People carrier for elderly parents ?

[Deleted User]

Can anyone help with some recommendations please?

I currently drive a Nissan Almera (boring i know but incredibly reliable). However, I need to get something larger and higher so that I can transport my elderly parents around more easily (they find getting in and out of ordinary cars really difficult). One of them is also in a wheelchair (which can be folded up) so that will have to go in the boot).

I never thought I'd end up buying a people carrier but they seem to fit the bill this time.

Does anyone have a people carrier that they can recommend? It needs to be reliable and I only have around £8,000 to spend on a second hand one.

(Or if anyone has any suggestions other than a people carrier in this situation, I'd be interested).

Thanks.

tanith

I'd thoroughly recommend a Vauxhall Zafira, they are excellent for people who find a low car difficult to get into... I've had two as I had a hip-replacement and needed a higher driving position and find them reliable , cheap to run and have a huge boot area that would comfortably take a wheelchair.. they often come up second hand having been used for motability . I have never been let down by either of my Zafiras.. they also have the advantage of the two extra seats under the boot area that my grandkids love to sit in...

[Deleted User]

Thanks Tanith.

The Zafira sounds like a definite possibility.

I'm curious - did you buy yours new? If not, how old were they when you bought them?

I'm going to have to go for a second hand one.

tanith

My first one was 3yrs old and cost me about 5K it was written off when someone hit me from behind.. the replacement was bought from my Vauxhall dealer it was an ex managers car 6mths old and cost me 9K its a 54 plate and is still perfect has never let me down.. I'm sure you could get a nice second hand one for 8K . I often transport an elderly infirm friend and she always comments on how easy it is to get in and out of... it also has a huge flat area when the back seat is folded up and slid right forward its very versatile..

forgotmyname

I looked at a kia sedona, But it was too high, MIL could not climb onto the seat.

Depends on what they can and cannot do when getting in.

vikingaero

You really need to take your parents out with you to try out the cars. Some MPVs have seats that are too high or too low for elderly to get in/out.

One car you should try is the Ford C-MAX. It is popular with Motability customers and has seats that seem to be the right height for most people and doors that open really wide.

funkycoldribena

vikingaero wrote: »

You really need to take your parents out with you to try out the cars. Some MPVs have seats that are too high or too low for elderly to get in/out.

One car you should try is the Ford C-MAX. It is popular with Motability customers and has seats that seem to be the right height for most people and doors that open really wide.

Totally agree,I had an ex-mobility C-max,seats are nice and high,big boot.Perfect for old duffers.

emmell

I bought a Toyota Corolla Verso for taking my Mother out in, the passenger seat is height adjustable like the drivers, so I could have the seat set so that my Mother could get in by putting the back of her legs next to the sill and just sitting down and then twisting round (had a turntable on the seat) and puling her legs in one by one. The wheel chair fitted easy in the boot and even fitted in with one of the rear seats up. I took her and of course the wheelchair when I went test driving, the Zafira wasn't bad but I found the A pillars obstructed vision but my sister has one and loves hers.
I also had the new shape Honda Civic which my Mother could get in and out of fairly easy and the wheelchair fitted great. The biggest problem with my Mother was the width of the sill, because she was only about 5' tall some of the sills were too wide (Seat and A class Merc comes to mind), the step over the sill was too much of a stretch. We were told that sills are getting wider all the time in car design because of crash test safety, makes sense I suppose.
ML.

ScratchandSniff-->[X]

forgotmyname wrote: »

I looked at a kia sedona, But it was too high, MIL could not climb onto the seat.

Depends on what they can and cannot do when getting in.

Agree - my mum struggles with the Sedona, though I think you can get running boards (ick). She was okay with a Zafira, and obviously not an MPV but she found a Sierra Estate too low. A transit she was okay with as they had nice big steps.

teachergirl

We have renault sceinics which I use to transport my elderly and frail parents. They love them compared to other cars. We bought both of them second hand and have had no real problems with them at all and one is a seven seater which means we can take the whole family out at once. I do agree with the OP that you might be best taking them with you to try them out as it may be different for different people.

daveyjp

At 95 my grandmother is virtually wheelchair bound, but getting her into my dad's Honda Jazz is easy. The folded wheelchair stands up in the boot too.