Car For Old Biddy

[LiveinHope]

Hi,

Looking for some suggestions for a small car for my 80+ mother. She currently drives a true vintage car but it is now too 'heavy' on the steering. Public transport is not an option where she lives, unfortunately.

I need something that is very simple to operate (basic controls and manual gears) with good visibility.

Size wise, I immediately thought of a Fiat 500. Any better alternatives ?

All it needs to do is the shop run, trips to charity coffee mornings and 'open gardens' in the summer.

Ta

[Ungeared]

Nissan Micra, grey hair fitted as standard

[Bossybabe]

Hi,

Looking for some suggestions for a small car for my 80+ mother. She currently drives a true vintage car but it is now too 'heavy' on the steering. Public transport is not an option where she lives, unfortunately.

I need something that is very simple to operate (basic controls and manual gears) with good visibility.

Size wise, I immediately thought of a Fiat 500. Any better alternatives ?

All it needs to do is the shop run, trips to charity coffee mornings and 'open gardens' in the summer.

Ta

I bought my 84 year old mother a Honda Civic top of the range: electric everything, heated seats, automatic gearbox, power steering. She's driving it around pleased as punch. The automatic gearbox is the most important part of the package: it gives her less to do when driving, allowing her to concentrate more on where she's going!

[Bossybabe]

Nissan Micra, grey hair fitted as standard

Has to be red.

[up2late]

Add up all the costs of ownership and see if taxis would work out cheaper.

[Bossybabe]

Add up all the costs of ownership and see if taxis would work out cheaper.

...and safer for the general public.

[LiveinHope]

Add up all the costs of ownership and see if taxis would work out cheaper.

Taxis will be cheaper, massively.

I won't make any progress on that one, however

[LiveinHope]

I bought my 84 year old mother a Honda Civic top of the range: electric everything, heated seats, automatic gearbox, power steering. She's driving it around pleased as punch. The automatic gearbox is the most important part of the package: it gives her less to do when driving, allowing her to concentrate more on where she's going!

My choice would be for an automatic with comfort features.

But her vintage car was dented by the elderly driver of an automatic......manual is the mental comfort zone I am afraid.

Any suggestions with the psychology of the transition gratefully accepted

[LiveinHope]

...and safer for the general public.

+ 1

But to be fair, she has never caused an accident and does accept her limitations, and never does dual carriageways etc

(not sure what the view in the mirrors would be)

[up2late]

A good taxi firm would treat her like royalty and surely she'd like that if she tried it?

See if she's willing to try taxis for a week or two to see how it fits in with her life.

Approach a local taxi firm to ask about opening an account. No need to carry money.

Make sure she has a simple phone with taxi number stored and enough credit.

A good firm with drivers who know how to look after their regular customers could win her over.

Or she can decide that she doesn't like it and go ahead with buying a car any time she wants.

[ken_ichikawa]

Honda Jazz, it's just sooo Zzzzzz

Or get a Daihatsu copen. Which is essentially a go kart designed for the road. Manual box, 2 seater convertable, which you sit low in. It is tiny so easy to park. The 1.2 litre version is inferior to the 660cc turbo version. But you get 10000 mile service intervals instead of 3500 mile service intervals.

[Frank Hovis]

Suzuki Wagon R / Vauxhall Agila (same car)

The Postman Pat van. Small and light so easy to steer and park, high so easy to get in and out of and good visibility.

Look at the parking spaces at old peoples' homes, half of them will have these parked there and for very good reason.

Also great to be a passenger in one as you sit high and the back seats are slightly above the front ones so you get a good view forwards.

Not a car for blasting up and down the motorway due to small wheels and high sides but for local / town driving it's ideal for the elderly.

If I was 80+ I would get one, no question.

[Ungeared]

Do they still make the Trebor Whizzer?

[Freeholder]

Nissan Micra. My sister has one of these. Dead simple, reliable as a stone.

[Georgia O'Keeffe]

Hi,

Looking for some suggestions for a small car for my 80+ mother. She currently drives a true vintage car but it is now too 'heavy' on the steering. Public transport is not an option where she lives, unfortunately.

I need something that is very simple to operate (basic controls and manual gears) with good visibility.

Size wise, I immediately thought of a Fiat 500. Any better alternatives ?

All it needs to do is the shop run, trips to charity coffee mornings and 'open gardens' in the summer.

Ta

Fiat 500 is ok, but if you are looking for reasonably good visibility, easy to operate and can take the odd prang have you considered the hummer?

[rxe]

My mum is 81 and we went through this change about 5 years ago. The old car was a beaten up manual Astra (she liked it), the new car is a much more modern Vectra. She likes Vauxhalls and they are cost effective to run.

She was also in the "I like manuals" place, but the auto is a revelation. No more is she screaming down the motorway in 3rd, or trying to pull off in 5th. The only thing she used to get confused about was "sport mode" on the gearbox, which makes something light up on the dash - she naturally assumed the engine was about to explode. I just disconnected the button....

Going from a carb and choke to fuel injection is also good. She was very prone to doing 200 miles with the choke out, then complaining it was a bit heavy on petrol.

Getting the same make and model is good, if it still exists. Everything is in a similar place, and it sort of works the same way. Disable all of the screens on the dash (MPG readouts etc) - very confusing if your close vision isn't good.

Unless she is doing big mileages, don't touch a diesel. They take forever to warm up - one of her friends did this and had to get rid of it because it was too cold in winter. She was only doing 6 miles or so, and the "eco diesel" thing was so efficient that there was chuff all warmth in the heater.

[LiveinHope]

Getting the same make and model is good, if it still exists.

But for the above, all your other suggestions were very sensible, Ta,

The present car has just 50K on the clock from new

Same model as attached pic

[LiveinHope]

A good taxi firm would treat her like royalty and surely she'd like that if she tried it?

See if she's willing to try taxis for a week or two to see how it fits in with her life.

Approach a local taxi firm to ask about opening an account. No need to carry money.

Make sure she has a simple phone with taxi number stored and enough credit.

A good firm with drivers who know how to look after their regular customers could win her over.

Or she can decide that she doesn't like it and go ahead with buying a car any time she wants.

I have been through this mentally and the arguments are compelling,

taxis (or car hire) would work out cheaper and better than car ownership for many people

Are there any resources for Taxi firm recommendations ? I live 300 miles away and so I don't know the area

[Harry Monk]

But for the above, all your other suggestions were very sensible, Ta,

The present car has just 50K on the clock from new

Same model as attached pic

Very nice, why don't you just get it retro-fitted with power steering if that's the only problem?

[erranta]

+ 1

But to be fair, she has never caused an accident and does accept her limitations, and never does dual carriageways etc

(not sure what the view in the mirrors would be)

These are volkswagen with a different badge.

Skoda are great cars now - not too heavy to drive, easy to get in/out!

"Acoustic parking sensors - rear , Acoustic parking system - rear" - she doesn't even need to turn around!

Keeps her granny mints/werthers fresh too - "Air conditioned glovebox"

http://fishbrothers....30001126577.php

[LiveinHope]

Very nice, why don't you just get it retro-fitted with power steering if that's the only problem?

Hadn't thought of that, will look into it. The argument will be that it will 'spoil the car'

But keeping the car 'pristine' is also becoming a significant limitation, in that not going out until the roads are bone dry is keeping mother a prisoner.

I doubt I will get the old car sold, just moved over in the garage.

[Harry Monk]

Probably the steering is heavier than it could be because it was designed to run on crossply tyres. There is almost certainly an owners' club where you could receive advice on solving the problem without replacing the car though.

[LiveinHope]

I've looked at everyone's suggestions, could do the Daihatsu Copen for myself (for fun), but not my mother

I,ve ordered a micra brochure to be sent

Any views on the Citroen C1 and the Suziki Alto ?

[Bruce Banner]

I've looked at everyone's suggestions, could do the Daihatsu Copen for myself (for fun), but not my mother

Any views on the Citroen C1 and the Suziki Alto ?

My wife has a C1, she loves it.

Have a look at the Hyundai I10, standard equipment list is impressive... http://www.hyundai-car.co.uk/newCars/i10/

[Dave Beans]

How about the Suzuki Swift (which I'm a big fan of) or the Toyota Aygo?