If I’m to continue driving I need the so called “bells and whistles” that usually come with “top of the range” cars. Equipment is more important to me than the badge, although I always appreciate quality.
Comfortable electrically adjusted and heated seats, heated steering wheel, reliable and accessible software including at least 1.5 autonomous driving assistance, park assist, Hi-Fi quality audio (I enjoy my music), electric boot opening, keyless entry, etc, etc.
The irony of my more expensive list of “needs” is that I don’t drive much any more. I guess my annual average mileage is down to between 3000/4000 miles and may be a lot less recently due to a bout of ill health.
A base model marque would not give me the comfort and assistance I now need to encourage me to keep driving, so the car would probably stand largely unused on the drive most of the time.
I will probably lease another Motability car in the next few months because I’m aware that if I don’t have a comfortable and pleasant incentive to go out and about I may well be accepting the transition between reasonably active retirement and becoming elderly and housebound, so I need to convince myself to make a positive decision to stay mobile.
I know this is probably not the kind of reply that you opened this thread for Brydo, but it’s given me an opportunity to put my thoughts in writing as to why I believe that a vehicle can sometimes be much more than just a way to get from ‘A’ to ‘B’.