Top 25 New Cars for Senior Drivers

Top 25 New Cars for Senior Drivers

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Senior drivers and others with limited mobility need a car that’s easy to get into and out of, with controls that are easy to reach and intuitive to use. We’ve combed through our ratings to find the 25 new models that we think best fit the bill. All are recommended by Consumer Reports and earned an Overall Score of Excellent or Very Good in their respective categories (representing road-test performance, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction,
and safety).

We determined the rankings in this chart by giving special consideration and extra weighting to specific features we think are essential for senior drivers:

More on Senior Driving

  • Seniors Are Driving Safer, Driving Longer

  • Keep Driving Skills Sharp

  • Better by Design: Making Cars That Meet the Needs of Older Drivers

  • Not Taken for a Ride

Front-Seat Access

Low door sills, wider openings, and step-in heights that reduce the need for ducking or climbing make entry easier for those with physical limitations.

Visibility

We chose cars that enable tall, medium, and shorter drivers to see out of the front, sides, and back.

Controls

These cars have easy-to-read gauges and intuitive controls for changing the radio, shifting gears, and adjusting the heating and cooling.

Headlights

Powerful headlights can make driving at night easier for people with decreasing or compromised vision.

Top Picks: Senior Features and Advanced Safety Features

In the table below, the bullet points in the columns for front-seat access, visibility, control, and headlights show where vehicles excel for those attributes when compared with the other recommended vehicles on the list.

We determined the rankings in the chart below by giving special consideration and extra weighting to specific features we think are essential for senior drivers.

(If you're reading this article on your smartphone, we recommend you rotate your phone to landscape mode to better view the tables below. On desktop or mobile, you might need to scroll to see the entire table.)

Make & Model

Front-Seat Access

Visibility

Control

Headlights

Backup Camera

Auto. Emer. Braking/Fwd. Collision Warning

Blind-Spot Warning

Subaru Forester

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Subaru Outback

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Kia Soul

Opt.

N/A/Opt.

Opt.

Subaru Legacy

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Kia Sportage

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Toyota Highlander

Std.

Std./Std.

Opt.

Toyota Prius V

Std.

Opt./Opt.

N/A

Toyota RAV4

Std.

Std./Std.

Opt.

Honda Odyssey (2017)

Std.

N/A/Opt.

Opt.

Nissan Rogue

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Honda Accord

Std.

Opt./Opt.

N/A

Ford C-Max Hybrid

Std.

N/A/N/A

Opt.

Hyundai Sonata

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Toyota Camry (2017)

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Subaru Crosstrek

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Toyota Sienna

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Honda CR-V

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Honda Pilot

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Kia Forte

Opt.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Ford Escape

Std.

N/A/Opt.

Opt.

Toyota Corolla

Std.

Std./Std.

N/A

Kia Sorento

Opt.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Ford Flex

Std.

N/A/Opt.

Opt.

Hyundai Santa Fe

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Hyundai Tucson

Std.

Opt./Opt.

Opt.

Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the July 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.



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