New Car Smell

Today I said goodbye to my trusty Honda Jazz…

And have just been to pick up this bad boy…

Both cars are motability cars provided by the Motability scheme. The way the scheme works is that I exchange my PIP benefit allowance that my disability entitles me to for a brand new car that is owned, taxed and insured by motability. They even deal with all the servicing and MOTs (if you have the car long enough for it to need one) so all I have to do is put petrol in it! Click here to find out more info on the scheme and what benefits you can exchange. 

You’re supposed to only have a Motability car on a 3 year lease but I had the Honda for 4.5. There were a few reasons for this- when the 3 years were up I was in and out of hospital and not well enough to look for a new car, then Covid closed all the car show rooms and then I’ve had to wait for 5 months to get my new car. I ordered the Kia Nero way back in September but because the world has gone to shit there’s a delay on new cars-something to do with shortages of electronic parts I think. Luckily Motability will extend your lease and the insurance until the new car is ready, and today it was! 

The new car is much bigger than the old one. This will help accommodate my growing kids and the dog (who was a puppy when I got the last one!). It’s a hybrid which I feel is a good compromise between the convenience of petrol and the environmental friendliness of electric. Hubby’s car is fully electric and while it’s great for short, local journeys there have been times when we’ve taken a longer trip and it’s been a bit of a nightmare (like our 13 hour drive to Cornwall that took our petrol car driving family only 5 hours to do the exact same journey!) 

Having a motability car means I can be independent and without it I would really struggle to get out and about. Although I have got a disabled bus pass I find that by the time I’ve walked to the bus stop and done the shopping or whatever else it is I need to do I’m exhausted and in no fit state to make it back home. But in the car I can pop to the shops, park right outside with my blue badge and be home again in under 30 minutes. I’m looking forward to sitting in the car over the next few days and working out what all the buttons do. And I’ve got to take a trip to Halfords to get car mats and a boot guard so it’s safe for the dog. But today I’ve just enjoyed that new car smell 🙂