I never add any extras only whats included in the Ap as standard and if a car don’t have what i need as standard then it’s off the list.
Usually my final list is down to 2 for test drives, as for me there is no point test driving a Bmw for example when I know adaptive cruise control is part of a driving pack at a grand. Regardless of if i like the car or not as unless you plan to buy the car after 3 years it’s a waste of my limited funds and you will never see anything back for it.. Unless you plan to buy it at the end of the 3 years that is. Same can be said for very high Ap on cars, but then thats your choice to do that if you can and want to thats totally up to you, but for me the most i will pay is £25 a month towards the Ap. It’s realistically how much i can afford and justify.
I have had a few cars that where contenders rise to much over my time on the scheme and i could not justify them anymore so they was off the list come time to order.
The last car i got last week I ordered in jan after deducting the gcb of £600 and £200 DC & a free tank of juice it was slighty under my max Ap over the 3 year term figures at £799 on a £1599 ap at the time of ordering. but it still was the most AP i have paid overall over the 3 other cars i had on the scheme.
If it was not for the gcb rise that car would be unaffordable for me, under my limitaions. Which is all i judge the situation on not others needs and desires. This is my logial view point and not intended to upset anyone.
Since test driving the lastest car, it had risen £600 in Ap and if i didn’t get the £200 DC i would of had to choose a different car as i cannot afford anymore out of my pockect and i really did want that specfic car.
When you lease a car the terms on extras are a bit different but with MB thats not the case. The terms are pretty clear and the increase in GCB from £250 to £600 is a great help.
Is the scheme perfect no not for everyone but it is what it is and the terms are clearly setout. we could mention that also the actual benefit is not rising at the same rate as the price of new cars are and that also limits choice off whats actually available in exchange for your allowance from hmrc.
I get the rises I do and i did kinda saw this coming. as increased tech cost more so prices go up, 2 engines cost more than one, more range costs more also. But also due to the pandemic there’s a change of view towards the enviroment and cars that imo is going to make us get to 2035 quicker and thus making projected car values fall off a cliff sooner than most thought. Point is there is so many factors to consider and what will be the case in 3 years.. if i told you in 2017 that you’d be on lockdown in your own home most would laugh at say thats craxy but it happened, everyone can agree on that.. So the future is unknown and is a risk. same with car prices.. Most of us order when we can in the quarter we can and in that there gonna be winners and losers, but there are options you could ask for help to get an automatic etc or keep you current car for longer or make compromises on the things you can do without.. for me that within my limitations of no more than £25 per month toward the ap and no added extras ever..
The people on the phones at MB don’t know what the people up stairs are doing until it filters down to them. How would they know what prices are before they told, so it’s not there fault imo. I have always found them helpful and even with the lastest car i got, the hack on honda caused major issues and another delay in picking it up but it was sorted and got a call from Mb to say it had been and I’m Glad for that.
Could i afford to drive or buy the car i do not being on the scheme, i highly doubt it.. Plus the security it gives me and that piece of mind are a big part as well.. Choice will get less and less but as i said thats alot to do with other factors as well. the main one being the actual allowance amount dwp give towards a car the more and more we will have to pay the difference..