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Here’s the starting point for me deciding what my next car will be. I’ve some set criteria:
Electric – if you don’t like them, good for you but this will be my 4th, I’m not going back now.
Comfortable seats – Both myself and my wife have spinal issues, sitting on the wrong chairs can be incredibly painful and rather quickly too. I’d hate to have a car that I can only drive locally because after half an hour I can’t actually get out of the damn thing. Heating and Cooling seats would be good, heated is essential though, it’s amazing how that can help the back.
Electric tailgate – again with the back issues, stretching up to pull a boot door down, especially if the gas struts put up some resistance, is a problem.
HUD – I’ve gotten used to it now, I can’t remember the last time I looked at the dash to see how fast I’m going.
Wireless Apple Carplay – Pretty much all I listen to is on the phone, it’s either music or audio books but I rarely listen to the radio as it’s usually crap down here.
As you can imagine the current selection is rather lengthy. I’ve barely began whittling them down so here we go, in no particular order:
Ioniq 5
Enyaq
Elroq
Capri (I know but it’s not a bad car)
Grandland
Scenic
Mach E
Ariya
Budget depends on just how much I can save, which means it won’t be excessive, so that will drop a lot off the list. Currently to replace what I have, thanks to the model changes, would cost something around £6.5k, which isn’t happening. If I could save that in 3 years, I’d be much richer than I am in reality.
Front runners based on budget and equipment are either of the Skodas and the Scenic at the moment. I don’t care about the Elroq dropping off the scheme next quarter, it’ll be back before it matters to me. I’m still hoping the EV3 comes onto scheme and sticks around, that’d be a nice option, although I expect KIA pricing will put it higher than the Fords.
I’ve learnt some lessons from my last search, so the infamous spreadsheet is being updated each quarter, with a new tab holding the new quarter’s pricing and leaving previous quarters for reference. I’m hoping this may provide some interesting insights once the car is chosen, looking at where prices and models have come/gone.
I’ll update as I start to whittle out some options and as new quarters add a new perspective on the search. If there’s anything anyone wishes to add, I’m always open to opinions.
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
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Do you often use the flappy paddles for altering regen? If so the EV5 should be at the top of your list, even though more expensive upfront, as the Enyak is more complicated i.e B mode basically locks the car in level 3. If you want to use the paddles, its suggested you disable Eco Assist in the menu, and use D mode, as with Eco Assist on, its mentioned the car does weird “automated” regen where it tries to guess based on navigation and sensors how much regen you might want or like.
MGS5 might be an option at a similar price to 5, sadly the S6 is too pricey.
I was amazed just how many enyaq options there are 30 – i had a look as i promised to post upto date views on the Elroq. by the end of this month i will have had the car 1 year – very pleased with it – shame its not an option. – good luck with your hunt.
I have no idea what they’re doing with the Enyaq. I guess there’s partly Motability listing them several times over and partly down to the combination of option packs and style packs.
I dont understand why they removed the elroq from the scheme
My guess would be availability or manufacturing delays.
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 always use B mode in the Elroq – find it really useful – even on the kona always put it on full paddle
Do you often use the flappy paddles for altering regen? If so the EV5 should be at the top of your list, even though more expensive upfront, as the Enyak is more complicated i.e B mode basically locks the car in level 3. If you want to use the paddles, its suggested you disable Eco Assist in the menu, and use D mode, as with Eco Assist on, its mentioned the car does weird “automated” regen where it tries to guess based on navigation and sensors how much regen you might want or like. MGS5 might be an option at a similar price to 5, sadly the S6 is too pricey.
Its amazing how often I’m switching flappy paddles, up to full regen around town and country roads, much less on straighter dual carriageways.
The S6 is quite close to actual depreciation though. MG have a poor reputation right now, which hammers residuals. The S5 is nearer EV3 size.
I might go have a look at the 3 again. I’ll have to take it for a lengthy drive, see if I can live with the reduction in elbow room. The GT Line S is a lot of spec for less money than the 5 Air.
B mode is heavier regen but not 1 pedal mode, which makes a difference. It draws you almost to a stop but to actually halt, I need to press the pedal. It’s one reason I chose the Ioniq 5 over the Enyaq last time.
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
The other slightly related feature i like is the ability to enter a top speed cap – i have family who live near 20mph zones – without it, it is far too easy to speed and i don’t want to be part of their money making scheme – so many things on the road about making money over common sense and real safety ie pot holes – okay back of my soap box 😜
The other slightly related feature i like is the ability to enter a top speed cap – i have family who live near 20mph zones – without it, it is far too easy to speed and i don’t want to be part of their money making scheme – so many things on the road about making money over common sense and real safety ie pot holes – okay back of my soap box
Which car is that? I live in a 20 zone and there’s a lot of people who can’t judge it. It’s far too easy to find yourself doing 25 in a 20, especially if you’ve been doing 50+ beforehand.
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 have the Elroq 85 sportline – we have quite a few cyclists on the roads near us – even before the new rules were brought in i liked to give them a wide berth – potholes and resurfaced roads resulting in low drain covers means i expect cyclists to wobble or swing out – sensible solution wait for a overtaking opportunity and make good progress past ie 35 – 40 in a 30 but for seconds – with the amount of cameras around now and AI assisted i see cars squeezing past cyclists – once again common sense is less likely. Soapbox dismount.
The other slightly related feature i like is the ability to enter a top speed cap – i have family who live near 20mph zones – without it, it is far too easy to speed and i don’t want to be part of their money making scheme – so many things on the road about making money over common sense and real safety ie pot holes – okay back of my soap box
Which car is that? I live in a 20 zone and there’s a lot of people who can’t judge it. It’s far too easy to find yourself doing 25 in a 20, especially if you’ve been doing 50+ beforehand.
Hyundai – Automatic Speed Adjustment: When activated, the Speed Limit Assist will automatically adjust your speed to match the current speed limit detected by the vehicle
Settings > Vehicle > Driver Assistance and select Speed Limit Assist
Wouldn’t get too carried away with Hyundai’s auto speed adjustment, mine often picks up the wrong speed – for instance, it picks up the co-op 5mph limit in its car park, then keeps that as the posted speed all the way home as it doesn’t see another speed sign.
Not as bad as the S-Max on motorways though, it used to pick up the 40mph off-ramp speed while still in the 70 zone.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.
Wouldn’t get too carried away with Hyundai’s auto speed adjustment, mine often picks up the wrong speed – for instance, it picks up the co-op 5mph limit in its car park, then keeps that as the posted speed all the way home as it doesn’t see another speed sign. Not as bad as the S-Max on motorways though, it used to pick up the 40mph off-ramp speed while still in the 70 zone.
The current FL model MY25 does not suffer from this issue thankfully.
Wouldn’t get too carried away with Hyundai’s auto speed adjustment, mine often picks up the wrong speed – for instance, it picks up the co-op 5mph limit in its car park, then keeps that as the posted speed all the way home as it doesn’t see another speed sign. Not as bad as the S-Max on motorways though, it used to pick up the 40mph off-ramp speed while still in the 70 zone.
Yeah, we have a number of 20mph junctions off a 30mph road where the junction is on a corner and the car picks up the speed signs for the other roads. If the car actually set the speed I’d be limited to 20 for much of a faster road.
One thing I can say about the BMW hire car was that the limiter would show the new limit and require confirmation before imposing it on the car.
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
Well, that wasn’t what I expected!
Looking through all the options, seeing if there’s something I should have spotted or if there’s something I’ve forgotten about, I see Enyaq prices. Remind myself of specs and reviews leads to a family drive to see if I can save a few quid. The SE L with Plus pack but no style packs is still a reasonable value, considering what’s happening with APs recently.
Anyhoo, we find a nice sales guy who talks me through the differences like I’m completely unprepared then sit in an Edition model. Our daughter is complaining pretty much as soon as she gets in, rather too quickly, my wife joins in. Apparently the seats are wrong, the arm rest is wrong in the back, the screen looks like it’s bolted on as an afterthought (I can see that one). After 5 minutes of sitting in a car getting earache from 2 unimpressed women, I give up, get out and return the keys to the salesman who ask what I thought, I quite liked it but these two were less positive. “What’s wrong?” He asks, my daughter just rolls off her list. We left the poor guy wondering what just happened.
Needless to say, the Enyaq’s off the shortlist.
The currently too short list is:
EV5 Air
EV3 GT Line S
I need to test drive the EV3 for a good few hours, get used to the smaller car and see if we can live with it. It’s a lovely car, all the KIAs are well put together and the Relaxation seats we know are comfortable for a good few hours of driving.
I’ve got another Quarter change before my ordering window opens, with the option to wait for Q1 2027 if prices don’t reduce next time. I’m hoping now that prices drop back to £2,999 or thereabouts for both cars or, at least, the EV5.
Preference would still be for the EV5 Aur for a lease, GT Line if I could hope to buy one.
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
Mark, how did you find the Yaks dring position / comfort?
Its beyond me how a central armrest can be so offending😂 I can understand the screen though. In what way were the seats wrong?
The EV3 was a disappointment to me. The boot was awful, it couldnt even fit my manual wheelchair lying flat, it awkwardly managed to fit it in vertically but yiu blocked most of the boot space. And I am on the smaller side.
Mark, how did you find the Yaks dring position / comfort? Its beyond me how a central armrest can be so offending
I can understand the screen though. In what way were the seats wrong?I was quite happy. Seat was, for me, comfortable, driving position felt a little low but all could be adjusted if I had longer.
For the women, what can I say? The back seat made them feel as if they were being tilted to the middle, which then put the arm rest in entirely the wrong place.
Mrs F felt she was “even shorter” sat in the front.
I felt so sorry for the poor chap. I’m sure that the vast majority were impressed with the comfort and space in the Yaq, just to get a list of complaints from these two.
The EV3 feels a little ‘compact’ all around but that’s after being in the rather large interior of the Ioniq 5. It’s not my preferred choice but should be perfectly fine for 3 years. The EV5 is the same cabin width and length as the Ioniq 5, which means it’s all rather familiar but not. The Air model won’t have the ventilated leather seats we’re used to but is plenty comfortable enough. Cloth seats can be cooler than sun warmed leather, especially in the height of summer.
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
Had an interesting conversation with someone from the grants team. Without looking at financial status they’re still looking as a first fix to extend your current vehicle as long as it’s still suitable. They will take into account suitability for the whole family, even if it’s my car, so the fact my wife’s walker occupies pretty much the entire boot in the HI5 is still a valid reason for it no longer being suitable.
For all the sceptics saying I’ve been looking far too early and for far too long. The advice I got was that a record of all my visits and the reasoning behind rejecting cars will be valuable evidence when looking at the suitability of all the available cars if I pass the grant criteria. That means that a new sheet writing up the experiences recorded here and in my quarterly spreadsheet plus all the other cars I’ve been in will save so much pain in the offering of unsuitable cars and then me having to reply with extensive reasoning behind why it’s unsuitable, potentially saving months in to and fro with suggestions. I will need to provide the criteria with which I’ve been deselecting vehicles, the ones I’ve sat in and found unsuitable (and why) and the few I’ve sat in and found suitable.
That can give me, and them, a very shortlist to test drive alongside my reasoning as to why they’re acceptable.
There’s no guarantees. We’ve not gone through the application process and can’t until my window opens but it opens up the criteria to vehicles I could never have justified because of the upfront expense (Citroen C5 Aircross) so that I can either lengthen the shortlist or confirm that’s all I found suitable and why.
I really didn’t want to use the grant, mostly because I believe that there should be cars suitable for those of us with less severe disabilities that can be found within a reasonable £2k budget and partly because I feel those required to find thousands for a fully adapted WAV that provides the only access to mobility should have funding available to provide the most appropriate vehicle and adaptations. We have the means to afford what for some is a considerable AP, that should be enough, while those completely unable to afford anything or who need very expensive vehicles can be looked after.
Thus could change things somewhat.
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
In preparation for sending a list to Motability and on the basis of doing something while I was thinking about it. I have sat in and remembered 38 cars:
Ariya Evolve 87
Mustang Mach E (Tech+)
Ford Explorer Select 77 DAP
Ford Capri Select 77 DAP
Renault Scenic Iconic LR
e5008GT
EV3 GT LineS
Merceded EQA Sport Executive
Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Ioniq 5 Ulitmate (Tech Pack Max) 84
Enyaq IV 85 Edition (Suite)
Enyaq IV 85 SE L (Suite/Plus)
Elroq Edition 85
KIA EV4 GT
KIA EV5 GT Line
KIA EV5 Air
Geely EX5
Tavascan V2
MGS6
MGS9
Grandland
C 5 Aircross
BYD Atto 3
BYD Atto 3 Evo
BYD Sealion 7
EV9
Ioniq 9
IM5
IM6
Jaecoo E5
Nissan QashQai
Nissan X Trail
Mini Countryman
Volvo EX30
Volvo XC40 (EV)
ID4
ID5
Smart 3I also am convinced there’s been a few others I’ve tried and instantly written off. Some cars are not and never will be on the Scheme, some cars were and won’t come back.
Of all those (including ones not yet on Scheme) I like and can sit in:
EV5
Mach E
Sealion 7
IM6 (although it’s got no glove box – what’s that about??)
XC40 (I’d prefer a 60 but no chance)
Smart 5 (not sat in)
MGS9 (if only there was a full EV version)
There’s a couple of Chinese cars on their way here, including Xpeng’s G9 and Zeekr but there’s no guarantee they’ll get here let alone join the scheme when they do.
My absolute favourite is still the EV5 GT Line although the GT Line S has HUD, which would be better.
Just for being utterly thorough, I will have to try the PV5, I know, at this moment, that I’ll need a 15m charging cable just to reach the front mounted charging port.
If anyone has more to suggest that will be a useful addition before going to Motability, please let me know. At the very minimum it’ll have to be a PHEV, there’s no way I’m at all keen to return to petrol prices, I can drive to London for £15 charging at home, I’d be nuts to give that up.
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
PV5 checked. AAAANNNDDDD is out, for no other reason than the step to get in the ‘cabin’ for the front seats is just under my knee height. There’s another step up from there to sit. The seats aren’t uncomfortable. As has been pointed out in many reviews, the arm rest and window sill on the driver’s door are at two completely different heights, which mean’s you’ll tilt if you have to lean on both. The back seats are perfectly fine with a foot rest and reclining seat back, it could almost be described as perfectly comfortable for a nap.
However, if the driver can’t get in it, the rest is absolutely irrelevant.
50 down, only 6 more and I think I’ve tested just about everything Motability could recommend alongside what actually should have met my needs.
The cars I’ve tested that I’d happily have for 3 years (In order of preference):
EV5 GT Line
BYD Sealion 7
XC40
EV5 Air
Ariya Evolve 87
Mustang Mach E (Tech + Pack)
MGS6
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
Surprised at seeing the XC40
Why? The older (3/4 years old) would make a decent choice at around £15-20k. The EV still has decent range and is well equipped.
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
Have you looked at the ioniq 5?
In a lot of detail. I have the Namsan Edition.
Mrs F’s walker takes up most of the usable space, it won’t be suitable going forward. There’s also the small matter that to get a version with the spec I’ve got now would be rather expensive, the standard ‘premium’ seats aren’t particularly comfortable.
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 can understand the screen though. In what way were the seats wrong?- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.