[EWTech]

nebach, on Sep 17 2007, 08:11 PM, said:

I’m in the progress of buying a car for my father who does not drive. He will be the passenger in the car. He is 87, and has very limited mobility. My question is what is the ingress/egress like on the passenger side? Is the seat height higher than other cars of similar size? Does anyone have any experiences to help me in my decision? The PT I’m looking at is a 2001, 5 speed manual, leather interior, 52K, immaculate condition, $10,700 CDN.

Any input would be appreciated.

Um... It's the same as the driver side without the steering wheel in the way!
The seats are kind of high but that should mean he doesn't have to crawl into the car to get in it. It sort of felt that way at times in my '95 Neon which was much closer to the ground. The smaller girls here (7,9 & 11) like it in the back and the rear seat is even higher off the ground - "theater seating" is the term for this. I think it's comfy. My Mom likes to ride in it and she's in her 70's but in fairly good health. Being a bit off the ground seems to mitigate that feeling of apparent danger in driving a smaller car, too.
I hope I helped.

Bob

[talkietime]

The PT rear doors open out to a 90 degree angle, much better than anything else you're likely to find.

The front and rear seats are high enough that one may turn away and back into the seat, lower onself just a little, and then easily swing one's legs inside. As one who suffered back pain for many years this was an important consideration for me. Many other vehicles are difficult to enter in that fashion. I found that entering such vehicles by leaping or flinging in one leg at a time contributed to ongoing and painful aggravation to my back.

Comfort and convenience are very important considerations for personal transportation, whether as a driver or passenger.

[ThatMoparGuy]

Of course, you could just go road test this car and tell the salesperson you need to swing by your Dads house to show it to him. Better yet, bring him along with you.

[DaveAdmin]

Agreed. Or even rent one for a couple of days - a $60 or so investment (unless you cnvince Enterprise that your car is in the shop). I personally have found the PT to be the easiest car to get into and out of... and I drive about 40 cars per year, so that means something ;) After that I think a 2007 mini might be good because if all else fails (if things get worse) you can convert them to handicapped-accessible, but the PT is a LOT cheaper.

If his comfort is the primary objective, see which ones do NOT have the touring suspension and get one of those. When they first came out, I believe the base and Limitd had the softer suspensions. Now that has probably changed... but a GT is out of the question!

[talkietime]

The PT base models have the standard suspension. Models bearing the Touring Edition logo (on the rear hatch) include the Touring Suspension through the 2004 models. The 2005 through 2007 Touring Edition models do not have the Touring Suspension whereas the Limiteds do. The Limited Edition models include the Touring Suspension for all year models. (I have looked at the Canadian and US brochures I have and it seems that they are the same in these respects.) I am assuming that the actual difference in these suspensions are to the springs, shocks, and struts. The base models have 15 inch wheels and conventional tires. I drove one of these, a rental, about 10 miles on a highway and city streets. It was nimble, drove very well, and was comfortable.

I own a 2005 Limited Turbo with the 4 wheel disc brakes, Traction Control, 16 inch wheels with the (lower profile) Goodyear Eagle LS tires. The ride is somewhat stiffer and certainly has more road noise above 35 mph than on the base model. But I would not say that it is uncomfortable. I have the leather seats that are firmer than the cloth seats so these provide better support. My PT now has about 7,400 miles on it.

I have not driven GT models. These have the Sport Suspension with 17 inch wheels and very low profile tires. I understand that this is firmer or even harsh ride.

Before buying my PT my regular drivers for a number of years were Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. The 1989-93 models had luxurious bench seats in felt-type fabric that gave no lateral support. The 1995 models had bucket seats with a firmer woven fabric but the seats were too softly sprung. The 1996 and newer models firmed up the bucket seats. Of course these all had the heavy duty police suspensions. The later models, due to the firmer seats, were very comfortable. These Vics had very good road manners. But their seats were mounted well inboard, still requiring one to get across the wide door sill and well down into the seats before swinging one's legs in. The obstruction here was getting one's legs around the quarter panel in front of the door.

I mention the Crown Victoria (and its Grand Marquis twin) as these are often purchased by older folks. In reality these are only a little more elder friendly than most other sedans. For an elderly person I would certainly choose a minivan over one of these models.

But the PT is the best design for an elderly person.

In the PT Cruiser the seats are taller, so when one is in the seat one's legs are bent down at the knees so swinging the legs in or out is a more natural movement. On most vehicles the seats are lower so when one is in the seat one's legs are not down but extended well forward, perhaps almost straight out, so swinging the legs in or out is not a natural or easy movement as it places huge demands upon back muscles to accomplish this movement.

I often admired the Corvette until I sat in one. It was like sitting on the floor with one's legs straight out--murder for a bad back--not a car I could drive.

[Rich Hutchinson]

The leather seats would also be easier to get in and out of. The 01-05 cloth seat material is very "grippy" and don't allow for much easy 'sliding' in and out.

Of course once you're in the seat you don't slide around either...something to keep in mind when looking.

06-up have different seats with plastic trim on the side that may dig into thighs on the way in or out.

[DaveAdmin]

The pre-2006 models have their own armrests on each front seat which can be something good to hold onto. Also something to think about that I didn't think about.

[TWX]

My wife likes the PT for ingress and egress. She tried to get her parents to change up for one (they're in their seventies and eighties) but they were happy enough with their '98 Caravan...

[ThatMoparGuy]

Sharp car!

Here are the pics

http://images2.resonanze.com/470/174683/RM0914%20207.JPG

http://images2.resonanze.com/470/174683/RM0914%20213.JPG

http://images2.resonanze.com/470/174683/RM0914%20220.JPG

http://images2.resonanze.com/470/174683/RM0914%20217.JPG

Congrats! It looks like it is in really great shape.

I love the color. But then again, mine is the same color! ;)

[DaveAdmin]

Sounds good. They'll probably spray it with something but you don't want the squeal for that full range. I had a Rabbit once - it had belt squeal for 104,000 miles!

[anchorman]

Ingress/egress is one of the primary reasons I like my 2004 PT Touring Edition (that I've now had the pleasure of owning for 5 days). My wife has complained for years about getting in and out of my Porsche 968, which was my daily driver until 5 days ago. And, from this thread, I've learned that I apparently have the touring suspension (whatever that means). I will admit that I also enjoy the ease of getting in and out. Much easier on this old man's legs!

[fijir]

I'm 54 and find the ergonomics to be perfect for a car this size. I got out of a 95 Ford Contour which was hard to move in and out of because the older I get, the less flexibility I have. My wife drives a Saturn which is horrible, like a sports car of old. Nice looking ride in and out. Good luck with it. I hammer mine and it holds up well.

This post has been edited by fijir: 12 November 2007 - 05:10 PM