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It does now look like I have possibly found a dealership in another town, whose willing to cover the cost of my PCP Finance and pay it off, and bypass the £1899 AP for me, so they get a sale on the car I want.
I personally think that for standard non adapted cars that there is a bountiful Some of your points I agree with however I believe you are being a bit harsh and insensitive, unfortunately there has to be a cut off point, unfortunately not in their favour, not everyone understands the system, if they did they would not post asking for advice. Have you considered a Mazda CX-5 large SUV, plenty of room for a hoist automatic transmission.
I considered the Mazda CX-5, but again the one with electric tailgate was more than the grant allowed, and part of my grant was to include an electric tailgate.
I have just had an issue with the grant team at Motability Foundation, they approved a Large SUV Estate Auto with Electric Tailgate at £999, and a 40kg hoist at £570. I didn’t apply for the hoist, this was suggested by the case officer dealing with my application. The car they thought was suitable was a VW ID4 at £999, I can’t do electric, the car I wanted was an additional £800 at £1799, but they only allow you to add an extra £500, and there was nothing prior to 1st April AP changes that was suitable for £1499. I have complained, and taken it as far as I could with them, but every response back was just generic, despite the initial grant being for a Large SUV Auto, the VW ID4, is a medium SUV according to Motability. They then suggested the Fiat 600 at £999, which is a small SUV, then came other suggestions for electric cars all small SUV’s, before suggesting the Peugeot 3008 which I even referred to as trying but I can’t lift my leg into it! Whilst I appreciate the grant system has to be careful with money spending, and I appreciated any initial offer of a grant, I feel their responses where boarding on discriminatory towards those with disabilities, especially given I was not allowed to contribute £800, why? What difference to them does me contributing £500 or £800 make if it means I get the car that is suitable, ticks all the relevant boxes, and is likely not to be returned months down the line because it is not suitable for my needs. The dealership I was dealing with, even asked if they could contribute toward the AP, reducing my £800 contribution to £500, and the answer was NO! I asked this morning if I could use the grant for the Ford Puma at £1395, and I am waiting for the case officer to get back to me, but the lovely man I spoke to on the phone said, it was unlikely to be approved as it was a small SUV, yet last week they were suggesting a Fiat 600 which is a small SUV! I pointed this out and emphasized that the Ford Puma’s boot was much bigger than the Fiat 600. Anyway, I think I have decided, I will purchase the car I want and need and pay the AP myself, I have thought long and hard about going on the scheme, and looked at every local car dealership possible, took cars for drives, weighed up the pros and cons, and I don’t feel happy with the Motability Foundation pushing an unsuitable car on me because they won’t allow me to contribute £800 towards the AP, is right. They seem to have an underlying agenda to only offer EV’s.
It use to be, you could add a aximum of 50% to theaward from your own money and you you could choose any car to that value as long as it was in the catagory awarded.
It is still the case, so for me I can add an additional £500, but the only suitable car which also matches the grant approval is an additional £800, and they won’t let you add that much, yet it does state they will consider it, if you can provide extra evidence to support your application. I’ve done this, I argued with them till the cows come home, but every response was generic.
There last recommendation in March if I wanted a petrol car was the Peugeot 3008 as it has an electric tailgate, this is despite me previously mentioning I could not get in it (the Peugeot 3008 was my first choice and I was disappointed that I could not get in)
Then they suggested a Fiat 600 La Prima, which also has an electric tailgate, and is a small SUV because it was £999, yet the grant approved a large suv. Again, I like the Fiat, but we don’t have a local dealership, and the boot was way too small.
Can any of us truly afford to pay an AP? I know that I can’t. I have no savings and am on benefits. However we do get full PIP or else how would we be entitled to a Motability car in the first place? People who need adaptations and have genuine special needs etc are excluded from my rant but otherwise I do not see the issue in a) selecting a car which has an AP you can realistically save up for and b) saving up for it….
Saving is not always an option for some people, they may have to use their disposable income for other expenses related to their disabilities. In my case, my current PIP award pays for my car on PCP, and I will barely get anything back when I sell it on, as the finance has to be paid.
I personally think that for standard non adapted cars that there is a bountiful choice of vehicles up to £1000AP. There in even just under 60 which have zero AP. Remember grants are there to assist you into obtaining transport to which they deem meets your needs, not you wants. A £1500 AP is only saving just under a £1.50 a day for the duration of your lease. Electric will be the norm very shortly, 2030 is only 57 months away. I also believe that by 2028, that Motability choice will be nearer 80% Electric , as manufacturers wind down all petrol and diesel, inc standard hybrid models. All current plug in hybrids and diesels are all over £2000AP. Financial suicide to develop and bring a new model into production for a very short period of time. Driving Electric just takes a bit of journey planning.
What’s the point of Motability foundation offering to assist someone with a car which is deemed to meet the disability, only then for the applicant to state, this one suits me better and I want that one. If they are giving someone say £1000 for certain cars and you I prefer one with an additional AP of £800 and you are willing to pay that, I would question the given grant and reduce it £800, as you have found the mechanism to find more funds. We cannot be expected to get everything handed on a plate to us and also this is probably the cheapest lease scheme in Europe, by far. There is and never have a compulsion to use the scheme. If it doesn’t suit for any reason, buy a used car using your given benefit. Just because you can, does not mean we must.
You are making the assumption than I found the additional £800. Don’t make assumptions.
I also have a used car, thank you, which I drive every day. The idea of the scheme is to help the disabled person, and I wish to go on the scheme not because I want a nice shiny new car, but to hopefully not get penalised by insurance companies every year, when they whack up my premiums because I am disabled, and have a restricted licence with the DVLA. The scheme also appeals because I really need a boot hoist.
I fully know how the scheme works and how the grant system works.
There are not many cars on the scheme under £1000 AP that are automatics, and I can only drive an automatic vehicle. There are also not many on the scheme that have a decent size boot that a boot hoist can go into. I also need an electric tailgate.
If you know how the grant system works it states quite clearly they have to take into account the disabled person and anyone else who uses the car who they care for. I am a full time carer for a disabled parent who is worse off than me, and whose bariatric wheelchair is bulky to carry and we need a decent size boot.
I have test drove dozens of cars, and found just three which were suitable than come under a £1800 AP, I am not being difficult, or demanding a bigger car with better extras, I am being practical, because I know I have to keep the car for three years, and that my conditions could get worse, and I don’t want to waste a grant by having to return the car when I cannot get in, nor pay £250 to Motability to end my lease earlier because I have been forced into leasing a car unsuitable because it’s what the grant people suggested.
As for electric cars, not a chance this country will be ready for electric cars by the date you mention. How do you suggest I charge an electric car without a home charging point. I refuse to charge publicly, and triple the cost of my spending to sit in a car park and charge my car, I also feel unsafe doing this as a disabled single female on her own, especially in the town I live in.
If I could have electric I would, but I live in a flat and it’s not possible, same for the parent I care for.
Sorry, the grant system is flawed, and not fit for purpose, maybe some have had better experiences, but for me they have behaved in a discriminatory manner, and not taken into account my disabilities, nor reviewed extra evidence supplied, during complaints, each response was just generic garbage.
And even if I caved in and agreed to their suggestion of a VW ID4 last month, at £999 its now jumped in price to £1800, so how does that work.
Trust me, I have given much thought to this.
I have just had an issue with the grant team at Motability Foundation, they approved a Large SUV Estate Auto with Electric Tailgate at £999, and a 40kg hoist at £570. I didn’t apply for the hoist, this was suggested by the case officer dealing with my application.
The car they thought was suitable was a VW ID4 at £999, I can’t do electric, the car I wanted was an additional £800 at £1799, but they only allow you to add an extra £500, and there was nothing prior to 1st April AP changes that was suitable for £1499.
I have complained, and taken it as far as I could with them, but every response back was just generic, despite the initial grant being for a Large SUV Auto, the VW ID4, is a medium SUV according to Motability. They then suggested the Fiat 600 at £999, which is a small SUV, then came other suggestions for electric cars all small SUV’s, before suggesting the Peugeot 3008 which I even referred to as trying but I can’t lift my leg into it!
Whilst I appreciate the grant system has to be careful with money spending, and I appreciated any initial offer of a grant, I feel their responses where boarding on discriminatory towards those with disabilities, especially given I was not allowed to contribute £800, why? What difference to them does me contributing £500 or £800 make if it means I get the car that is suitable, ticks all the relevant boxes, and is likely not to be returned months down the line because it is not suitable for my needs.
The dealership I was dealing with, even asked if they could contribute toward the AP, reducing my £800 contribution to £500, and the answer was NO!
I asked this morning if I could use the grant for the Ford Puma at £1395, and I am waiting for the case officer to get back to me, but the lovely man I spoke to on the phone said, it was unlikely to be approved as it was a small SUV, yet last week they were suggesting a Fiat 600 which is a small SUV! I pointed this out and emphasized that the Ford Puma’s boot was much bigger than the Fiat 600.
Anyway, I think I have decided, I will purchase the car I want and need and pay the AP myself, I have thought long and hard about going on the scheme, and looked at every local car dealership possible, took cars for drives, weighed up the pros and cons, and I don’t feel happy with the Motability Foundation pushing an unsuitable car on me because they won’t allow me to contribute £800 towards the AP, is right.
They seem to have an underlying agenda to only offer EV’s.
I use to be a named driver on my dad’s Motabiity car for 8 years, I lived 10 minutes away, and I never used the car for my own benefit, and when I tell people this they are shocked! It annoyed me as I wanted my own car, so I could do things for myself, especially as my own mobility was declining and I could no longer use public transport.
When my dad ordered his last car back in 2023, I got a call from Motability, a call which upset me as the line of questioning felt like someone had reported us, questions were asked about what the disabled person used the car for etc, what I did for them. I explained, I was a 7-day a week carer, who struggled massively with her own health, but still put others first, if I recall I broke down in tears on the phone as mentally I was struggling.
I found the call so distressing, I told my dad, I was going to buy my own car, and it was his choice what to do with the Motability order, he no longer drove, so he had no choice but to cancel the order, as I didn’t want to take responsibility for two cars.
It was the best decision made, but I just get stung on car insurance due to disabilities I need to declare to the DVLA, although now having earned 3 years NCB, it’s coming down…
I would have gone on the scheme myself back in 2023, but my PIP then had less than 12 months to left.
We had an MG ZS Trophy Hybrid+ for 10 days as a hire car when our Grandland was in for repair, it was a nice car, easy to drive and good on fuel. You don’t notice any engine noise when driving under normal conditions in fact it’s very quiet and smooth even when the engine kicks in. However if you go up an hill and put your foot down the engine revs quit high as if it’s not got enough gears, the best thing to do is test this when you have your test drive, we had the car in February and it only had 192 miles on the clock so I assume it was the latest version. The things I did not like are the steering wheel has rake but no reach adjustment, the drivers display has limited display options with the digital speedo being in the top left had corner and can be difficult to see especially given the limited steering wheel adjustment. The radio can be muted but not turned off, you have to turn off the car open the door and then lock the car before it turns off. The sound system also sounded a bit ‘tinny’ to me so I tried to find the graphic equaliser to adjust the sound but there isn’t one so you are stuck with the sound as it is, there is also no balance/fader adjustment for the speakers. Some of the exterior lights are halogen not LED, there is no arm rest or cup holders in the rear, all that said is still a nice car especially for the price, if you’re still having the test drive tomorrow you will be able to look at these things and decide if they are important to you. Are you aware that MG are, supposedly, bringing out a Hybrid+ in the HS model, it should have been out in Q1 2025, but I’ve not heard anything yet.
Thanks for your honest opinion on this, it is appreciated. I think my heart has made a decision on the Hyundai Kona, it ticks all the boxes for me!
Hi First time on here. Does anyone know if you take a car out for 5 years instead of 3 years will the advance payment be any lower. Thanks in advance.
That’s helpful, as I was holding off ordering my car last week in the hope the prices dropped, but instead, the Hyundai Kona increased by another £1000 … And whilst I have narrowed down my choices to that and the Ford Puma the Hyundai Kona N Line wins, as it has more features for an additional £504, such as the heated seats and automatic handbrake. I’ve had a good experience with the local dealership, so wonder if they would offer something off the AP.
Seems the MG ZS has gone to, shame was due to test drive one on Friday, it was a backup choice.
MG ZS Hybrid+ is available from £499 As @Abercol suggests the electric version is being replaced with the MGS5 and yet to join the scheme
You are right, my mistake…
My only concern over this model is the 3 speed automatic gearbox? Anyone got experience of this?
Nooo, I misread the Hyundai Kona price, The N Line petrol has gone from £1799 to over £3000.
I also noticed the Honda Jazz had left the scheme.
Seems the MG ZS has gone to, shame was due to test drive one on Friday, it was a backup choice.
Seems most prices have gone up… Volvo XC4o by £1000, the Hyundai Kona I had my eye on has increased by £100. The jump in the Toyota Yaris Cross is eye watering.
