Car for disabled driver.

gkl

Hi guys,

I have a friend(he is in noway computer literate:D) who's soon going to be getting their first car, they are 6ft3 and have quite severe back and leg problems.

He would need something with fairly high seating and plenty of leg room but would prefer to stay away from SUVs and the likes, it wouldn't need to be a very powerful car and would like it to be as efficient as possible.

So have any of you any recommendations of makes/models that would be worth him looking in to.

colm_mcm

with a disabled car, if they qualify for VAT and VRT exemption, sometimes it can be beneficial to buy a car which isn't that efficent:

The higher the VRT, the more you can save, so something that falls into VRT category A or B won't have much VRT contained in the price, therefore the saving to be made isn't as big.

This is all within reason though, there's no point in buying something that you won't be able to sell too easily on in 2 years time. Do your homework is all!

How many people does the guy need to carry normally, and what's he driving at the moment? Does he need automatic, as big boot etc?

gkl

I'm not sure he'd qualify for vrt exemption, I think he would but still think he'd go with something as efficient as possible.

He'd be inclined to go with an automatic and would mostly be travelling alone or maybe with one or two passengers, he wouldn't need a very big boot.

He has a lot of trouble getting in and out of low cars and sitting in low positions and with his height and leg and back problems finds a lot of cars very low on leg space for both getting in to and sitting in.

EPM

Maybe a Focus? The seating position is very high , even in the lowest setting. Compared to my Leon, when I drive my dads Focus it feels like I'm perched on top of the seat. A Nissan Qasqai would be a good choice too. Its not a proper SUV or anything. I dont know if the auto box is offered on the smaller petrol or diesel engines though

FreeFallin

A VW Golf Plus would fit the bill quite well i'd imagine

TheNog

OP

Hope ye dont mind if I hijack your thread a little but I need to satisfy my curiousity

colm_mcm wrote: »

with a disabled car, if they qualify for VAT and VRT exemption, sometimes it can be beneficial to buy a car which isn't that efficent:

To qualify for VAT and VRT exemption I thought the person would need to wheelchair bound??

colm_mcm wrote: »

The higher the VRT, the more you can save, so something that falls into VRT category A or B won't have much VRT contained in the price, therefore the saving to be made isn't as big.

Also with the new road tax regime and buying a less efficient car for a disabled person, would they be liable to the same road tax as everyone else or are they exempt?


OP

A Cashqui seems reasonable enough. I was going to suggest maybe a van but the body roll would probably put undue pressure on your mates back problems

Wishbone Ash

TheNog wrote: »

To qualify for VAT and VRT exemption I thought the person would need to wheelchair bound??

The person doesn't have to be an actual wheel chair user but they do have to pass some sort of disability tests to qualify.

Bitten & Hisses

TheNog wrote: »

OP

Hope ye dont mind if I hijack your thread a little but I need to satisfy my curiousity




To qualify for VAT and VRT exemption I thought the person would need to wheelchair bound??




Also with the new road tax regime and buying a less efficient car for a disabled person, would they be liable to the same road tax as everyone else or are they exempt?

To qualify for tax relief as a disabled driver, you must have a Primary Medical Cert. This is obtained after a medical inspection by a HSE doctor who will call to your house if you want.
Assuming you get this cert, you can then claim up to a max of €9500 in relief on the VAT and VRT on a car (new/second hand/imported doesn't matter). The max allowance is higher if the disabled person is claiming as a passenger rather than a driver. A disabled driver is limited to a car of 2000cc max; a passenger has a higher cc limit. Cars can be changed every two years.
Disabled drivers and passengers are exempt from road tax and can reclaim a certain amount of the excise duty they pay on fuel.

biko

About headroom

ninty9er

Old model Mazda 2

gkl

Thanks guys for the suggestions I'll pass on the information on to him, and if anyone has any other suggestion thank you in advance.

L-M

Brother in law is just a tad over 6"5, and can fit into a Golf no problem. If at all possible i've advise to stay away from the Golf plus as if never sold well. Depending on your friends budget, a 07-08 Golf 1.4 could be got for handy money.

vectra

Limerick man wrote: »

Brother in law is just a tad over 6"5, and can fit into a Golf no problem. If at all possible i've advise to stay away from the Golf plus as if never sold well. Depending on your friends budget, a 07-08 Golf 1.4 could be got for handy money.

A person 6'5" in good health will fit into a car a lot better than a person 6' with back issues

L-M

vectra wrote: »

A person 6'5" in good health will fit into a car a lot better than a person 6' with back issues

I was saying that there is no need to go for the Golf Plus, as the Golf itself (which is a much, much better seller) will do just as well. I do not have any experience with people with back problems, you might, but where as my post has some relevance to the thread, i don't think stating the obvious does.

vectra

Limerick man wrote: »

I was saying that there is no need to go for the Golf Plus, as the Golf itself (which is a much, much better seller) will do just as well. I do not have any experience with people with back problems, you might, but where as my post has some relevance to the thread, i don't think stating the obvious does.

Limerick man wrote: »

Brother in law is just a tad over 6"5, and can fit into a Golf no problem. If at all possible i've advise to stay away from the Golf plus as if never sold well. Depending on your friends budget, a 07-08 Golf 1.4 could be got for handy money.

as I read it you were saying to get a golf instead of a Golf Plus.

OH
And Yes I do suffer with back problems and restricted lower limb movement so i understand alright

L-M

vectra wrote: »

as I read it you were saying to get a golf instead of a Golf Plus.

Yes that is what i was saying

ninty9er

Limerick man wrote: »

Yes that is what i was saying

A Golf isn't a car for someone with back pain. The seats as well as the position play a role.

vectra

ninty9er wrote: »

A Golf isn't a car for someone with back pain. The seats as well as the position play a role.

And that is basically what I was saying
6'5" in good physical shape could get into a chickenchaser
6' with restricted mobility could find it difficult getting into a golf.

Alun

I'd say that one of the main advantages of, say, the Golf Plus over the Golf, or to take the example of my car, the Focus C-Max over the Focus, is the extra bit of height that the seats are above the ground. OK it's not much, maybe only an inch or two, but I (without any serious back problems) notice it's a lot easier getting in and out of my C-Max than in a lower car. You wouldn't want to go too far with the height thing otherwise you'd be literally climbing into the car, which might be just as bad. I also find there's masses of headroom left (I'm about 5' 10").

L-M

vectra wrote: »

And that is basically what I was saying
6'5" in good physical shape could get into a chickenchaser
6' with restricted mobility could find it difficult getting into a golf.

Look, you are missing what i was saying.

FreeFallin wrote: »

A VW Golf Plus would fit the bill quite well i'd imagine

That was said, i was mearly saying someone of the height will fit into a Golf no bother, so there is no need to buy the Golf Plus, which doesn't sell.

vectra

Limerick man wrote: »

Look, you are missing what i was saying.



That was said, i was mearly saying someone of the height will fit into a Golf no bother, so there is no need to buy the Golf Plus, which doesn't sell.

LOL
I think you are confused