Banger-nomics. Been there. It’s like gambling, people only tell you of their wins. The peace of mind over a Motability car runs far deeper than the financial, it’s about eliminating risk. You have to touch the flame to understand; If you have ever been so scared taking your car for an MOT that it has affected your health, or been in a situation where your car has failed its MOT and needs hundreds of pounds of welding and you have no money, literally no money, no overdraft facility and no credit cards, the only option is to borrow from family, as without your car you have no way of getting to your job as you work shifts and the busses don’t run.
I’ve said about my successes, you’ve asked about the failures.
I’ve had one. My second ever car, a Lada that cost me £100 and cost me £10 per mile….because I only ever did 10 miles in the blooming thing.
My first car – Renault 14, cost me £150, did over 40k miles and took me all over the country. We made the huge mistake of scrapping it over a CV joint repair that we deemed too expensive for the initial cost of the car but ended up paying way more and not just financially in the end because of the mistake that was the Lada.
Then the Lada – Massive, massive mistake.
Astra estate – £235, Again, went all over the country, many many thousands of miles, low repair costs but decided to trade up for a more luxurious car. Did have an annoying leak in the boot though..
Cavalier saloon – £285. Oh so comfortable and in good working order but not really suitable for our growing family as once middle son arrived and a double buggy was needed, an estate needed to be purchased. Sold it to a friend for £200 who ran it about for ages and who then sold it to my brother who ran it for a few more years.
Sierra Estate – £425. Hated this car, nothing was bad about it but after wanting one for ages, I just didn’t like how it drove, how if felt, the seating etc.
Passat estate diesel – £2,400. Loved, loved, loved this car. It was built like a tank, drove like a tank and protected like a tank. It sailed through the MOT for the 5 years we had it and only needed the normal things like tyres, filters and oil. We put over 100k on this car and it took us all over the country but more importantly, when a lorry decided it wanted my lane on the M25, it protected us from serious injury.
Audi A4 estate diesel – £3,200. Hated, hated, hated this car. Blooming great white elephant not helped by the fact that I gave up my beloved Passat for it because it was the newer car (it came from the husband’s employer) and because I got it from the divorce. It felt too light and was buffeted going over bridges and had so many problems we lost count. The cambelt went on it despite it not being due to be changed through time or miles and that was the end of my ownership of it….I wasn’t sad to see it go.
Astra estate diesel – £461. Ambivalent about it, it was suitable for the double buggy and later the wheelchair but comfort was next to zero. Had a few things over the years but nothing too major or worrying and I ran around in it for over 6 years before it finally gave up the ghost.
Peugeot 406 estate diesel – £750. Oh the luxury, the person who first bought this car had added every conceivable extra to it. A stately and oh so comfortable ride and loads of miles put on this in my ownership, it was also another car that sailed through the MOT every year and in fact, had never failed an MOT in its lifetime. Sadly, by this point my issues were becoming greater and it was becoming impossible for me to drive as it was a manual vehicle with a handbrake that at the end I could no longer put on independently, nor could I get out of the car without lots of assistance and it was at this point I opted for a Motability vehicle. I sold ‘Peggy’ to my brother and it served him well.
I did rely on the bank of mum and dad for the second Astra and the Peugeot (loans not gifts), even for the normal stuff like servicing and yes, I did get a few panic attacks just prior to putting all the cars in for MOTs but then the bank of mum and dad also helped with the advance payment for my second Motability vehicle too (again paid back over time)
I get your point though, one of the major things aside from not being able to afford a suitable vehicle for my needs on the second hand market, was the reliability, the ease and more stress free experience of having a Motability vehicle, it was a major point of attraction for me.
My major issue now is that I have been priced out of the Motability market (if you can even find something that suits your needs that is). I was supposed to change my car last September but there was nothing that was both suitable and affordable, I could get affordable but worse in suitability than my current car so I have extended my lease for two years in the hope the market settles down, advanced payments comes down to a more reasonable amount or I can get a grant. If none of those happen, I will have no choice than to speak to the bank of mum (dad no longer with us) and source a second hand car that is more suitable and use the mobility element of PIP to pay for the ongoing costs instead.