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My Dad's a brilliant 79, my mum's an infirm 75 waiting for a replacement hip (one done last year), and she's struggling to get in and out of their Honda Civic which my Dad's had for about 10 years now.
I was ferrying them yesterday in my S-Max and she was hopping in and out like a teenager just where the seat is the same height as her bum.
So they've now decided to spend my inheritance ( 😉 ) on a new car, clearly not as big as an S-Max but same higher posture types.
B-Max? Meriva? Kia Venga? Honda Jazz? what else? Anyone with any of these got any opinions from IRL.
Doesn't get more pensioner than a Berlingo.
Berlingo? Did I not make it clear - given the length of time he keeps cars this probably WILL be my inheritance.
My mid 80s parents love their Jazz as they can get in and out of it as the seats are reasonably high and the sills narrow. They struggle with my Merc and can't get into the T5...
Nissan GTR
Another vote for the Berlingo. My dad got one when he was struggling with his hips, went from a Corsa to it and it was so much easier for him! He sadly wrote it off three years ago (had eyes on it as a bike van) and now drives an X-reg Yaris. Good enough, lovely and comfy, but not quite tall enough so he struggles with it on some days. He's now talking about getting a Mokka after trying a friend's one! He does like my mum's Hyundai I10 though so he might just borrow that when he does drive. He's 78 now and talking about giving up driving, hence why I'm not sure about him dropping a few £k's on a Mokka just to get rid of it in the autumn. I did suggest another Berlingo (aka a free bike bus..) but he doesn't like having the same car twice 😕
Doesn't get more pensioner than a [s]Berlingo[/s]. Jazz
Sensible answer Honda jazz.
Answer most likely to get you your inheritance early. Tvr tuscan
Kia something
+4 Berlingo
Ideally one with a bifocal windscreen
Kia Venga
That. Higher driving position and good passenger access without being a big bulky car.
Belingos are great but they can be a bit intimidatingly big feeling / looking for someone who isn't used to them. They tend to be a pensioner favourite for dog owners so not much point if you don't need the big boot.
he doesn't like having the same car twice
Tell him to get a Peugeot partner then 🙂
My Mother had a succession of Honda Jazzes over the last, ohh.. 10 years ? Got to be that easily. Last one she drove around Europe in it before trading it in on a New one of these. I know its the old model now, and it's a peugeot so you'd think it'd fall apart in seconds, but she gets in it like she's hopping and sliding rather than bending and crunching. She got a great deal on it, it being the old model, got £7k knocked off and it is fitted will all sorts of extras. I've driven it and it's not inspiring, it does it's job and is very comfortable indeed.
Might, just might be worth a look, if you can get past its unique looks.
Oh, she's 82 BTW.
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Tell him to get a Peugeot partner then 🙂
Tried that 😕 he's 78 not senile 😀
Kia Soul
Citroen c3 picasso (although can't recommend from a reliability point of view)
km79 - MemberDoesn't get more pensioner than a Berlingo
Honda jazz is quite the challenger
Honda Jazz. They do a quick one now...
My 85 and 83 year old parents find their VW Touran the easiest car they have had to get in and out of, and the most comfortable.
Mine have just spent a fortune on a Jeep Cherokee. Bloody massive. Mum seems to love it.
Rachel
My Dad got a Kia Venga a few years ago and it was very impressive for the price.
Seven year warranty too I believe.
My dad's 81. He wanted something that was easy to get in and out of for my mum. So he bought this 🙂
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Jazz are very popular for a good reason, they work for older drivers. Practical, great vizability, superbly reliable, lots of autos. As an aside they make great bike cars with fold flat rear seats. Merc A class has similar practicality but higher price and less reliable
Missus likes an upright high compact car and our current Kia Soul ticks all the boxes. It will get replaced with a newer version of same later this year.
£5000 (or whatever) buys a lot of trips in a taxi.
^^ not where my parents live
^^ discussed on another thread, a fair few negative posts about reliability
On my road, 6 different pensioners can't all be wrong: Honda jazz!
In-laws just got a Mazda CX-3.
No specific hip problems, but they seem to like it
Honda Jazz always seem to managed to be a the front of most queues. What about a Skoda yeti?
Forgot to mention I'm a pensioner and drive a 150 bhp Seat Leon FR estate. And I dont spare the horses 😀
My 79y/o Mum loves my wifes car, Freelander 2 - likes been able to see over the hedges.
Hates mine, BMW 4 series coupe.
She's a 207 at the mo but is looking for another one, I suggested that we go to the local Suzuki garage
https://cars.suzuki.co.uk/new-cars/ignis/
Although they also sell Kia so I'm sure there'll be something to suit.
Focus Cmax. Easy to get in and out of. Fun to drive.
Mine just got a c3 picasso that replaced a xsara picasso that was faultless for nine years.my brother also has a c3 picasso that has been faultless
Speaking as a nearly 63yo, with an arthritic left knee that's been causing me significant discomfort over the last few days, and being able to drive lots of different cars, the Qashqai is very popular with Motability drivers, and with good reason, the high seating position makes it very easy to slide in and out of, and for passengers it allows a good view while being driven around. There are lots around, they're not stupidly big, I reckon it's got to be near the top of the list of boxes ticked.
I always have a little smile to my self when I see my Septuagenarian parents enter or exit my fathers Toyota Celica 😆
Forgot to mention I'm a pensioner and drive a 150 bhp Seat Leon FR estate. And I dont spare the horses
Yeah but can you please stop driving it the wrong way up the M6
You'll be needing the James
my mum's an infirm 75 waiting for a replacement hip (one done last year), and she's struggling to get in and out of their Honda Civic
She's the one that needs to come on the test drive. Elevated driving positions and all rest the aside, the factor to consider is actually the door. Either while she waits for surgery or when she's recovering from it (which is going to take a while) - its the amount of flexing you need to do to get your foot in and out past the door edge thats the real factor. Modern NCAP driven designs can result is some awkward positioning between the front edge of the door and the B Pillar with the seat being oddly out of sync with it. There can be quite a high door sill too.
These are things you and your dad won't really notice but she will.
In my mums (older shape) Berlingo/Partner its quite a struggle for her getting her feet in and out even though theres lots of room once you're in. And thats with fully repaired / recovered from hips. The replacement hips have less range of movement than real ones, add a bit of knee arthritis and getting your feet in past the front edge of the door can be pretty tough.
One thing that can make a big difference is 2-door model rather than 4 door versions of cars - the doors in the former tend to be bigger and the B pillar is further back.
^^ good advice.
From first hand experience with my knee injury and elderly FIL the technique I think best is to get your arse into the seat first sideways (ie reverse in 🙂 ) then swing legs round to face forward. Higher cars like Jazz and A-Class and some SUV types allow you to do this. As @mac says you need to do a "test drive" !
for my mum it's as much getting out as getting in. She can swing her legs in and out ok (OK, she lifts the bad one to help it) but when getting out her hips are at or below the same level as her knees and being able to stand from a squat position when you don't have someone to pull you upright / balance you is a real struggle.
(I can testify - I broke a collarbone playing football years ago and rather than wait for the ambulance one of the subs offered to drive me to A&E. Only when we got to the carpark did i realise he had an MGB.... and by the time we got there and the pain had kicked in, I was cradling the bad arm with my good one, my knees were about chin height and he had to put the roof down and push me upright from behind!!)