Finding a vehicle for my mom: One big requirement

Dogbert said:
The Nissan Cube is one of the most miserable cars I've ever driven.

Get a first-gen Scion xB. They inadvertently became renowned for being easy on people with difficulty moving, with such a low ground clearance (6") and SUV-ish driving position, and you can get a good one for about $10k.

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Makes sense. Those cars are ironically mostly bought by the elderly here.
 
Transit Connect is interesting but I'm not sure my mom could be sold on it.

Flex she says is too difficult to get in or out of.

I'm not sure about the Honda Fit, might be a bit low, they need something with a decent hip point.

Element she says is ugly, but then again she might be willing to buy something ugly if it's easy to drive.

Nissan I can't see them getting in general, my brother had serious problems with his Rogue so they're probably not willing.

Mazda 5 seems like it could work, depends on if they think 2 hours is too far for a dealer. Can they be serviced at a Ford store?

Scion xB was never sold in Canada.
 
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You might want to try an Equinox. I hate driving the thing personally, but my mother loves it. She has some issues with ingress and egress herself (though nothing near MS).
 
2Billion said:
Nissan I can't see them getting in general, my brother had serious problems with his Rogue so they're probably not willing.
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Try the Versa, if nothing else. I know a couple people who have had/do have Versae and love them. That could also be too low, though, if you think a Fit would be too low.

2Billion said:
Mazda 5 seems like it could work, depends on if they think 2 hours is too far for a dealer. Can they be serviced at a Ford store?
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Probably not.

2Billion said:
Scion xB was never sold in Canada.
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Canada! And here I thought you were 'murican. :p
 
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Hmm, I feel strange saying this, but how about a Dodge Journey? Quite high, a bit vanish without being a plumbers job vehicle, decent interior (for a Chrysler), cheap. Or a Kia Sportage. No idea what it costs in Canada as they don't have it on their site but in the South it starts at 18 Clevelands. I had a sit in the ix35 today and while it's still acres of hard plastic (where's my foam Korea? I'm waiting.) the overall impression is that it's very liveable*. I assume the KIA (having the habit of being better than Hyundai for less money) should match or surpass it's cousin.

* I lie. Don't like it. The headliner in the ix35 is a joke, it's just as hard as the dashboard. It annoyed me greatly. How hard can it be? I mean it's not cheap. Far from it. Starts at 200 000 SEK. That's alot. And that doesnt even include anything. Goes all the way up over the 320-mark. That's ?34k. And to get leather, you have to buy an automatic gearbox, weather you want one or not. Not that you'd want it, the leather is more slippery than a lubed up prostitute in a bobsleigh track. What does the seats have to do with the gearbox Hyundai? Doesnt make sense. I'd rather have a Ford Kuga. Or a VW Tiguan, they both cost as much as the korean if want anything but an empty shell. And you can spec them just as you want to.
 
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Dude! C5 vette. They are cheap on the used market, have great brakes, good passing torque, a 6 speed to keep the noise down at highway speeds, a low lip like you ask, and can get 30mpg!

:D
 
If you cannot get the Scion I highly urge her to consider the Element.
 
I hate suggesting this, but think about the Scion xD. Know that it didn't preform well in Euro-NCAP testing (as the Toyota Urban Cruiser) but still ranks fine in US testing (no idea about transport canada), but it has a very van-like interior, tall seating position, small overall size, and friendly price point. Chevy HHR also has a tall seating position in a low car. But, um, it's still a Chevy.
 
I would also like to point out the civility, maturity and sensibility in this thread is quite commendable.

Give yourself a pat on the back, Final Gear. We are above the fray. :)
 
I second the xB and Soul. Also look at the Kia Rondo (AKA Carens to euro markets) as well as the Mazda5 if she enjoys the extra space and seating of a minivan but want's something smaller.

laxmax613 said:
no doblos in the states.
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thevictor390 said:
This should happen eventually but they will be largely rebadged as Chryslers IIRC. Nothing much has happened yet.
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Yeah, as much as I have a soft spot for the Doblo, it's not available here quite yet (but is expected soon) and no one knows whether the true minivan version will arrive. I sure hope it does, so Ford would perhaps be a bit more willing to bring the minivan version of the Transit Connect, the Tourneo Connect, over.

*edited below for 2billon's responses*

Hmm, I also have to agree with AIR regarding the journey. Local dealer, decent interior, nice price.
 
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My brother has a Journey, so we shall see how that holds up. I'm leery as hell about the things, but maybe they didn't ruin them.

The Equinox (or the GMC equivalent) could be a pretty good contender, as could the Kia Sportage. I thought the Hyundai ix/Tuscan might have had a bit high a lip though.

The Element seems like it might be the winner here, depends on what they think of going a little bit further than their favorite dealer - a Ford store - in order to get one. Ford have anything down the pipe that might have the ingress/egress qualities I need?
 
My wife is quite happy with her Element, so I'd add a recommendation. Her father is elderly and has a bad hip and had no trouble getting in and out of the vehicle. I know she thinks it's ugly, but you can't see it when you're driving it. Also, the Element SC doesn't have any unpainted plastic bodywork, so it looks more "normal":

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Also, the front doors on the element open a full 90 degrees, and they're unusually large for doors (including having essentially no door sill at the bottom), so I suspect they'd be very good for her getting in and out.

You might want to check out Honda's mobility assistance program.
http://automobiles.honda.com/information/mobility-assistance.aspx

Also, with the new Odyssey coming out, she might be able to get a raging deal on the current-gen one.

Ford have anything down the pipe that might have the ingress/egress qualities I need?
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Transit Connect, in "wagon" trim so it has rear windows. That and the Element should be the first two on her list to test-drive.
 
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2Billion said:
My brother has a Journey, so we shall see how that holds up. I'm leery as hell about the things, but maybe they didn't ruin them.

The Equinox (or the GMC equivalent) could be a pretty good contender, as could the Kia Sportage. I thought the Hyundai ix/Tuscan might have had a bit high a lip though.

The Element seems like it might be the winner here, depends on what they think of going a little bit further than their favorite dealer - a Ford store - in order to get one. Ford have anything down the pipe that might have the ingress/egress qualities I need?
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The 2011 Sportage styling may be a bit well.... polarizing, (although I quite like it) and rearward visiblity appears to be pretty iffy with that huge D pillar.

2011sportage-rs.jpg


The fuel economy though is very good, esp. compared to the old model. My parents had a 2nd gen Sportage though and loved it. It looks more conventional than the new model, and is likely cheaper due to dealers wanting to get rid of stock. Downsides of the outgoing model are crap fuel economy no matter the trim level due to the too small 2.0 I4 and the ancient 2.7 V6, and some interior decontenting in later years.

Ford will have the C-Max and Grand C-Max. Both are basically the same underneath as the refreshed Mazda5, while Grand C-Max has a additional row of seats and sliding doors. That last row looks wayyy less comfortable though than the third row in either Rondo or Mazda5

The Element is a great choice as well, with its large doors and easy entry height.
 
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I know you said they might not consider a Dodge, but the Dodge Magnum might work. The car is basically an old E-Class wagon. The 3.5L V6 is Mercedes based. You can probably find a used one for cheap (if they were sold in Canada).
 
The 3.5L V6 in that car is not Mercedes based, but a descendant/variant of the original 3.5L from the pre-Mercedes-raping Chrysler 3.5 V6.
 
I know a girl with a Magnum, with that engine. It was replaced after a couple years. I know, anecdotal evidence, but not going to tell my mom to look at that.

The C-Max and Grand C-Max seem interesting - third row not a priority, they're old - and an Element is really a contender. Not sure how long they're willing to wait, but knowing that my dad likes Ford they might be willing to wait for a C-Max or Kuga or what have you.
 
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