Why older drivers should listen to advice too

Just as a first-time driver should listen to the best advice when buying a car, so too should the older buyer.

If a young driver is best served by a car that presents as few challenges as possible in terms of driveability, while offering high levels of passive and active safety as it caters to both the ego and practical needs, the needs of an older driver, in many ways, are not dissimilar (Realistically, in fact, the same criteria applies to any driver of any age group).

However older drivers – and we are generalising here – face a more specific set of realities with the power to make the new-car experience either positive, or downright disastrous.

Take this not-uncommon example. A man well past retirement age – but generally fit and healthy – has a long-held yearning to own a sporty two-seat coupe and decides to bite the bullet by striking a deal with his friendly new-car salesman.

He takes the slinky two-door for a short test drive and, although he notes the slightly difficult entry and egress imposed by the low-slung coupe with its kerb-level seats, wide-opening doors and squat roofline, he is so enchanted by the rakish lines and snug interior that he decides to sign on the dotted line anyway.

It’s not long after the disenchantment starts. Our new owner finds that, though climbing down in the encasing, sculpted seats is easy enough, getting back out is something else again – particularly in tight parking spots where the wide driver’s door can only be opened so far and egress is only possible with a certain amount of physical flexibility. In this case, the onset of arthritis didn’t help.

Difficulties such as these, plus the limited rear three-quarter view imposed by the coupe roofline (combined with the older driver’s typically reduced ability to crane his head for a better view), are among the things that quickly begin to dissolve the initial pleasure of ownership, even if he still looks like Clint Eastwood on the way to his yacht club. In the end the coupe, most of the time, lived in the garage unused if not forgotten.

As with most new-car choices, buying what you need, rather than what you think you need, should always be near the top of the list of priorities.

And, thankfully, that doesn’t necessarily mean older drivers should be buying only practical and boring cars.

Once again generalising, there are a number of things that make driving a different experience for older drivers. Not everything can be addressed simply via the choice of car, but many things can.

And, referring again to the aforementioned example of a mismatch between car and driver, one of the most common difficulties experienced by older drivers is climbing in and out.

A work colleague’s father recently faced the decision about what he should choose to replace his aging, mid-size front-drive family car. Should he buy something similar again, or should he buy something smaller and easier to drive?

To his surprise, he found what he expected would be the ideal conveyance – a popular small Japanese hatch – sat a lot lower to the ground than he realised and actually brought entry and egress problems that didn’t exist in his family sedan. A problem that hadn’t existed suddenly became a big issue.

It all comes down to the H-Point.

One of the fundamentals of car design concerns the hip point (H-Point), which is the level of the seat cushion relative to a person standing next to the vehicle. A full-size 4WD vehicle will have a high H-Point and a ground-hugging sports car a low H-Point.

While a high or low H-Point may not be of concern to many car buyers, it’s of significance to drivers – or passengers – with even slightly compromised mobility. Climbing up into a tall 4WD is no easier for some people than clambering up and out of a lowline coupe.

The good news is that the proliferation of body types available in today’s car market is such that practically anybody can find a vehicle that comes close to perfectly matching their individual stature.

Among the most appropriate configurations, in fact, are not the small hatches and sedans that are proliferating today, but the small to mid-size SUVs. In just about every case the H-point is higher than a regular sedan, but not extraordinarily so, which means that getting into the car involves no contortions or athleticism. The same with stepping out.

At the same time, because these SUVs usually have small-car origins in terms of their basic platforms, the general driveability and handling are of the same order: Light and responsive, safe and reasonably economical – as well as (generally) offering mini-wagon load capacity. And, depending on which you choose, there’s the choice between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive as well.

That’s not to say a small hatch or sedan will not suit a lot of older drivers. H-Points vary here too, and some will offer easier access than others.

A more elevated H-Point is often accompanied by a higher floor in the cargo area, which once again helps take the wince out of loading bulky objects.

Also to be considered is the generosity of passenger space inside the cabin – the larger the passenger area, the easier it is to get comfortable.

Like buying shoes that fit properly, the benefits of a car that fits you well will be felt and appreciated during the entire life of the vehicle.

Another factor to be considered is, as mentioned earlier, the field of vision from the driver’s seat: Many small hatches today are quite compromised in this respect because of the now-common upswept side window lines and the smaller rear windows that often result.

Less noticeable, but nevertheless worth considering, forward vision can be compromised too by the location and thickness of the windscreen pillars, or even the external rearview mirrors.

Of course the car’s steering is a factor too. Small cars (and SUVs) generally steer with a briskness lacking in many larger vehicles, which usually makes parking and general manoeuvring a whole lot easier.

Of course an automatic transmission will always make driving a bit easier – without necessarily impacting things such as fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Modern autos, be they CVTs, DSGs or conventional, often challenge manual transmissions these days in terms of overall efficiency.

And, with the thriftiness in mind that most of us should all consider, it’s also worth noting how well a modern four-cylinder will perform – normally aspirated or turbo – while still delivering low fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Unless you have heavy towing in mind – and then you will probably be requiring a bigger vehicle anyway – a six or a V8 is generally redundant.

For all drivers it’s a good idea to browse the chosen car’s electronic safety systems. Anti-lock brakes, stability control and multiple airbags are all standard these days but a number of new driver-assistance systems such as lane-change warning, blind spot detection, radar cruise control (which matches speed with the vehicle travelling in front of you on the freeway) and collision avoidance are beginning to filter down from the top end of the market.

All these things promise to improve road safety in general and, in particular, that of older drivers.