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One of the reasons I got my now dead Toyota Matrix (it was an 07) was because it was so easy for my partner, who has mobility issues, to get in and out of. For her it was just a matter of swing your legs over to the edge of the seat, and stand. Our previous car, iirc a 2003 Corolla, was very low to the ground so she had to really struggle and exert herself to stand instead of basically having the seat at, well, seat level. SUVs tend to require her to climb up into them. As I am now searching for a new car I thought I would poll the forum for cars I should be sure to check out. I know I have asked in the past in various chat threads, but this can be useful information for other posters who might do a similar hunt in the future so I hope its ok to do this as a separate thread despite it being a "help me buy a new car" sort of thread. Its kind of a service to someone I hope? I am also decidedly not a car guy so if there are obvious things that I should know I likely do not so no worries about talking down to me at all--its appreciated in advance Car needs to be at that optimal height, and be roomy enough for a folded wheel chair--not saying it has to be a hatchback but they tend to work really well for this purpose. I guess what I need is a crossover but anything over like a RAV 4 is probably too big. I live in a cold climate area so frames prone to corrosion (as I have heard Nissans were at least at one point) are also best excluded from consideration. Right now I will consider the current Corolla hatchback (but it looks lower than the Matrix was), Kia Soul, Subaru Outback or Forrester I guess, what else? Something Hyundai? (just as an aside: gently caress new car prices holy poo poo I really wanted this car to last another year or two since it only had 280k km on it)
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Jun 27, 2023 04:39
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| # ? May 5, 2024 00:44 |
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Would a high Hip Point height be what you're looking for? It's the distance from the ground to where the torso and leg meet when you're sitting inside the vehicle. https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/small-cars-high-hip-point/ There are a lot of hatchback/CUVs out there now that should work nicely. Bulk Vanderhuge fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Jun 27, 2023 |
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Jun 27, 2023 05:00
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Would a high Hip Point height be what you're looking for? It's the distance from the ground to where the torso and leg meet when you're sitting inside the vehicle. this might be exactly what we need, thanks!
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Jun 27, 2023 05:10
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I really don't care for the Honda HR-V but it sounds like it might fit the bill.
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Jun 27, 2023 17:01
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I recently saw the Daihatsu Tanto which can have this seat, is this something you might be able to get? Or maybe stick that kind of seat into another car? Doesn't sound like it's absolutely necessary but could be convenient. 
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Jun 27, 2023 17:53
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mobby_6kl posted:I recently saw the Daihatsu Tanto which can have this seat, is this something you might be able to get? Or maybe stick that kind of seat into another car? Doesn't sound like it's absolutely necessary but could be convenient. Toyota/Daihatsu have long had a bunch of factory conversions for mobility aids in Japan. I think here a lot of vans are converted after the fact by companies like Braun which is not great.
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Jun 27, 2023 21:06
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Bilirubin posted:this might be exactly what we need, thanks! https://www.toyota.com.au/corolla-cross
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Jun 28, 2023 00:00
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also this site for helping disabled people find consumer goods of all sorts has a page on vehicle recommendations: https://www.ridc.org.uk/features-reviews/out-and-about/car-search
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Jun 28, 2023 01:46
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really disappointed in the lack of information on seat heights out there
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Jun 29, 2023 00:19
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https://themighty.com/topic/chronic-illness/cars-illness-pain-disability-accessible-review/
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Jun 29, 2023 02:08
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Disabilities are quite personal as those with them and caregivers can tell you. One of those links talks about how for some the Hyundai Elantra is good because of the wide door open, but having rented one over the past few days its extremely low to the ground so was hard for my partner to step up out of (hell, was hard for me too). Also, something we hadn't considered, was the wideness of the seat also added difficulty because the energy consumed to swing herself around to get her feet out of the car. However, she loved the leg room, and it is a fun car to drive. Going to a couple lots to screen some compact UVs and crossovers before taking her out to try likely candidates. She has her eye on the Forester from chatting with others in one of her communities so we shall see!
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Jun 29, 2023 15:18
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Bilirubin posted:Disabilities are quite personal as those with them and caregivers can tell you. One of those links talks about how for some the Hyundai Elantra is good because of the wide door open, but having rented one over the past few days its extremely low to the ground so was hard for my partner to step up out of (hell, was hard for me too). Also, something we hadn't considered, was the wideness of the seat also added difficulty because the energy consumed to swing herself around to get her feet out of the car. However, she loved the leg room, and it is a fun car to drive. I don't have a stake in the discussion but just wanted to say it's cool that you're posting about the journey for the next person to search for something similar. Good luck!
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Jun 29, 2023 23:56
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VacaGrande posted:I don't have a stake in the discussion but just wanted to say it's cool that you're posting about the journey for the next person to search for something similar. Good luck! Thank you! I took her today to try out the short list, and she okayed two Subaru Crosstreks and two Honda HR-Vs, although she was quite firm that none were as good as the old Matrix that I murdered  . Test driving tomorrow
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Jun 30, 2023 05:26
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How on earth did you murder a Matrix? They're just a lifted/longer Corolla. I still see plenty of 1st gens on the road, not many 2nd gens tho.
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Jun 30, 2023 20:54
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randomidiot posted:How on earth did you murder a Matrix? They're just a lifted/longer Corolla. I still see plenty of 1st gens on the road, not many 2nd gens tho. Did not realize I left my serpentine belt on the highway as I kept driving. Yes I'm an idiot First generation, with 280k km on it so had I stopped I would still have a car
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Jun 30, 2023 21:32
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That'll do it. The odometer was close to calling it quits anyway tho  (they stop at 299,999 regardless of what unit they're set to)I changed the belt on ours last year. I don't think it was the original, but it was looking pretty rough. Only 105k miles on the car tho (today... I think when I changed it it had just broken 100k). Kinda cramped in there, which is why I'll continue to pretend that timing cover leak doesn't exist. Have you considered fixing it, or did you already scrap it? There's tons of those engines in junkyards, you could have a used one dropped in for not a horrible amount.
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Jun 30, 2023 22:37
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randomidiot posted:That'll do it. The odometer was close to calling it quits anyway tho I did briefly consider fixing it. But its a 17 year old vehicle is sitting 8 hours away from me, and getting it towed to the nearest large town will cost $600 before starting down the road of sourcing new engine, water pump, ac, etc. So I'm just going to scrap it.
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Jun 30, 2023 23:13
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I see it's already on your list, so I second checking out the Kia Soul. It has a pretty high seating position without being huge. It's hard for me to say for sure without knowing you, etc. Depending on the size of the wheelchair you may have to fold the rear seats, as the trunk room is not huge. Reliability is not gonna be as good as a Matrix is my guess though.
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Jul 1, 2023 01:08
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I had an Uber ride in a current generation Soul the other day, and have similar issues getting in and out of cars. Aside from the back door opening being too small to easily swing my legs out without lifting them, it was comfortable. Seats are a touch higher than the Matrix. I test drove a slightly older one a few years back (my hips were starting to bug me, but not like they do now), and was pleasantly surprised. You'll want to make sure to get one with pushbutton start, and you'll want to make sure your insurance will insure it - a lot of companies won't write new policies for Hyundais or Kias thanks to how easy they are to steal, at least in the US. That sucks about your Matrix, but yeah, not worth spending that kind of money once the tow gets added in. Then having to deal with going to pick it up wherever it is. I'd probably scrap it too. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Jul 1, 2023 |
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Jul 1, 2023 01:15
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Yeah we had planned to trade it in a couple years previous but nothing fit her as well, then the car market went to hell along with everything else, so I was hoping to keep it going as long as I could. The tilt steering lock had broken, and it was leaking water from around the window on the drivers side too, so I was ready for something new. In the end after test driving, then talking to dealers, then discussing among us, we decided on a 2016 Honda HR-V. It was the most comfortable for her to get in and out of, and I thought it drove excellently well for my driving style (defensive, generally chill except when situations/regional norms call for it). We just did our first day of errands together with it and at the end of the day I asked my partner what she thought of getting in and out and she paused, and said, "I never thought about it" so, success! Car came with winter tires installed, so I take it in tomorrow to get new wheels and all seasons put on to prevent killing these tires. And then sell the winters for my Matrix
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Jul 12, 2023 19:01
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Actually her one complaint was how slippery the weather tech floor liner is. I assume this is due to whatever the detailers used to new it up but has any one used a cloth liner inside over before?
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Jul 13, 2023 06:19
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Bilirubin posted:Actually her one complaint was how slippery the weather tech floor liner is. I assume this is due to whatever the detailers used to new it up but has any one used a cloth liner inside over before? You can just replace them with fabric floor mats which look better anyway.
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Jul 13, 2023 08:39
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Cached Money posted:You can just replace them with fabric floor mats which look better anyway. yeah, but I will be using them for winter since Alberta is nuts about spreading gravel over everything
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Jul 13, 2023 15:44
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There's a 50/50 chance the original floor mats are under the Weathertechs. But yeah, detailers hose them down with shiny poo poo. Go to a self service car wash, pull them out, hang them on the "floormat" holders most self service car washes have, and blast them with tire cleaner, followed by a rinse. Gets rid of the slick poo poo pretty quick.
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Jul 13, 2023 16:40
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Usually the OEM all weather mats are nicer than Weathertechs, if you want to avoid cloth.
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Jul 14, 2023 10:48
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FWIW my last car lists Weathertechs on the window sticker that the original owner helpfully left in the glove box - they were listed as a dealer installed option, along with the old school 30 pin iPod adapter. I found the original floor mats under them. The Weathertechs were a little beat (as you'd expect after 15 years), but the carpet and floormats under them were "just rolled off the assembly line" grade.
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Jul 14, 2023 12:23
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randomidiot posted:There's a 50/50 chance the original floor mats are under the Weathertechs. This is helpful advice, thanks! I'm going to have to check to see if I also have the iPod adapter. Would really love to know whether my touch screen display can have an update flashed since its pretty much from the era of iPhone only smart phone
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Jul 14, 2023 15:37
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If it does have it, it'd be in the glove box or center console.
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Jul 16, 2023 13:08
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