Car for the elderly

I have an aging relative who is well into the golden years of his life that is needing a new vehicle, because he just crashed his 2014 Cruze.  I am trying to convince him to buy something with some nanny gadgets to help keep him out of trouble.  I am looking for vehicle suggestions for a used car that is going to have lane departure warning, brake application, etc.  The car will have to be under $20,000 and almost certainly american made and preferably General Motors; is there anything out there that will fit these requirements?

Does he respond well to flashing lights and sounding chimes / buzzers?  Because that's what the nannies do.  

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Buzzers would be better than flashing lights, but is there a chance they can be more distracting than not?

It's not a GM vehicle but my brother recently bought a new Subaru Forester that has quite a few of those devices - adaptive cruise control, wandering out of your lane warning, car in your blind spot warning, and probably some other stuff.   It's not very exciting but it seems like a pretty decent car.

Dad has a '14 Verano after numerous LeSabres and last a LaCrosse, he likes it and I approve. Same platform as the Cruze but nicer ride and NA 2.4L .

If it has lane departure it's turned off. I like the blind spot indicator in the mirror. Standard B/U cam helps. I synced his cell to the Bluetooth but he never answers phone while driving anyway. He doesn't like nannies but really digs the heated seats. I would prolly own one for a work commuter.

I'd buy another 2014 Cruze, with all the controls exactly where they were before.  I think familiarity might be more productive than lights and buzzers distracting all the time.

BadPax said:

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Buzzers would be better than flashing lights, but is there a chance they can be more distracting than not?

The point I wanted to make is that these systems don't drive the car, they just alert the driver that there's something going on that the driver should do something about.  If the driver doesn't know what he's being alerted about, he's probably not going to benefit.

CR-V & RAV-4 although look like good candidates. Sticker on new one's is a bit above your limit.  They should be dependable & have lots of nannies & warnings.  Ingress & egress are easy too.  That's an important factor for lots of older folks.

Top Gear solved this issue a few seasons ago.

I agree with the Cruze with regard to familiarity.  The only concern I’d have with it (and the Verano) depends on what kind of accident he was in that caused it to be totaled.  The A pillars in those are huge, and make it easy to lose a car (or bicycle or pedestrian) at an intersection.

I can’t say for certain, but I’d assume a lot of recent Buick’s would have the safety features you want.  Maybe a used Encore would be a good idea.  I’m pretty certain it had lane departure warning in 2017 models, but don’t know how far back it was available.

eastsideTim said:

I agree with the Cruze with regard to familiarity.  The only concern I’d have with it (and the Verano) depends on what kind of accident he was in that caused it to be totaled.  The A pillars in those are huge, and make it easy to lose a car (or bicycle or pedestrian) at an intersection.

I can’t say for certain, but I’d assume a lot of recent Buick’s would have the safety features you want.  Maybe a used Encore would be a good idea.  I’m pretty certain it had lane departure warning in 2017 models, but don’t know how far back it was available.

That may be what happened, he was turning left from a side street onto a busy 4 lane road with additional middle turn lane.  He says he never saw the other car and wasn't sure where it came from, the A-pillar blind spot may have contributed.  I haven't seen the aftermath of the wreck but I heard it was a hard hit (multiple air bags deployed, front end of car crushed in) and the Cruze managed to keep him from being injured.

Mom put her foot down about dad’s diminished capabilities, so they got a new CRV with all the safety goodies.  Dad just grumped about the car beeping at him until...

the dealership invited them to attend a familiarization course a few weeks after purchase. Their rep was apparently super patient and spent a few hours in a small group setting to make sure they successfully paired their phones and learned to recognize the attendant lights and sounds of the driver assist features  

Something similar might be valuable after you put your loved one(s) into a new ride. 

My 86 year old father drives a Ford Flex. He loves it.

Corvette.  The answer.  The end.

No specific recommendations, just something SUVish, like a CRV.  Seat height makes getting in and out easier, driving altitude and panoramic windows give better visibility.

I know that nobody wants to think about it, but should this person still  be driving at all? I think it's an important question to ask. Driving aids might help a bit, but things like automatic braking are going to be very difficult to find sub $20k, and aren't meant to be relied upon. If a person isn't used to them, then lane departure warnings or blindspot monitors have the potential to be as much of a distraction as they are a helpful tool.

If it's decided that this person is safe to be on the roads (not only for themselves, but for everybody else) then I might be tempted to go another direction, and get a small pickup from the late 90s-early 2000s. $20k would buy 3-5 nice examples, and at that point they're basically disposable. They'd have the same comfortable ride height as a modern crossover that allows easy ingress/egress. But they would have better overall visibility with smaller pillars and lower beltlines. They'd be new enough to have airbags and fuel injection, but not so new that they're loaded with distracting or confusing tech. Small enough to easily maneuver/park too.

I think one thing that is often over looked for older people is size.  A smaller vehicle is easier to control and it's easier to place the extremities of the car.  Older people have trouble sitting down in to the seat of a car, but lot of cars have high step in heights.  If not, adjust the height of the seat, even if only for entry/exit.  I think almost the opposite problem is now occurring, I notice older people having trouble getting up into crossovers and trucks.

It's well over budget, but if you look at it as paying for fuel up front, maybe a Tesla 3? It can pretty much drive itself and will only get better with software updates. It's a very futureproof choice as an oldpersonmobile.

Personally, I'd look for something as small as possible with the smallest blind spots possible--including A pillars. The A pillar issue may be my number one gripe with newer cars.

I also second the questioning if this person should be driving. Not saying he shouldn't, but take a real, honest assessment. 

A bus ticket.

A 401 CJ said:

Corvette.  The answer.  The end.

Dang it!  Beat me to it.

A $20k used Corvette is just the thing.

After careful review of the requirements set forth by the OP, taking into consideration the history of the driver for whom the vehicle will be purchased with this $20,000 budget.  

I would suggest an I-phone X and $19,000 worth of credit with Uber.

In reply to STM317 :

I would agree that at some point if we live long enough we will get to the point where we just don't have the physical capabilities to safely be on the road.  Just a couple of weeks ago we had an old codger in town have a medical issue and plow through a soccer field with his F-250 and was finally stopped by a couple of trees and a house.  Fortunately there weren't any kids playing soccer on the field. 

My relative hasn't reached the point of having his keys taken away, but that will happen in the next few years.  The more I think about it, the more I think that the driving nannies will be more of a distraction for a guy who can't send a text or check the voicemail on his cell phone.  I am thinking smaller passenger car that is easy to get in and out of with good visibility may be the ticket for him to last out his driving career.

In reply to BadPax :

If he’s going to keep driving, and go with a late model, maybe check out a third gen Honda Fit.  My second gen still had a few visibility issues, but it was better than about anything else new at the time.  Maybe the third gen is even better.  They also have the really cool rear view mirror camera when you hit the right turn signal.  That’s probably more helpful than distracting.

Getting old sucks .  Driving is one of the things I can still do well .   I am more care full at intersections.   "A" posts are not an issue if you keep moving your head.   No distractions in the car.    Properly adjusted mirrors practically eliminate blind spots.

Around here the highway depts. are installing rumble strips in the center line.