Hello and thanks in advance
I'm older and on a fixed income, I have a 2002,2003 suburban and a 2002 GMC sierra and I love them and have no trouble with them. However, my wife at 70+ is having trouble getting in and out of them. looking for a smaller vehicle to do short runs into town that can handle gravel roads and is as reliable as my GM products. trying to keep it around 5 grand ? what do y'all think would my best bet ?
Here you can see what Scotty has reviewed so far. When you pick favourites, I suggest you let your wife test the ease of getting in and out to see what ones suit her.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/vid-review/vehicles-reviwed-by-scotty/
It's going to be tough finding something decent in that price range. Maybe look for a Pontiac Vibe which is actually a Toyota Matrix but tends to sell for less since it lacks the Toyota nameplate.
well Scotty is 70+ and they drive a Matrix
I'm sure they would not if they had troubles getting in and out. Where I live some people I talked to haven't reach 60 and already have troubles with their backs and switch to SUVs. On the other hand, my grandpa is over 80 and still drives a hatchback.
I'd look at the new Corolla Cross or RAV4, and the Honda and Mazda equivalents. I, too can vouch for being an old guy liking a Matrix. One of the reasons that small SUVs and crossovers are so popular is that they are at a height that makes them easier to get in and out, not as high off the ground as a truck, not as low as a sedan.
“new” for “around 5 grand”?🤔
Make sure to test out a car. Sometimes cars feel too low to get in and out of.
A crossover suv may be the ideal. Not too high not too low. Or a higher sedan / wagon.
Tough to get anything for 5,000, but you can do it if you’re choosy.
+1 for the Vibe/matrix. I’d also consider the Honda Element, Scion xB, and Subaru Impreza wagon.
I’ll probably get flamed for saying this, but if those were my specs, I’d look for a Volvo XC70; you have to be careful and do your due diligence, but I doubt you’d find a more comfortable car with easier ingress/egress at that price range.
(BTw, seems like there was a thread a few months ago discussing some issues with the Element. Mostly I think they’re solid cars, but take a look at the search bar and see what has been said here in the past.)
welcome to the forum!
