Buying A New Vehicle For Bad Back/Knees?

As mentioned, getting in and out is the biggest factor, and having a small-ish SUV with more upright seating helps with that. But another issue to look for is good visibility. My neck ain't as flexible as it was, and almost everyone loses some peripheral vision as they age. So, it's better if the pillars don't block very much (I'm not staying twisted around forever, while I'm looking I want to see a lot), the mirrors give good coverage, and a backup camera can help, too. I suppose the newfangled sensors that tell you if someone is abeam you and in your blind spot might be worth considering
I'm not a fan of the very thick roof support pillars, high window sills, and bulbous headrests on many new cars. I know the 50 airbags need to go somewhere, but with some cars it is getting to be like driving a tank with tiny vision ports.
 
Ronstar said:
I didn't have a problem getting in and out of my corvette when I bought it 16 years ago. Now I need to limbo in and catapult myself out. Ok while I'm in it though. I like my F150 where seat level is even with my butt.
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Yep! Gave up on my 40 year dream of owning a Corvette about 5 years ago for the same reason. Dunno if a Mustang Cobra is any better, but might have to look at one....
 
I got rid of my sports car a few years back primarily because sciatica made depressing the clutch difficult. And, it was getting more difficult to get out of the car. DW convinced me - well, told me - to get an old f*rt Lexus sedan. It was easier to get out of than the sports car, but frankly by not that much. After buyer's remorse set in, I gave that car to DW and got a nice crossover SUV. It's great, including ingress and egress.
 
W2R said:
Running boards? In an SUV? :confused: I don't think my Venza has running boards. I'm with you, I hate running boards on pickup trucks.

The seats are the exact same height as my, uh, rear end when I am standing by them. So I just open the door, back up to the seat, and I'm sitting on it. Then I lift my knees, and swivel around so I'm facing forward, and I'm inside. No climbing at all, either getting in or getting out. Maybe it helps that I am tall (5'9").
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I guess I was looking at the wrong one. My son in law has a BMW X5 and I always have a heck of time getting in/out of the thing because of the running boards. My bad for not looking closely at other SUV's.
 
atmsmshr said:
IMHO - a small SUV crossover is easiest for ingress and egress just for the height. An automatic rollback seat is also good. Heated seats are the cat's meow!
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Could not agree more! When I lived in the States I owned a Subaru Forester (an SUV crossover) for 10 years and drove all 253,000 miles on the odometer by the time I sold it on to someone who wanted a reliable city car. Getting in/out was easy and it had lumbar support. Good driving view over the hood as well. The best option was the heated seats. I used them year round to soothe my lower back muscles (you could choose butt, back or both for the heat) when they were starting to ache. Best car I ever owned and was sorry to give him up. The color was "Canyon Red" (1999 model) so of course, he was named "Cowboy."
 
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Walt34 said:
...so eating that much depreciation is going to hurt. But in time we may not have much choice.
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street said:
Lol! I also own a Civic and I can hardly get in it or out of it. I love the car but I have the same issues. I'm to frugal to buy something else YET!
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Pretty much this. I was all excited too, since the Civic was the first car I'd ever purchased new, with the plan to keep it for 15-20 years. And then buy a Tesla.

I guess if I bought a hybrid SUV, I could consider it the middle ground. Especially if I'm over lurking at CleanMPG learning how to get like 60+ MPG out of the thing.


W2R said:
The seats are the exact same height as my, uh, rear end when I am standing by them. So I just open the door, back up to the seat, and I'm sitting on it. Then I lift my knees, and swivel around so I'm facing forward, and I'm inside. No climbing at all, either getting in or getting out. Maybe it helps that I am tall (5'9").
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This will be my test if I wind up at the dealership. I'll make sure to get a little wigglebutt action going as I make derriere-to-seat contact while staring intently at the salesman.

samclem said:
But another issue to look for is good visibility.

... I'm not a fan of the very thick roof support pillars, high window sills, and bulbous headrests on many new cars. I know the 50 airbags need to go somewhere, but with some cars it is getting to be like driving a tank with tiny vision ports.
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One of the old used cars I used to own was a Jeep Wrangler. I don't think I ever put the doors or roof back up, and the windshield stayed buckled down to the hood. Talk about visibility! It was the closest I've ever come in a car to the same sense of panoramic scope as when I'm on the motorcycle.


atmsmshr said:
Heated seats are the cat's meow!
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There was an arthritis foundation site that had a list of what to look for in a car. Heated seats were one of the top features.

braumeister said:
Another suggestion for those looking for an SUV for the first time. Bentley now offers one that provides the desired quality level for our ER forum members.

Bentley Motors Website: Models: Bentayga
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The last one I bought didn't come with a free jar of grey poupon. I fear Bentley quality is just not what it used to be. :nonono:
 
I bought my Toyota RAV4 because of
My knees - I can kinda slide in rather then fall in (great for people with having or needing hip or knee replacements)
My neck it has a backup camera and alerts me to traffic coming from the sides or behind (great for my less then post operative flexible neck)
 
Another vote for the Honda CR-V! It is just the right height for easy ingress and egress, and it doesn't have a running board.
 
In hindsight, I probably prevented knee and back pains by always having pickup trucks, suburbans and full size cars. Except for a 72 VW superbeetle bought new.

Well maybe not, co-relation does not equal causation.
 
Ronstar said:
Saw one at the dealer a few days ago. Sharp looking SUV. But the $370k sticker is 10 time more than I'm willing to pay.
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Yeah but, look at the comfort level for the old folks here that need high sitting SUV's...:D

"The Mulliner Driving Specification brings the Mulliner aesthetic to the interior of the Bentayga range as standard on Bentayga. This includes diamond-quilted seats, drilled sports pedals, embroidered Bentley emblems and the full choice of hide, carpet and interior colour combinations. If you wish to go one step further...."

And that one step further is whatever your personal preferences may be.
 
Seems real common for posters here to have pain when getting in and out of a vehicle. So is it just those moments that are uncomfortable? I mean, if you go somewhere (round trip) it would be a couple of seconds of 'ouch', four times. I guess one would want to maximize comfort, but you also are setting yourself up for the "lose it" portion of "use it or lose it". I certainly hope you're not buying the easier to get into and out of vehicle in order to have a better ride to the gym!
 
sengsational said:
I guess one would want to maximize comfort, but you also are setting yourself up for the "lose it" portion of "use it or lose it". I certainly hope you're not buying the easier to get into and out of vehicle in order to have a better ride to the gym!
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At 30 I've already had 3 knee surgeries, and lived with worsening degenerative disc disease for a decade already. Here just a couple years later, and I'm getting a full knee replacement. I wish exercise could make it better to a degree where I could keep my little car. I love this car. :'(

But exercise has made it from being a whole lot worse. A completely sedentary lifestyle for me would be just a nasty way to live with an incredibly poor quality of life. At least the military background gives me a higher disposition as far as enjoying working out.
 
sengsational said:
Seems real common for posters here to have pain when getting in and out of a vehicle. So is it just those moments that are uncomfortable?
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Can't speak for anyone else, but a major component of my car research is how comfortable the seat is on a long trip.
I do a lot of driving (typically 20-25K miles a year) and if I'm going on a trip I don't want to have to stop and stretch my legs every hour or two.

So far, knock on wood, the CR-V has been good to me and the seats seem to keep improving. My current model, a 2013, lets me go 3-4 hours easily and then get out without even a twinge. I think they're great seats, but that's just because they work for me. This is my third CR-V in a row.
 
After all the vehicles I've tested these last couple weeks, the new CR-V wins hands down. I made sure to play both driver and passenger, and as always I remain most impressed with Honda. I'm really amazed the Toyota Rav4 wasn't nearly as direct a comparison as far as features and space.

Of course the one I want is rare, so it'll be something like 90 days before the factory can deliver. I would have thought production would have been regular across most models and trims, but apparently not.
 
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