Hi everyone. I'm looking to buy a used car for my 82-year old father. I wanted to buy him a brand new car, but sadly I simply don't have the money. My dad is suffering from arthritis and his mobility is not what it used to be. I have no idea how much longer he plans on driving. I would prefer he doesn't drive at all, but you know how dads are!
I really don't know what to take into consideration for senior citizens when looking for a good used car. Obviously it must be mechanically reliable. He is not going to drive long distances. He is not tech savvy. The fewer bells and whistles it has the better. I would think a car that is easy to get in and out, along with comfortable seating would be important. We live in suburban Chicago, so perhaps AWD or 4WD for the winter? I don't know what else to think about for him.
I don't have a lot of money. Is there anything good for under $10K?
I would appreciate any recommendations, especially from anyone has been (or is currently) in a similar situation.
Thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend anything too large. I know of one of my instructors still driving a manual Toyota Echo and he’s >90yrs old.
If he insists on still driving, keep it to a mechanically good RAV4 or CR-V.
Good luck!
@InThrustWeTrust has good advice.
Because of the winters you guys have, the RAV4 would be a great choice. I personally like the Town Cars and Crown Vics, but they are large and in your kind of winter, no AWD...eh......I can't recommend it for your situation.
My first recommendation is to look for cars with a keyed ignition and a traditional shift lever.
I know some older folks who get really nervous with push button start. And don’t know if the car is on or off.
They also get nervous around shifters that aren’t levers. (Knobs, buttons). And with the lever shifter, there is lesser of a chance of user error.
For reliability, I know some recommend the RAV4 and CRV here. And I’ll second those motions.
Well, I'm 71 and to me, the TV remote is high tech!
Yes, I still open my car doors with a key, and i still have a wall mounted rotary dial phone.
Hate to see the O P get a salt encrusted Chi town car fall apart [ been there, lived there }
As far as being comfortable with what he's driving a refurbished older vehicle would probably be a lot more familiar to him than one of today's rolling cell phones. Something compact from the 1990s or early 2000s would have a decent level of safety equipment and would be modern enough to be serviceable without having all the crazy and many times ill-considered "because we can" technology in newer cars.
I would not go too far back though even though something from a far bygone era might be even more familiar to him...
Greetings from Florida!
Escaped the frozen north in 2006. Until then, lived in Bolingbrook, so I know a little bit about Chicago winters.
Quite frankly, you'd be better off leasing a car for dad. That way any problems are up to the dealers.
Not a bad idea, but the problem is OP’s dad is not tech savvy, and all the newer cars are computers on wheels.
What did he drive before?