Mid-size car recommendation for senior fellow?

you fine folks might have some suggestions.

and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a sedan's trunk. A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than average and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

PT Cruiser, all the way.

ny of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

in and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a sed= an's trunk. =A0A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than averag= e and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

he can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

what about a subaru forester. i don't like them myself, but it sounds like it would fit him. my brother in law has one... seems to like it.

of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a sedan's trunk.  A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than average and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

I don't know about where you are, but here a Sube brings a lot higher price than a PT of the same year in the same condition. $5000 buys a pretty nice PT cruiser, 2003 2004, 60,000 miles +/-

f any of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

uff in and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a = sedan's trunk. =A0A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than ave= rage and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

hat he can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

I'm not comfortable with the reliability on the PT Cruiser, but thats probably just my dodge stigma acting up again.

That being said, a 2003-2005 subaru forester can be had for around and under that ten thousand mark.

any of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

in and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a sedan's trunk.  A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than average and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

he can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

Reliability? Mine has a leaky rad seal (crimp tank to core) that will require replacing the rad soon, and I put tie rod ends in a couple months ago. Needs plugs changed. other than that just normal wear and tear like tires and brakes over 8 years and 135,000 km. Oh, and I replaced the battery and it had a bad cable end.

Pretty darn reliable as far as I see it.

Thanks a lot, C & P!! Forester and PT were on my list too. Personally = I'm a Ford feller all the way, but none of the Fords with good marks are = easy to get in and out of.

if any of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

stuff in and out of the back without bending over like you have to do = with a sedan's trunk. A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter = than average and could not see out the back or read side windows very = well.

that he can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

any of you fine folks might have some suggestions.

in and out of the back without bending over like you have to do with a sedan's trunk.  A Toyota Matrix was perfect except he is shorter than average and could not see out the back or read side windows very well.

he can just slide into and not have to step up or crawl down in.

The PT's are actually pretty darn reliable if you read most of the reviews. Subs fetch a premium which means you pay for the repairs you may or may not make in the price you pay up front.

Have you looked at a new, or late model used, Mercury Grand Marquis? It is the best value on the market today for those who want a roomy, safe, nicely equipped automobile with a huge trunk, that gets good fuel mileage. Drive and price one, before you decide to buy a small car, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised

The PT and Forester are not midi-size vehicles, they classified as small vehicles.

Other than being big enough to be intimidating to some when it comes to parking I'd definitely agree. But I sure see a lot of them driven by old guys and gals with the bumpers all scuffed to heck.

The Grand Marquis isn'r mid-sized either - and although the PT is a small car, it is a BIG small car. A 6'2 guy can sit upright in it wearing a fedora or a Stetson, and although it is a 4 door, a guy with stiff knees can still get his legs in.

If you're looking at used vehicles, the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, as well as the 2008-2009 Taurus/Sables are all very easy to get in and out of for seniors. My mobility limited in-laws love their Sable because you can literally just slide sideways into it. No step up or step down. It was intentionally designed that way to allow for easy of entry as well as a command position of the road, similar to SUV's. All of them have good service records as well.

Derek

My 84-year old dad gets into and out of his Five Hundred very easily. He also gets into and out of my Ford Focus easily, too.

Jeff

That is another nice feature of the Grand Marquis, it is the ONLY car on the market today that has both front and rear bumpers that are rated at TWICE the NHTSA requirement for bumpers. ;)

The Crown Vic also has the same bumpers but Ford no longer offers a retail CV

You are correct, the Grand Marquis like the Taurus are rated as full-size cars. But would you rather be riding in a small car with no trunk or a BIG car when you are rear-ended by a Semi? ;)

bigger isnt always better

Ya right! Apples to pears.

I spent many years of my life as an automotive design engineer, many of them designing crumple zone for small, mid-size and large cars.

One can not defy the laws of physics. The larger the vehicle the more room we had to build in crumple zones that can do a far better job of reducing the terminal speed(S) of the collision(S.)

You are free to believe whatever you chose, but I chose to never be found dead is a small or midget vehicle. I will always chose the larger heavier safer vehicles for my family.

bigger isnt always better

I won't be found dead in any car!

In my final ride to crematorium, I expect that they will know I am dead before I am put in.

Jeff

If I have a choice I want to die like my Uncle Joe, at 100, in his SLEEP!

Not like the other three guys in his small car, SCREAMING ;)