Separate to the above, I would love to see some posts on alternatives to the Motability scheme. I’m also tempted to move outside of it. I’m hopeful that @wmcforum would be alright with posters discussing and posting alternatives? In my mind it’s still folk in receipt of an allowance discussing ‘which’ Car.
It’s fine to discuss it Tim, but you will find that the majority of users of this forum are of the view that the scheme is a ‘no brainer’ and far cheaper than any other alternative. For many, their financial position, credit rating etc etc does indeed mean that it probably is a no brainer if running a brand new car is desirable, as there would be no other alternative for them. The ‘peace of mind’ argument is also a very strong one. However, an increasing number are now leaving the scheme and it is telling that for every three people who are eligible to join the Motability scheme, only one does. Twice as many people use their benefits for other things, including running cars (new or used) privately.
A few years ago I gave a worked example of how we ran a VW Tiguan through Motability and a brand new top spec BMW 5 Series privately at the same time and the annual costs (including depreciation, servicing, maintenance, tyres, road tax & insurance) were slightly less on the BMW – a car that was far better than anything available through Motability. I was all for leaving the scheme this time but my wife (the PIP recipient) likes the ‘peace of mind’ ?