Car for elderly mother

billyhead

My Mum who is in her early-mid 70s is looking for a car as a run around and also the odd long distance trip of 60-70km round trip. She was looking for a car around 4-5 years old. Any suggestions please. She lives in an urban area of Dublin.

WildWater

Whatever you go for I would suggest an automatic. A 2016/17 Yaris Hybrid would do the trick nicely.

selectamatic

Hybrid Toyota would suit nicely.

Honda jazz/fit hybrid worth considering too.

Duke O'Smiley on here imports a few jap ones

ba_barabus

Yaris, Swift or Yeti (petrol).

It's hard to beat any of the small cars really these days.

All depends what she wants to spend and what she prefers.

Old diesel

How is she with autos.

Yaris Hybrid a good option but all the Toyota Hybrids are autos.

Swift is probably where I'd go if it has to be a manual in the small cars.

Does it actually need to be a small car though - what's she driving now and does she want smaller etc then that.

Budget also important - even as a long term car enthusiast it still stuns me how far back in years a (for example) 8 k budget takes you.

Gael23

Can’t go wrong with a Micra for an older lady driver.

anewme

VW Polo

Glen Immal

The Mammy learnt to drive in her 60s
Got her an automatic micra. Did the job grand.
She treated herself to a Honda jazz automatic for her 70th. Both still motoring..

road_high

Honda jazz, Peugeot 208 would be a good option. Lovely neat size with good specs (standard reversing camera and parking sensors) and lots of them about. Good on motorway runs friend has one and finds it good on longer journeys
https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/peugeot/208/used-2017-172-peugeot-208-allure-1-2-waterford-fpa-202002297867239

Gael23

Glen Immal wrote: »

The Mammy learnt to drive in her 60s
Got her an automatic micra. Did the job grand.
She treated herself to a Honda jazz automatic for her 70th. Both still motoring..

How long ago is that?

bazz26

Hyundia i20. Would also second an automatic.

billyhead

Thanks all. I think a 4-5 year old Yaris will do the job. I think she might prefer a manual as she's always used one . Her budget is about 10000 .Now to find a Yaris sold by 1 previous owner in Dublin

WildWater

In Galway but if I was in your position I would be all over this.

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/24437272

I know you said manual but auto would (IMO) be a smarter choice. My mum is almost 89 and still driving. We changed her to an auto about 7 years ago. Drove manual all her life before that. Had it off after her first spin. Auto has definitely kept her on the road years longer (knees).

In all honesty, I’d say she does less than 10km a week. Most of the time, one of us drives her where she needs to go and she no longer drives at night. But that car is so important not only to her sense of independence but to her actual independence.

Anyway, good luck with it and I hope your mum has many more years of safe motoring.

ba_barabus

These are cracking value

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/hyundai-i10-gls-automatic/24391397

colm_mcm

billyhead wrote: »

Thanks all. I think a 4-5 year old Yaris will do the job. I think she might prefer a manual as she's always used one . Her budget is about 10000 .Now to find a Yaris sold by 1 previous owner in Dublin

It’ll be another of those nasty unrefined 1.0 models then. You’re really paying a lot for not very much.

road_high

colm_mcm wrote: »

It’ll be another of those nasty unrefined 1.0 models then. You’re really paying a lot for not very much.

I quite Like the Yaris but I think there are better options with better specs for less money. Yaris is a bit smaller and tinier than the competition

anewme

Cant wait till I'm 70 and everyone is reducing me to a 1.0 litre ****box (not)

kurtainsider

Gael23 wrote: »

Can’t go wrong with a Micra for an older lady driver.

Not being funny or anything but no car on the road says "keep well back" than a Micra.
If she is a proficient, experienced driver then OK but if not I would recommend a Micra.

I will be advising my kids to drive a Micra for the first few years until they achieve proficiency.

road_high

anewme wrote: »

Cant wait till I'm 70 and everyone is reducing me to a 1.0 litre ****box (not)

Not true- the small car options and specs have never been better. Go back just 20 years and electric windows were the height of luxury. I think they’re possibly some of the best value cars still. Most bigger cars in the class or two above are double or more the supermini price tags. Retired or older people can have a great car now basically a smaller version of what they might have had before

DaveyDave

Would you get a Peugeot 2008 in that budget? Auto, slightly higher up so easier to get into, decent visibility around, reversing camera and rear sensors and decent power too. Some of those small Jap autos are desperately underpowered.

The Honda Jazz would be my pick with what's available if you wanted to avoid a Micra or Yaris.

Shefwedfan

For my mum we got her a Nissan Leaf for her 70th. Few reasons

As suggested the automatic was a huge plus for her. One of the main considerations as well was she didn't have to go into petrol stations. This was something she hated as loads of cars around, filling the car etc....easy to get in and out of......preheat so she has nice toasty car to get into

Reduced tax, fuel costs etc made sense as well

road_high

DaveyDave wrote: »

Would you get a Peugeot 2008 in that budget? Auto, slightly higher up so easier to get into, decent visibility around, reversing camera and rear sensors and decent power too. Some of those small Jap autos are desperately underpowered.

The Honda Jazz would be my pick with what's available if you wanted to avoid a Micra or Yaris.

Lots of 2008s about, they’re on sale since 2014. Decent car, good access abd bkt tiny either. Auto may be harder to find

road_high

DaveyDave wrote: »

Would you get a Peugeot 2008 in that budget? Auto, slightly higher up so easier to get into, decent visibility around, reversing camera and rear sensors and decent power too. Some of those small Jap autos are desperately underpowered.

The Honda Jazz would be my pick with what's available if you wanted to avoid a Micra or Yaris.

Lots of 2008s about, they’re on sale since 2014. Decent car, good access and not tiny either. Auto may be harder to find

anewme

road_high wrote: »

Not true- the small car options and specs have never been better. Go back just 20 ye ars and electric windows were the height of luxury. I think they’re possibly some of the best value cars still. Most bigger cars in the class or two above are double or more the supermini price tags. Retired or older people can have a great car now basically a smaller version of what they might have had before

Car specs and sizes have moved in in general from 20 years ago. Not just small cars.

I spotted a Ford Sierra the other day in a Shopping Centre that is way smaller than its channel equivalent today.

Retired and older people dont have to conform to stereotypes anymore.

Still nothing screams retiree more than a Yaris or Micra.

When I'm 70, I hope there's no one picking a car for me . Well, there wont, because I'm a spinster anyway. #Lifeintheolddogyet