what car r we driving

colin13

hi I suffer from MSso my mobility is limited,, getting in and out of my other car was an effort,,2 1/2 years ago i got a ford focus c max which because of it height is great ,, i am due to get another car on mobility in 6 months time I went tlooking and saw a nissan qashqai a lovely car again tht bit higher for easy access

what do u all drive and what advice do u give when looking for another car:beer:

Babshubbie

When my wife became disabled I bought a Nissan Note. Because of the high seats she can get in and especially out of it more easily than some cars. The "boot" space is great as the rear seats not only fold but also slide forward. It is economical, we think it looks good and it is not large and thus easy to park.

If you have seen the Qashqai, you may have seen the Note. It is worth a test drive. Good luck.

somebody_else

I was looking for a new car last year. Previously had a Micra, but really don't like the new model, nowhere near as comfortable as my 51 model.

I did try the Nissan Note, but the smallest engine they do is a 1.4 which is much bigger than I need.

There is a peugeot (sorry, not sure of the spelling) on the market which has sliding doors which makes getting in and out for driver and front passenger easier, but I know a couple of people who've got them, and the cars have had to go back more than once to get problems with the sliding doors sorted. They're all well and good when they work using the electronics, but if you've got to open them manually they are incredibly heavy. Not much use if you're not very strong.

I settled in the end for the Honda Jazz - very similar to the Note, but it comes in a 1.2 if you don't need a particularly powerful engine, but having driven both, I can't tell any difference between a Jazz 1.2 and the Note 1.4. The driver's seat is adjustable for height, which makes it much easier to get out of.

One of the beauties of the Jazz is that not only do the back seats fold flat so you've got plenty of room in the boot if you need it, but the back seats also lift up so it's easy to get something (perhaps a folded manual wheelchair) into the space behind the front seat. Not easy to explain if you've not seen it in action, but I certainly find it useful.

Purely from a cosmetic point of view (and entirely my opinion) the Jazz is a 'sleeker' car than the Note - I actually parked next to one a couple of days ago, and there was a large buildup of dead leaves in the the dip at the bottom of the windshield.

somebody_else

Oh, something I forgot to mention - I've yet to bang my head getting in or out of the Jazz. Something I do quite a lot on various models of smaller car because the stanchions slope so much.

sportage1kia

Hi there
Just happen to see your thread. I too am changing my car next year, but need one with high seats and good boot space, friends and family have recommended the Vauxhall Meriva, but have been advised to test drive every car first before chosing.
Regards

Babshubbie

sportage1kia wrote: »

Hi there
Just happen to see your thread. I too am changing my car next year, but need one with high seats and good boot space, friends and family have recommended the Vauxhall Meriva, but have been advised to test drive every car first before chosing.
Regards

That is good advice, especially because of your specialist needs.

Sailor_Sam

I've a fiesta, just 3yrs old, had it about 15mths. I think maybe my first 'nice' car, use to old bangers. So i don't know i'm born, you turn the key and it goes, and there's no oil on the path. It was lovely last winter to have a heater that worked !!

D&DD

Colin that's funny we've been out looking around for a car and we've decided on one of those Qashqai's
We were set on another Renault Scenic but this blew it out of the water!
We also were quite impressed with the Toyota Verso as the access was really good in the back and rear seats,but the Qashqai's rear seats even are adjustable which was a bonus and the height and head/legroom were ideal for DS2.

easy

sportage1kia wrote: »

have been advised to test drive every car first before chosing.
Regards

That is really really important, and do make it clear to the salesman that you need a proper drive, not just ten minutes round the corner. Some garages can (if you are insistent) let you use the car for half a day, or even 24 hours, so you can try it in all conditions for you, including loading stuff you might need in it.

My last car (on motability) was a vauxhall astra estate. I thought it was ok on a short drive, and signed up for it, but after about 3 weeks I HATED the ruddy thing, a hard ride, hard seats that neither dh (5 ft 10) nor I (4 ft 11) could ever adjust to be really comfy on long journeys, poor rear visibility, just not right, and of course I was stuck with it on the lease for 3 years.

This time I took my time over it, and I'm thrilled with my Renault Megane Sports Tourer.

Mind you as I need an automatic, it can be VERY hard indeed to get one for a test drive.

philnicandamy

I agree.... most dealers will struggle to find an auto vehicle for you to test drive, I struggled on a few occasions with trying to find a car for myself on the motability scheme...most dealers will bring out a manual car to say "its virtually the same car honest"

In the end I opted for a Nissan Note & to be honest a little worried about it at first but to be honest?was all for nothing its a brilliant little (or not so little) car

Although the Quashqui....splish spash....the big one! and the nissan note are due an update next year (new shape & better specs)

TomsMom

We don't need a car with high seats for disability reasons, just that we find high seats more comfortable and don't get the backache that I experience with normal seats.

We're just changing from a Suzuki Wagon R+ (no longer made but has high seats) and are awaiting delivery of a Renault Modus - lovely to drive, high seats, driver's seat can also be raised even higher. We're having the Dynamique 1.2 Turbo which our local dealer recommended for the type of roads we have in our locality (hilly Wales). Grande Modus is slightly longer but same in other respects.

I think once you've had high seats it's difficult to go back to normal seats.