It needs to be remembered that the Motability prices, and the 25 p.p.m figure quoted, are for a ‘full maintenance’ equivalent lease; and also include a fixed-rate for insurance.
Although an earlier contributor to this thread mentioned £480 per annum for insurance, others could easily pay £££-thousands.
Just recently I saw leasing figures for the Hyundai Santa Fe, which by first glancing at the figures, seemed comparable to Motability – but excluded maintenance, and I was then quoted over £2,000 for insurance. Added to this, I would consider GAP insurance, and maybe cover for “alloys and minor incidents”. This put an end to that possibility.
Actually, and from 1st July, and assuming ‘a car’ can be found on Motability at £0 A.P, and within the mileage limit; then the 3-year term starts at £80 per week, ie. £4,160 per annum. Therefore, including annual payment increases to the mobility element of PIP, the 3-year term costs should be less than £13,000. This includes insurance, maintenance, servicing, RAC cover, and tyres; as a minimum – and with easy one-stop administration.
I would now prefer to leave the scheme, and could maybe afford to do so; but for me, the benefits of using Motability as a transportation provider, outweigh the alternative negatives – and the poor overall “value” in such alternatives … despite the wider choice. It’s not just the £££’s, it’s also about convenience.