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I know for some people it not just a choice and some need a certain type vehicle as transport, ie hoists to be fitted, ramps etc, we’re not at that stage yet so opens up I guess more choice.
However this choice for me is such a mine field.
Lots of different choice that lazily I’ve not kept up todate with, been to see a few cars available but tbh don’t like for what ever reason..
Think I’ll just go Volvo again, must be just age and lifestyle that’s brought me to such ignorance..
In reality I’d extend again and save the cost, even after 5 yrs..
Is it just me who feels such a dinosaur..😊😆
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@kezo the list shown was slightly scaled down, but also included vehicles we’ve noticed out and about to just check out. Yeah the sizes corresponds between us both, and tbh I wouldn’t put the Wife out in something she wasn’t to comfortable to drive, so the larger choices would’ve been my ideas just jotted down on the list from memory.
With seat almost right back on the Volve is manageable for me on longer journeys, but pulled up closer we share the driving when need be..
@kezo the list shown was slightly scaled down, but also included vehicles we’ve noticed out and about to just check out. Yeah the sizes corresponds between us both, and tbh I wouldn’t put the Wife out in something she wasn’t to comfortable to drive, so the larger choices would’ve been my ideas just jotted down on the list from memory. With seat almost right back on the Volve is manageable for me on longer journeys, but pulled up closer we share the driving when need be..
I’d certainly look at the Kodiaq 5 seater for space – it’s better than the new Tiggy, that VW are intent on racing to the bottom of the pile. If you had the money to go PHEV and could charge at home, the hybrid system is better than Hyundai groups. 70 miles electric mid 40’s on a run!
@kezo I test drove a BMW X5 40d the other day. Nice car and very quiet, even with 22” alloys. It was a used one but still £50k. The guy tried to talk me into a new one, but even with the VAT knocked off it was still almost £70k. I just don’t do enough mileage these days to warrant that sort of outlay (decent cars are just ludicrously expensive these days). Another spanner in the works was that the 40d is more expensive than the new 50e X5 which, although a PHEV (which, as you know, I’m not keen on) has a realistic EV range of around 50 miles and it’s paired with the legendary BMW 3.0 six cylinder petrol engine, giving a combined power output of almost 500 bhp. I’ve since watched a number of YouTube reviews of the 50e and they all say that it’s absolutely superb. Back to the drawing board
Thats the problem, they are alot of money 10ish thousand miles per year. Not like the olde days where grandad would rock up in a Jag and do no more than a couple thousand milese ayear – How times have changed! The other thing on my mind, is the X5 is perhaps to big in the sense some parking spaces round here, Ican struggle to get out of the Tucson if a car is parked in the next bay, if out on my own.
You raise a good point. My wife reminded me how difficult my 7 Series BMW was to park, not just the width but it stuck out of spaces.
Another, probably more practical option, is to stick with Motability for running my wife around (maybe even an EV) and me buying a ‘fun’ car that gives me more pleasure, but as I now only do 7-8k miles a year two cars seems a bit pointless. None of these thoughts would be going around my mind if the Tucson was as enjoyable to drive as the X1 was 🙄
Seeing him take that through the lanes though, do unsettle my mind for Mrs aj, what a great vehicle…
This Volvo for me can be great fun, parking and gaps so easy as its not massive, also can bring a smile to my face when in dynamic 👀 mode and slight aggravation to wake it up a bit..
@Fastbike1000 @Mitch glad it’s not just me indecisive with choice..
Hi,
further to keso’s comments, have recently ordered a eTSI 1.5 Kodiaq Se L for the Mrs. Smoke silver and black leather. Highly impressed and previously had an Allspace. Feels a cut above and we had the wider market to choose from. She needs a big boot and three isofix with a new grandchild arriving soon. The Touran has three, but we have other misgivings about it following a deterioration in my condition.
Unlikely to remain in the scheme as disillusioned with the media’s “politics of envy,” the emergence of an odious app and general misinformation.
You raise a good point. My wife reminded me how difficult my 7 Series BMW was to park, not just the width but it stuck out of spaces. Another, probably more practical option, is to stick with Motability for running my wife around (maybe even an EV) and me buying a ‘fun’ car that gives me more pleasure, but as I now only do 7-8k miles a year two cars seems a bit pointless. None of these thoughts would be going around my mind if the Tucson was as enjoyable to drive as the X1 was
There’s one problem, as I see it, is BMW lower models aren’t as good as the previous gen, other than the advantage of being bigger. The loss of the idrive wheel, is a major mistake hence my push up to the 3 and beyond. You still get the intelligent speed limit alet bongs, as well as LKA and anything elese the EU throws at cars in the future, but thats not the manufacturers fault – going foward that will be a prioty on how easy these systems are to turn off every time you start the bloody thing.
I don’t mind the Tucson for what it is, a great family car with every extra you could wish for. Its not as engaging to drive as the 2 series or BMW in general, due to its softer suspension, but it still gets me round corners without bother at speed. More importantly to me, the Tucson still has more space inside and especially at the rear, which is especially good if a meltdown occurs😂 and thats where I struggle, finding something suitable but engaging on the scheme and I don’t call a 1.5 3cyl engaging enough to pay through the roof for options to ferry my daughter around. Interstingly, a friend as the iX1 30 and he prefers the twin screens in theTucson and intuitiveness of them with physical buttons along with the brightness, but doen’t like the fact satnav isn’t displayed on the drivers screen and went onto say, but I use the HUD? The seats are comfier in the X1 though. He gets 200 mile range, which is shit unless you have a Peugeot😂 and says he will be going back to Genysis. Thats why I wan’t to leave the scheme and get the best of both worlds if you like.
You’d be happy with Skodas too.
I was severely impressed with basically anything i sat in (drove Enyaq and Elroq, sat in Kodiaq). Their “simply clever” stuff is brilliant – be it the Umbrella in the door, the boot organizers, integrated funnel for washer liquid, clever storage or even stupid simple things like “knobbing” in the cup holder that grab against the bottom of plastic soda bottles, allowing one handed opening/closing. Now i don’t drink soda or anything in the car, but the general premise that someone thought of it, bonus points.
https://www.skoda.co.uk/discover/simply-clever
Sometimes it is the little things that are most impressive, mainly because you wonder why nobody else does it.
Prior: SEAT Ateca Xcellence Lux 1.5 TSI DSG MY19, VW Golf GTE PHEV DSG MY23
Current: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Next: we'll see what's available in 2028.Yes Rene we are going to try get a Skoda test drive, talking of test driving my Wife booked test drives at BMW over the phone yesterday, we booked the x1 then x2 out of curiosity…
After the call she mentioned we may have to have a member of staff sit in due to the number plate on the whether it’s a trade plate or not…🤔😔
TBH I’ve lost interest already, don’t mean to sound rude but who wants someone looking over their shoulder like some bloody driving lesson…
Anyone else come across this or is it just grumpy old me doing my grumpy old me thing..
I don’t think I’m getting on to good in the modern world, however through life experience s and how things have become I’m almost glad 😆
Must say walking to the Volvo yesterday made me think I’ll be sorry to see it go, that actual car not just because it’s Volvo, but got some great memories of the last 5yrs..@ajn I had an accompanied test drive the other week, but it was a used car, I hadn’t pre-arranged it and it was in a town that I don’t live and the dealership use a predetermined route that covers fast dual carriageway, A & B roads and some town driving. As it was an expensive [£90k when new) used car with an advertised mileage, I felt that this was reasonable.
With every new car (Motability or private) however, I have always had unaccompanied test drives. Usually if pre arranged they have been full day tests, but if I’ve turned up unannounced they’ve usually been 1-2 hours. In the latter scenario, if I think the car is a definite possibility I will arrange a subsequent full day test. Every new car seems great over an hour or so, but it’s only when you have them for half a day or more that you start to discover things that are less good.
Morning Glos Guy thanks for the info and clearing that up, I feel slightly better now, it’s just when we the 1st only test drive with motability, they handed the keys over and said obviously you both want to drive it, just try be back before we close, joking I said today or tomorrow 😳..
Anyone else come across this or is it just grumpy old me doing my grumpy old me thing..
Nah, i agree, accompanied test drives are awful.
In fact, i feel like they’re preventing me from “testing” the car proper. With our last test drives, with Skoda, VW etc, we pulled over where we felt and played with every single button, opened everything etc pp – without someone talking over what i’m doing.
I wanna figure out the car, not listen to marketing blurb or be careful not to either offend the salesman or have him try to interject when i speak to the wife about things that suck in a particular car. There’s a difference between me figuring out how easy (or not) it is to turn off ADAS stuff, versus me trying and the salesrep then doing it himself.
That being said, my only accompanied test drive i’ve had was with the Ateca, and that was mainly due to not having a UK driving license at the time. Generally though, before Covid, it wasn’t rare to have accompanied test drives – nowadays, it’s vice versa. All my “spontaneous” test drives (never booked in advance) were the lady and me, and a vague timelimit. Except Ford, who straight away offered the Explorer for 48h (which we’ll do once next quarters prices are out – if it stays the same price).
Prior: SEAT Ateca Xcellence Lux 1.5 TSI DSG MY19, VW Golf GTE PHEV DSG MY23
Current: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Next: we'll see what's available in 2028.@Rene we to like our own company 😆 could really do without the assistant tbh.
Drive around different roads, play about with a few options, McDs coffee to have a good look through the window from inside McDs and away from the forecourt, discuss, verify any concerns then drive again on anything discovered or discussed..
However if we must then so be it, points deducted before we even go imo….
The other problem with accompanied test drives (and car sales people in general) is that sales people are often poorly informed about what comes as standard on certain models and what is an optional extra. Many demonstrators are loaded with extras and the sale people don’t always highlight that (if they even know). Some I’ve even had to correct about what is standard and what is optional, as I often find that, having done my research, I know more about the car than the people paid to sell them 🙄
@ajn Just another thought. I don’t know your financial situation, nor would I ask or assume, but if you absolutely love your current car and, if it wasn’t 5 years old, would happily have extended the lease further, is it worth leaving the scheme and buying the same car used? You’d get a car that you know that you’d be happy with and it would most likely work out a fair bit less than getting a brand new (lesser) car through Motability. Just a thought because, with hindsight, we might have been wiser to have done that ourselves last year!Glos Guy we have thought about a private xc60 tbh, and yes I would in the end save a few quid, also getting extra space for days away, fishing etc.
The scheme of just one all in payment for someone who’s tbh lost interest in garages, sales, mots, insurance quotes and all the rest that it involves then the scheme is right up my street..
I’ve never received the actual mobilitity payment so don’t really miss what I’ve never had..
I admit I’m a total nightmare, I can see us ending another Volvo pay and just drive for the next 3 years +..
However I’m open to be impressed by another i.e BMW, Skoda, Vw, or any other, would’ve liked a petrol/battery/electric charge as you drive type thing simply because it’s availible and should be considered to cut running cost of fuel as advertised..
Going to try Skoda also.
well as i am now redundant so to speak, i popped over to toyota to do the sit tests.
unfortunately the corrolla is just too low for my back, but it lokks and feels great such a shame.
the yaris cross is good especially in the gr trim they had in the showroom really comfy but the cup holders are in a weird place for me back almost under the armrest.
the chr i love the looks and the cabin but the car had no juice so i couldnt properley move the seat but i dont think it goes any lower and even after several attempts i couldny get in comfortabley getting out was fine. but there is no way i could go 3 years getting in like that so disappointed.
suprise package while i was there sat in the aygo x and very roomy and comfortable drivers seat nice screens very basic but that suits me.
so i am going to trawl the spec sheets and get it all on a spreadsheet and see exactly what the differences are.because the yaris cros design without the safetey pack is only 115 on wpms but it still has a revesing camera which is all i need and you lose 3 or 4 bings and bongs.but the rest of the car is the same.
the aygo x i would probably look at buying.
thats the update
It’s strange how all our likes/dislikes differ @mitch, for me I’ve just never liked Toyota, however they’re said to be great cars, the think it’s chr way to busy looking for me on the outside, best of luck in the search..
Mrs aj mentioned Audi they seem to look quite small, again bit ignorant of me as I don’t take much notice of them..
i looked at audi the time before last the a2 was very cramped for me the a3 was better but i went for the countryman it was just put together better and at the time cheaper and the dealer was doing £500 off as well.
toyota have always been a bit basic with their interiors lots of black plastic thats my only real gripe, they upped their game with the chr i like the styling but the door size/shape is just awkward for me to get in through. i also like the petrol cupra formentor again the edgier design i like. i may still include it in my test drives as the fords are out i am just left with the toyotas and the nissans unles some prices come down.
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