I didn’t say you should get a sedan
I just asked if you need all-wheel-drive
I agree that a crossover will probably be the correct height, so that you can comfortably get into the car
I rented a 2019 Corolla over the summer and found it pretty easy to get in and out off. The 2019 is larger and sits a little higher than my older Corolla.
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I find our 2017 rav4 hard to get in an out of, trailblazer rear ended end of life, now wife wants me to take rav4 and she wants a new car. Wife wins.
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I joke that I’m a “senior.” I’m certainly old enough to qualify as a senior citizen, but I don’t consider myself one. No offense, but I find it (the discussion title) demeaning to imply that being a “senior” (older) causes one to have to shop for different or special vehicles. Because some other people consider me old enough to qualify as a senior citizen that certainly doesn’t mean I need special attention or special vehicles or special anything. I can drive any vehicle that I could drive as a young man, no special accommodations necessary. I have worked very hard at making that happen! The title gives “seniors” a black eye.
In the discussion more information is revealed…
Perhaps the title wouldn’t bother me so much if it was based on selecting a car for somebody with a disability. I like…
Which car for a person with back problems?
Thank you for your attention and understanding.
CSA
I would disagree with your assessment a little. I admire you for taking care of yourself so that in your seniorish age you can do things that some seniors struggle with. But I follow this post because I’m seniorish and am looking for a new car. I don’t have disabilities, but I have common aches and pains that are strictly from age. I could be better off if I did some exercise, but I’m not and probably won’t. So the description helps me relate to the specific needs I’m looking for. Otherwise the description would have to say: looking for a vehicle that an older person with flexibility problems can get into easily. This is common for seniors. But I’m very happy that you can retain your youthfulness. Congratulations it’s not always easy to stay in shape.
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I agree, @tcmichnorth - I’m not interested in hauling myself in and out of a sports car. I’ll be looking at a Mazda5 or equivalent next go round.
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A guy of my advance age that I know in our building drives a nice looking, older I think, like new 2 seat Mercedes. He has no problems getting in or out or with driving it. He loves it and I’m thinking of looking for something like that to leave down here.
I’m not about to say that I don’t have osteoarthritis in my back, neck, right knee, hands, etcetera, but I keep everything working without any medication and don’t let it bother me or keep me from enjoying anything fun.
Long story longer, I picture “a car for a senior” as being a 2 seat Mercedes, Vette, Solstice, Fiero, Ion, etcetera. “Seniors” are primarily who drives these vehicles here and there are lots of them on the streets.
CSA
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@texases. I am 78 and I would love to haul myself in and out of a sports car. My only regret is that I can’t run anymore, as I have heel spurs. I still fitness walk 3 miles a day five days a week. I also have had a lot of dental work–crowns, bridges and an implant. I asked my doctor why I have problems with my feet and teeth, but all else is fine. He checked his Merck’s manual and found that I have Hoof and Mouth disease. I remember Bunkie Knudsen’s statement when he took over the Pontiac division of GM: “You can sell an old man a young man’s car, but you can’t sell a young man an old man’s car”. I would sacrifice comfort for something fun to drive.
To respond to the OP, I support the recommendation others have made for an SUV. We have a 2003 Toyota 4Runner. We find the seats firm and very supportive. We can make the 375 mile ti visit our son and I don’t feel tired when we arrive. Our 2017 Toyota Sienna minivan which we now use for road trips is almost as good, although I would prefer a firmer seat. Neither vehicle is exciting to drive. However, if you don’t want to sacrifice comfort for driving fun, an SUV may be the way to go.
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Before he headed the Pontiac division, Bunkie was the head of the Chevrolet division.
Right after the '57 model year, he was asked if there had been any design problems with the '57 Chevy, and his answer was:
Yes, we should have hung a tarpaulin under each car to catch the parts that fell off.
I can’t imagine that the head honchos were happy about Bunkie’s brutal honesty.
@VDCdriver. Yet, the Chevrolet was one of the better assembled cars produced by the Big 3 (Ford, GM, Chrysler) in 1957. The really big problem area in the 1957 Chevrolet was the optional TurboGlide automatic transmission. The less expensive PowerGlide optional automatic transmission had the bugs worked by 1957.
I would caution you against any Subaru made before MY 2015. The 2014 and earlier were notoriously uncomfortable to people with bad backs. I haven’t heard any complaints from 2015 or newer.
But seat comfort is a very personal thing. Your most comfortable seat may not be mine. In the last 20 years or so, I haven’t been able to find a comfortable seat for me, but a lumbar seat cushion will make just about any car seat OK for me. Those with built in adjustable lumbar support are the absolute worse for me as the lumbar support is actually too high to support the lumbar region Car seat manufacturers got that wrong for so many years.
As for getting in and out, the ideal seat height above ground is 17" to 20". Take a tape measure with you. You also want larger doors. If you can, try to get an hour long test drive in the vehicle under consideration as that is usually when the pain starts.
Look into an aftermarket lumbar support, the right one can do wonders. I prefer a memory foam suppost as they are more adaptable.
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If you are speaking of the strip-o models, that is likely true. In fact, I took a test drive in an '08 Forester with a friend who wanted to buy the strip-o model, and my back was aching after just 15 minutes in the passenger seat.
For those of us who opt for the more expensive trim lines, the upgraded seats are very comfortable–even for people like me who has bad discs in the L4-L5 region-- and I speak from the experience of someone who owned a '97 Outback Limited and an '01 Outback Limited, and who is currently driving an '11 Outback Limited.
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Actually it was mostly for the premium (mid level model) with the power seats. The built in adjustable lumbar was IMO the problem.
IIRC, the Premium models got the same cheap-o seats as the strip-o model, albeit with power assist for the driver. Only the Limited models (and now, the Touring model) get the upgraded seats.
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The drivers seat in the Premium is the same 10 way power seat as the Limited. The passenger seat is the same manual as the one in the “base” model. Both seats in the Premium are heated 2 settings. The base are not heated as far as I know. The Limited are heated but I don’t know if it was two settings or variable (lotsa) settings. This applies to the 2014 model year.
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@KathrynK. Was your 2003 Honda Civic that was totaled comfortable for you? The reason I ask is that the University where both my wife and I were employed had Honda Civic Hybrids in its fleet. I had one assigned to me to drive to a conference about three hours away. I didn’t care for the seating position, and found the car one of the most comfortable I ever had to drive. On the other hand my research partner, who owned a Civic, thought it was fine. She drove a good portion of the trip.
Mrs. Triedaq was on the road a lot for the university doing recruiting. She didn’t like the Civics at all because of the seats. She thought any other vehicle in the fleet was better. Based on our experience, almost anything might be better than a Civic. Mrs. Triedaq preferred being assigned a Ford Taurus for long trips.
Agree. The climbing in and out is horrible in those ground hugging accords
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It must be a characteristic of older Subbies
The best seats for my back is the Honda then Toyota . Getting one with lumbar adjective is a big plus.
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Traditionally, the Accord has been built with a much lower seating position than its competitors, so it’s disappointing to see that they are continuing to design them that way. I had a '92 Accord, which was a good car overall, but I had to get rid of it because the very low seating position caused me to develop severe lower back pain after riding just 30 minutes with my legs extended. Unfortunately, my test drive prior to purchase only lasted for about 20 minutes.
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Hey @Dagosa, welcome back! We can use more of your input here at the ole Car Talk Community. Hope you’ll be sticking around for a while. I always enjoyed your opinions and information.
CSA
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