MOBILITY ALLOWANCE -WHAT DO USE IT FOR?

[izzywizz]

we use hubby's to lease a Renault - but unless you have a pot of money for the advance payment, the choice is incredibly limited - we had a choice of two WAV vehicles!
We have a kangoo, but had many problems with the ramp fitting and the rear door. Still, the peace of mind is brilliant, no worries about servicing and repairs.

[coffeeholic]

We bought ours. It's a Peugot 807 -diesel, 7 seats with electric sliding doors - no problems at all with the doors.
It was expensive, but with trade in, discounts and 4 years interest free credit it still works out cheaper than paying for a rental car. We've had it for 2.5 years and done less than 1400 miles so hopefully it will last forever!

[Catja]

Keeping a car, plus the insurance and residential parking permit is v expensive in this part of London.

The mobility allowance gets used for minicab fares, plus paying for expenses incurred because Him Indoors can't often be out & about* - the postage & packing on mailorder shopping (including ebay), extra heating, the dehumidifier, the landline, both our PAYG mobile phones, and the internet.

*when I say "not often" what I mean is that he's maybe able to get out of the flat and down the steps outside it two days a month in summer, and maybe 3 days October-March. FWIW this is defined by the council as a ground floor flat because there's nothing underneath it (apart from a walkway), in spite of the dozen steps outside.

[sue31didit]

I have always had a vehicle off of the motobility without it I would be housebound, and I have to look after my hubby too who has disibilities so its 2fold.

I am a larger lady and I need an automatic, also a car where I can 'slide me bum across to the seat' and not 'sit down' in it [if you know what I mean.

I was recommended several vehicles by motobility this time but the advance payment was well out of my reach. Because they notify you well in advance now when your contract ends, I had plenty of time to ask for help for funding for the down payment.

I drive a Ford x max, its a brilliant car, before that I had a Zafira, this is nothing on a Zafira and nothing has gone wrong with it.

[Guest]

We use my daughters to pay for the petrol and insurance on our 02 Ford Focus 1.8 Ghia 16v. We've always been a family of Ford drivers and at one time across the whole of the family we owned the whole Ford range Slowly over the years this has changed and now it's just our car and my husbands that are Ford's and both Focus's as they're so much easier to get into as seem that little bit higher up that our older Fords. Husbands last one was a Mondeo and ours was a lovely M Reg Escort that served us well for 7 and a half years until it finally had to go but we had to use husbands car when daughter needed the wheelchair as fit in his car easier than in our Escort but the Focus's we both have now fits in boot fine so seems it has same size boot as the Mondeo.

[BS1811]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. We have decided to get a Vauxhall Zafira Exclusiv, 1.9 deisel on a lease.

It should be ready by the end of June.

B

[sue31didit]

woooooooooooooo great decision

[lowrider]

Good luck.
Guess what i am doing tomorrow.
Back at the dealers with the car with a problem with the doors

[ndem]

Hi,
After looking at a vast array of cars at Dealerships we finally decided to test drive 3:- Seat Altea XL, Ford C-Max, Vauxhall Zafira. After weighing up all the pro's and con's of all of them for accessibility for my wife, space for the kids and space for my wife's wheelchair and/or scooter we decided to opt for the Vauxhall Zafira Design and ordered it on Thursday.

Now most would think that searching, choosing and ordering a new car would be a pleasurable experience BUT I have to say that it was a miserable experience for my wife and I. Firstly, most of the dealerships are old buildings that don't have great accessibility (which I find ludicrous when they are part of the Motability Scheme!!!!!) At most dealerships I had to struggle with steps, too steep ramps, too heavy doors whilst trying to manouver my wife in her wheelchair. I did all this whilst being watched by groups of salesemen/women. Only 2 came over to help by holding the doors open!!!! Not a great start to the customer service we were expecting!!!! Secondly, in some showrooms the cars were too closely grouped together and I couldn't get my wife's wheelchair round the showroom so she couldn't get a look at the cars!!!!! Once we were in any showroom where we wanted more info on a car the service we received was diabolical in most places. Most sales people spoke only to me or spoke to my wife in a very condescending and patronising manner as though the wheelchair had robbed her of her faculties!!!! In one showroom my wife tried to get into a car she really liked only to find the seat was too far from the door sill. We explained this to the salesman who finally came over after finishing his chat with his colleagues and his response was...."We don't do the perfect car for your disability" Then he just walked away!!!!!!! ***##!!!***

I could rant on for hours about the shortcomings of car dealerships and their customer service but suffice to say I will be penning letters to each and every dealership, and to Motability. I am disgusted, angry and hurt that my wife was made to feel so uncomfortable and vulnerable.

Sorry, just needed to let off steam!!!!!!

ndem

[smiler]

I use mine for a VW polo 1.4SE I find it OK round town but noisy for motorway driving supposed to do 44.8 MPG extra urban but you have to be gentle on the gas pedal to get that. Also if you hold the higher gear the engine gets sluggish on response.
I would like to see mobility cars with cheaper deposits for diesel versions and the greener versions of cars, many people cannot afford the hundreds or thousands they want deposit for a diesel version over the petrol version.