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Car recommendations for small car with large enough boot for wheelchair & boot hoist. (&motability?)

Hi everyone,
I have just got a manual wheelchair with powered tricycle attachment, but I'm struggling to lift them into my car myself, and so looking into getting a boot hoist. However the boot in my current car is small (Hyundai i20) so I'm considering switching cars.
Can anyone recommend small-ish cars with boots large enough for mobility equipment & boot hoist? (or signpost me to a good place for recommendatios & information).
Is it worth using Motability, or is it better to buy outright if able? (To avoid stress of whether car may be taken away if PIP award reconsidered, and I'm wondering if it's cheaper in the long run to buy the car yourself (~£3000/ year on Motability for car lease, insurance, breakdown cover & servicing seems more than it would cost without Motability over long-term)).
Thanks very much!
Snowbelle
I have just got a manual wheelchair with powered tricycle attachment, but I'm struggling to lift them into my car myself, and so looking into getting a boot hoist. However the boot in my current car is small (Hyundai i20) so I'm considering switching cars.
Can anyone recommend small-ish cars with boots large enough for mobility equipment & boot hoist? (or signpost me to a good place for recommendatios & information).
Is it worth using Motability, or is it better to buy outright if able? (To avoid stress of whether car may be taken away if PIP award reconsidered, and I'm wondering if it's cheaper in the long run to buy the car yourself (~£3000/ year on Motability for car lease, insurance, breakdown cover & servicing seems more than it would cost without Motability over long-term)).
Thanks very much!
Snowbelle
Replies
Have a look on the Motability website and then make a decision on cars. I suggest thinking about your needs and priorities as well. Take them into account. Is it possible to visit your local dealership and test drive a few cars or not?
Don’t be scared to ask questions. Do your research. Pay attention to car specifications as well. Pick a car that fits your lifestyle and needs as much as possible. Good luck! I know this is a long winded process but hopefully this helps you.
How big is the wheelchair? What kind is it? What are the dimensions of it?
I could afford to sell my current car & buy a new one, or a second hand car outright, so would be keen to do that if it works out cheaper in the long-run than using motability. Ironically, I had just bought a new car almost 3 years ago, just before I realised I might need to fit a wheelchair in it! (I had been hoping I would get at least 10 years out of it. I haven't even managed to get 7,000 miles on the clock as I've had long periods unable to drive it or unable to drive it and work before I was off sick).
I had looked on the motability website, but can't filter cars on it by my needs, so finding it difficult to navigate through. Most motability dealers I can find seem to be particular car makes - I think I'd be better finding someone independent from specific car makes to advise me if I can, as there may only be a couple of cars per make that might suit. But maybe I'm wrong?
I have a Kuschall ultralight fixed front frame folding manual wheelchair ( 10kg; 83cm long x 29cm wide x 80 tall)
& a Rio Firefly powered tricycle attachment (13kg, 90cm tall x 80cm wide x 30cm deep). So I need to be able to fit those in the boot & a boot hoist.
I have a lot of features on my current car that make it easier for me to drive (but aren't specific adaptations) e.g. automatic transmission, automatic lights, autommatic wipers, parking sensors, heated seats & steering wheel, climate control, cruise control & lane deviation sensors. All of them are really helpful with my health condition so I'd be keen to try & get a car that still has those features.
I wouldn't have been well enough to get out & test drive for the last 8 months, but am just starting to get some improvements so might be able to soon.
Thanks again for your help and advice,
Snowbelle
Best wishes.
DLTBGYD