Help my granny choose her next car
Discussion
She wants to get a car in I think June. Wants to spend about fifteen grand. Wants it to be new. Engine to be not much smaller and not much bigger than 1.6 litres. Manual by choice. Small hatchback. Also it can't be a skoda, because they were terrible twenty five years ago.
Her current car is a 2001 reg 1.6 ghia fiesta (the one I took my driving test in, in fact) - she's had it from new.
Also, intelligent arguments on which of these requirements can be bent, and why, (they seem peculiar to me) would be appreciated.
My personal opinion is she should get a 2 year oldish fiat 500, ideally without a clutch pedal, or something. Nevertheless I would rather she is happy than she makes a rational choice, if you see what I mean.
Edit: Also it has to be a four door
Edit 2: I think between 90bhp and 130bhp sensible
Her current car is a 2001 reg 1.6 ghia fiesta (the one I took my driving test in, in fact) - she's had it from new.
Also, intelligent arguments on which of these requirements can be bent, and why, (they seem peculiar to me) would be appreciated.
My personal opinion is she should get a 2 year oldish fiat 500, ideally without a clutch pedal, or something. Nevertheless I would rather she is happy than she makes a rational choice, if you see what I mean.
Edit: Also it has to be a four door
Edit 2: I think between 90bhp and 130bhp sensible
Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Tuesday 10th April 18:05
Jasandjules said:
Is she a s**e driver? If so, Nissan Micra, seems to be what all the hopeless old ladies drive.
My Grandma came over yesterday, she's got a 60-plate 1.2 n-tec. Went out to run through a couple of functions on the in-built Sat-Nav and noticed the bonnet was open on the catch, apparently it'd been like that for about two weeks. Fail on Nissan's behalf for placing the bonnet and filler cap release handles next to each other under the steering wheel...
Previous car was a 2008 Mercedes SLK200 Kompressor Auto which she fell out with after it moved when her foot slipped off the brake in traffic.
Jasandjules said:
Is she a s**e driver? If so, Nissan Micra, seems to be what all the hopeless old ladies drive.
I would say for an eighty something year old she is reasonably good. She is not a great driver any more but fairly safe. Not a slow coach either; while it would be incorrect to call her a speed demon, she is not afraid to go a bit over the NSL. She even overtakes on occasion! Having said that she did go the wrong way around a roundabout not too long ago... but it was a slightly non standard road layout. I also find her gear selection to be interesting (basically she doesn't like to use second gear) which is one reason I think she would be better off with an automatic. Also her left ankle is a bit dodgy so even a semi-auto would be better. But she doesn't want to change having driven manuals all her life, which I understand. She won't be attempting to make any long cross country trips.
Never been a big fan of small cars ever! However I have to say the new vw polo is a fantastic car. A 1.4-1.6 match trim which has reasonable spec with 7speed dsg box which is flawless comes in at under 15k and much lower if u get a lower spec car or no auto.
I would certainly advise against new. Get one with couple k millage. Say under 3k and you will save an absolute bundle
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Should get this one for 11k. 6 months old. Save 4k and put in the bank for four years worth of holidays lol
Edited by IATM on Monday 9th April 20:50
Somewhatfoolish said:
... which is one reason I think she would be better off with an automatic.
It's generally considered to be a bad idea to change an elderly driver over to auto if they've only ever driven manual's - those accidents you hear of where elderly drivers put cars through shop windows etc are often caused by confusion over the pedals.However if you do want to look at Jazz (which I agree with many others is the obvious choice) they've just switched back to a CVT auto after a couple of years with an automated manual box.
Edited by Deva Link on Monday 9th April 22:41
davepoth said:
Another one for the Jazz. It's economical, small, easy to get in and out of, and comes in nice colours.
We had an original CVT - 53 plate - had to wait six months for delivery - that extended to 9 months for the Mama Clarkson pink (unless you are Mama Clarkson).Mrs Mercs now has a 58 plate iShift in pink - no wait due to the recession. No CVT at the time - bum. Wider than the old model - especially squeezing the mirrors through the gate posts.
Would recommend a current CVT - although personally I found the seating postion of the old model better. They even do two browns now - VW, BMW and Mercedes also do brown quite well right now IMHO ! The 'dull' one looks really nice. Pink is off the menu at present, unless your name is Clarkson.
Personal best - 70mpg in an iShift - on a medium journey driven better than a vicar. 63mpg in the old CVT, over a full tank.
Only downfall to note - and seen on other vehicles - rear discs do not wear as well as drum brakes - discs prefer heavier braking not normally associated with 'old farts'. New DISCS and pads quoted at £260 after three years - we have managed to avoid the cost so far - just !
As a second choice - my mother has a Nissan Note on Motability. Better seating position and possibly better space. She has only done 15k over 5 years in two cars so I can't really comment on problems / wear (although half those miles have been with me at the wheel). 42mpg mostly on short journeys.
Deva Link said:
It's generally considered to be a bad idea to change an elderly driver over to auto if they've only ever driven manual's - those accidents you hear of where elderly drivers put cars through shop windows etc are often caused by confusion over the pedals.
How big an issue is that, though, really? It seems to happen just as much with yanks, who presumably have been driving around with two pedals almost all their life. Especially if we don't have to go with PRND but could find something resembling a traditional gate... actually the gear selector is going to be pretty important here and I don't really know what you find on small hatchbacks. I obviously do not know what it is like to be elderly - I have taken loads of drugs before, but that probably doesn't count - but I believe she could cope. It's so hard to know though. She is very switched on in a number of ways. Appearances can be so deceptive though and she is clearly less capable in some ways than she seems, although also I think more capable in some other ways...
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