Recommended Vehicle Fuel Type for 73yr Old Pensioner

Daniel Plainview on 15/01/2025 - 13:28
Last edited 15/01/2025 - 15:36 by 1 other user

Hi all, I am trying to convince my 73yr old mother of the merits of getting a certain type of vehicle, which she is currently rather resistant to. Hence, I'm hoping to leverage the expertise of folks here as to their opinion given the variables applicable to determining which type of fuel type vehicle she should lean towards.

Relevant factors:

  • Age 73yr, still very capable driver
  • Driving sub-10,000km per annum the vast majority of which are urban (sub 20km round trip)
  • Only needs smaller car (no towing, many passengers, bulk carrying etc)
  • Has ~9kW solar system on roof, on average exporting 75%+ of power back into grid @7c/kW
  • Looking to spend up to $30k on right car, leaning towards 2-4yr old low mileage 2nd hand.

I am not placing up my opinion (as don't want to influence the opinion of others).

I would welcome in the comments constructive feedback supporting your recommendation, as I will be showing this to her as oddly it seems my credibility is somewhat lesser than total strangers at times - lol the joys of assisting older parents.

Thank you in advance for your opinion & thoughts. :-)

Poll Options

  • 248
    Electric powered vehicle
  • 37
    Hybrid powered vehicle
  • 197
    Internal combustion powered vehicle
  • 25
    I just want to see the poll results
Automotive Car Electric Vehicle

closed Comments

  • Rally Dave on 16/01/2025 - 20:16
    +1

    I was originally thinking a small ICE, but if she is adaptable in a small way, and you or others can provide some initial assistance in making sure the house is set up properly with a charging lead located in place and easily, an EV like a Hyundai Kona, with a very conventional interior, driving and switches would transition her to never having to go to a service station again, providing she doesn't do trips over 400km there and back. If so, she would have to public charge which is a significant step for some, especially if they are not great with a phone and apps. If trips are on the cards, have s plan for another car or get an ICE to start with. Once again, something like a small SUV like the Kona are easy to get in and out of. Not the only choice, but a good size for what she wants, and very safe.

  • snapper17 on 16/01/2025 - 22:47

    there are alot of community busses around that take people around to the shops, social clubs rsl ect. She can meet new friends that way if shes so inclined and save money on a car

    If she insist on the car then get a used swift (look for japaneese made) or an ignus you can get new for 25k

  • mini2 on 16/01/2025 - 23:11

    She's already 73 and used to filling up at the servo for many decades. Why change this pattern now? Just get an ICE and be done with it.

  • AustriaBargain on 17/01/2025 - 00:16
    +1

    Probably best not to break her routine, at her age.

  • Mikeer on 17/01/2025 - 02:13

    What would you get for a six-year-old boy who chronically wets his bed

    • McFly on 17/01/2025 - 11:34
      +1

      Bathers.

      • Mikeer on 17/01/2025 - 11:35

        What vehicle fuel type though

        • McFly on 17/01/2025 - 11:38
          +2

          Oh. Diesel. Wouldn't need any AdBlue in this case.

  • 82norm on 17/01/2025 - 07:56
    -1

    Spending maybe $12-$20k on a 2nd hand car is ok, but 30k…. That seems crazy. I’d rather stretch to another 5k and get brand new. Who wants someone’s else’s potential problem.

  • playerzer2 on 17/01/2025 - 09:51
    -4

    "Age 73yr, still very capable driver"

    My magic 8ball says she'll be through the front window of a cafe within the next 7 months.

    • May4th on 17/01/2025 - 15:47

      that's a bit ageist, I'd trust a 70 yo more than a 19yo behind the wheel

      • Euphemistic on 17/01/2025 - 15:52
        +1

        19yos are involved in lots of crashes but i guarantee that if a car had been parked in a cafe it is a senior driver with a 'wrong pedal' moment.

        • BlahBlahBlaah on 18/01/2025 - 02:13
          -2

          The statistics spewed out by the incompetent biased braindead media on behalf of the even more incompetent biased and braindead government do not normalise the data, but rather just count the oldies and younguns that crash. A 19 year old drives much more than Great Aunt Rosie on average - driving to and from job/s, tafe, to their boyfriend / girlfriends house, to the movies, maccas runs, picking up meds for their own great aunt who's bed ridden, playing footy, picking up siblings, etc, racking up 700km a week. Old Aunt Rosie drives 3 kays to church on Sunday, 5 kays to Coles on Monday, 2.5 kays to Amcal on Thursday, and 3.4 kays to her nearest Bendigo Bank branch every other week. Does the government ever normalise the data? Never! It wont fit their agenda

          • Euphemistic on 18/01/2025 - 06:16

            @BlahBlahBlaah: Got any ACTUAL statistics to back your arguments?

            i dont disagree that younger drivers tend to drive more, but wheres your supporting data on the crash per km rate?

            The goverment doesn't add spin to data for an agenda half as much as the media.

            • klaw81 on 18/01/2025 - 09:37

              @Euphemistic: I'm pretty confident that insurance companies look at the actual data very closely, and they know what's up.

              There's a reason that young people's insurance is expensive, and it's not because they hate kids.

              • Euphemistic on 18/01/2025 - 11:14

                @klaw81: Absolutely, but the rant above needs a little push back.

                Sure p platers are involved in a lot of crashes, but there a good few oldies as well. Theres a reason you need medical clearance and retesting once you get old. Just as theres a reason there is licence restrictions on new drivers.

                Id support some form of licence retesting for everyone. Its ridiculous that you get a licence at 17 and dont get anything else until 75.

                • klaw81 on 18/01/2025 - 11:43

                  @Euphemistic:

                  Its ridiculous that you get a licence at 17 and dont get anything else until 75.

                  Totally agree. We have expiry and renewal of lots of other skills, like first aid. There's no reason why driving should be different

                  • Euphemistic on 18/01/2025 - 11:48

                    @klaw81: At the very least there should be some sort of knowledge test each time you renew.

                  • May4th on 19/01/2025 - 10:03

                    @klaw81: well there is, the age is 75 until you need further medical assessment and 80 when you need to do another driving test

                • May4th on 19/01/2025 - 10:01

                  @Euphemistic: all you have to do is to get a quote for insurance for a 70yo vs 19yo and that will tell you who is more likely to end up in a cafe. the insurers are a billion dollar industry and crunches big data to price their premiums

                  • Euphemistic on 19/01/2025 - 10:31

                    @May4th: Yes, the crash risk for p platers is higher. The TYPE of crash is quite different. If its someone pressing the wrong pedal and not being able to react quick enough, it is more likely to be an older driver. Older drivers are less likely to take risks by driving too fast etc but they are more likely to have slower reaction times. Insurance oremiums reflect the frequency of crashes, not so much the type.

                    Of the newsworthy crashes involving cars, parking in a cafe is doninated by older drivers. Wrapping around a tele pole is more likely to be a ypung hoon.

            • BlahBlahBlaah on 18/01/2025 - 15:52

              @Euphemistic: Thats my whole point actually, that it is not being measured / factored in, and if it is, its hidden from view.

      • BlahBlahBlaah on 18/01/2025 - 02:07

        Found the boomer

  • renster72 on 17/01/2025 - 13:10

    is getting in and out an issue? What have they driven in the past? hard to get people to embrace change if they don't want to anything wrong with what they are driving now?

  • justgooddeals on 17/01/2025 - 15:55

    For new
    Over $30000 = Toyota Yaris Cross
    Under $30000 = Chery Tiggo 4 Pro

  • Breno785au on 17/01/2025 - 18:42
    -3

    Somebodies wanting to inherit a free EV in a few years…

  • Alice McGregor on 17/01/2025 - 20:10

    10km a year probably isn't enough for fuel price to matter. So having PV isn't a big factor. Although some people value saving money more than the actual amount of money saved. Paying big oil every week for 70 years might have built up some resentment that justifies a final screw you.

    Oldies are smart enough to plug a car in. They manage with scooters and golf carts. And it's more pleasant than the servo. But public charging might be harder.

    Flexibility might be lacking. Ease of access is probably more important than fuel type. Fossils love tall hatchbacks for a reason.

    'Only driven to church on Sunday' isn't great for reliability. An EV will do better mechanically. The ice will need lots of servicing despite how little it's driven. But does a battery need regular cycles?

    • Daniel Plainview on 18/01/2025 - 14:37

      Hmmmm well I'm pretty sure her current car, with her driving practices does around 9-10l/100km. So given the shocking fuel prices in our area - lets say that $2000 a year rolling in a few incidentals. Higher servicing costs etc - lets say $2500.

      Her EV will only on a long trip need public charging ever - so even if we including servicing costs thats $2k+ a year better off. Thats not nothing when we say thats perhaps 10% of the purchasing costs - assuming 2nd hand EV in 2-4yr range.

      Point taken in ingress/egress. Good post. :-)

  • jtc13 on 17/01/2025 - 22:05
    +1

    EV for sure. Even a cheap second hand EV like a Nissan Leaf will do the job easily based on the low Kms.

  • BlahBlahBlaah on 18/01/2025 - 02:06
    +1

    Series 3 Mazda RX7.

  • SuperMid on 18/01/2025 - 06:55
    -2

    Old people + technology dont mix.

  • Roe Jogan on 18/01/2025 - 10:05
    +1

    mg4 with 10 year warranty

  • Zondor on 18/01/2025 - 12:20
    -1

    Toyota Camry

  • uzz30 on 18/01/2025 - 13:00
    +1

    Does your mum have the following?

    • Lock up garage with standard power point
      or
    • Off street parking with access to a standard power point

    If 'yes' for the forseeable future, then the answer is deinitely yes to an EV. There's no need to install an expensive EV charger, just get her used to parking it in the garage, and plugging in the charger every time it's used. It's super easy and well worth never having to visit a service station ever again.

    If 'no' then forget an EV, pubic charging is an expensive hassle, it can often cost as much as running a similar ICE vehicle in 'fuel' charges and you get the joy of having to hunt down a charger, hope it's vacant to use and working, then waiting for your car to charge. Not worth the hassel especially for an elderly person.

    For home charging, look at changing the electricity plan for an EV plan and setup the car to charge when electricity is cheap. This will mean daylight hours for the big solar system and midnight to 6am for the AGL EV plan.

    I hope this makes the decision more simple. If you do go EV, I'd recommend the MG4, there's a new one that someone won in QLD for less then $30k.

    • Daniel Plainview on 18/01/2025 - 14:40
      +2

      LUG with standard power point - she owns her own home.

      Agree 100% - thats why going the 'granny' charger will work best for her - will just chuck a timer on it and she can plug in when she's not driving and I'll have it charging only when her PV's are generating.

      Agree on moving to EV plan but envisage given her little driving and shorter trips she'll rarely be drawing power at night but will play by ear if thats how she approaches. Yes, I recommended the MG4 to her back when the deal was on for it - thank you good post.

  • Nads2407 on 18/01/2025 - 13:16
    +2

    Get her a BMW M3 Competition.

    • Roe Jogan on 18/01/2025 - 13:38
      +1

      Xdrive for faster launches, grandma bout to crack her neck

    • BobLim on 20/01/2025 - 23:44

      Can reverse itself following the path you drove forwards - perfect for a senior with limited flexibility and maybe declining vision

  • Brick Tamland on 18/01/2025 - 14:27

    AS soon as I saw 'trying to convince' I guessing that you are trying to force her into an EV?

    What car does she want? A car can be a personal choice and if you persuade her to buy something she doesnt like you will never hear the end of it.

    It would be helpful giving her a shortlist and let her take charge of the decision making process

  • md333 on 18/01/2025 - 22:43
    +2

    My 80 year old mother is on her second EV and thinks it is brilliant.

    But it is her choice. I wouldn't want to be trying to persuade her to get an ICE car.

    • nikey2k27 on 19/01/2025 - 08:17
      -1

      My mum still get me fill her car up as she hate it told get EV my dad he ex husband hate them mum your got 10kv system on roof your home all day only drive local shop and church 3 time a week she leave aircon on for the dog as it is north Queensland

  • ialam99 on 19/01/2025 - 06:57
    +1

    My inlaws needed a new car and I bought them a BYD EV. They were reluctant at the start but its been 3 years now and they love it. Its quiet, charges at home and low cost to run. They dont drive far so never needed to use public charging.

    It terms of your mum, if her budget is $30k, i would simply buy a new car just for the warranty and piece of mind. I believe both MG and BYD have small EVs around the $30k mark and plenty of petrol cars for that price too.

    • Daniel Plainview on 19/01/2025 - 09:23
      +2

      Good post, I think the thing with EVs is that their depreciation in the first 2-4yrs is brutal:
      https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/used-electric-car-prices-…

      So she could get a well looked after EV thats lost 40%+ of it's value and would still be under factory warranty for a decent period. Thats pretty attractive IMHO.

      The counter to that is that new prices are dropping so rapidly that they're catching up with this to a decent degree i.e a new similar level EV might only be 20% more than a 4yr old used one which was bought at much higher RRP.

      Is nice to have both options though.

      • LukeSmith on 20/01/2025 - 07:49

        I think its optimistic to think that just because EV prices have dropped in the last few months they will keep dropping forever. The new manufacturers are dumping cash to gain market share and eventually that startup cash will fade away and the prices level out again. Obviously depending on the broader global economy that is.

        EV prices have gone up before, and there will be a tipping point when your mum and every other 'normie' gets over the facebook ev fire memes and just goes and gets one. When that demand hits, I could see the prices rising significantly, as they have during the last wave of adoption.

  • nikey2k27 on 19/01/2025 - 08:14
    -1

    Hybrid powered vehicle you only need to fill it up once a month mum dose not need to plug it in yaris cross is nice car for older bigger in 33,000 base model hold it money 36l tank give 700km if mum pick up grandkids she got a little room in back number older see small kids in small car next to drive scare me shitless

    • klaw81 on 19/01/2025 - 09:36
      +5

      Holy lack of punctuation Batman!

      That is truly horrific to read.

  • knasty on 19/01/2025 - 13:18

    E85

  • wisdomtooth on 19/01/2025 - 13:56

    Uber

  • Red01 on 20/01/2025 - 09:06

    Surely a basic used car is the best option given how little it gets driven. Why spend more on a new car EV or not

  • saltypete on 21/01/2025 - 09:50
    +2

    Congrats OP youve managed to set off both age-ist and ICE-ist folks.
    A hardly used second hand EV will have up to date safety systems, be nice to drive and easy and cheap to operate and maintain. With low mileage a simple charger may sufficient.
    She'll have the whole thing sorted in a few weeks and wont look back.

    • Daniel Plainview on 21/01/2025 - 10:45

      @saltypete

      yes, I do seem to have have found some 'gems' in here. Oddly a lot of very certain opinions but very little constructive discussion on explaining their points when repeatedly asked e.g asked what a pensioner would find so confusing about charging an EV or even using one at basic core levels/tasks. Literally crickets back on that.

      IMHO I agree with you, I think for similar coin on many levels an EV is actually simpler - as fundamental understanding of an EV is pretty straight forward - a modern ICE vhecile is still very complex mechanically. Fuel + servcing would see her up ~$2000 per year. Her family has a history of longevity and I could easily see her driving into her mid 80's. So thats 10yrs+ to get ROI on the investment. So on paper i think thats a pretty convincing cost benefit side.

      Now you need to feel ok with driving the car - but I'm yet to hear a person who had real issues with EVs after repeated usage - in fact they seem beloved. She would want an interior that looks 'traditional' and not out of Star trek but thats easily done. Her biggest issue was she thought the EV would set her house on fire int he middle of the night, which the facts say is baloney and an ICE vehicle is more likely to do. Again lots of opinion in this thread, very little constructive info - but your post is an exception and I appreciate it.

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