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Firstly sorry if my post came across as more than a little abrupt, posting whilst tired and cranky is not always a good idea..
Vinalspin, it was not my intention to insult anyone and yes I would have said the above to someone in person, options may not always be popular but everyone has the right to express them. There are other threads that have interested me, some i’ve added to and some not, my point was that quite a few threads are about cars not available on the scheme which I’ve no problem with, its the just criticisms that tend to come with them are a bit uncalled for.
Brydo, thanks for reply – will try and go through it bit by bit.
T.J welcome to the forum and the thread. I’m sorry you have not found many of the topics to your liking. Maybe you should start one that interests you and see if it interests others.
Thanks for the welcome 🙂 My reply to vinalspin probably covers most of but in future i’ll make a point of being less confrontational.
As can be seen from your response to my post that you have a problem with it.
Not with your or your post personally, just a straw that broke the camels back kind of thing.
I agree that motability does a good job for the disabled but you appear to suggest that the disabled should be content with whatever is offered to them. You say there are some ungrateful self entitled people on the forum with hugely unrealistic expectations. Do you mean expectations that the majority of the general public have in getting a car they want and can afford.
Agreed Motability do a good job and that’s why some of the negativity really bugs me. Of course they shouldn’t have to put up with whatever is offered but there is a wide range of cars on the scheme covering lots of makes and models – if it was a case there being one city car, one estate, one MPV etc then I’d be one of the first complaining. Could have worded the “ungrateful self entitled” comment better, the point I was trying to make is that as Motability customers we get a great deal in terms of just how far our £60 goes, the general public can pay far more for far less and with that in mind it does seem rather unnecessary to complain that some higher end makes and models are not available.
In the past there were many cars on the scheme that you described as luxury/premium. These were removed, not because they were bad for the scheme but because certain people thought the disabled shouldn’t have these cars as you said they shouldn’t have their cake and eat it.
Guess as a charity Motability have their “offers” under close scrutiny and some will be aggrieved that they can’t have prestige cars at mainstream money and as you say they got pulled to keep the peace. In that case that’s a shame and a kick in the teeth for those who had them in the past and were looking forward to getting them again. The cake comments related to that fact that despite the now lack of prestige cars we are still financially doing well on the scheme.
On this forum we welcome all to join in with their opinions and encourage everyone who views the forum to post. However posts like yours do the opposite if I hadn’t posted and I read what you had to say I would think twice about joining in.
My post wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular and certainly wasn’t meant to offend. I found the forum almost my accident whilst looking for info on a specific car but then spent some time looking at the other threads and sorry, some are quite negative about the scheme / choice of cars – might not put people off joining but wont fill people looking at getting a car with much confidence in the scheme either.
Disabled people are as entitled to the best as anyone else, they are not second class citizens who should be grateful for the minimum. They should be able to get the car they can afford/want whether that be a zero, or less, ap car or something else. They should not be restricted to what daily mail readers, or you, think they deserve.
Again no arguments about being second class citizens. Not sure on what you mean by”entitled to the best as everyone else”, if someone went to “Best Lease Co Ever” and they said “sorry you are disabled so can only have this car or that car” that’s clearly wrong as their money is exactly the same as everyone else’s and are free to chose how its spent. The scheme works differently though as it treats everyone the same and has to cater for lots of different needs at the same price point, you can of course pay an AP and upgrade to something better but ultimately whether its cost, politics or even brands not wanting to be on the scheme there will be some limitations in what’s offered. So no, I’m not say disabled people should be restricted in their choice and its not my business what people want to drive – the point I was trying to get at is the scheme cant please all of the people all of time, if the car you want isn’t available that’s unfortunate but the opportunity still exists to get it the same way as the general public.
Tosher, been on the scheme for a while now – awaiting delivery of our fifth car. Personally the scheme is a life changer for my wife and whilst it may not be perfect we’re both hugely grateful that it exists.
We do around 10k over the three years so in terms of cost per mile it works out rather expensive but as others have said its hard to put a price on the freedom that having your own transport brings. Its my wife’s car and I’m the driver, she uses a wheelchair when out and about but she also has some pretty severe mental health issues so public transport is physically hard work for me and mentally for her – honestly think that without the car she would never leave the house.
Having the car also makes a trip to the local supermarket or chemist at 10 min drive as opposed to waiting 30 mins for a bus plus 15+ mins journey time on top – it means on the days she can’t / won’t go out I can grab her prescription or something for tea without leaving her for too long, without the car I’d have no choice but to either take her with me or or try and find someone to sit with her.
“This Article demonstrates the one big problem with Motability. On any other lease scheme you can get the car you want.”
Should read
“”This Article demonstrates the one big problem with Motability customers. On any other lease scheme you can get the car you want.”
I joined this forum as the thread regarding the Seat 2.0TSi came up in a google search and got involved in it as it was very much relevant to our situation. Its a helpful, constructive thread with sensible comments, and no offence intended but probably one of very few on here it seems at times, many of the other topics come across as little more than criticisms of the scheme or unrealistic expectations of it.
Of course the Model 3 isn’t available on the scheme, the reason why is in the post above – prices “start at around £400 per month” so already going for double the PIP / DLA allowance before anything else like insurance, servicing etc is factored in, yes its well known that Motability get a good deal from the manufacturers but the Tesla will be that popular / over ordered that they don’t need to and almost certainly won’t discount it for the scheme and as a result will be to expensive to offer.
As for “On any other lease scheme you can get the car you want”, not really true… company car drivers are more or less leasing and often limited by a monthly allowance, hence the higher up you are the “better” the car you get. The only real way get what whatever you want is by going down the same route as everyone else who leases cars privately.
I said it in the under 25s thread and will say it again, there really are some ungrateful, self entitled people with hugely unrealistic expectations of what the the scheme is about – its designed to ensure that people with disabilities can have access to affordable and reliable transport that they may not otherwise have.
If you want a luxury / premium brand then accept that some but not many are available on the scheme and live with it or opt-out and pay accordingly which will no doubt be far in excess of £60 a week once insurance and other costs are taken in to account.
Ultimately stop trying to have your cake and eat it, besides that lets be honest very few people are going to be impressed or excited about an otherwise ordinary car just because it says BMW or Mercedes on the badge – if that’s your thing then great, just don’t expect Motability to indulge your badge snobbery.
Adam, not so sure on badge over spec, for some yes but maybe not the majority – the Mrs and I have always picked cars based on spec / features rather than badge and we’re awaiting delivery of a top spec Seat Leon. We could have ordered a BMW 2 series or Merc GLA but the specs are not even close and not really sure there is much to be gained by spending potentially a lot of money on option packs unless we intended to keep the car beyond three years.
I do agree with you when you say “Being disabled doesn’t mean you can’t have a luxury premium car” but that’s not really the idea of the scheme which surely is to to get people in new / reliable cars that meet their needs?
The fact that that some “premium” brands are available is a bonus for those that can afford the higher AP or meet the insurance requirements but I’m not convinced that someone’s needs can only be meet by a BMW or Merc as opposed to a “lesser” brand.
Know i’m repeating myself (but) the scheme can’t be everything to everybody and some people will be disappointed that their age or reliance on a younger driver means they cant get the car they “want” but as long as there is a reasonable choice of every type of car open to every age of driver then its working – a wider choice for younger drivers would be nice but doubt there is a quick answer as to how Motability would go about doing so.
I’m sorry if I sound blunt or uncaring and this isn’t aimed at anyone in particular but sometimes it seems that people can be really ungrateful… If Motability added a Bentley or Rolls Royce they’d complain it’s only the “small” engine or lowest spec model and the AP is high whilst forgetting just how much the scheme offers for what is a relatively small outlay – not happy with the choice of cars then tell Motability and hope things change or go private but good luck getting a new car, insurance for two drivers, servicing, tyres and breakdown cover for £60 a week…
Yes, more brands, models and U25 options would be great but please don’t forget that for some people the scheme is a real life line and having the freedom that comes with a reliable car has got to be more important than car park willy waving over who has the best badge.
Mzmps, get what your saying about someone over 25 with zero driving years not being restricted like younger drivers but I think a large part of it comes down to having a more mature attitude / outlook on things as you get older and being less inclined to hoon about regardless of what the car is. Guess this is backed up by young drivers being a much higher risk despite typically driving smaller, lower powered cars.
A sliding scale would make sense for younger drivers but in practical terms would probably be a nightmare to administer , for example driver has almost 3 years “no claims”, orders a new higher group car on the basis of this but then has an accident weeks before delivery – what then? In the private sector it would be more than likely be higher insurance costs come the yearly renewal but the scheme doesn’t work that way.
The under 25’s also being carers is a fair point and ultimately the car has to work for the leaser but Adam said “we have to settle for a lower spec cars whilst y’all enjoy your German bigboys” which seems to suggest he is more worried about the badge than the actual car? Or put another way we currently have an Vauxhall Astra ST Elite Nav which has pretty much every feature going which in all fairness is a higher spec than some of the German equivalents and has a range of engines that covers both the under and over 25 insurance groups – so you can have spec and under 25 insurance groups but maybe not with a “premium” badge.
There is also the point to consider than whilst cars may be getting safer your average young driver is probably much the same as they always have been, drive sensibly whilst your in the car and like a mad thing whilst fetching your shopping when your ill indoors…
Suppose they could introduce a young driver blackbox type system for cars from say group 16 to 25 so that a wider range is available with the blackbox acting as deterrent against being daft but really cant see that going down well.
Sometimes I think Motability are a bit damned if they do and damned if they don’t at times – the number of cars, drivers etc on the scheme mean that some compromises are inevitable.
As I’ve said before as long as all types (mpv, estate, wav etc.) of cars are available to under 25’s then the scheme is working pretty much as intended, this might sound a bit blunt but no-one is forced to join – if your under 25 and not happy about driving a Kia instead of an Audi or having young Johnny driving you about in one then go down the private route but good luck getting anywhere near the “value for money” the scheme offers.
Simpsons, without meaning to sound argumentative I’m not surprised the i3 is 25+ only… Insurance groups are based on a lots of factors
“Vehicles are allocated to insurance groups based on engine size, performance, cost of repairs and attractiveness to thieves.”
Its a rapidly accelerating car, any repairs due to the type of car and brand will be expensive and no doubt there are more than a few car thieves out there that would to take one for a spin.
The safety kit may be brilliant but its not going to stop a young inexperienced / over enthusiastic drivers from showing off with silly overtakes etc and getting it wrong or the inevitable minor dings that new drivers inevitably end up with.
To be fair not sure what the environment has to do with insurance groups anyway?
Alfie, agree it is rather poor for SEAT to just drop orders like that – either build the car or don’t accept the order / provide build dates lol.
If the dealer hadn’t been able to find a suitable replacement, Motability would have extended your current lease without affecting good condition bonus etc and you may have had the “bonus” of being able to order from the 3rd quarters selection instead of just the 2nd. Still a pain expecting one thing and being let down at the last minute though.
All well that ends well I guess Alfie – not an ST but on the plus side its already built so short of the sky caving in you’re sure to get it 🙂
Will be crossing everything…. If we can’t get an ST then its give up and try again as the we the need larger boot for the Mrs’ wheelchair, like you said hopefully its a one off and ours will get built as planned.
Alfie, charming indeed… Really gutted to hear that 🙁 Did the dealer give indications as to why the build slot has been cancelled?
Getting a bit worried that ours may now suffer a similar fate, looking back through the thread we ordered after you but the dealer contacted us only a day or so ago with a confirmed build week so wonder why yours has been cancelled with ours only just confirmed.
Shawn, would Motability be more accommodating over your daughters distance if your wife wasn’t on the policy – this might sound harsh and no offence is intended but if she won’t drive is there much point having her on it?
It may put it you in a better position to get them to relax the distance restrictions as you could argue there is no-one else that could drive if you can’t?
Shawn, the dealer is correct over your daughter’s own policy not covering a scheme car, the key part is “with the owners permission” – the owner is motability and they only allow those named on the included insurance to drive hence her personal insurance would be invalid…
Worst case would be her having an accident in one and being prosecuted for driving without owners permission, no insurance and being liable for repairs to the scheme car.
Of course as your not currently on the scheme it’s not really relevant but wouldn’t surprise me if others have fallen foul.
Wazza, my bad re the engine – would have guessed it was the same but not really paid much attention to the zaffira as an estate suited us better.
Dale, that’s my thinking also – the scheme can more often than not offer unbeatable value for money compared to private buying or leasing, if just adding up the numbers alone some of the really small city cars may be the exception but with Motability its all covered under one agreement and sometimes that convenience is worth paying for.
Going back to the under 25’s, they are on paper the highest risk so its not unreasonable for Motability to want to limit their exposure. Thinking about it the first car we got was also available to under 25s, it had 115hp but compared to what other people my age (just 25) were driving it was night and day – they had 15+ year old bangers with running costs in terms of insurance and maintenance about the same if not more than the higher rate mobility component whereas the fact I was driving a brand new, top spec for the model car, having a Vauxhall and not BMW on the badge made no difference to me, my peers or most importantly the Mrs.
I think because of how simple / easy to access the scheme is, its very easy to forget the huge difference between it and the typical way people run cars and perhaps have optimistic expectations of the range of cars and the related AP.
Fair point Dale, the Mrs can’t drive any more and when we got our first car on the scheme I’d not longed turned 25 so for the sake of a couple of months we would have fitted the situation you’ve described – still maintain though that the range / choice of cars is less important than actually having access to one on the scheme.
Those that just fall short of being 25 may face the dilemma of picking from a limited selection or waiting a bit for a bigger choice, given its a three year lease that might be tough call but only the people involved can decide that.
Suppose the biggest trade off is those over 25 that will drive the car but at times rely on a someone under 25 – do they possibly compromise and get something both can drive or not and accept that some days the car will not be “available” to them?
Cant comment on the car but assuming its the same 1.4T with 150ps as used in the Astra then the engine is not bad at all. It could probably do with a little more torque but drop a gear and floor it and its not slow by any means, the Zaf it probably a heavier car but should’t blunt performance that much.
Fuel economy on a run is good, around town or short journeys its mid 30’s but to be fair the Mrs reckons I drive with lead boots on….
There was a recall issued for low speed pre-ignition issues, ours still hesitates a little under hard acceleration when cold but its much better than it was before.
Of course if its a different engine then ignore all of the above lol
Interesting debate and I agree with the posters who’ve said sense of realism / perspective is needed. Whilst the average 19 year (for example) would love to be running around in a Merc or Audi or some other “prestige” brand surely its more important to have reliable and affordable transport(?) and in that respect the scheme delivers.
Outside of the scheme under 25’s are hugely restricted in what they can drive anyway, mostly due to insurance but also insufficient income / savings to buy something outright or lack of credit history to go down the finance / lease route – Motability takes none of this into account, giving any under 25’s a very real advantage over no doubt a lot of their peers.
At the end of day so it may be a “lesser” brand but while there are options for most types of cars available to under 25’s then complaining they cant have something sporty or with an “aspirational” badge is rather missing the point, a Vauxhall or Hyundai will do exactly the same job as a Jaguar or BMW and will be far better than the typical shed a lot of under 25’s drive….
Motability may have it critics but we’re awaiting delivery of our fifth car and in our experience can’t fault it, without a car the Mrs would be pretty much housebound. The scheme allows us to have a new car with insurance etc.for less than it would on the open market and completely avoids the possible dramas and unreliability of running an older car.
JamieT, result 🙂 We’ve just had an update and the build week for ours is mid June with estimated delivery by the end of July – wonder if they are both being built around the same time and just a case of the dealers interpreting the dates differently?
Jamie, love the Merc 🙂 Alfie, we also have an Astra ST Elite but ours in “Emerald Green”, in the shade it looks almost black but when the suns out its a really deep metal flake green, looks awesome when clean but shows every single spec of dirt.
The Mrs has a habit of picking hard to keep clean metallic colours, so far we’ve had one very dark greyish blue, black, charcoal black, the above mentioned green and soon to be dark purple – can tell she isn’t the one that has to clean them….
Getting back on topic still no news on a build week 🙁 Really looking forward to driving the 2.0 TSi though, the Astra is a 1.4 turbo with 150PS but feels rather “flat” at times, don’t me wrong it can get up and go when asked but suspect a bit more torque would make it feel more responsive in everyday driving.
Trev, no worries 🙂 Wasn’t having a go, I’m a bit of a geek and tend to notice stuff like that lol – the new image is around 35x smaller file size than the other one so jobs a good’un.
Trev, hate to be “that person” but the Mazda image is huge in terms of resolution and file size, it might look small on screen but the browser has to load the original before scaling it down – if people are using a slower connection or older mobile / tablet this will slow down the page loading time and use more data allowance than needed. Would be be better to download the image, reduce the size and then upload to a host that allows hot linking of images.
Alfie, that’s a bit of good news – ours was ordered about 5 days later so hopefully it will be part of the same production run.
The car is for the Mrs but she can no longer drive so instead I get a “wish list” of things she’d like as a passenger, I pick a car that we’re both happy with and she then decides on one of the most most important parts to her, the colour lol.
She’s fallen in love with Boheme Purple but both the Mystery Blue and Magnetic Grey are neat colours, personally I really like the grey but at the end of the day the colour is her call and I cant see much of it sat in the drivers seat anyway 😉
**EDIT**
Jamie, the sunroof looks like a nice thing to have but a few to many pennies for us – just out of curiosity though and if you don’t mind me asking was there any wiggle room on the price or just a case of “take or leave it”?
The mk4 doesn’t look dramatically different from the current one although the interior / tech is bound to have changed quite a bit.
To be honest I’m more than happy with the looks / equipment on the mk3 – not in a position to be paying a large AP, so would rather have a top spec current model for £0 than wait and risk even a base model mk4 being beyond budget.
Just crossing fingers still for some good news on the build week and delivery dates…
Alfie, same car as ours then, lots of toys 🙂 Not long spoke to the dealership, still no build week as yet but they have checked and the computer says “maybe soon” lol – hopefully enough of us have ordered them to make it worth the factory’s time to shuffle the production run around. I’ve also noticed that the 2.o TSi is the only model apart from the Cupra to get independent rear suspension, would guess that in terms of build slots that also delays things a bit as it must(?) require a different configuration for part of the production process.
Been following this thread with interest, we placed an order for a Leon ST with the 2.0TSI around five weeks ago which went through as a factory order due to none in group stock.
The sales advisor is away until next week so still waiting on a firm delivery date, estimate was 8-10 weeks though – last time we spoke the factory had accepted the order and as this was done before the 2.0TSI was dropped there shouldn’t be any issues.
Fingers crossed next week brings good news 🙂
