[cherie]

I am also looking for the best car on Motability scheme for my needs – we all vary on what we need and what we prioritise. I save up between lease terms to afford the extras (like the safety packs or hoists) but the advance payments have rocketed for the car specs I need. Previously only ever paid nothing in advance or £500 at most. Now it’s around £3000. But I have to find the money or my life would be restricted and my independence would be lost.

My needs …

– mostly drive alone

– need automatic transmission

– have folding powerchair

– need powered tailgate (having struggled with boot strap fitted to current Citroen Aircross)

– need auto lift hoist as can’t lift chair so boot space and angle of boot door is important.

– need wide opening passenger and driver door.

– no driveway – so street parking (blue badge) has been a bonus due to “resident parking” or restricted parking. So need good parking assistance with the bigger cars.
– can’t manage with plug-in electric as do lots of long drives but would like to try hybrid this time.
I get annoyed with changing availability of cars and makes and this year asked for extension (which I was given). Have been in Motability Scheme for past 20 years and it’s been great – but never had the same car twice as best ones we’re not in the scheme the next time)

I would prefer not to have a big car but it seems I need one as even with the smallest of hoists the boot space needed is “4-5 suitcases” + a horizontal clearance to the floor for hoist arm and another horizontal clearance for the floor fixings. But end up using back seats as my boot as my powerchair “lives” in my boot.
I find it all a nightmare! On top of that there’s the comfort (or otherwise) of getting into a seat with those “comfort lips” around them making it harder to get in and out! or the lack of holding straps/bars to get in and out.
I think I am going for a Ford Kuga ST Line (coping with seats in favour of boots size and shape) and will take one for a test drive next week. But the suggestion of a Suzuki Swace in a previous post has made me think again (I used to love my Toyota Corolla!). I am also thinking of the Nissan Qashkai.
Does anyone have any suggestions or comments about any of these three? Or others? Thank you

Topic

[kezo]

By needing a powered tailgate your look at mid range up models, which of course increases the advanced payment.

The Suzuki Swace estate, I don’t believe has a powered tailgate and I don’t believe the Corolla does either, plus its more expensive than the Swace.

The 2025 MG HS Trophy auto £1299 AP get decent reviews and what equipment it hasn’t got isn’t worth having! Boot space is 507l/1484l with the seats folded, not to disimilar from the Swace. The Omoda 5 is cheaper and gets a decent amount of kit but, less refined than the HS.

Given your on your own a smaller vehicle my benefit with the rear seats folded.

Hoist wise, something like the Autochair LM 40-80kg would be more than adequate.

https://www.mg.co.uk/new-cars/new-mg-hs

 

[BigDave]

@cherie

I don’t know your vehicle change timescale nor location, but bearing in mind your vehicle and hoist  requirments, have you thought of visiting the ‘Motability Live’ open day at the N.E.C. Birmingham next month (16 & 17 May) or one of the later ‘live’ roadshows?

Birmingham

There you will find a range of vehicles, together with hoist manufacturers etc all in one place.  The hoist manufacturers should be able to tell you what fits with what etc. Plus you can see what vehicles may suit you better.

A tip if visiting, book any vehicle test drives as soon as you get there as slots for test drives, particularly for popular vehicles, fill up quickly. You can look around things once you have secured your test drive slots.

Motability normally publish a list of which vehicle are available to test drive a couple of weeks in advance of the show, but the test drives can only be booked at the venue on the day.

[cherie]

Thank you kezo

I hadn’t considered either of these cars before! I think they don’t come up in my searches because I was looking for petrol hybrid rather than plug-in.

However both are worth considering for the petrol only options. I will see how far away the dealers are – because neither are local.
The Suzuki Swace (along with the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai) all have power tailgates in higher spec models. I know the Corolla doesn’t have this sadly.
You mentioned going for smaller models with the seats down … I have looked at some of these in the past especially those with 60/40 split – but the hoist installers weren’t keen. But I would consider anything smaller (easier to find parking space) and find out if hoist will fit. Any suggestions?

Thanks for amazing help so far.

[cherie]

Thank you Big Dave.
I would love to go to a roadshow- but I hope to choose my car in the next few weeks.
it’s a great idea for my next round (in 2028) if I am still driving then!
Thanks for your reply Dave.

[kezo]

cherie wrote:

You mentioned going for smaller models with the seats down … I have looked at some of these in the past especially those with 60/40 split – but the hoist installers weren’t keen. But I would consider anything smaller (easier to find parking space) and find out if hoist will fit. Any suggestions?

When my mum was initially looking at the Mokka last year prior to deciding on a Kona, the advice from Geoff Gossling was, if mum decided on the Mokka, she would loose the 60 part of the rear seat. There are Youtube video’s from installers showing this, even in a tiny Micra….

It’s sometimes the case, a boot hoist isn’t suitable and can’t fitted to a minority of cars.

Ive been in the latest MG and its a totally different car to the first one’s. The Plug in Hybrid will do circa 60 miles on electric, so great for those that drive in that range, as its very cheap to run but, if you can’t charge at it isn’t worth it. The petrol version, whils’t not the most economical (it’s a big car), it’s hard to beat AP wise with all the equipment you get and the lower AP can gives you about £800 spare for fuel compared to a car with a AP of £2k, so it works both ways! @DougieB is the wizz kid on the HS.

[Author]

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