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As I hope my ombudsman will finally come up with Motability decision this or second quarter the latest (have my application on and off since August 2025), I wonder what people think about prices last quarter before VAT, mileage restrictions, insurance etc.
I would hope (no information to suggest otherwise) that the dealers will try and use second quarter to push as many vehicles as they can through Motability, assuming there will be a significant drop in orders since 3Q.
Thoughts?
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Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)
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It depends on a lot of things, including whether Motability start to roll in changes to reduce costs, on quotas for dealers, on whether EV %age targets have changed, on how well (or not) Motability are communicating with manufacturers and dealerships about upcoming changes. Remember, if your lease ends Q4 this year, you can’t order in Q2, as much as it would make sense.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
It depends on a lot of things, including whether Motability start to roll in changes to reduce costs, on quotas for dealers, on whether EV %age targets have changed, on how well (or not) Motability are communicating with manufacturers and dealerships about upcoming changes. Remember, if your lease ends Q4 this year, you can’t order in Q2, as much as it would make sense.
My lease “ended” back in April – on mechanical grounds. But I cannot afford and Motability refuse to reinstate me in my original position – Skoda Enyaq 85x SportLine without adding the difference between £1.599 I paid in April 2024 and the price in April 2025.
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Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)I don’t think it follows that just because Motability prices will increase from Q3 that dealers will be pushing hard in Q2 and offering greater incentives. Several reasons;
Firstly, only one in every 12 Motability customers will be able to order in Q2 anyway (as there are 12 quarters during a 3 year lease).
Secondly, I don’t think that there will be a big drop in Motability customers in Q3. Again, only 1 in 12 will have a lease expiry in Q3 and, given the number of Motability customers who don’t have the up front funds for a deposit on a private vehicle, or who don’t have the confidence to run their own car, I should think that the overwhelming majority of customers will grumble about the increases but will just suck them up – or perhaps trade down to a smaller or lower spec model.
As a point of interest, I have been chatting this week to a few people in the motor trade and January has been a strong month, even at a major BMW dealership that is no longer able to take Motability orders. What is still a problem for them is the continuing low take up of EVs. The BMW dealership is only selling one in every five cars as an EV (which surprised me, given the huge range of them that they now sell) and the Dealer Principal of a major Ford group tells me they are only at one in four sales being an EV. Surprisingly, the announcement of the pence per mile charge hasn’t slowed sales any more, although I wasn’t surprised at his view that it’s only a matter of time before charges on EVs will equal the fuel duty that ICE car drivers pay, as a few of us have been saying that for a while.
I don’t think it follows that just because Motability prices will increase from Q3 that dealers will be pushing hard in Q2 and offering greater incentives. Several reasons; Firstly, only one in every 12 Motability customers will be able to order in Q2 anyway (as there are 12 quarters during a 3 year lease). Secondly, I don’t think that there will be a big drop in Motability customers in Q3. Again, only 1 in 12 will have a lease expiry in Q3 and, given the number of Motability customers who don’t have the up front funds for a deposit on a private vehicle, or who don’t have the confidence to run their own car, I should think that the overwhelming majority of customers will grumble about the increases but will just suck them up – or perhaps trade down to a smaller or lower spec model. As a point of interest, I have been chatting this week to a few people in the motor trade and January has been a strong month, even at a major BMW dealership that is no longer able to take Motability orders. What is still a problem for them is the continuing low take up of EVs. The BMW dealership is only selling one in every five cars as an EV (which surprised me, given the huge range of them that they now sell) and the Dealer Principal of a major Ford group tells me they are only at one in four sales being an EV. Surprisingly, the announcement of the pence per mile charge hasn’t slowed sales any more, although I wasn’t surprised at his view that it’s only a matter of time before charges on EVs will equal the fuel duty that ICE car drivers pay, as a few of us have been saying that for a while.
I went to see BMW back in 2024. Their Motability model. To my taste and technical understanding, Skoda Enyaq 85X 4X4 had way much more to offer as well as the internal design of BMW on the scheme was awfully disappointing.
My thoughts re Q2 were that the likes of EV5 / Mini Countryman (I wonder why it is not a Countryperson yet), Id4 and Enyaq (their top trim) will reduce the prices to sell more exactly because of your point, which echoes well with what discussed in various chats below – the majority will remain, but may downsize.
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Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)My lease is up in the first 2 weeks of Q2,
I could order now, but I might wait till late March.
Just to see if any Q2 price leaks happen, which might sway me to wait for Q2.I have ASD and thus have difficulty with social and understanding information, written and verbal. I process information in logical blocks, before I reply. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong.
I also have a corneal visual condition, which makes me visually impaired without daytime, or daytime bulbs, among other disabilities/conditions.My lease is up in the first 2 weeks of Q2, I could order now, but I might wait till late March. Just to see if any Q2 price leaks happen, which might sway me to wait for Q2.
If whatever car(s) you are looking at/want are currently at a reasonable Advance Payment, wouldn’t you be better ordering during the current quarter?
You are them price-locked incase your chosen vehicle AP increases in Q2.
Confirm with the sales person that if the AP drops in Q2, they will cancel and reorder on the Motability system at the new lower Q2 AP without losing your place in the build queue.
Or, if a brand new vehicle appears in Q2, you can always cancel the current order in total and go for the new model.
It would be a win/win for you as opposed to gambling on what might/may happen and potentially losing out.
Also, Motability sales people may have a full diary during the last couple of days of any quarter, so if any leaks do appear on Q2 AP’s (which to be honest seem to happen only a day in advance and on a few marques only nowadays) you may end up scrabbling around finding somewhere to place an order in the dying throes of the current quarter.
My lease is up in the first 2 weeks of Q2, I could order now, but I might wait till late March. Just to see if any Q2 price leaks happen, which might sway me to wait for Q2.
@djkav If whatever car(s) you are looking at/want are currently at a reasonable Advance Payment, wouldn’t you be better ordering during the current quarter? You are them price-locked incase your chosen vehicle AP increases in Q2. Confirm with the sales person that if the AP drops in Q2, they will cancel and reorder on the Motability system at the new lower Q2 AP without losing your place in the build queue. Or, if a brand new vehicle appears in Q2, you can always cancel the current order in total and go for the new model. It would be a win/win for you as opposed to gambling on what might/may happen and potentially losing out. Also, Motability sales people may have a full diary during the last couple of days of any quarter, so if any leaks do appear on Q2 AP’s (which to be honest seem to happen only a day in advance and on a few marques only nowadays) you may end up scrabbling around finding somewhere to place an order in the dying throes of the current quarter.
I know it is a bit of statistics, but I think one should also accommodate the monthly cost of circa £320 we pay (£80 a week from April). For example if someone can order a car in Q1 to be delivered precisely in X months, but permitted to order in Q2 the latest, with exact same X months delivery, won’t they be indifferent even if the price of the vehicle will increase by £960?
N.B. From a practical perspective, I think @djkav will be better off placing order in Q1 and if prices reduce – can update the order to reflect the new price or to order another vehicle entirely.
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Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)i can order on 28 feb for 30 may delivery and i will order as soon as possible to fix the price as the top 3 on my list i cant see them going down. two are 0 ap and the other is £47.
the other contenders are 600ish ap, now should they go down and i think the citroen may, then i still have time to reconsider.
but realistically i dont think i will beat the ev4 gt line for 0ap or the mini countryman monochrome 0 ap and a lower weekly pmnt. its a bit of a coin toss but the kia does have 80 miles more range.
but do i need the extra range my longest usual journey is 20 miles return lol.
you see the circles i go in round and round lol.
but realistically i dont think i will beat the ev4 gt line for 0ap or the mini countryman monochrome 0 ap and a lower weekly pmnt. its a bit of a coin toss but the kia does have 80 miles more range. but do i need the extra range my longest usual journey is 20 miles return lol. you see the circles i go in round and round lol.
Range will hugely differ in the real world and will be at its worse during colder months. There maybe be times you don’t feel like charging from being ill or flare up of arthritus, so range might be more important than you think.
Regeneration can be done on the fly with Kia as it has regen paddles, which I have found to be great for a beginner and allows you to use apaddles to act as a break when breaking and having 3 regen braking levels on the paddles makes it easier to practice with the varying levels, whilst leaving on level one allows a slight breaking force, which I found great for learning. In comparison the Countryman has adaptive regeneration, where the car determines regen braking level based on a set of preset parameters. Not as easy for a beginner! @MFillingham
Also the range you often see quoted on various sites including manufacturers base this range of full regen being applied, not easy for a beginner and something that won’t come natural overnight, so again the extra range on the 4 could be important.
@djkav If whatever car(s) you are looking at/want are currently at a reasonable Advance Payment, wouldn’t you be better ordering during the current quarter? You are them price-locked incase your chosen vehicle AP increases in Q2. Confirm with the sales person that if the AP drops in Q2, they will cancel and reorder on the Motability system at the new lower Q2 AP without losing your place in the build queue. Or, if a brand new vehicle appears in Q2, you can always cancel the current order in total and go for the new model. It would be a win/win for you as opposed to gambling on what might/may happen and potentially losing out. Also, Motability sales people may have a full diary during the last couple of days of any quarter, so if any leaks do appear on Q2 AP’s (which to be honest seem to happen only a day in advance and on a few marques only nowadays) you may end up scrabbling around finding somewhere to place an order in the dying throes of the current quarter.
What happens if I add options to a car, then cancel it later?
Would I still be liable for the options, or is that just part and parcel pf the order?I have ASD and thus have difficulty with social and understanding information, written and verbal. I process information in logical blocks, before I reply. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong.
I also have a corneal visual condition, which makes me visually impaired without daytime, or daytime bulbs, among other disabilities/conditions.you see the circles i go in round and round lol.
If you think that’s bad @mitch, I decided on which car I wanted fairly quickly, but have spent the last two weeks having four extended test drives, spanning seven days in total, in four versions of the same car but each with different engines!!!
Thankfully I have a very patient BMW salesperson who has known me for 10 years and goes out of their way to help, and never puts me under any pressure, even if I decide not to go ahead (as once happened when I had two different extended test drives in the iX1 20e and 30e when they first came on to Motability). This has been the same regardless of whether it’s been a Motability car or, as is the case this time, a private purchase.
@djkav Make sure that you don’t agree to pay for any options at the point of ordering. That way cancelling is simple and you can walk away with no hassle and no commitment. If you have paid for options the dealer still has to refund you, as the contract is between you and Motability Operations and doesn’t come into place until you accept the car using your PIN, (there is no enforceable contract between you and the dealer), but make sure that you do it before the car is built, as the dealer can then change the spec for another customer. Some forum members have had some hassle trying to get back pre paid options from arsey dealers but, with a bit of help from one or two of us on here, have eventually been successful.
@djkav Make sure that you don’t agree to pay for any options at the point of ordering. That way cancelling is simple and you can walk away with no hassle and no commitment. If you have paid for options the dealer still has to refund you, as the contract is between you and Motability Operations and doesn’t come into place until you accept the car using your PIN, (there is no enforceable contract between you and the dealer), but make sure that you do it before the car is built, as the dealer can then change the spec for another customer. Some forum members have had some hassle trying to get back pre paid options from arsey dealers but, with a bit of help from one or two of us on here, have eventually been successful.
Ditto – I never pay and walk away if the dealer does not agree.
Sent from a mobile device.
Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)I wonder if Smart #5 Pro + falls in “luxurious” category.
with 267kW motor and 100kW battery for £43,800 vs Enyaq’s SportLine Maxx for £48,960 it looks no brainer to me: much bigger boot, much more space in the second row. AND fun to drive. What else “normal” disabled person with kids, dog and occasional wheelchair may require?Sent from a mobile device.
Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)My order window opens mid may so I’m just starting to,more than anything rule certain cars out and making a mental note of which cars I want a test drive in in the next couple of months or so.
Our window opens 9th May hopefully the Kia E4 EV AP will still be low.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
Possibly some people may be better off paying the penalty to end their lease early to order the next car at the old prices before they rise later in the year?
Especially for a car with a high AP!
Possibly some people may be better off paying the penalty to end their lease early to order the next car at the old prices before they rise later in the year? Especially for a car with a high AP!
You are assuming the prices are going to rise?
They AP rises and falls every quarter. Even if Motability lose their vat free status does not mean they will pass it on to the customer.
There is no crystal ball for future AP,s if there was one, I would buy it and use it on the lottery, never mind Motability AP,s
There is another scenario where a lot of people cancel early, take the hit, and motability refuses their next lease. If the scheme is going to lose money because of these shenanigans, you bet they will put in a 12 month ban before you can reapply for the scheme.
Quite an ill thought out idea.
Possibly some people may be better off paying the penalty to end their lease early to order the next car at the old prices before they rise later in the year? Especially for a car with a high AP!
Having discussed early termination with Motability earlier today, you have to have an acceptable reason for them to agree to it. I don’t think that would qualify!
You are assuming the prices are going to rise? They AP rises and falls every quarter. Even if Motability lose their vat free status does not mean they will pass it on to the customer. There is no crystal ball for future AP,s if there was one, I would buy it and use it on the lottery, never mind Motability AP,s There is another scenario where a lot of people cancel early, take the hit, and motability refuses their next lease. If the scheme is going to lose money because of these shenanigans, you bet they will put in a 12 month ban before you can reapply for the scheme. Quite an ill thought out idea.
It isn’t quite a stretch. In case you’ve not been around since October, the government have announced the imposition of Insurance Premium Tax on the Scheme insurance plus VAT on the APs. If nothing else changes that guarantees a 20% hike in APs from July. Motability are talking about reducing things like European use and there’s been talk of equalising the scheme with commercial lease terms, which suggests a 20k mile annual allowance will drop substantially. Whether these make the sort of savings that would put a sizeable dent in the tax increases is yet to be seen.
What is clear is that, whatever happens next quarter, July will see some increases.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
I also believe ordering in Q1, would be a sensible option, but be mindful on the availability, as depending on the make and model of the vehicle you would like to order, some are ready to collect within days or weeks, which may put your strategy of waiting for Q2 prices in jeopardy due to strict collection times.
Unless you tell them something like ‘you’re stuck abroad’ or ‘in a coma waiting to wake up’…… just kidding.
Catch 22, some vehicles regularly get taken off the system even before the full quarter cycle is completed, therefore waiting to order at the last minute might also not be the best option.
I am thinking of the EV5, but with that high AP, I was hoping the GT-Line S with the extra specs but that wasn’t included. I will put my order through the second or third week of March for the GT-Line, hoping some good changes to come in the Q2 and do minor adjustments. If not, then all good.
@Jay Motability allow you to order a new car 3 months prior to lease end, BUT in the scenario that you describe (where the car arrives very quickly) you still cannot take delivery of it until your existing lease has expired. During this intervening period you can still cancel or ask the dealer to adjust the AP should it fall at a new quarter, as the contract doesn’t commence until the day you take delivery and enter your PIN.
@Glos Guy
Thanks for correcting and making it more clearer, first time on motability, got a little bit more to learn.
@Glos Guy Thanks for correcting and making it more clearer, first time on motability, got a little bit more to learn.
No worries @Jay We are all here to help each other through the ever changing minefield that is Motability!
I wonder if Smart #5 Pro + falls in “luxurious” category. with 267kW motor and 100kW battery for £43,800 vs Enyaq’s SportLine Maxx for £48,960 it looks no brainer to me: much bigger boot, much more space in the second row. AND fun to drive. What else “normal” disabled person with kids, dog and occasional wheelchair may require?
The Smart #5 looks awesome. I can’t believe it has a bigger boot and rear leg room than the Enyaq.
Even a frunk of 72 ltrs, and a 0-60 in 6.5s,I have ASD and thus have difficulty with social and understanding information, written and verbal. I process information in logical blocks, before I reply. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong.
I also have a corneal visual condition, which makes me visually impaired without daytime, or daytime bulbs, among other disabilities/conditions.
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