparable seat height to my GT. That’s the lowest I’ve comfortably managed. I don’t think they exist. As much as I prefer new technology, I’d have a Prius+ but I very much doubt they’ll still be around next summer. Decisions decisions!
PS I’m so happy to have found this forum. I never knew you could get discounts off APs before! On my last 3 Motability cars, they’ve only thrown in car mats for free! On my GT, I had to pay the full option price for privacy glass and auto-dimming rear-view mirror but got a bit of discount off the Guard-X protection. Do others go for Supaguard or Guard-X for protection, or is gcb qualification not so strict to need it?