Day by day, the gadgets come with more ease to facilitate masses and give them a healthy lifestyle. With the advancement of every field in life, cars have also been modified in their best version for general as well as for a targeted population.
Almost half of the driving population is senior drivers that require some extra comfort and facilities while driving to have a safe and smooth journey.
In addition, more than 70% of senior drivers suffer from a wide range of health issues including vision and muscles problems that leads to more accidents than young drivers. But the good news is that auto manufacturers have considered these issues as a burning problem and introduced some best features in cars to support senior drivers.
Features That Senior Driver Needs in the Car
First of all, let’s review some major requirements, seniors need to have a safe and sound journey while driving. They are interested in cars with less fuel consumption, durable, economical, and safe.
Seniors also need some more aiding systems like a navigation system, auto-braking systems, digital meters, heated seats, and a powered steering wheel.
Furthermore, the seating space should be adequate to comfortably drive; there should be sufficient head and legroom; mirrors and cameras must have the best angle to provide a clear outer view while driving, and lastly better suspension to avoid heavy bumps.
So, keeping in view these characteristics, I have chosen the 3 best fords for seniors. They include Ford Escape, Ford EcoSport, and Ford Edge.
1. Ford Escape
The first car I would like to refer seniors is a compact SUV, Ford Escape. This mid-size SUV, with a seating capacity of 5 people, is full of features like Eco-boost, hybrid powertrain, selectable drive modes, SOS Post-Crash Alert System, comfortable space, and nice interior.
Interior:
The interior of the Ford Escape is quite roomy. The head and legroom in the first and second row are suitable enough, even if you are a tall driver. The front headroom is 40 inches, and the legroom is 42.4 inches.
If we take a view from inside of Ford Escape, it looks not only pleasing but also comforting. It offers a lot of features including auto lamps, power windows on the driver’s front with one-touch up and down, carpeted floor mats, cup holders, vanity mirrors, outside temperature display, front map, and a message center.
Safety Features:
The most important feature seniors need is safety. Ford Escape provides the best safety features including SOS post-crash system, halogen projector headlamps, tire inflator, sealant kit, tire pressure monitoring system, head restraints, a personal safety system with dual-stage airbags, driver knee airbags, and safety canopy. In addition, it also includes slippery modes for wet roads and deep snow.
Engine Specs:
The new models of Ford Escape are available with multiple power train options. The base model comes with a 181-hp turbocharged, 1.5 L, three-cylinder engine. The upgrading is possible till 200hp with 4 cylinders in upper variants. The car gives a fuel average of 26 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. Ford Escape is also available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. With accurate performance and more economical this car is best suitable for seniors who have long trips across the country.
Infotainment System:
The base variant only comes with a 4-inch radio display. But the upper variants are equipped with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, GPS, and the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen. A titanium variant also features a 10-speaker sound system.
Base Price and Maintenance Costs:
The new base variant of the Ford Expedition costs around $27,255. The plugin hybrid costs up to $37,250. The price of the car depreciates to about 53% after 5 years, and yearly depreciation is about 11%. The annual insurance cost of the Ford Escape is about $1157.
Also read: Are Fords Expensive to Maintain? (Exact Costs)
2. Ford Eco Sport
The second car on my list is another SUV, Ford EcoSport. The 4-wheel drive option, with a towing capacity of 2000 pounds makes Ford Eco Support a unique subcompact SUV that has the power and comfort seniors require.
Interior:
With a seating capacity of 5 people, it has plenty of for a wide-spaced cargo area. Seniors can take their grandchildren on a trip with full ease. A good thing about the interior of EcoSport is that it is functional rather than fashionable; this suits seniors perfectly. It provides enough space up front to drive comfortably. The headroom in the front row is 39.6 inches and the legroom is 42.6 inches. Elders can easily stretch their legs and enjoy a comfortable ride. In comparison to other SUVs, EcoSport has competitive cargo space and storage.
Safety & Assistance Features:
It is observed that most seniors have vision issues while driving, so EcoSport comes with Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensor to help the senior for a smooth drive with safety.
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Engine Specs:
EcoSport has a four-cylinder engine with 166 hp power, has an all-wheel-drive option. It comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. It gives a fuel economy of 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.
Infotainment System:
Like other ford cars, it is built on Sync 3 system, with two levels of the infotainment system. An 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, GPS is available on higher variants.
Base Price and Maintenance Cost:
The base price of Ford EcoSport is about $23,335. And RepairPal states that its annual maintenance cost is about $775. The price of this car depreciates about 52% after a span of 5 years.
Also read: Ford vs. Honda- Maintenance Cost Comparison
3. Ford Edge
Another SUV, Ford Edge is third on our list of best fords for seniors.
Interior:
2022 Ford Edge has an interior that gives an impression of a luxurious car. With wide space & comfortable seats it has a front console with armrest, storage space and two cup holders, day/night rearview mirrors, driver and front passenger seats with back map pocket, and cargo management system.
The legroom in the front row is 42.6 inches and the headroom is 40.6 inches. The rear row also shares approximately similar dimensions. So, in terms of seating, it is quite comfortable.
Safety Features:
With plenty of cargo space and a seating capacity of 5, Ford Edge offers a wide range of facilities to seniors including a driver assist feature, a forward-collision warning system, and automatic emergency braking. This system uses advanced radar technology to scan the traffic ahead. This car also offers an optical sensor to watch areas that can’t be seen with eyes or mirrors.
The other safety features include SOS post-crash system, children safety rear door locks, tire pressure monitoring system, rearview camera, driver knee airbags, drive assist feature, PAS, Hill-start assist, auto start-stop technology, post-collision braking, traction control.
Also read: 3 Best Hondas for Seniors (with Pictures)
Engine Specs:
Being equipped with a 2.7L twin-turbo eco boast engine and impressive power of 335 hp it delivers far more power than EcoSport and Eco Escape. It has an intelligent all-wheel drive with independent front and rear suspension,
Base Price and Maintenance Costs:
The base price of Ford Edge is about $46,240. The annual repair and maintenance cost of Ford Edge is $611.
SUVs due to their height offer perfect visibility and are easy to get in and get out, so they are perfectly suitable for seniors as per their choice of Comfort and budget. As safety and other features are almost the same in all three cars, but Ford Escape is more economical and has less consumption of fuel in comparison to others. Being a senior, you can buy any of them that suits your taste.
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