The best new cars for retired persons

By Stuart Johnston 

Choosing a good car for retired people depends on a number of factors. The biggest consideration is probably that of reliability because the assumption is that, once you are retired, you will buy a car and stick with it for a number of years, as presumably your income has become fixed, and quite possibly limited.

The other consideration is one of configuration. As you age, you become victim to certain frailties that may make limbering yourself in and out of a low-slung coupé each day a pain in the hips, if not the posterior. This may lead you to choose a high-riding SUV or cross-over, or a hatchback or sedan with an easier “step-inside” configuration.

For reliability, keep things simple

In terms of reliability, a good basic philosophy is to choose a car that has as few electronic options as possible. The more options a car has, the more there is to go wrong in the future. Anyone who has owned a cell phone or a lap top will attest to the fact that electronic devices can and will go on the blink over time, and the fewer you have of these in your personal mobility of choice, the better.

After chatting to a number of repair specialists who deal in cars that are out of warranty, it seems that cars built by Japanese and Korean manufacturers have a superior track record in terms of long-term reliability, where mileages rise to the 200 000 km-plus level. This does not preclude your buying that Mercedes, BMW, Audi, or Renault or Peugeot that you have always lusted after, but you should keep in mind that expensive cars tend to depreciate a lot more than run-of-the-mill cars. It all depends on your budget, and how well you planned for your retirement!

Check re-sale values on AutoTrader

This article is aimed at people who plan to buy a new vehicle. But it can be handy at this stage to check out the resale performance of your brand of choice (and the model) by perusing the AutoTrader used-car prices, and comparing them to what that car cost when it was new. Certain makes and models hold their value much better than others, especially when these cars reach the five-to-six-year-old mark and are well out of warranty. The cars with the best reliability records hold their prices much better, and by doing the on-line research, you can get a good idea of which cars are “blue chip” choices and which aren’t.

Check spares availability and back-up

As yet another general rule, if you want to keep your car for a good five to 10 years or more, avoid choosing a car that emanates from a less-popular manufacturer (there are exceptions to this). Check out spares availability for older models of the car you want to buy, by calling around at dealerships. This will give you an idea of how well your particular favourite will be catered for, in terms of back-up, in the future.

For agile retirees, manual models are worth considering

We would not limit our choice to automatics, as in retirement you would not be faced with long peak-hour commutes on a daily basis. But, as you will discover as your body ages, it is a fact that an automatic is a lot less demanding in traffic than a manual model.

As a quick guide to the cars we would  short-list  if we were heading for that great place in the sun, where we would not have to clock in at the office each morning, we’ve compiled a list according to modest budget considerations and configuration.

Entry-level cars below R200 000

Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GA (R135 900), Kia Picanto 1.2 Start (R153 995), Toyota Etios Hatch 1.5 Xi (R165 500), Renault Sandero 66kW turbo Expression (R169 900), Volkswagen Vivo Hatch 1.4 Trendline (R179 900).

Sedans and hatches R201 000 to R300 000

Hyundai Grand i10 1.2 Fluid (R206 900) Volkswagen Polo Sedan 1,4 Trendline (R217 400) Toyota Corolla Quest 1,6 Auto (R228 900), Honda Ballade 1,5 Elegance automatic (R291 600).

SUVs R150 000  to R300 000

Suzuki Ignis 1.2 GLX (R189 900), Renault Duster 1.6 Expression (R244 900), Suzuki Vitara 1.6 GL (R274 900), Mazda CX-3 2.0 Active (R284 800).

And then there is the wiser, used car option

If you are willing to forego the peace of mind that comes with buying a new car with a lengthy warranty and service-maintenance plan, you could well go the used car route, as most of our readers on this site have already considered! You will be amazed at the good deals you can get in the R100 000 to R300 000 range for reasonably low-mileage sedans, hatchbacks and SUVS.

And, of course, reputable dealers will offer a number of add-on warranties, that are well worth considering too.