- This topic has 28 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
.
- Topic
We’ve finally made a decision and gone for a brand new BYD Dolphin Surf on PCH. TOC of £7,600 over 3 years (10,000 miles p.a.), with 3p per mile over. Thanks to @kezo for the guidance.
During the search, we came across some surprisingly low PCH (not PCP) deals that are significantly cheaper than Motability equivalents:
Citroën e-C3 44kWh Max
Initial: £1,214 | Monthly: £203
TOC over 3 years: £8,319 (excludes insurance & maintenance)Citroën C3 Aircross EV Max / Vauxhall Frontera EV Ultimate (humongous for our needs)
~£15/month more
TOC over 3 years: £8,859 (excludes insurance & maintenance)All three of these (Frontera offered even in much lower QS trim) are available on Motability with £0 AP, but the total allowance cost comes to £12,480 over the same period (including insurance & maintenance).
That’s a difference of about £3,600.
Even allowing for:
Insurance (~£300–£400/year depending on driver)
Tyres and basic maintenance
There still to be a gap of £2,000+ over 3 years.For anyone doing around or under 10,000 miles pa, that’s a substantial difference. If your mileage is lower, the gap could be even wider.
N.B. Out of curiosity I clicked on Jaecoo 7 offers. Adjusting the deposit to MB’s £2,499 for 1.6T Deluxe 5dr 7DCT trim, I have got an offer of £312 pcm for the same 10K miles pa / 3 years. Still cheaper by £1,248 than MB, but here of course insurance may eat into the difference.
So it seems that from July majority of the drivers will be better off outside of MB entirely:
NTS0904 figures for 2024: 71% drive under 9,000 mile pa
NTS0904 figures for 2023: 72% drive under 9,000 mile pa
NTS0904 figures for 2022: 74% drive under 9,000 mile pa
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)
- Replies
That is very interesting. I am sure more customers that know will consider their options.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.@kdwolf Any suggestions for PCH sites? I can see plenty of PCP but prices for the Surf over 3yrs with a 6 month deposit are around £345 a month (Leasing.com).
Please excuse spelling/typos. Apart from being a clot it turns out I had one on my cerebellum that's now causing various problems!
@kdwolf Any suggestions for PCH sites? I can see plenty of PCP but prices for the Surf over 3yrs with a 6 month deposit are around £345 a month (Leasing.com).
We went with @selectcarleasing.co.uk. The top trim indeed cost over £320 pcm and was no go for us. We opted for the mid one. Worth to mention I was forced by the kid to pay extra £10 a month or so to have blue light rather than default yellow, so we ended with £186 pcm (the deal was that I only pay monthly costs, the kid pays the rest: deposit, insurance etc).
My understanding all those deals (BYD, Citroën, Vauxhall etc.) were end of old licence plates and perhaps gone by now: the dealers rushed off to pre-register so ours for example will be registered 31/12/2025. We will have to do the MOT after three years, but the car is under warranty and I never had any MOT issues with EV.
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)There’s a guy on YouTube who does a couple of videos a week showing some of the best lease deals, there are some that are lots cheaper than Motability. He always says you have to be quick and ready to go as some of the deals only have limited numbers of cars.
Enyaq EV
Congratulations. EV’s aside, cheaper cars have always been poor value through Motability, and if you can afford to buy rather than lease (or you don’t need finance) the savings are even greater.
I bought one of my daughters a new Hyundai i20 privately some years ago, at a time when APs through Motability were less than half what they are these days. When we sold it I worked out the total cost of ownership (depreciation, servicing, tyres, insurance etc) and to run the same car through Motability over the same time period would have cost more than double what it cost us.
What many people fail to realise when comparing costs outside the scheme is that nobody pays list price when buying a car. I’ve bought a lot of new cars over the years for myself, my wife or my daughters and the discounts have all ranged from 15 to 25%. People also worry about ‘what if something goes wrong?’. Well new cars come with a manufacturer warranty of at least 3 years and this also comes with breakdown cover at no extra cost. Deals can also be had on servicing packages.
Anyone entitled to a Motability car is also entitled to free vehicle excise duty (road tax) and this includes the very high first year rates (showroom tax) and over £40k surcharge (luxury car tax). If the disabled person is a full time wheelchair user, and the car needs a ‘permanent and substantial adaptation (such as a hoist) they (or their partner if they can’t drive) can also get the VAT off the purchase price and all subsequent servicing costs.
We are also leaving Motability, but are buying a new car privately. As a result of VAT & VED exemptions, plus the discount I have negotiated, we are getting a total discount of 40%. That’s for a petrol car. Had we wanted an EV, that discount would have been at least 50%.
I appreciate that not everyone is in a position to buy privately, and others wouldn’t have the confidence or credit rating to lease privately, but if we weren’t in the financial position that we are in we would still leave Motability and buy a used car. We are only buying new due to the fact that we can buy a new car for the price of a used one.
If we wanted an EV (we don’t), and were happy to have one from the brands available through the scheme, I think we’d stick with Motability, as buying an EV with your own money, given all the risks and costs (plus their unpopularity on the used market) is not for the faint hearted. Having a PHEV at present, we aren’t convinced about them either, so we want to go back to an ICE car and there isn’t a single car on the scheme that even remotely appeals to us.
I Quite liked the yellow one, your daughter? could have called it bumble😂
I’m sure they will be delighted havng a new car for uni.
What trim and battery did you opt for?
If you dont have a home chargepoint, you will have to factor that into your pricing as well.
I have a look at octopus leasing, and the BYD Dolphin, with a small battery 145 miles max was cheap if you put up 9 months upfront, equivalent to an AP (£2200) on a 4 year lease at 8k miles. Its really a city car with that range.but £250 is not too bad, if yuu have the 2K upfront costs. Its good if you dont have a chargepoint as one is fitted for free.
If you dont have a home chargepoint, you will have to factor that into your pricing as well. I have a look at octopus leasing, and the BYD Dolphin, with a small battery 145 miles max was cheap if you put up 9 months upfront, equivalent to an AP (£2200) on a 4 year lease at 8k miles. Its really a city car with that range.but £250 is not too bad, if yuu have the 2K upfront costs. Its good if you dont have a chargepoint as one is fitted for free.
Sme deal on Octopus
£229 x 36 + £2748 upfront = £10992 vs £7600
Expensive free charger!
Not so. Your pricing does not include servicing and maintenance as far as I can see. Thr Octopus deals DO include that.
There is also the least hassle from Octopus, they look after chargr cost and installation. Going the PCH deal, you have to look after that side as well. Its ok for YOU to do that, but for the average Joe, its just another hoop and layer of hassle to go through.
I looked at the Urban Cruiser Design trim on CarWow,
On Motability the Design is £0 AP so 152x £80 is £12,160
Total for 36 month lease, 12m initial rental, 8k miles was £11,792 or £12,129 for the Excel trim.
Insurance would be around £425 a year with 6yrs Motability, should be at least 12yrs but some prat jumped out of a moving van letting it drive straight into my previous Yeti 🙁
Add a couple of tyres and the obligatory servicing and it’s a possibility depending on the AP in October.
Please excuse spelling/typos. Apart from being a clot it turns out I had one on my cerebellum that's now causing various problems!
How does Mobility work out the no claim letter, is it 3 year maximum
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
Found this,
Will I get a ‘no claims’ bonus at the end of my lease?
You will not get a no-claims bonus, because we own the vehicle.
If you leave the Scheme
Our insurance provider might give you a claims history letter to show any claims you or your other drivers have made.You should be able to ask for this in your Motability Scheme online account, or you can call them on 0300 037 3737.
Please excuse spelling/typos. Apart from being a clot it turns out I had one on my cerebellum that's now causing various problems!
That’s an interesting breakdown analysis.
Just to add some different perspective (that probably doesn’t apply to you, but may be useful for someone else), if you’re a wheelchair user like I am, moving away fr0m Motability is quite a different prospect.
I’d have to pay for adaptations and hope that the leasing company will allow them to install prior to collection (even IF they allow it), same goes for when I return the car. The logistics of adding/removing hand controls otherwise is a manor pain (I know, that’s how Motability used to work!)
There’s also the issue of extra damage from anyone with motability equipment. It’s virtually impossible not to cause any minor damage to a car if you’re lugging a wheelchair in and out daily, and some leasing companies can be extremely strict on such things.
Not so. Your pricing does not include servicing and maintenance as far as I can see. Thr Octopus deals DO include that. There is also the least hassle from Octopus, they look after chargr cost and installation. Going the PCH deal, you have to look after that side as well. Its ok for YOU to do that, but for the average Joe, its just another hoop and layer of hassle to go through.
Admittedly, I have not including servicing due to the Surf having a 20,000 miles or 2 years service schedule, with only one sevice required during the duration of the lease, at a cost of £260.
Through Octopus, as you suggest the car would also come with Octopus’s new Octopus Charge charger £1049. Yes I install them, but its not difficult for someone to phone there local spark or even Octopus. However I still have to go through the correct warranty procedure during warranty period even as a authorised installer.
Even if you paid Octopus to install a charger and paid for a service, you are still £2083 better off with the deal above.
That £2083 saved, will cover insurance, servicing and 2 tyres with some left over to cover charging cost.
How does Mobility work out the no claim letter, is it 3 year maximum
It’s not ‘no claims’ as in No Claims Discount, but they do give you a claims history record which, much to my (pleasant) surprise many insurers treat in exactly the same way as No Claims Discount 🤔👍
How does Mobility work out the no claim letter, is it 3 year maximum
It’s not ‘no claims’ as in No Claims Discount, but they do give you a claims history record which, much to my (pleasant) surprise many insurers treat in exactly the same way as No Claims Discount
So if I have 9 year accident free history in theory I will receive a letter with 9 years claims history.
In June 2023 a young lady rolled into the back of our mobility vehicle when we were stationary at red traffic lights, we sent the videos to RSA mobility insurance company at that time, it was recorded as no fault, we heard nothing afterwards. (we still have the videos)
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
How does Mobility work out the no claim letter, is it 3 year maximum
It’s not ‘no claims’ as in No Claims Discount, but they do give you a claims history record which, much to my (pleasant) surprise many insurers treat in exactly the same way as No Claims Discount
So if I have 9 year accident free history in theory I will receive a letter with 9 years claims history. In June 2023 a young lady rolled into the back of our mobility vehicle when we were stationary at red traffic lights, we sent the videos to RSA mobility insurance company at that time, it was recorded as no fault, we heard nothing afterwards. (we still have the videos)
8 years + 1 no fault claims history
@Oscarmax When I called them I think they said that their records don’t go back that many years but, as I’m sure you know, as long as you have a few years claim free history the bulk of the discount will still apply. I only have 4 years claim free due to an incident where a skip jumped out at me (🤔🤣) but I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive my insurance quotes were, even for a very expensive and powerful car in the highest insurance group. One small advantage of ‘being of a certain age’ 😂
Looks like painful topic for many of us 🙂
@Phaedra in addition to selectcarleasing.co.uk, today carleasing-online.co.uk came back, advising they have a new stock of e-C3. Perhaps worth get in touch with them too.
@GlosGuy – what is your marketing pitch to reduce the price so drastically even before VAT redaction? I can knock prices down on a real estate and even win cases at tribunal without a solicitor :), but NEVER EVER managed to shave off a penny on a car. New or old. I would love to shave 15% – 25% off this beauty and go private.
@kezo we went for the mid trim, Boost I think. Another interesting thing is excess mileage – 3.12p
@Woodpecker, I wouldn’t touch Octopus with a stick, but it is my personal opinion, of course. Either way, check if it used or brand new – they often offer used cars. I have wall charger and my kid’s mum also has one, so charging at home is not an issue – just a decision which parent will be paying for the charge.
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)@kezo we went for the mid trim, Boost I think. Another interesting thing is excess mileage – 3.12p
Mid trim long range best option for your needs. Excess mileage charge seems decent enough given Motability charge more.
Did you go into BYD?
Having no part x opens the door to negotiate a better deal / pre registered stock you could negotiate harder, as the dealer would be looking for a sale. Don’t quote me on this, but dealer cars registered upto Dec 25 came with a service package included.
That Lotus is a private sale, you could put offer in -25%
@kdwolf The car that I am buying I have negotiated a 16% discount, but that’s off the gross price (inc VAT / VED etc) so it’s actually almost 20% off the ex VAT / VED price.
My negotiating tactic was very straightforward. I configured the car on drivethedeal.com to see what discount could be achieved. If you aren’t aware of them, they quote for brand new factory ordered cars (not pre registered or in-stock cars) to your exact specification, supplied by a U.K. main franchised dealer and it includes free delivery to anywhere in the U.K. My preference is to buy locally, so I presented my local BMW dealer with this information and asked if they could beat it. I expected that they might have offered slightly less discount, but they agreed to match the drive the deal prices, even though they don’t deal with them. They agreed to match the prices on all 3 engine types (petrol, diesel and PHEV) prior to me test driving them all. I have chosen the petrol.
I’m not interested in an EV, so didn’t run any numbers on those, but given how manufacturers are struggling to sell them I have no doubt that, had I wanted one, I could have got a much bigger discount.
Finally, it’s worth stating that I’m buying outright, not leasing, and don’t need finance of any kind, so the discounts weren’t dependent on taking out a PCP or similar. There are sometimes additional deals to be had if you take out finance. On two previous occasions (once with BMW and once with VW) I took out a PCP in order to get an even bigger discount but, exercising a loophole, I paid off the agreement in full in month 2, but was still able to keep the additional discount (multiple thousands) in return for about £15 interest!
@kezo we went for the mid trim, Boost I think. Another interesting thing is excess mileage – 3.12p
Mid trim long range best option for your needs. Excess mileage charge seems decent enough given Motability charge more. Did you go into BYD? Having no part x opens the door to negotiate a better deal / pre registered stock you could negotiate harder, as the dealer would be looking for a sale. Don’t quote me on this, but dealer cars registered upto Dec 25 came with a service package included. That Lotus is a private sale, you could put offer in -25%
I presume I could get extra discount on a cash payment for BYD, but I don’t want to own EV from new until the market will settle down with the EVs.
That Lotus is entirely different case: -25% and it is less than 50% from new (this is a basic trim with a couple of add on). Will see what the Ombudsman will tell first. Hopefully a matter of month or two.
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)@Oscarmax When I called them I think they said that their records don’t go back that many years but, as I’m sure you know, as long as you have a few years claim free history the bulk of the discount will still apply. I only have 4 years claim free due to an incident where a skip jumped out at me (
) but I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive my insurance quotes were, even for a very expensive and powerful car in the highest insurance group. One small advantage of ‘being of a certain age’ I used Martin Lewis insurance comparison site to find out how much our Suzuki Across would cost to insure, when I was filling in the questionnaire on the site I inputted my registration no it actually gave me the true value of a 2023 Suzuki Across £21,500, Hastings 8,000 miles using 3 year no claims 5 star £481
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
I used Martin Lewis insurance comparison site to find out how much our Suzuki Across would cost to insure, when I was filling in the questionnaire on the site I inputted my registration no it actually gave me the true value of a 2023 Suzuki Across £21,500, Hastings 8,000 miles using 3 year no claims 5 star £481
I used comparethemarket. Brand new BMW X5 4.4 litre V8, £110,000 (as mentioned, I’m getting a massive discount off that, but I inputted the full replacement cost) and group 50 insurance (the highest group), with just 3 claim free years (as opposed to no claims) and 9,000 miles a year – cost £686 with Admiral Gold. There were a number of even cheaper quotes than that (including cheaper Admiral policies), but I wanted a good quality product with add ons. Have to say that I was amazed. I was expecting a few grand!
@kdwolf The car that I am buying I have negotiated a 16% discount, but that’s off the gross price (inc VAT / VED etc) so it’s actually almost 20% off the ex VAT / VED price. My negotiating tactic was very straightforward. I configured the car on drivethedeal.com to see what discount could be achieved.
Ah, yes – I get updates from them. Sadly their main focus is on VW group plus occasionally BMW and Kia, I think
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)
) but I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive my insurance quotes were, even for a very expensive and powerful car in the highest insurance group. One small advantage of ‘being of a certain age’ 
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.