Should I keep Motability car or but a little runaround?

KittyBoo_2

I have posted this here as originally it was on Debt Free Wannabee section.
I get Higher Rate Mobility and have a new VW Polo through the Motability Scheme.
I get insurance, breakdown cover, service, tax etc included in with this and it costs about £50.00 per week.
I have a friend who is selling her car for £500 and this is taxed and tested until Jan. 2011 and has full service history.
I have DMP with creditors and paying minimum payments.
My mortgage is interest only at the moment.
Should I get the little runaround and use the DLA money to pay off debts and up my mortgage payments or carry on with the minimum payments and keep the new car?

savemoney

£50 per week for a new car with no other costs is very good very hard to beat. That said getting a 2nd hand one especially that cheap you also have to factor in insurance, MOT, service

A rough guess I say £150-£300 insurance depending on age, area etc could be more if your young. £60 MOT each year, £250 - £350 maintenance inc service, and some parts (couple of cheap tyres) at highest cost that would be around £13 a week, £54 a month

Bare in mind old car might have problems. I use older car my currently one is 10 years old fingers crossed dont have problems but I did at one stage if you get new then you less likely to get issues associated with older car wear and tear

Shouldn't need to get road tax if you get higher rate mobility rate you get an except tax disc if you get the right form to fill in

LindsayO

you can also get breakdown cover for disabled drivers at a reduced rate through the RAC I think

KeaneFan10

KittyBoo wrote: »

I have posted this here as originally it was on Debt Free Wannabee section.
I get Higher Rate Mobility and have a new VW Polo through the Motability Scheme.
I get insurance, breakdown cover, service, tax etc included in with this and it costs about £50.00 per week.
I have a friend who is selling her car for £500 and this is taxed and tested until Jan. 2011 and has full service history.
I have DMP with creditors and paying minimum payments.
My mortgage is interest only at the moment.
Should I get the little runaround and use the DLA money to pay off debts and up my mortgage payments or carry on with the minimum payments and keep the new car?

I would stick with mobility if something goes wrong with the car you get for the £500 think of how much it will cost something went wrong with my brothers and it set him back £350 ...we have a car on mobility starting septemeber my son also gets dla and we couldn't have afforded it otherwise x

GameOldBird

Hi Kitty Boo

I've got a little Panda through the Motability scheme and I wouldn't be without it, as it gives me freedom from relying on other people driving me about, which I hate. I pay about £165 a month for it from my DLA and it includes RAC, tax and insurance for two other named drivers and I get a new car every three years. You even get a £200 Good Order Bonus if you return it in a decent condition! If I were in your position, I wouldn't risk the £500 runner. Having driven runners for years, you can never rely on them and I've sometimes ended up with repairs or MoT work bigger than the value of the car. I would definitely stick with your Motability car, if only for the peace of mind knowing that even if it breaks down or you have a bump, Motability take care of it all and ensure you have a replacement car. Even if the runner was okay until its MoT next January, there's no guaranteeing it will pass and you might end up with a big, fat bill that you can't afford to pay, leaving you with no car at all. :eek:

wazza

Also you need to be aware that if you return your car before the lease expires i believe you have to pay £250 admin costs.

Best to stick with the motability car. It works out cheaper in the long run and of course it is a peace of mind.

when does your lease expires? Did you know you can get a small motability car from £38 per week, a saving of £12?

calleyw

wazza wrote: »

Best to stick with the motability car. It works out cheaper in the long run and of course it is a peace of mind.

If you don't needs adaptions how does it work out cheaper when you are paying £7.5k every 3 years for a new car. Any car can go wrong no matter what the age.

You can pick up some decent second reliable hand cars for around £3.5k mark. It would never cost you another £4K over 3 years to pay for the servicing, tax, mot etc. You have to have something go really wrong to pay that out in repairs. And after 3 years you still have a car.

It is all about the maths. And for my household it does not stack up even with adaptions.

Each to there own. Imagine if you are had a mobility cars for 30 years it would cost you over £75K to run a car for all that time :eek:

I know where I would most of that money in my pocket.

Yours

Calley

sox8369

I think it depends on circumstances, because i can see good points for both. For example my daughter (doesnt get DLA) but her insurance alone is £1200 this year, her little car needed four new tyre and a service, tax and MOT - totalling over £600 - add that to the insurance and its a hefty amount to find in one go.

It also will need further things doing to it during the year.

She hasnt got the money to outlay that for next year - so i could imagine she would jump at the Panda for £38 per week where she didnt have to worry about further costs. Unfortuantly she will have to sell her car and will not be able to get around very easily.

It sounds like a great scheme though - but depends on personal financial circumstances x

ShockingPink

When I first got DLA I used the money ti finance a loan for a 2-year-old car. The loan was paid in 3 years and I kept the car another 5. The money I saved went into an account to pay for insurance, MoTs etc and I still ended up with (just!) enough to pay for this year's new 2nd hand car. Don't forget, if for any reason you lose your DLA, you also lose your Motability car. This was my original reason for buying my own, but I'm glad I did as it's saved me money in the long run.

wazza

calleyw wrote: »

If you don't needs adaptions how does it work out cheaper when you are paying £7.5k every 3 years for a new car. Any car can go wrong no matter what the age.

You can pick up some decent second reliable hand cars for around £3.5k mark. It would never cost you another £4K over 3 years to pay for the servicing, tax, mot etc. You have to have something go really wrong to pay that out in repairs. And after 3 years you still have a car.

It is all about the maths. And for my household it does not stack up even with adaptions.

Each to there own. Imagine if you are had a mobility cars for 30 years it would cost you over £75K to run a car for all that time :eek:

I know where I would most of that money in my pocket.

Yours

Calley

Was thinking of my case, have a motability car which is up for renewal soon. If i bought privately then i have the following costs to consider..

Insurance £800 for Astra 1.4 petrol (remember you lose your NCB if not used for 2 years therefore starting with NIL NCB :mad: )

Breakdown £90
MOT £100
Service etc £500

Total for year £1500 approx so over 3 years it is £4500

Which will leave approx £3k for a car which will get you a young car with high mileage. As a habit when i buy a used car i always get the cambelt changed unless 100% sure it has been done.

True the car is your end of the 3 years and may last longer.

I am currently unemployed so do not have £4k+ to get a decent low mileage car

zee_2

if you have motability car and leave systen their ins, [royal ----?] will give ncd for period you were claim free with motability ,friend is buying car and has 60% ncb.