Small, tall car suggestions

[raybarrow]

Hi Folks,

Mrs B is struggling with mobility problems at the moment. She is due for an ETV operation (neurosergery) which we hope will alleviate the problem but no guarantees! She was previously quite active so we are hopeful.

She struggles to get in and out of a low seat and my Fiesta is not the tallest car in the world. She is reasonably ok with the Ka.
I think I need to at least look at 'tall' car alternatives. Pending the result of the operation, that may be soone than later.

There are just two of us. Most of our driving is fairly local. We live in Birmingham. Son lives in Norwich - face the car east and keep driving in more or less a straight line, mostly motorway and dual carriageways. Daughter lives in Aberystwyth - face the car west and drive motorway, country roads, over the Welsh hills etc. Roughly 3 hours either direction.

Don't need a big/racing car or one with a 'special' badge, automatic would be nice but not essential. Easy access important.

This is not the type of car I we have looked at in the past, but we are not getting any younger, so any suggestions most welcome.

Ray.

[bungeejumper]

Here's a dimensional comparison site, which is really intended for disabled drivers - not your situation, of course, so mind how you present it to your better half, but there are some good thoughts and pointers here anyway. The database seems pretty massive.

https://www.ridc.org.uk/features-review ... car-search

BJ

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Hi Folks,

Mrs B is struggling with mobility problems at the moment. She is due for an ETV operation (neurosergery) which we hope will alleviate the problem but no guarantees! She was previously quite active so we are hopeful.

She struggles to get in and out of a low seat and my Fiesta is not the tallest car in the world. She is reasonably ok with the Ka.
I think I need to at least look at 'tall' car alternatives. Pending the result of the operation, that may be soone than later.

There are just two of us. Most of our driving is fairly local. We live in Birmingham. Son lives in Norwich - face the car east and keep driving in more or less a straight line, mostly motorway and dual carriageways. Daughter lives in Aberystwyth - face the car west and drive motorway, country roads, over the Welsh hills etc. Roughly 3 hours either direction.

Don't need a big/racing car or one with a 'special' badge, automatic would be nice but not essential. Easy access important.

This is not the type of car I we have looked at in the past, but we are not getting any younger, so any suggestions most welcome.

Ray.

Hi Ray,

Sorry to hear about your wife's medical problems and I do hope the surgery is beneficial. In the meantime I can see that you're preparing a plan B and why not. Sorry to sound invasive but do you have a rough budget, for plan B, please?

Thank you

AiY

[bungeejumper]

An uncle used to drive a Vauxhall Agila, which was a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R. Zero driveway cred, but quite perky and very practical. Thousands of low-milers out there for a couple of grand, and some have auto and aircon. Don't buy the diesels, which apparently were a liability in the city.

BJ

[raybarrow]

Hi AiY,

Budget not a problem, which is a comforting thought. Having said that I've never bought a new car, usually about 5 years old and run for 5 years which is where the Fiest is (2011). If Mrs B has physical trouble driving, (she will drive if she has to but doesn't enjoy it), then we will be down to one car anyway. Our daughter in Aberystwyth could have th Ka - then she could come to see us! If Mrs B can get back to driving then the size becomes more important if we go for two cars, and I won't see 70 again (years that is)

The Fiesta is comfortable, drives well if not the fastest but then neither am I. I would like something with that sort of competence but accept I am potentialy not the most important to consider here. I have driven all sorts of motors over a lot of years so no problem there.

Cheers,
Ray.

[swill453]

The SUVs that are all the rage right now have a relatively high driving position. I'm not completely sure if that translates to a "tall" entry, but worth a try.

They tend not to be small, but at the smaller end you've probably got Ford Puma, Audi Q2, Fiat 500X, Skoda Kamiq, VW T-Roc and lots more.

Scott.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Hi AiY,

Budget not a problem, which is a comforting thought. Having said that I've never bought a new car, usually about 5 years old and run for 5 years which is where the Fiest is (2011). If Mrs B has physical trouble driving, (she will drive if she has to but doesn't enjoy it), then we will be down to one car anyway. Our daughter in Aberystwyth could have th Ka - then she could come to see us! If Mrs B can get back to driving then the size becomes more important if we go for two cars, and I won't see 70 again (years that is)

The Fiesta is comfortable, drives well if not the fastest but then neither am I. I would like something with that sort of competence but accept I am potentialy not the most important to consider here. I have driven all sorts of motors over a lot of years so no problem there.

Cheers,
Ray.

This is quite an interesting problem. I'm guessing you visit East and West regularly? If so you need something which is comfortable for distance. I suspect you're looking for a tall seat in relation to bending down not a high driving position? And automatic. Automatics for the most will cost more to buy and run. I think you need to look at small SUV's. Preferably not diesel though. Which could rule out a lot of used car options.

My first suggestion would be something like a Nissan Qashqai

Example Nissan Qashqai

AiY

[swill453]

Example Nissan Qashqai

Do you realise you're revealing your postcode with that link?

Scott.

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Example Nissan Qashqai

Do you realise you're revealing your postcode with that link?

Scott.

Whoops-a-daisy

AiY

[kiloran]

My first thought is to make sure that she is getting in and out of the car "correctly".
As a volunteer driver for the local hospice, I've driven hundreds of people to hospital over the past 12 years, many of them with mobility problems, and the vast majority of people get into a car by putting their right leg in first (assuming passenger side) then try to hold on to the roof of the car or whatever while they bend down and try and squeeze the rest of their body in. I went on a patient mobility training course at the local college and the correct way (for a less-mobile person) is to have your back to the seat, put the bum in first and sit sideways on the seat, and then, while sitting rotate around and get the legs in. Reverse process for getting out.
A slip sheet such as these https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/mobi ... ide-sheets may also help, as might a rotating cushion such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/revolving-rota ... B07DD8HN7Q

When a patient has problems and I show them the correct way, life is so much easier for them

Hope this helps

--kiloran

[didds]

Our daughter in Aberystwyth could have the Ka - then she could come to see us! Ray.

Though unless you live in Borth, this of course means she will take 2 days to reach you ....

Didds (UCW Abersystwyth 1981-1984, "home" was in Kent!)

[raybarrow]

Hi Folks,

Didn't want a big car as Mrs B isn't tall to begin with and something like a Land Rover type of vehicle would be too high for her to get in. She has a few problems in the muscular/joint area at the moment but this balance and tendency to lean forward and fall over business could be sign of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus hence the option of a 'fairly routine' brain op. She is having physio as well. If the op proves successful then we move on to the other bits and getting her fitness/mobility levels up. She has difficulty getting out of low armless seats so something like a folding camping chair or the comfy chairs in a coffee lounge are out. Low car seats fall into that bracket hence looking for a car that is easy enough to get in/out of but is not too big that she can't get in anyway. Our cars are reaching that 10 years old time so it seemed a good idea to look at our options anyway.

Don't get old, but don't die young either!

We don't visit the children that often at the moment, Covid. Interestingly the car/train journey time to Aberystwyth is about the same with a coffee/loo stop, not always an option on the train. The car to Norwich is much quicker than the train which has at least one change, if you can actually get a ticket these days.

Thanks for all the comments,
Ray.

[Dod101]

My first thought is to make sure that she is getting in and out of the car "correctly".
As a volunteer driver for the local hospice, I've driven hundreds of people to hospital over the past 12 years, many of them with mobility problems, and the vast majority of people get into a car by putting their right leg in first (assuming passenger side) then try to hold on to the roof of the car or whatever while they bend down and try and squeeze the rest of their body in. I went on a patient mobility training course at the local college and the correct way (for a less-mobile person) is to have your back to the seat, put the bum in first and sit sideways on the seat, and then, while sitting rotate around and get the legs in. Reverse process for getting out.
A slip sheet such as these https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/mobi ... ide-sheets may also help, as might a rotating cushion such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/revolving-rota ... B07DD8HN7Q

When a patient has problems and I show them the correct way, life is so much easier for them

Hope this helps

--kiloran

I absolutely second that. I used to do the same (drive people to hospital that is) and was told the same so much so that I would not consider doing anything else even for myself nowadays. It is by far the easiest way to get in and out of a car I find, even if you are reasonably fit.

Dod

[AF62]

A slightly random suggestion is one of the smaller electric cars such as the Renault Zoe, which is roughly the same width and length as a Clio (so not a big car) but is 10cm taller with the seats similarly 10cm higher because the battery is under the floor.

[Spet0789]

Try a Honda Jazz. Certainly small, quite upright and very easy to get in and out of.

Bulletproof reliability.

We bought one 5 years ago as a station, school run and local trip car and it’s been excellent. Longer runs not its strongest suit but are no issue (we have easily done 500 miles in a day).

There’s a reason so many older people own them.

[tsr2]

Honda Jazz, as suggested above, Toyota Yaris and Ford B-Max would be my suggestions.

[Mike88]

The easiest car I found for my wife in terms of access and egress is an Audi Q3. We now have a BMW X2 M which is far more difficult due to the very wide sills. So the OP doesn't need just a tall car he has to avoid cars with wide sills.

[Cornytiv34]

Another vote for the Vauxhall Agila with the 1250 engine. My wife had hip & knee replacements but finds our car very easy to get in and out of and drive. She loves the higher roof and seating. Ours was the 2013 model.
Very easy to enter backwards and swivel.

Mike

[redsturgeon]

Honda Jazz, as suggested above, Toyota Yaris and Ford B-Max would be my suggestions.

Ha ha I was going to suggest exactly the same three!

John

[servodude]

Honda Jazz, as suggested above, Toyota Yaris and Ford B-Max would be my suggestions.

Ha ha I was going to suggest exactly the same three!

John

Just had a ride in a mate's new Suzuki Jimny; it's like "the little SUV that could"
- and hellish fun with a surprisingly comfortable access
- mingin booger green with red trim though

-sd