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Please post reviews of your new Motability cars after you have had at least a week to get used to vehicle.
Start post with Make, Model, Version, to make it easy to find the one you are looking for, if you click reply to that particular post it should keep the same reviews together.
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There you go crispy. Made it a sticky post
Joss
Current car: Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.Thanks Joss.
Hyundai Kona Electric Premium SE
So, I’ve had the car since the beginning of April 21 and so far covered 4500 miles. It’s been updated to the Ultimate spec now which adds a sunroof, wireless Apple car play but loses out on the battery heater.
I think I’ve finally got to the end of the manual and all the options and really getting a hang of driving EV’s, so here’s my verdict so far:
Good
The car is really easy to drive, very comfortable and easy to get a great driving position, handles well, very little body roll and does a reasonable job over pot holes.The Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) is really cool, love how it tracks vehicles in front, you have to watch their speed though as it’s so quiet, you don’t always realise that you’ve adopted their speed, on dual carriageways and motorway, just move into the next lane and it resumes the speed
Hidden in the menus is an Autorecuperate function, this is an awesome idea, basically, you don’t worry about regeneration, and leave the car to do it. It works similar to the ACC, but instead of controlling the speed, it controls the braking, a small box on the dash starts white, but when it picks up a car in front, turns blue, if that car brakes or slows down, and you’re in range, the car automatically applies regenerative braking and slows you, the car moves away and the braking stops, but if the car carries on breaking, it will gently apply more breaking, it works and saves wasted energy. You can also just about forget the foot brake, holding back the left flappy padel applies the regen braking and you can come to a complete stop with that.
Performance is stunning, 0-60 in 6.3 sec, mid range pickup for overtaking is better than my old BMW (190bhp, 400lb Torque, 4WD Automatic), starts tailing off over 80, but just to see what the car could get to, I did hit 109mph, but that’s really not the point of EV’s as the economy is killed by a heavy, even if enjoyable right foot.
The In car entertainment system is really easy to use and intuitive, the iDrive in the BMW was easier though, most functions are reached through physical buttons, so reduces time hunting in menus, The Krell stereo (Well 8 speakers not 2) is really good, loads of base and really well balanced, a vast improvement on the basic BMW set up. The Sat Nav is also good, and I love that the directions are projected up on the HUD.
Reversing camera works well, could be higher definition if I’m being picky, but makes reversing a breeze.
Aircon is also controlled with physical buttons and dials and works really well, mainly have it off or on driver only, the heated seats are great, with 3 heat settings (and 3 stages of cooling for the summer), the heated steering wheel though is either on or off and can get too hot!
BlueLink app seems to work well, great to be able to sit in the flat, find where I’m going, send the route straight to the car. Can check the battery is charging while you’re out, and what range you have available. Also gives you the ability to lock/unlock the car, and best of all start the car warming itself up/defrosting the car. I thought that the car had to be plugged into the mains for this function, but no, it works even when not on charge.
LED headlights are really powerful, and the auto hi beam is really quick to function. The car also has extra lights that turn on to illuminate the edges of the road when you are turning.
Hyundai supply both a Type 2 cable and a Granny Charger as standard
Bad/Not so good
Still missing the firm clunk of the doors closingI’ve turned off the lane keeping assistant, it’s just too sensitive
You need to wipe the ACC sensor clean every few days in this weather or it won’t work
Regen can be confusing to work out the best one to be in, but see Autorecuperate above
Shame some of the functions (Auto hold mainly) have to be reselected every time you turn the car offShame Apple Car Play needs you to connect via a cable, I have one of the big phones, and that still fits in the QI charging slot, but not with a cable on, although it still charges as the cable provides that
No car mats, just ordered some online
Plastics inside are not up to BMW standards, but theres nothing wrong with them
Costs of driving
I can’t have a home charger, so forced to use public chargers, which potentially, can be much more expensive (Ionity chargers are 69p kWh but super fast). My initial calculations were based on an average of 15p kWh, as long as I don’t pay more than 55p kWh, the car would be cheaper than my old one (Based on the current price of diesel at £1.26 ltr and 51.6mpg)I’m amazed how many chargers are free, in fact, there is a free 50kWh charger 10 miles away, so far, I’ve covered 4529 miles and it’s cost £88, less than 1.9p a mile.
Verdict so far
It’s the most fun driving I’ve had in years, probably only beaten by track days at Silverstone or driving Scimiter AFV’s in the military.Range anxiety hasn’t been an issue, even the cold snap we had a few days ago, I could have covered 260 miles without charging. I think the difference is I’d run an ICE till it was nearly empty, now, if there’s a chance to charge, especially if it’s free, I plug it in.
Would I go back to an ICE, NEVER, but If I could afford it and had the space, I’d still love a TVR for those few summer days when you could enjoy it.
Previous Motability Cars
2006 - 2009 Skoda Superb VR6 2.0tdi
2009 - 2012 Citroen C5 2.0tdi VTR Nav
2012 - 2015 Nissan Qashqai 1.5dci tekna
2015 - 2018 Ford Kuga 2.0tdi Titanium X
2018 - 2021 BMW 220d X drive 2 Series Active Luxury
2021 - 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric Premium SE
2023 - Hyundai Kona Electric UltimatePEUGEOT 3008 GT premium Hybrid, March 2021.
I really love this car. I chose it as a replacement for my much loved BMW X1, X Line, X Drive 25D.
I decided to go for the Premium hybrid 225 rather than the hybrid 4 300, due to the fact that the Premium model has quite a few more key options (both essential and ‘luxury’ features) included than the GT 300 version.
It is a stunning mix of looks, comfort and practicality which covers all my bases except for the fact that it is two wheel drive and not four as in the hybrid 4. The ‘electric only’ range falls well short of the advertised “up to 40 miles”, but at between 22 and 29 miles it takes care of most of my daily journeys. It is impressively smooth and quiet yet responsive in both electric and petrol hybrid mode. The semi autonomous features are an amazingly simple and trustworthy ‘co pilot’ on motorways and dual carriageways, and the Focal hifi is a truly excellent companion whenever I’m in the car. An electrically adjusted driver’s seat with full massage function is superb for my knackered back and the suede and leather interior is another touch of warm enveloping luxury. I’m averaging 47 mpg according to the digital read out which I’m happy with.
A couple of people have said to me “Oh, you’ve gone from a BMW to a Peugeot” as though it’s a step down, but I have to say that I feel like I’ve really upgraded every time I get into it.
If there’s anything you want to know about this specific model of the new 3008, just ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
Cheers guys and gals.
Great review, just ordered the same car, in ultimate spec as well. Is there a way to change the angle of the hud?
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Great review, just ordered the same car, in ultimate spec as well. Is there a way to change the angle of the hud?
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you can change the rotation, vertical height and size of the characters in the menusPrevious Motability Cars
2006 - 2009 Skoda Superb VR6 2.0tdi
2009 - 2012 Citroen C5 2.0tdi VTR Nav
2012 - 2015 Nissan Qashqai 1.5dci tekna
2015 - 2018 Ford Kuga 2.0tdi Titanium X
2018 - 2021 BMW 220d X drive 2 Series Active Luxury
2021 - 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric Premium SE
2023 - Hyundai Kona Electric UltimateI think this is a really good idea and I’ll be taking part when our new one arrives, I think it would be nice and beneficial to some to include the advance payment you paid (I know these change before someone jumps in) simply because I think they’ll be a trend on good car reviews that people wouldn’t normally look at and some may be really interested in reviews with say a lower advance than £1000 and others like myself who will read all of them.
Hopefully a great long term thread
Pop’s, I’ve just extended my lease on my X1 just to give me more thinking time and I’m considering the same model you have. My only concerns is the boot space and the auto box , I believe the battery takes up 200lts of space compared to a non hybrid and how are you finding the gearbox compared to the BMW.?
Not sure if the hybrid has the same auto box as the rest of the Peugeot range but if it has then it’s the same Aisin 8 speed auto that’s fitted in the bmw range and I have it in my Rifter, have to admit it’s the best auto box I’ve ever driven and I’ve driven nearly every car available over the years (normally manage 30+ test drives a year + I’ve been involved in the car industry for over 30 years).
I’m sure there are some better out there once you start getting into “Cheshire” money but for things available on the scheme the aisin box sits at the top.
BMW X1 s-drive uses a Getrag 7 speed DCT box, not the Aisin auto box. Perhaps the X-drive uses the Aisin?
Seat Ateca FR Sport 1.5tsi DSG rhodium grey, no extras, £1099 AP at time of ordering but £1499 now. Ordered 29th Dec and collected 6th March 21.
We are 4000 miles in and we love it. The electric leather heated drivers seat is superb. 8 way adjustment including lumbar and 3 memory settings. The steering wheel has a big variation in reach and rake so finding a comfortable driving position was no problem. The passenger seat is not electric but my partner (for whom the car is awarded to) is very comfortable and she loves the 3 heat settings on the seats (front only). We have 3 children, 2 in car seats and an elder child who fits in the middle pretty comfortably. The boot is manual on this trim but not overly heavy so easy to open and close and very square and spacious.
This 1.5tsi DSG version is superb to drive as well. We, well I ? originally wanted the 2litre tsi but it wasn’t available as it’s was due to be updated but it certainly doesn’t lack power and its very responsive in sports mode but takes too long to change gears so it’s in individual mode and I set the steering to sports as its heavier which I prefer and kept the engine/ gearbox in normal. 36mpg with a slightly heavy foot is my average. Can get 45mpg when I try but eco mode doesn’t really give you the power when needed so I tend to avoid it as our little cul-de-sac exits onto a 50mph A road and there are lots of fast roads where we live.
I love the colour as it goes with the sporty look grey wing mirrors and the 19in 2 tone black/ silver wheels are so nice.
Android auto is wireless which is brilliant unless the phone battery is low because the wireless charging pad is only 5w and therefore when using wireless android auto and wireless charging simultaneously then the battery actually drains even with the phone screen locked off!! Obviously I just plug my phone in to charge when using wireless android auto now and that solved that.
Other bits I love are the scrolling rear indicators and the digital cockpit is superb. The front LED headlights are excellent although it’s not got high beam assist which I loved on our previous 2018 Qashqai nor road sign recognition as it hasn’t got a camera. The only safety system is the front assist which is pretty standard in every car these days so I think they have been a bit tight only offering ACC and such goodies on the top experience models only.
Overall we are extremely happy as we got a £199 discount and therefore only paid £900 AP. At £1499 as priced now though it wouldn’t be such an easy decision but it’s still a lot of car for the AP.
Added to that the keyless entry and start button are very practical but I do keep my key in one of those shielded Faraday wallets just to be sure
My first six weeks with the Seat Tarraco FR Sport, coming from a Skoda Kodiaq
Having not seen the new Seat colour in person until pick up, my first impressions of the exterior look was, ‘now that looks a lovely motor’.
The colour coded doors and bumpers along with the best alloy wheels I’ve seen on a car, really stood out.
The interior feels nice and typically VAG, the heated leather seats, front and rears are extremely comfortable. The driver’s seat is electronically controlled, and easy to find the right position. Everything is close to hand and although I was a bit concerned about the slider controls for the heater/AC, but I’ve found them easy to use and no worse the old dials on the Kodiaq. I would say the interior is slightly more hard plastic further down, than the Skoda. The boot space is good at 230lt all seats up, 700lt with 3rd row down, and 1775 with all seats down. The front passage seat also folds completely down which is especially useful for long loads. Electric boot comes with virtual peddle, which has already proved its worth.
TECH
This is where the FR Sport outshines the Kodiaq SE L. Digital cockpit, 9.2” infotainment, full led self-adjusting headlights, scrolling indicators, coast to coast rear lighting, paddle gear changers, front and rear sensors, plus every safety gadget know to VAG, some I could do without!!
My only gripe with the MIB3 infotainment system is VAG have removed the SD card slots, meaning you can’t upload music on to the system, so you have to leave a USB stick plugged in if you want your own music. It also means you cannot upload radio logo’s, which for some unexplainable reason I find blank radio logo’s really annoying! Certainly, a step back in my opinion.
There is 12-volt sockets, front, rear seats, and boot. C-USB sockets, 2 in the front and one in the back.
Top view and reversing camera, ACC, KESSY and parking assist. And not forgetting the, ‘Hola’ puddle lights!!
THE DRIVE
I knew from the test drive that the road noise was louder than the Kodiaq, coming from 19” to 20” tyres. But I wasn’t ready for just how loud it was on the 80-mile journey back from the dealers. Having checked the pressures, I found all 4 were set at 42 PSI, so I reset them to 33 PSI which is comfort load, and thankfully the noise has reduced considerably. Seat are well known for their sport set up and the suspension on the Tarraco is harder, but the ride is comfortable and takes corners better with less body roll than the Kodiaq, although I think the leather bucket type seats help to a certain extent.
The 7 speed DSG handles the Tarraco more evenly than the old 6 speed DSG, which tended to rev more from 2nd to 3rd gear, so the extra gear is an improvement. The 1.5TSi suits this SUV, and the mileage I do, it’s got a surprising turn of pace and although lacking the torque of a diesel, it handles a heavy load without loss of power. After all, it’s a breeze block on wheels, I don’t expect 0-60 in 6 seconds, or 50 MPG.
MY SUMMERY AFTER A MONTH AND NOT MANY MILES.
At the start I thought I’d made the mistake of going for style over substance, and letting the inner boy racer loose, but gradually this Tarraco FR Sport is slowly winning me round. Road noise is still noticeable and remembering to turn off the bloody lane assist every time is a pain. The car has only done a couple of hundred miles so needs to settle in more, and the engine to run in, and I’m sure one or two long journeys will help with that process.
I fitted a Racechip XLR pedal box to the Kodiaq to eliminate the throttle lag it had, but that has not been needed with the Tarraco, it pulls away with no lag whatsoever.
Tarraco FR Sport 1.5TSi, 7 speed DSG in Merlot Red
Advance payment, £3999 – £300 discount =£3699
Included full tank of fuel and a full 6 set of fabric mats.
Dealership- Euro Seat & Skoda, Crawley.
My add on- I don’t like different coloured wing mirrors, it’s a personal thing, so I got the 2 covers off Ebay, the paint code from Seat customer service, got the paints made up by a company in Brighton, and sprayed them myself!!
Sorry, not a thorough review as I’ve only done a couple of hundred miles, but thought I’d post my initial view on the Tarraco.
Looks lovely Mark. I wasn’t brave enough to go for the red but its very very nice. How did you post pics? I tried but it was very confusing.
Looks lovely Mark. I wasn’t brave enough to go for the red but its very very nice. How did you post pics? I tried but it was very confusing.
If you look top right of the right hand side you will see under forum favourites. “Registering and posting help”
There you would find https://forum.whichmobilitycar.co.uk/forums/topic/insert-an-image-tagging-and-registering-assistance/
If you’re still struggling to post an image. Then give me a shout and I will assist you.
Joss
Current car: Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.Looks lovely Mark. I wasn’t brave enough to go for the red but its very very nice. How did you post pics? I tried but it was very confusing.
Thanks, John. I love the red, I get fed up with motor manufacturers knocking out 50 shades of grey/silver.
How’s your new Seat Ateca FR going, still enjoying it I hope.
Joss has pointed you in the right direction for adding photos
Thanks Joss I will try in the morning. And yes Mark we are still loving it… even in grey haha. Just 1 minor issue is the SEAT CONNECT app which my dealer can’t get me verified on so only able to view stats and I can flash the lights and sound the horn if I can’t find the car haha Can’t lock it yet or use other functions but aside from that it’s superb.
Yeah, the Seat Connect is a bit of a faff. Got mine connected eventually after goodness knows how many tries. Just like the Skoda Connect though, pretty much a waste of time!!
Ok so we picked up our new ultimate kona this morning and this far both of us are very impressed. Had a short journey home of approx 15 miles and from the moment I set of driving I felt right at home which was a massive bonus.
the seats I thought were very comfortable, something which I hadn’t realised on the test drive.
It picks up really well from all speeds especially in sport mode which I only tested for about 2 minutes.
As it was a B road all the way home I got to feel that it handles corners, bends and bumps really well.
haven’t had a chance to play around with all the tech as yet but overall I’m really impressed. Usually im hard to please.
For anyone thinking about one, from my first impressions over roads I drive day in day out it, go for it. The drive itself is so relaxing compared to any of our previous cars.
I will hopefully update in a few days , weeks as I get more used to it.Pick up our MG HS 1.5 manual , Black, 29/05/21, covered 305 miles in 3 days to visit relatives.
Good Points
From outside looks very imposing, mix up of a Mazda CX5 and an AUDI A3. Interior has more than a passing resemblance to a Mercedes GLA. The room inside is impressive and the seats very comfortable, even after a 126 mile journey. Dial layout make sense , except for no rotary temperature dial which would make sense.Road presence and driving hight are very good, it’s a very calming vehicle to drive, rear view mirror is a little low, headroom is really good, several people commented on it at the services one even asked if MG was Mercedes Group ?. Boot is ok but take out the plastic underfloor tray and relocate the puncture kit and a folding wheelchair fits in leaning the load space empty. Engine is ok for crusing about in, it’s not a race car, and as it’s a manual it responds well to dropping a gear.Road noise is ok except on the concrete sections of the M25 but it’s no worse than our other car.
Not so good.
Dealers, really struggle to source and track stock, took over 14 weeks from factory. The car would look so much better with tinted rear windows , even the dealer agreed. Over a 260 mile round trip MPG was 39.6 , mostly 74 MPH on the motorway, not to bad. The drivers info screen had an overload of information at times and the front collision warning is very sensitive. Sat Nav is ok .I would like the buttons on the steering wheel swapped around, audio on the right data on the left.
Overall a big improvement on our Grandland , especially the feeling of interior space. Not expecting any problems with the car, if we do it’s for the dealer to sort out anyway, but the dealer network really needs to up it’s standards.
Bmw I3s
I’ve now covered 25000 miles in my electric I3s and I thought I would share my thoughts.
Really Good Bits
Performance is bonkers. 0 – 30mph is just lovely…..fantastic away from the traffic light Grand Prix.
Fuel cost. Before this car I was spending a fortune on diesel (5k a year) in a Volvo Xc60 D5. Really disliked the Volvo, noisy, slow, wallowy, poor image. I3s is costing next to nothing to charge with combination of cheap electricity from solar, cheap tariffs and free charging. I estimate i’m spending 10% of what I did in my previous cars.
Charging: I love arriving home at night and simply plugging it in ready for following days driving.
Quirky styling: I didn”t used to like the style of the I3s but its really grown on me and I think eventually it will be a future classic.
Preconditioning the car is lovely, screen de iced, car warm when you get in it.
Not quite as good bits.
Range: For 90% of my journeys range is no issue. For 10% of my journeys I think too much about range……I have had some great charging experiences on the rapid chargers and some not so great….Never run out of charge but nearly.
Size I3s too small for me.
Doors suicide doors not very good in tight spaces.
In summary the I3s has character, some stuff I don’t like but so pleased I got it and electric is definitely the future for me.
I’ve had a BMW X1 for 11 months now & for the 2nd time I had multiple warning messages come up while I was out doing errands yesterday and the vehicle wouldn’t move. The vehicle has covered less than 3000 miles. The first time it happened, last Oct, I’d only just done 600 miles in it. It’s been in the workshop & they couldn’t find a problem & it’s back in the workshop again tomorrow but I suspect they wont be able to find a problem again!!! My confidence in the vehicle is gone & thinking of asking Motability to end my current agreement due to the vehicles unreliability. Has only one else had to do this & what is the process like??
@JK You don’t say if you’re X1 is diesel or petrol? or which warning lights are coming on.
The process of getting an early termination of your contract If things change.
Your mobility requirements may change during the course of your lease. While you have agreed to lease your Motability Scheme vehicle for the full length of the agreement, we will support you as much as we can if things change.
Reasons for ending your agreement
If there is a valid reason for cancelling your agreement, for example, your mobility needs have changed and the car is no longer suitable, please call our Customer Services team on 0300 456 4566 . If we agree that you can end your agreement early there will be an administration fee of up to £250, but we will refund any Advance Payment you have paid on a pro-rata basis once you have returned your vehicle. You may also be eligible for a pro-rata Good Condition Bonus payment, but if you paid for any optional extras when you ordered the vehicle, these costs will not be refunded. If however we cancel your agreement because you have failed to comply with the terms and conditions of your agreement , no refunds will be made to you, and you will be charged an administration fee.Joss
Current car: Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.JK, if the dealer doesn’t find the fault and fix it this time round, the first step is to contact Motability (if you haven’t already) and let them deal with the problem. It seems to me it’s a bit early to want to cancel the agreement, even though I understand how annoying it is – unfortunately cars do go wrong.
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