What Are the Best Cars for Seniors?

The Car Chick (00:01)
Hey everyone, welcome back to The Straight Shift. Some of you may remember a little over a year ago, my elderly mother broke her left femur and we spent eight months in and out of hospitals and rehab. It was a very challenging time. Fortunately, she is in much better shape now. She’s living independently in her own home, but she’s not driving. So I take her to her doctor’s appointments and shopping and get haircuts.

But the problem is I drive a Mini and that just doesn’t work. She cannot get in and out of my car. So we have to use her car, which fortunately works. And I also have a number of clients who are seniors. Or the client is looking for a car for their parents, helping mom or helping dad buy a car.

And seniors often have very different and very specific needs in a vehicle due to their potential physical challenges. So what are the best cars for seniors? That’s what we’re going to talk about today on The Straight Shift.

When considering the best vehicle for a senior, you have to remember that everyone is different. Some seniors are extremely active, like my neighbors. They run circles around me every day. But others have mobility challenges, whether it’s an artificial joint or arthritis or just the aches and pains that come with aging. My mom has two fake knees, a fake hip and a fake shoulder. I often say she has more aftermarket parts than my car, and my car has quite a few.

Some seniors, their eyesight or their hearing might not be as keen as it used to be, and they tend to have slower reaction times. Maybe they have mobility equipment they need to cart around, whether that be a cane or better yet a walker or even a mobility scooter. your senior living independently and still driving on their own? Or are they living with you and you have a multi-generational family situation that your car needs to accommodate? You need to be able to get

your mom or dad or both, as well as your own kids into the car. Or are you somewhere in between like me and my mom? will the senior be the driver because they’re independent? Or are they going to be a passenger getting into the passenger side or maybe into the back seat? Or maybe you just need to rent a vehicle for a family vacation that will include a senior with specific needs. Like me and my mom, anytime we travel together,

we have to find a vehicle, usually that’s a taxi that can accommodate her needs. And that’s not easy. It’s why we can’t ever Uber anywhere because we never know what kind of vehicle is going to show up and we don’t know what she’s going to be able to get in and out of. So when you’re thinking about a vehicle for a senior, whether that’s yourself or if it’s a loved one, the number one criteria for that vehicle is the ease of getting in and out. And that

typically refers to the ride height of the vehicle. Where is the seat in relation to the senior’s butt? You don’t want it to be too high that they have to try and climb up into it because not every senior can do that. They might not have the mobility to lift their leg or their hip. Artificial hips do not move the same way as real ones. They have limited mobility, you also don’t want it to be too low. So they’re not having to plop down into the seat.

It’s a Goldilocks situation. You need it to be just right for that senior. Everybody’s height is a little bit different depending on their height and their mobility challenges. My mom can’t get into most SUVs, but she can get into some minivans, but only on the driver’s side, which means she has to ride in the back seat behind the driver. That’s because it’s her left hip that’s fake and the right one is still

original equipment, we’ll say, and the left one doesn’t have the same range of motion. So she can’t lift it up to get into the vehicle, but she can still do that with her natural hip. So it’s a weird consideration that the taxi drivers with the minivans absolutely hate. They don’t like you getting in on the driver’s side, but it’s what we have to do. You also want to consider if the senior is going to be getting into the front seat or the back seat because that can make a difference.

in the door openings. The door openings of some back seats are narrower than the front seats and the narrow openings can make it more difficult to get in and out of, especially if they are needing to back up to the seat with their walker or even just walk up to it or even with a scooter. You want to have a door that opens as wide as possible. 90 degree opening is ideal. Not every vehicle does that, but it needs to open wide enough

for them to get in and out easily. A big door can be more difficult for them to open and close. For example, my mini and my husband’s car, we just have little two-seater cars that have two doors, not four. So those two doors are a lot bigger and a lot heavier. So it’s more difficult for a senior to open the door to get in and out of the vehicle, because the door is just dang heavy.

So that’s something that you need to consider. You also want them ideally to have something to hold onto to help them get in and out. Whether that is a handle like you have on the inside of the sliding doors of minivans, some SUVs have handles you can grab onto, or is it just the top of the door itself? And that means you want a door that the window is fully framed. Most vehicles, that’s the case. The metal goes all the way around

the window when you open the door. But there are some vehicles like sportier cars, convertibles, and even some of your European cars like BMWs, the window is not framed. When you open the door, there’s not metal going all the way around that window. You just have the glass. And that’s not ideal for a senior because if they need to hold on to that, you never want to hold on to just that glass window because the pressure on it will likely break the tabs that hold that window in place.

And next thing you know, the window slides down into the door. And that’s not good for the door, the window, or the senior. So be sure it’s a car that has fully framed windows. A lot of weird things that you just don’t think about on a regular basis with a car that you have to think about when you’re transporting a senior or you are the senior. of which, if you are the senior and you’re driving or you’re helping a parent buy a car and they’re going to be the driver,

You want to get a vehicle that is easy for them to see out of both the front and the back. They may not be able to turn as easily to look over their shoulder like they used to. And if you have a slopey back that has a smaller window that’s more difficult to see out of, or if there’s larger pillars that give you huge blind spots, that is not ideal for a senior. You also don’t want something that has a really long hood that might be difficult for them to kind of see

over, especially if they’re a little bit shorter. also want them to be comfortable. As we get older, comfort is so much more important than it used to be. And primarily that is seat comfort. And that varies by person. Some people may find a seat with a lot of bolsters and a little bit firmer, more supportive for them. Others want to have a nice, cushy seat bottom that gives them some extra padding. They may want a wider seat if they have wider hips.

Comfort is in the butt of the beholder. So it’s going to vary by person and it’s important for that person to test out the seat they are going to be sitting in. A lot of times the front seats are usually much more comfortable than the rear seats. So if they’re riding in the rear seat, make sure that seat is comfortable for them. Heated seats can also be a game changer for helping ease those aches and pains, especially on longer rides.

And you just want to look at the overall ride quality of the vehicle itself. If the vehicle is stiffer and rides a little rougher, it doesn’t handle those bumps in the road well, that can be jarring on older bodies, especially if they have arthritis. So a vehicle that has a good ride quality, it’s nice and smooth and comfy, will be ideal for them. If they are driving the car, you want that car to be

easy to drive, easy to control. You want it to be easy to operate. And that often means knobs and buttons, which are few and far between on newer cars these days. Those are easier for seniors to operate. They can reach, they can just feel where they are. You don’t have to take your eyes off the road. You also want to consider a power lift gate if you are looking at an SUV or a minivan, because those lift gates are dang heavy.

Reaching overhead, that’s one of the mobility things that seniors lose. They lose that strength in their shoulder and pulling down a lift gate, that can be challenging. So having a power lift gate is another game changer for a senior.

In terms of the technology, some of the technology can be great for seniors because it helps keep them safer, but it also has to be easy for them to use and operate. Some cars are so freaking complicated these days with their big touch screens, and you’ve got to go through three levels of menus just to turn on that heated seat or even to change the radio station. That can be dangerous because seniors are trying to figure out the technology. They may not be as tech savvy.

The learning curve can be higher, and quite frankly, you don’t want them to have to take their eyes off the road for that long. Honestly, none of us should be taking our eyes off the road for that long, but it can be even worse for seniors who have slower reaction times and it takes them longer to find things. So get them something that still has buttons and knobs and technology that they feel comfortable with. Some of the tech, once you get it set up and set their preferences, you don’t have to change it ever again.

makes it a lot easier for them, but not all the vehicles have that programmable technology. So that is something to consider as well.

And sometimes those driver safety aids can be very helpful. The blind spot monitoring uses that little extra help. I love the ones with cameras, with 360 cameras, because again, turning and looking over your shoulder can be more difficult as you get older, especially if you’ve got back issues. The collision mitigation, the lane keeping.

Those things can just be those little bit of extra helpers for a senior whose driving skills may not be as sharp as they used to be. Some of them have heads up displays that can display pertinent information on the windshield in front of you so you don’t have to be looking around to know what’s going on, especially for navigation. Heads up displays can be fantastic. So having that driver safety technology in the car for your senior can help them drive safely for a longer period of time

and maintain that independence that is so important to them. also have to make sure you do have enough cargo space for anything that you are carting around with you and your senior. Those walkers take up space. If you’ve got a scooter, even if it’s the more foldable travel oriented scooter, they still take up space. Maybe you have an oxygen tank. You’ve to make sure you have enough space, both for those items and then also for the items that you are getting, the groceries. If you’re going to the garden center,

or if you’re traveling, make sure you have room for everyone’s luggage. If you are that sandwich generation and you have both a senior with a walker and maybe a kid with a stroller, you’ve got to make sure you can accommodate both. So when you’re test driving vehicles, bring with you all the equipment you’re gonna need to cart around with you and test fit everything into the vehicle. How easy is it to get that stuff in and out for either yourself or the senior?

The cargo load floor of SUVs makes a big difference. Some of them are higher and you have to lift things higher to get them in and out. That can be difficult, both for the senior or for you. can lug my mom’s walker, put it in and out of the trunk of her car, but it’s a pain in the butt because those things are a little bit clunky. They’re just a little bit awkward. It’s not overly heavy, but it’s awkward. So make sure that getting that cargo in and out is easy in whatever vehicle that you choose.

And finally, you want to consider the affordability. A lot of seniors are on fixed incomes and new cars are dang expensive, as we’ve discussed before. So a used car might be the better fit for them. And it can also avoid some of that overly complicated technology and still have those knobs and buttons that are easier. So often a used car is a better choice for a senior. So now that we’ve talked about some of that criteria, let’s get a little more specific and talk about specific vehicles.

Some seniors do just fine in a sedan, but a roomy, more mid-size, even a full-size sedan can be more comfortable. The door openings can be a little bit wider, the seats might be a little more accommodating, and the vehicle itself with a longer wheelbase might have a smoother, more comfortable ride, and they tend to have ample trunk space for things like those walkers. Granted, sedans are getting harder to find these days.

But if a sedan is the right choice for your senior, maybe they’re a little bit shorter and an SUV is too hard to get in and out of. Something like a Toyota Camry or the newer Hyundai Sonatas, especially the hybrid versions of both of those, if you want to save on gas, they’re fantastic. If you have a little bit more of a budget to work with, the Lexus ES is one of the best riding midsize sedans out there. It’s super comfy, it’s easy to drive, and the safety technology is top notch in all of those vehicles.

My mom does perfectly fine in her old 03 Toyota Corolla because she’s short. And as I said, getting her walker in and out is totally doable for me. It’s not for her, which is one of the reasons that she’s not driving anymore. She does have to push up a little bit when she needs to get back out of the car. And there’s a little bit of a plop factor when she gets into it. She can handle that right now, so it’s perfectly fine.

But if I had to get her a different vehicle, which I hope I never have to do, but if I did, I would consider more of a compact SUV. Small SUVs with a ground clearance between seven and eight inches are really good for most seniors due to the height of the seats being about hip level. Again, it’s not too high that they have to climb into it. It’s not too low that they plop into it and have trouble getting out of.

It’s that Goldilocks just right. But keep in mind, the trim levels on the same vehicle can have different ground clearances. The wheel size tends to be a little bit larger on the swankier higher trim levels because they look nicer, but that does slightly increase the height of the vehicle. Then SUVs that have off-road or more of what I call adventure trims,

can have a raised suspension with taller springs that raises the ground clearance. For example, the Subaru SUVs like the Outback, which can be a great car for seniors. The technology is wonderful. They’re super safe cars, but they have a little bit higher ride height. The regular ones have about 8.7 inches, which can be too tall for some seniors. But the Wilderness trim, which is a little more of the adventure trim,

That ground clearance goes up to 9.3 inches, which can definitely be too high for lot of seniors. So you have to look from trim level to trim level. What is that ground clearance and can your senior get in and out of it? All wheel drive models sometimes have a slightly higher ground clearance than their two wheel drive counterparts within the same vehicle. Same for the hybrid versions of the same vehicle, because a lot of hybrids are all wheel drive and it can raise the ride height.

So these are the types of things that you have to research, not just from model to model, but within the same model, depending on whether you need all wheel drive or two wheel drive. If you’re looking at a hybrid versus a regular or looking at different trim levels, be sure you double check the ground clearance for that specific model and trim that you are looking at. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of small SUVs can be the smaller cargo space. So you want to make sure you have enough room

for any mobility devices and different small SUVs have different cargo space areas. This is especially important if you are transporting more than just your senior. Again, if it’s you and your senior and your kids, you may not have the luxury of folding down the back seats to give you the cargo space you need if you’ve got people that have to be riding in that back seat. So specifically my favorite small SUV models for seniors. I love the Mazda CX-5.

I love the Mazda CX-5 for just about anybody. It’s one of the best compact SUVs out there. But it has a ground clearance of about 7.6 inches. Goes up to 7.9 on some of the higher trim levels with the nicer wheels. But it has really comfortable front seats. They’re supportive. The back seats are a little bit less comfortable, but they do recline a little bit, and that can be very comfortable.

If the senior is the driver, the controls are angled towards the driver. It’s a very driver focused car, and that can make those controls a little bit easier to reach. door openings are wide enough to get in and out of, and it has decent cargo space for the walker plus some small suitcases. So if you don’t need a ton of space, that can be a good SUV for you. Now, I like the technology features. It has a screen that’s a little over 10 inches.

It’s bright, it’s easy to see, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s not in your face. It doesn’t look like as giant computer screen in front of them. And the tech is reasonably intuitive and easy to use. And they still give you knobs and buttons for the most commonly used things like your climate control and your radio controls. And that’s going to be comfortable for most seniors because it’s what they’re used to unless they just happen to be very tech savvy. Some of the higher trim levels do offer that heads up display.

that shows navigation instructions, speed limit, some of that pertinent information right onto the windshield in front of you makes it easy to see. The blind spot monitoring can be a little overly sensitive at times, but it’s good driver safety technology that does not get overly active in most cases. The only potential issue with the CX-5 is the ride is a little bit on the firmer side and it may not be the most comfortable for some seniors.

but overall it’s a really good little SUV. If your senior is more comfortable with technology, the Hyundai Tucson is a fantastic choice. The front wheel drive lower trim levels have a very low ground clearance. It’s just 7.1 inches, very easy to get in and out of. On the higher all wheel drive trims, it can go up to 8.3 inches, which can be challenging for some seniors, but works just fine for others. Hyundai’s are very heavy on the technology.

But that technology is fairly intuitive if your senior is used to using a smartphone. And it’s also customizable so you can set those settings, set the preferences for them, and then you don’t have to touch them again, making it easier. And they have great safety technology. They even have a safe exit feature. So if you’re riding in the back seat and you open the door, it’s gonna warn you if cars are coming, because the senior might not look and be able to even see if there’s traffic coming

when you’re parallel parked and they need to get out of the car. And they also have a driver attention warning. So if it detects that you’re not looking out the windshield, if your eyes are somewhere else, or if you look like you’re getting a little bit drowsy, it’s going to go, hey, hey, hey, pay attention, wake up. And that can be helpful for senior drivers as well. Some of the higher trim levels offer a blind spot camera, not just the little indicator in the side view mirror.

So it displays on the instrument panel when you activate the turn signal. And that can be easier for the senior to see than the little light and just give them yet another warning, especially if they can’t look over their shoulder. That’s why I love the 360 top-down cameras for the seniors. They can get in and out of parking spaces and tight spaces a lot easier. The Tucson’s have a parking collision avoidance system on some trims. And that means if you’re backing out of a parking space,

It will yell at you if it detects you’re going to hit something or someone in a parking situation. That can be helpful for everybody, but it’s especially good in the Walmart parking lot and the grocery store parking lot for those seniors who can’t necessarily look over their shoulder more easily. The newer Tucson’s also reach a near luxury level of comfort, both in terms of the seats being comfortable and the quality of the ride of the vehicle. It’s roomy for the driver and the passengers and it has great

cargo space. Bonus, it’s offered in a hybrid version and even a plug-in hybrid version if that’s the right choice for your senior. You just get so much bang for your buck with these cars and on top of that you get the long warranty that can give your senior peace of mind about future repair costs.

If you need a little bit more space, a little bit bigger SUV, the Nissan Murano can be a great choice.

Despite being a two row midsize, the ground clearance is just 6.9 inches. Granted, they are redesigning the Murano for 2025. They’re just starting to come out. It has a higher ground clearance of 8.3 inches because they’re making it a little more rugged. But the outgoing models are great and you can pick up a gently used one at a great price. And they’re really comfortable, especially the higher trim levels. They have what’s called zero gravity seats. Trust me, your butt has never been more comfortable.

Great safety features in those as well. It can be a very good choice. The Hyundai Santa Fe can also be a good midsize SUV choice. The new ones are three rows, but the ground clearance is still just seven inches, making it one of the easiest three row SUVs to get in and out of. The more rugged trims go up to 8.3 inches, but that’s those adventure trims that probably isn’t gonna be the best choice for a senior anyway. And believe it or not, the current model Toyota Highlanders, both the regular and the hybrid,

as well as the larger Grand Highlanders, eight inch ground clearance. It’s fantastic. So that’s why that Grand Highlander and the hybrid version can be a phenomenal choice for multi-generational families that need a bigger vehicle, a usable third row. The challenge is just getting them because they are so popular and they have just started making them again after the stop sale. So if you can’t get that Grand Highlander, the Hyundai Palisade has a ground clearance of only 7.9 inches across all the models.

You know I love the Palisade. It’s one of the best three-row vehicles out there. So you still have a lot of choices if you need a three-row vehicle and still need to cart around a senior that has some mobility issues. Or maybe the senior is the one carting around their grandkids. There are some great choices. But if you really need a multi-generational family vehicle, a minivan is still often the best choice, especially if they have hip issues.

because the minivans are just easier to get in and out of. You got those big sliding doors. Minivans can often accommodate a scooter in the back. And if you need luggage, this is why we tend to order specifically a minivan taxi when we’re going to the airport when we travel. Because we tend to go on cruises, we take luggage, we might take my mom’s walker. She has a mattress pad that she needs to take with her because beds aren’t comfortable for her.

And we’re going to be going overseas this year for our vacation. doing a transatlantic cruise. We’re going to fly to London and then drive to Southampton, stay there for a couple of days so that we can go see Stonehenge and I can drive on the wrong side of the road. These are all my bucket list things. And then we’re going to be sailing from Southampton back to New York on the Queen Mary. This has been a bucket list thing for us for so long. And since mom turns 80 this year, this is what we’re doing. But there going to be some challenges with that because while we’re going to rent a scooter on the ship,

we’re going to need to take her walker with us so that we can navigate around a little bit while we’re in England. And I’ve got to find a vehicle to rent that’s going to accommodate all the crap we’re taking with us.

Fortunately, in England, they tend to have more of what they call estate cars. So what we call a station wagon, estate car sounds so much better. But that might be a great option for us because it’s going to have the cargo space, but hopefully the ride height will not be too high. The challenge just is some of these vehicles are not cars we have in the US. So I’m going to research the ground clearance on those. But when you’re renting a car, you don’t always have control over exactly which vehicle you get.

So I’m going to have to do a little more diligence with the rental car company and say, hey, we don’t have flexibility in the vehicle. I have to have one of these. Can we do that? It’s just going to make it a little bit more challenging when we’re renting, especially overseas. So that’s something you need to consider. But if you’re looking at a minivan, the Toyota Sienna is the best minivan out there. 6.4 inch ground clearance. They’re all hybrids. They’re just challenging to get. But another fantastic option is the Kia Carnival.

It’s got a 6.8 inch ground clearance. There’s a hybrid option. It’s got these phenomenal seats on some of the higher trims that are super comfy. And it does a really good job of masquerading as an SUV. So it doesn’t just scream, I’m a minivan. And that can be a little more palatable to some people. If you’re looking for an electric vehicle for seniors, EVs can have a higher seat height. can’t just go by the ground clearance because that’s where they put the electric battery packs

along the bottom of the car, so it may have a low ground clearance, but then you have the battery packs and then you have the floor of the vehicle that the seats are mounted to. So be sure to check that out. The Nissan Aria is good, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be good, and I love the new Genesis GV60. It just doesn’t have the best rear visibility.

Another thing that you can do with vehicles is for the senior to get it out more easily, they have these swivel seat cushions that the cushion can make the seat more comfortable, but then it swivels to help them get in and out of the vehicle more easily. They make these handles that you put into the door latch that allows them to have something to push up on to get out of the vehicle. Also doubles as a window breaker, a seatbelt cutter, and a weapon if you need to.

And these things are cheap on Amazon. And we learned about them from our physical therapist when mom was in rehab. So that can be something if getting the senior another vehicle isn’t reasonable right now, or maybe they are more comfortable driving a sedan. Those things can be game changers to be able to keep them in their existing vehicles. We’re not using the swivel seat yet, but we do use that little handle to help mom get in and out of her Corolla a lot easier.

So the key when you are shopping for a car for a senior, whether you’re the senior or it’s a family member, take into consideration all of their challenges. Do what I call use cases. This is from my old IT days. How are they going to get in and out of the car? Like practice these things when you’re going and test driving cars, practice every little step of going up to the vehicle in their mobility device, getting in and out of the car, getting

their walker in and out of the car if you have them. Just go through all of those scenarios to make sure the car is going to work for your specific needs. very much like if you have baby car seats or dog crates or sporting equipment that you need to test fit in the vehicle. You need to test fit your senior and their equipment in the vehicle. It’s absolutely key. Selecting the car is the most important part of any car buying process.

process and I go through how to do that in my online car buying course. I teach you how to do that research efficiently and effectively using the resources that I personally use when I am shopping for my clients. That’s in my online course, the No BS Guide to Buying a Car, your inside track to getting the best deal. So remember, getting the best deal starts with picking the right car in the first place, especially when you’re talking about someone that may have some more special

needs. Thanks for joining me today. you have a vehicle that you drive your senior around in or if you’re a senior and you have a favorite vehicle, let me know what that is. Put that in the comments. I always love to know what vehicles work the best for different people in their different situations. If you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to the show and share it with your community. If you ever have any questions for me, you can submit those on the contact form on my website, TheCarChick.com which is also where you can find my online course.

That’s also at CarBuyingCourse.com Thanks again, everyone. Until next time, drive safely. I’m out of here.