The Vauxhall Combo Life is an affordable and practical motability car. Easy to drive, comfortable and supplied with a pair of side sliding rear doors as standard, it makes for an excellent base vehicle for a WAV (Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle) conversion. As you might just have guessed, it's based on the Vauxhall Combo van.

Used examples offer a good choice of petrol and diesel engines, with the option of a manual or fully automatic gearbox on many models. If you're considering a newer example, though, you'll be looking at an all-electric car, as that's now the only form that Vauxhall offers the Combo Life in. Whatever the case, the car's suspension is very soft and forgiving, which means the Combo Life has a comfortable ride.

The Combo Life is available in two wheelbase lengths, which means you can choose a model to match your needs. The XL models are the largest and feature a generous-sized boot behind the second row of seats. 

The Citroen Berlingo MPV shares its mechanical platform and engines with the Combo Life, which means it is a good alternative if you are unable to find a Vauxhall that matches your needs or specification. 

The Berlingo has lots of space and the seats are firm and supportive for long journeys. Like the Combo Life, you get a choice of wheelbase lengths and the Berlingo’s wide and high body provides lots of flexibility for wheelchair conversions. 

Fuel costs are affordable. The 1.5-litre diesels are advertised with 64-69mpg, while the 1.2-litre petrols promise more than 50+ mpg. However, if you want an automatic gearbox, you’ll need to choose one of the more powerful engines as most models are only available with a manual transmission. Like with the Vauxhall, the Berlingo was only available as an all-electric car later on, but an extensive facelift in 2024 saw the return of petrol and diesel options to sit alongside the electric version, giving buyers more choice.

Struggling to find a Vauxhall Combo Life or Citroen Berlingo to match your needs? Well, we have an answer. It’s called the Peugeot Rifter.

The Rifter is built alongside the Combo Life and Berlingo MPV, which means that historically, it offers the same engines and interior space as its French and UK stablemates, but again, bear in mind that later Rifters were only offered in all-electric form. 

What marks the Rifter apart from its sister cars? Well, you get some interesting extras that include Peugeot’s easy to use i-Cockpit display, which places the instrument binnacle above the steering wheel rather than behind it.

If you’re looking for a mobility car with a forgiving ride quality then you’ll love the Rifter. The soft suspension will absorb rough surfaces with a suppressed bounce.

The Volkswagen Caddy was one of the first vehicles to successfully bridge the gap between commercial vehicle and passenger car, and we reckon that the latest version - released in 2021 - does it better than ever.

That's because underneath all that boxy bodywork, it has most of the same oily bits as Volkswagen's mid-size passenger cars, including the Golf hatchback. That means it's smoother and more sophisticated on the road than most rival van-based MPVs. However, that aforementioned boxy bodywork affords the Caddy a level of practicality that a hatchback owner could only dream of, with huge interior space and an enormous boot.

The Golf-derived underpinnings also means that lots of the latest tech is provided in the Caddy, including various sophisticated driver aids, plus infotainment functionality including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If you're experiencing a spot of deju vu right now, there's a good reason. Remember the Volkswagen Caddy we were just talking about? Well, thanks to a joint development agreement between Ford and VW on their respective commercial vehicle ranges, the Ford Tourneo Connect is pretty much identical to the Caddy underneath.

That means it's based on the same underpinnings used in the latest VW Golf and Audi A3, so it's impressively smooth and civilised on the road, while all the latest infotainment and driver assistance tech is present and correct. The Caddy-derived bodywork also means huge amounts of space for passngers and luggage. The its Volkswagen counterpart, the Tourneo Connect is available in two different lengths, the bigger of which is called the Grand Tourneo Connect (the larger of the two Volkswagen is known as the Caddy Maxi).

The Proace Verso is a spacious and practical people carrier van that majors on everyday usability. Toyota offers a broad choice of trims, which means you can spec this likeable large car with sunroofs, touchscreen infotainment and hands-free boot opening.

Despite its size, the Proace Verso is easy to drive, making it an ideal mobility car. Most models get parking sensors and a rear-view camera as standard, while the raised driving position and large windows provide a commanding view of the road ahead. 

The Proace Verso gets lots of useful features that make it stand apart from its rivals. For example, those in the back get ventilation controls and powered sliding doors. You also get a tailgate that features a split opening, which means you can load bags without having to lift the entire tailgate, always useful in places where space is limited, like in multi-storey car parks. Like some other vehicles on this list, though, do bear in mind that the latest examples of the Proace Verso are only available in all-electric form.

The Vauxhall Vivaro Life shares its technology with the Toyota Proace Verso, which means it’s one of the best motability cars on sale today. Like the Toyota, the Vivaro Life is good to drive and generously equipped as standard. Early examples have a good choice of efficient diesel engines and the option of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox, while again, later examples were only available in all-electric form.

The Vauxhall Vivaro Life majors on practicality. You get the choice of two wheelbases (medium or long) and the largest models provide acres of interior space. The side doors and tailgate provide wide openings and all can be specified with powered assistance that lets you open a door at the press of a button. 

The Vivaro feels agile for its size, with an excellent reverse parking camera, huge mirrors and an impressively tight turning circle. A head-up display and touch-screen infotainment system further add to its ease of use.

The Volkswagen Multivan is one of the best large MPVs there is. Like the smaller Volkswagen Caddy, it's based on passenger car underpinnings - this time the MQB Evo architecture used by the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan - rather than the van-based ones of most of its rivals. That means it's considerably more sophisticated and refined on the road, keeping its occupants more comfortable and more relaxed, perfect for a motability car.

Also perfect for a motability car is the space inside. There's absolutely tonnes of the stuff thanks to the enormous, boxy body, and with seven individual seats that can be slid, reclined, folded and removed independently of each other, you can simply keep as many or as few of them as you need, making the transition into being a WAV much easier. The interior quality is also excellent, and so it the level of equipment and tech on board. Petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions are available.

There's an all-new version of the Ford Tourneo Custom just around the corner, due later in 2024. We've not tried it yet, so it can't feature on this list, but having been dazzled by the latest Ford Transit Custom on which it's based, we're convinced that it's going to be a real cracker.

Until we're proved right (or wrong, as the case may be), there's still plenty to recommend the outgoing version of the Ford Tourneo Custom. All models are user friendly, with wide doors that make it well-suited for people who need to travel in their wheelchair or mobility scooter. The Ford also has a very good ride quality, which means it’s also very comfortable on a long journey. 

The interior has lots of space, thanks to the high roofline and wide body. The rear seats can fold into different configurations or be removed entirely. However, while the Ford has some of the widest door openings of any large car in this class, there is no option of a powered rear tailgate 

Running costs are low, thanks to Ford’s efficient 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. The four-cylinder diesel is offered with 105PS, 130PS or 170PS power ratings. Headline economy peaks at 45mpg, while all models of the Tourneo Custom get a pair of side sliding doors as standard. 

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class is admittedly very expensive, even by the standards of many of the pricey cars on this list. However, those who may want to utilise the motability scheme may well also want to travel in luxury, and if that's the case, then the big Merc is second-to-none.

It may be derived from the Vito van, but the interior of the V-Class is as plushly trimmed as one of the brand's luxury limousines, which is why it's a popular car with VIP transport companies. And despite those commercial vehicle underpinnings, it's also a vehicle that rides along with excellent comfort and refinement. As you'd expect, interior space is in plentiful supply in all versions, while the seats are incredibly versatile to suit a wide variety of different needs.