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!