My 68 year-old mother is finally ready to upgrade her car. Yay! But, as always, there are snowflakes... Background:
My mother is 68 years old. She is retired. She is tall. She is a woman of size. Her mobility is limited. She has had both knees replaced, has arthritis and often doesn't feel too good. She doesn't drive much. Most days, she probably drives about 10 miles. She drives to various doctor's offices, to the grocery store, and to shuttle around her grandkids on good roads in the suburbs of the DC metro area. She's currently driving an ancient shitwagon hand-me-down American sedan that's 20+ years old and has no air conditioning. She is not very financially savvy or techno savvy. I can drive her to dealerships and help with figuring out logistics and internet research. I would like to get her in something newer as soon as possible, as she has been sick and going out in the summer heat is making her worse.
Priorities:
Safety and reliability are the two biggest priorities, both for her sake and because she often transports her young grandchildren. She also needs excellent air conditioning. The southern heat makes her feel sick and prevents her from going out. She needs good visibility - not a car with thick pylons obstructing the rear view or excessively small windows. Simplicity - she doesn't need tons of gadgets to learn and panels to distract her. Lots of legroom and seatroom, and a very adjustable steering wheel/column. She has a hard time getting in and out of small cars like my Prius, and can have a hard time buckling her seatbelt if there's a large central console between the driver's seat and passenger's seat. The car needs to have room for two kids, two car seats and gear for the kids.
Money:
My mother is retired and lives on a fixed income. She receives a pension from the labor union that she used to work for. She told me that she could put down $1,000 and could pay $230 per month. She belongs to a credit union. I'm not sure how good her credit is. I believe she declared bankruptcy when I was a child and hasn't used a credit card in many years. She owns a condo but hasn't paid it off yet.
Options?
What's the best plan of attack here? New, used or lease? What makes and models should we be looking at?
I want her to test drive a Kia Soul because it was ranked #1 compact car by US News and World Reports, and her local dealership has models advertised online for just under $15k as well as great reviews as a dealership on Yelp.
Regardless of model, I was thinking a new car would provide the most peace of mind and warranty protection.
But she loves station wagons, and has always wanted a Subaru Outback (despite the fact that she has never driven one). I'm going to take her out to the Subaru dealership for a test drive as well, but am worried about the expense. New Outbacks are much more expensive than Souls, and I feel uneasy putting her in a used car because of the difficulty she would have if there were surprise maintenance issues.
She also wants to test drive an Accord and an Element because they got top ratings from Consumer Reports.
Hope me, Metafilter! I know exactly what I would buy for myself, but I'm so worried about getting my mom a safe car that's also a good deal that also accommodates her specific needs that I'm spinning around in circles at the moment.
My mother is 68 years old. She is retired. She is tall. She is a woman of size. Her mobility is limited. She has had both knees replaced, has arthritis and often doesn't feel too good. She doesn't drive much. Most days, she probably drives about 10 miles. She drives to various doctor's offices, to the grocery store, and to shuttle around her grandkids on good roads in the suburbs of the DC metro area. She's currently driving an ancient shitwagon hand-me-down American sedan that's 20+ years old and has no air conditioning. She is not very financially savvy or techno savvy. I can drive her to dealerships and help with figuring out logistics and internet research. I would like to get her in something newer as soon as possible, as she has been sick and going out in the summer heat is making her worse.
Priorities:
Safety and reliability are the two biggest priorities, both for her sake and because she often transports her young grandchildren. She also needs excellent air conditioning. The southern heat makes her feel sick and prevents her from going out. She needs good visibility - not a car with thick pylons obstructing the rear view or excessively small windows. Simplicity - she doesn't need tons of gadgets to learn and panels to distract her. Lots of legroom and seatroom, and a very adjustable steering wheel/column. She has a hard time getting in and out of small cars like my Prius, and can have a hard time buckling her seatbelt if there's a large central console between the driver's seat and passenger's seat. The car needs to have room for two kids, two car seats and gear for the kids.
Money:
My mother is retired and lives on a fixed income. She receives a pension from the labor union that she used to work for. She told me that she could put down $1,000 and could pay $230 per month. She belongs to a credit union. I'm not sure how good her credit is. I believe she declared bankruptcy when I was a child and hasn't used a credit card in many years. She owns a condo but hasn't paid it off yet.
Options?
What's the best plan of attack here? New, used or lease? What makes and models should we be looking at?
I want her to test drive a Kia Soul because it was ranked #1 compact car by US News and World Reports, and her local dealership has models advertised online for just under $15k as well as great reviews as a dealership on Yelp.
Regardless of model, I was thinking a new car would provide the most peace of mind and warranty protection.
But she loves station wagons, and has always wanted a Subaru Outback (despite the fact that she has never driven one). I'm going to take her out to the Subaru dealership for a test drive as well, but am worried about the expense. New Outbacks are much more expensive than Souls, and I feel uneasy putting her in a used car because of the difficulty she would have if there were surprise maintenance issues.
She also wants to test drive an Accord and an Element because they got top ratings from Consumer Reports.
Hope me, Metafilter! I know exactly what I would buy for myself, but I'm so worried about getting my mom a safe car that's also a good deal that also accommodates her specific needs that I'm spinning around in circles at the moment.