OT: Suitable small auto car for elderly mother

[Nightjar]

I didn't bother to check beyond a quick Google.

Her next car will probably be a Smart.

Colin Bignell

[Huge]

My other half passed her driving test in an automatic and hence can only drive them. Like a lot of women she prefers a small car, so we've spent several decades looking for small automatics. And I would concur with the comment that they are like hen's teeth.

[Rob]

Perhaps a Mini? Seem popular with older women for some reason.

Rob

[dennis]

Buy her an electric car.

[dennis]

All Smart cars are clutchless including the manual ones.

[Mike P]

On Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:50:17 +0000, Dave Plowman (News) boggled us with:

The 7 speed auto in my Dad's Jazz knocks spots off anything I've ever driven from BMW - admittedly the newest BM auto I've ever driven was a 00 plate 3 series. There's also the issue of fuel "economy"

That, or a Toyota are the only small autos I'd recommend though.

[Tim Downie]

Something

Without meaning to be terribly agist my own expereince would suggest = that parking ability and size/gap judgement decline with age. There's = got to be a reason why so many older folk prefer smaller cars.

Tim

[fred]

No 3 son, who because of a fractured hip in his teens now has a pin it and cannot articulate his leg fully, had a clutchless Yaris. Not automatic. Just no clutch. Changed gear with the gear lever as normal just no need to dip a clutch. No auto box to sap the power.Simplest car I ever drove. Unfortunately some cretinous b***h pulled out in front of him one morning and wrote the car off. The replacement Yaris had an automatic box and was a pathetic gutless thing. Sold it and bought an automatic Boxter. Overpaid with a computer science degree doing system support for one of the mobile phone companies. 30. Still living in subsidised accomodatiobn (i.e.) at home. I'm basically just jealous.

Paul Mc Cann

[Grant]

A few, I've been looking at one:

1 Series Mitsubishi Colt Toyota Yaris Renault Modus

[Lobster]

All this talk about going diesel - is there actually any reason at all why that would be a *good* idea in this case? I would have thought that for a small low-mileage vehicle there would be no justifiaction at all?

David

[Adrian]

Lobster gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

None at all. But people aren't rational, and go "Oooh, I want a diesel, because it'll be cheap to run", since spending money on fuel is the most easily visible variable running cost.

[The Natural Philosopher]

diesel freelander, if you class that as 'small'

Or ageing in-laws find it easy to get into - highish seats for crutch users..

MPG about 30-34 depending on short/long runs.

Not MUCH bigger than small car.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Maintenance costs are a it lower IME.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Sub 5000 miles annual maintenance and tax/insurance become extremely significant parts of the equation.

[Skipweasel]

Diesel engines last pretty well forever compared to petrol - particularly for short journeys were they don't suffer from the "petrol washing the oil off the bores" problem.

[Steve Firth]

Adrian wrote: [snip]

I'd be tempted to go for the 500 or the Panda in that case. But I suspect the auto options are limited.

[Adrian]

Steve Firth gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

There's auto versions of both 500 & Panda.

[Bill]

In message , Lobster writes

Well, this may not be relevant, but... For business use I had an Omega estate. Did 40mpg on motorways. Then family bereavement resulted in having to do 2 or 3 sets of tiny journeys per day bringing widow to shops, cemetery, our house to eat etc etc. 2 years have passed and we are still doing this. Omega's mpg had dropped to 7.5, presumably on full auto choke all the time.

After asking here, went against advice and got a Skoda Octavia manual diesel ( Never again or anything else with a dual mass flywheel). It does 60 to 70 mpg (less at over 60mph -poor aerodynamics?) on runs and between 25 to 35 on the tiny journeys.

I wish I'd held on for the auto diesel Merc C-class that came available just after we went Skoda. Son has one and I'm jealous.

All modern cars are too complex. Small ones are hopeless with no spare wheel and very cramped.

Like the OP, I love my diesel auto Disco. Maybe, if she admired that, a second one in the family would make sense? ( I get about 22 on the tiny trips in that and hit 31 on long journeys)

[john MacArthur]

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Suzuki swift auto. On top gear program they said it was a good car

[robgraham]

Mother of 91 drives a 2 year old auto VW Golf - loves it. Mainly local driving but comes 50 miles up to Edinburgh every so often.