New car

[@MacPhlea]

If you order a new car and then find out that a 3 month wait has become 12, can you cancel the order at no cost? I guess if it all goes to schedule but when it turns up at the dealership you change your mind, it's still yours?

When the chip shortage kicked in, Mini had loads of people who'd ordered the Harmon-Kardon stereo upgrade but they could no longer provide it. I think they offered a cancel it/reduced price option. Suspect there may be a few slightly lower-specced new cars than usual sitting on forecourts because of this.

On lease you normally don’t pay any deposit until the car arrives

[JBZ]

Just had the use of a Taycan 4s.  Unlikely to buy one.

___________________

Is it June or late September
Is it 1993
Could you help me to remember
Is this how I'm supposed to be

Sometimes I think the pain blows my mind
Pain blows my mind.

Did you ever get those cigarettes
And did you get anything for me
Will you help me to remember
When I fall into the sea.

Sometimes I think the pain blows my mind
Pain blows my mind.

[@MacPhlea]

Just had the use of a Taycan 4s.  Unlikely to buy one.

___________________

Is it June or late September
Is it 1993
Could you help me to remember
Is this how I'm supposed to be

Sometimes I think the pain blows my mind
Pain blows my mind.

Did you ever get those cigarettes
And did you get anything for me
Will you help me to remember
When I fall into the sea.

Sometimes I think the pain blows my mind
Pain blows my mind.

I have an Etron sportback which is due to be replaced in the next 8 months or so… was considering the taycan sport turismo GTS but the option price list is mental… will probably wait for the RS6 etron in about 18months time…

[Audrey]

Not a new car query but Mrs Audrey wants a largish estate car for lugging furniture about when we get back - she’s into this upcycling lark.

I’ve seen a Mondeo estate for her at a good price but is a Cat C repaired motor. Does anyone know if insurance is hugely more expensive for a Cat C?

[Bob's Orange]

Without wanting to start a political discussion - does anyone own an electric/Hybrid car?

We've been offered a salary sacrifice type benefit through work where I can lease a new electric vehicle (though a company called Tusker) and it covers all costs, tax, MOT, servicing, parts etc all covered. Also the installation of the electric charger yoke is all covered. Clearly it's a handy tax break so it peaked my interest.

My main concern is that we drive across to the West of Ireland a few times a year and I am not sure the infrastructure over there is anywhere near as good as it is in the rest of the UK. Just interested in feedback from people that might have experiences.

Thanks.

[Peter Venkman]

Without wanting to start a political discussion - does anyone own an electric/Hybrid car?

We've been offered a salary sacrifice type benefit through work where I can lease a new electric vehicle (though a company called Tusker) and it covers all costs, tax, MOT, servicing, parts etc all covered. Also the installation of the electric charger yoke is all covered. Clearly it's a handy tax break so it peaked my interest.

My main concern is that we drive across to the West of Ireland a few times a year and I am not sure the infrastructure over there is anywhere near as good as it is in the rest of the UK. Just interested in feedback from people that might have experiences.

Thanks.

My last car was an Ioniq hybrid, great car, lovely engine shit build quality from new, rattled and creaked from the 1st mile to the 50,000th.

Mine was a self charging so the best of both worlds and LEZ and congestion charge exempt too. Used to average about 75mpg on a run easily.

Personally I would not get a full plug in as the infrastructure is not there yet (if ever) and also the range is way lower than they say, we had considered it but we cannot have a charger installed at home due to being a housing association house and without driveway parking.

I have a few mates with full electric and they say they will never buy another...well for the time being anyway, expect about 250 miles on a full charge and a 35 to 45 min charge to top up to 90%, this all has to be factored in.

I would definately go non plug un hybrid again and although I got a brand new diesel Grandland this time I would happily go self charge hybrid again.

The other thing to watch out for though....the quieteness, expect people to walk out in front of you at ANY time without looking because they dont hear a car they dont look, you have been warned!

[Nemo]

My in-laws have a Hyundai Kona which does ~250 miles on a charge, they live in rural Wales so the infrastructure is hardly stellar but do charge at home, they seem to be very happy with it.

I believe electric car insurance has gone even more mental than normal car insurance mind, so do check that before you get stung!

Can't tell you much about the infrastructure in Ireland though!

[Berniman]

I have full electric and for my situation I wouldn't go back at the moment, but it depends on your situation.  If you regularly drive more miles than the charge gives you then you should consider Hybrid (i have had hybrid as well).

If you are in a situation (as I am) where the majority of time you can charge from home and that covers "most" of your journeys then I definitely recommend it, especially if you are getting tax breaks and all of the infrastructure is paid for (i had to pay for my own home charger, which cost me around a grand).

I travel over my charge total maybe once or twice every 2 or 3 months and only in England, so the full electric works for me and I am so much better off financially (at the current time) with it.  If I started doing more regular over 250 mile round trips then I might consider converting back (probably to Hybrid).  And it depends on which Electric car you go for, I went for a more high end electric and the car gives me everything I want, buy a low end electric and you will likely be disapointed.

Most of the people that slag off electic cars have never owned and lived with one, stuck in the mould, and I get that.  There is still a lot of stuff to work out with electric, and we are still not in my ideal place with regards to infractructure in the UK, but for me not having to go to the petrol station at least once a week and spending £70 a pop to fill up my car easily negates the small challenge that I have of perhaps having to sit for 45 mins once or twice every 2 or 3 months to charge up my car.

If I wanted to go on a driving holiday aroiund the UK/Ireland - I will just hire a car to avoid having to plan charging and waiting for charge times etc. and i had as many people walk out in front of me when i was driving a diesel as I do when driving an electric - that is a people problem not an electric problem.

Lots of words, but the short answer is, does it work for you based on the regular travel that you do, if it doesn't, go Hybrid and take some tax breaks, if it does, go electric, get full tax breaks and all of the associated benefits that go with it.  Don't listen to the naysayers that have never owned an electric car, I watched a lot of review videos and did my homework on the reality before switching, and in the current climate am glad I did, that's not to say that I won't switch back if the situation changes.

[Bob's Orange]

Thanks all for the input - much appreciated.

Nemo - the car insurance is also included for both myself and Mrs Bob, I negated to include that in the list of costs on my OP. the only think I'm a bit unsure of is the Benefit in Kind tax, which is 2% on pure electric vehicles and increasing by 1% each year until April 2028. I need to read up on this but it's all included in the salary sacrificed amount.

[Peter Venkman]

i had as many people walk out in front of me when i was driving a diesel as I do when driving an electric - that is a people problem not an electric problem.

You are very lucky mate. I had my Hybrid for 4 years and I never drove it in town without someone walkign out in front of me, and I mean literally in front of me, since I have been back with diesel in March I have not had a single one do it in the same situation.

So much so that I had to get a dashcam fitted 5 years ago in case I needed proof if someone actually made contact with me so I had visible proof.

[Berniman]

You are very lucky mate. I had my Hybrid for 4 years and I never drove it in town without someone walkign out in front of me, and I mean literally in front of me, since I have been back with diesel in March I have not had a single one do it in the same situation.

So much so that I had to get a dashcam fitted 5 years ago in case I needed proof if someone actually made contact with me so I had visible proof.

Still a people problem though, looking left and right (instead of at your phone) is the same irrelevant of whether the cars are noisy or not - it's not like pushbikes have ever made any noise

[Audrey]

Wouldn’t it be ironic if you ran over one of those Just Stop Oil twats.

[jayohaitchenn]

I've got a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander plug in hybrid. It's fucking ace, I love it. I also have solar panels so in the summer it is essentially free fuel. 95% on my driving is round town which is all electric, if I have to go further it's got a 2.0l petrol engine which supposedly does about 160 mpg. In reality, this time of year, I'm filling it up every 5 - 6 weeks at a cost of about £50.

I got this second hand for about £12k I think. Next car will hopefully be a full electric depending on 2nd hand prices in about 5 years.

[jayohaitchenn]

Oh, and tax is £zero.

Very economical car to drive.

[4D]

I have a 240bhp fiesta, bollocks to getting a sensible car.