Towing with a Motability car

[Gozza2]

Morning all

Mrs Gozza is looking at getting a car through Motability and I was wondering if anyone can advise - I know a lot of people on here are users of Motability.

• Must be available through the Motability scheme!

• Needs to be able to tow 1350kg, preferably with a nose weight around 90kg
• Needs to have a big enough boot to take a standard size mobility scooter without disassembly, and able to have a hoist fitted for the scooter. Preferably without a boot lip but that's not essential.
• If it could be a hybrid or plug in hybrid that would be the icing on the cake but again not essential.

The plan is that between us we'll have one car that can tow the caravan AND fit the scooter without any physical effort (hence the hoist), which will be Mrs G's daily drive, and a smaller car for day-to-day, which we'll only keep until I can retire. At the moment my Jeep tows the caravan and transports the mobility chariot, but because of the size of the rear wheel arches the scooter doesn't fit without disassembly, so Mrs G can't use it independently.

All suggestions gratefully received...

If there's nothing available through Motability that meets our needs we have other options, but Motability is currently our first choice.

 

[Buckman]

Morning all

Mrs Gozza is looking at getting a car through Motability and I was wondering if anyone can advise - I know a lot of people on here are users of Motability.

• Must be available through the Motability scheme!

• Needs to be able to tow 1350kg, preferably with a nose weight around 90kg
• Needs to have a big enough boot to take a standard size mobility scooter without disassembly, and able to have a hoist fitted for the scooter. Preferably without a boot lip but that's not essential.
• If it could be a hybrid or plug in hybrid that would be the icing on the cake but again not essential.

The plan is that between us we'll have one car that can tow the caravan AND fit the scooter without any physical effort (hence the hoist), which will be Mrs G's daily drive, and a smaller car for day-to-day, which we'll only keep until I can retire. At the moment my Jeep tows the caravan and transports the mobility chariot, but because of the size of the rear wheel arches the scooter doesn't fit without disassembly, so Mrs G can't use it independently.

All suggestions gratefully received...

If there's nothing available through Motability that meets our needs we have other options, but Motability is currently our first choice.

I have sent you a PM as the above may not be something you want to discuss on a public forum?

 

[Gozza2]

Thanks Buckman - sorry, just read my original post again, and realised that it's not at all clear that what I'm looking for is recommendations for good tow cars that are available through Motability - not comments on the scheme itself. That said, the comments in your PM are good ones and I'm glad I read them.

 

[Buckman]

Thanks Buckman - sorry, just read my original post again, and realised that it's not at all clear that what I'm looking for is recommendations for good tow cars that are available through Motability - not comments on the scheme itself. That said, the comments in your PM are good ones and I'm glad I read them.

One of the points I made is that suitable Motability tow cars are scarce.

 

[Dustydog]

One of the points I made is that suitable Motability tow cars are scarce.

A previous Forumite had a mobility vehicle. She paid extra on top of her allowance. She towed a heavy TA. I assume you are still allowed to upgrade by way of contribution?

 

[Gozza2]

One of the points I made is that suitable Motability tow cars are scarce.

Yeah, so we have discovered through the course of today - and the only cars that will tow our van AND have appropriate boot space for the chariot are on a one-year waiting list. So we are re-thinking our plans!

 

[Buckman]

Yeah, so we have discovered through the course of today - and the only cars that will tow our van AND have appropriate boot space for the chariot are on a one-year waiting list. So we are re-thinking our plans!

in 2010 we came across the problem of finding a suitable Motability car to tow our lightweight Luner2004 Clubman We chose a Mondeo which had a kerbweight above the MTPLM of the caravan, but we had issues with the Powershift gearbox whether towing or not towing. Ford as much as admitted that there were issue, but they could not resolve.

We got a refund and purchased a 1996 Toyota HiLux Surf which we later traded in for a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee which we had to 6 years before trading in for a later model.

 

[Dustydog]

in 2010 we came across the problem of finding a suitable Motability car to tow our lightweight Luner2004 Clubman We chose a Mondeo which had a kerbweight above the MTPLM of the caravan, but we had issues with the Powershift gearbox whether towing or not towing. Ford as much as admitted that there were issue, but they could not resolve.

We got a refund and purchased a 1996 Toyota HiLux Surf which we later traded in for a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee which we had to 6 years before trading in for a later model.

And that was before CRA😉😉

 

[Buckman]

And that was before CRA😉😉

It was a Motability car on lease so neither CRA or SOGA may not have applied as contract was between Motability and supplier. Luckily we did not have to use SOGA.

 

[Gozza2]

Just to update on this one, in case the information is useful to anyone else - we've gone for a petrol Citroen C5 Aircross, which ticks all the boxes other than having a low maximum noseweight (66kg), but I can live with that. The only car in the range that had the towing limit we needed was the manual gearbox petrol engine - we'd have loved the hybrid but we'd have had to saw bits off the caravan to meet the towing limit

The Vauxhall Grandland would have also met our requirements but when Mrs Gozza sat in one she thought the Citroen was much more comfortable for her dodgy back.

 

[otherclive]

Just to update on this one, in case the information is useful to anyone else - we've gone for a petrol Citroen C5 Aircross, which ticks all the boxes other than having a low maximum noseweight (66kg), but I can live with that. The only car in the range that had the towing limit we needed was the manual gearbox petrol engine - we'd have loved the hybrid but we'd have had to saw bits off the caravan to meet the towing limit

The Vauxhall Grandland would have also met our requirements but when Mrs Gozza sat in one she thought the Citroen was much more comfortable for her dodgy back.

The C5 and C4 ranges get good reviews for ride comfort. It’s something that Citroen have focussed on.

 

[Buckman]

The C5 and C4 ranges get good reviews for ride comfort. It’s something that Citroen have focussed on.

I think Citroen have always been top of the league for comfort in the price range. Driving a DB20 was like sitting in an armchair except it was more comfortable. That car was light years ahead of any competitors.

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

My only experience is that I bought an ex Motability Volvo XC60 D5, from a well known Car Supermarket in Cheshire. It came with a factory fitted Volvo detachable tow bar which had clearly had some use. So they are/were available.

 

[otherclive]

My only experience is that I bought an ex Motability Volvo XC60 D5, from a well known Car Supermarket in Cheshire. It came with a factory fitted Volvo detachable tow bar which had clearly had some use. So they are/were available.

We had a neighbour who had a Motability Shogun to carry their little girls mobility aids, but he did not tow. Didn't Motability change some of the rules a few years back, which reduced choice for the larger prestige vehicles.

 

[Buckman]

We had a neighbour who had a Motability Shogun to carry their little girls mobility aids, but he did not tow. Didn't Motability change some of the rules a few years back, which reduced choice for the larger prestige vehicles.

You are correct and I don't think Shoguns, Volvos etc are available any longer.