Seniors are no different than anyone else. They
want practical and reliable SUVs that they'll enjoy driving On top of that, though,
there's certain features offered in SUVs that are perhaps more important to seniors
than other drivers. Join us as we explore, in no particular order, 10 of the Best SUVs for
Seniors on the market today. Okay, let's get started. The Honda CR-V has a whole new look inside and out as it was fully redesigned for the 2023 model year to be larger, more modern
and offer more passenger space while still keeping that highly practical side that seniors and others
love. The new infotainment system is relatively easy to use and now comes standard with a 7 inch (18 cm)
display and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Higher trim levels bump up to a
9 inch (23 cm) display and wireless Apple and Android compatibility which makes using
your phone for navigation a breeze.
Seniors with reduced hand strength will appreciate that push button start is standard across all models as is a capless fuel tank.
Seniors will love the safety technologies
found in the CR-V which are too numerous to list entirely but include a Collision Mitigation
Braking System that automatically applies the brakes to help avoid an imminent collision
with another vehicle, pedestrian or object as well as a Traffic Sign Recognition System that
scans speed limit signs and displays the limit in the driver information center.
Although the new model hasn't been tested for safety yet, the previous model received a Top Safety
Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a 5-Star rating from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also known as NHTSA. The CR-V is available
in both a traditional gas powered model as well as hybrid. Fuel economy rating for the
gas-only model come in at 28 mpg (8.4 L/100km) in the city, 34 (6.9) on the highway for a combined fuel
efficiency of 30 mpg (7.8 L/100km).
The hybrid model, naturally, comes in much highway at 43 mpg (5.5 L/100km) in
the city, 36 (6.5) on the highway and 40 (5.9) overall.
Prices for the Honda CR-V start at $31,110
before destination, taxes and other fees.
Next on our list is a small, funky subcompact
SUV from Kia the Kia Soul. The Soul has a lot to offer seniors that are young at heart,
including a practical cabin that has a fun, youthful feel as well as more than enough room
for both people and cargo. Prior to 2023, the Soul was offered with an alternative
turbocharged engine but now that option is gone, leaving a 2.0-liter, 147 horsepower engine
that because of the Soul's small stature, actually manages to have enough pep to keep things
interesting around town.
Seniors will appreciate the Soul s fuel economy which comes in at 28 mpg (8.4 L/100km)
in the city, 33 (7.1) on the highway and 30 (7.8) overall
Standard safety technologies include
standard forward collision warning with automated emergency braking as well as lane
departure warning with lane-keeping assist.
With an aggressive base price under $20 kay,
seniors may have enough left in their budget to upgrade to higher trim levels that not only
offer additional safety technologies but also include heated seats, a heated steering wheel and
a push-button ignition with keyless entry.
If you are a senior that feels that you simply
can't go wrong with buying a Toyota, the Toyota Corolla Cross might just be the SUV for you. The
Corolla Cross is a smaller alternative to Toyota's incredibly popular RAV4 that seems designed
with the senior driver in mind. The front doors open wide and offer easy access in and out and
controls are easy to reach as well as to use. Push button start is available on most trim levels
and the infotainment screen is mounted high, which makes it both easy to see as well
as reach. Cargo capacity is adequate, however, seniors may want
to consider the optional power liftgate.
When it comes to safety, seniors will enjoy a sense of comfort knowing that the Corolla Cross received a Top Safety Pick Plus designation from the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety in addition to a suite of standard safety features including amongst others,
Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist and Road Sign Assist.
Fuel economy is impressive and comes in at an average 32 miles per gallon (7.4 L/100km) while pricing is quite
reasonable, starting at just $22,445.
Coming in at number 7, we have the newly
redesigned bold-looking 4th generation Hyundai Tucson. The new Tucson is substantially better
than the previous model due to better handling, a quieter ride, and larger cargo area and rear seat
space. Although there's aspects of the Tucson that some seniors may not love, such as the lack
of a physical knob to control volume, the Tucson more than makes up for it in the area of safety
having received a Top Safety Pick Plus designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
as well as featuring numerous standard and optional advanced safety technologies. As with some other
SUVs on this list, the Tucson is offered as a gas-only model that gets an average 29 miles
per gallon (8.1 L/100km) , and the hybrid model that jumps up to an average of 37 miles per gallon (6.4 L/100km) For seniors unfamiliar with Hyundai, beyond a perfect reliability rating from Consumer Reports,
Tucson owners enjoy a much longer warranty than is typically offered by auto manufacturers that
includes 5 years or 60,000 miles of limited warranty in addition to complimentary maintenance for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles. Prices for the Hyundai Tucson start at $26,450 The standard all-wheel drive Subaru
Forester compact SUV pops up at number 6.
Subaru has a winning formula when the
Forester that seniors are sure to appreciate As it straightforward and simple to use without all the frills sometimes found in competing SUVs. The
cabin is easy to enter and exit and driving position is good, resulting in excellent visibility and fuel economy is commendable at an average of 29 miles per gallon (8.1 L/100km) The back seat is spacious and comfortable enough for adults even on road trips. Cargo space is generous for its vehicle class, offering more space behind the
back seat than most competitors.
The Forester received a Top Safety Pick Plus designation
from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and Seniors will enjoy a suite of standard
advanced safety features offered in the Forester that include Automated Emergency braking,
lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control amongst others as well
as multiple optional advanced safety features.
The Forester comes in higher
than average in Consumer Reports reliability ratings and prices start
at a little over $26,000. The number one selling SUV in the country
comes in at number 5 with the Toyota RAV4.
The RAV4 is available multiple configurations
including a gas-only model, a hybrid model as well as a plug-in hybrid model called the RAV4 Prime.
Although all three are appealing in their own right, the slightly more expensive hybrid model deserves seniors attention as average fuel economy jumps by 10 miles per gallon.
For those seniors with a lead foot, the hybrid model not only offers faster acceleration
than the gas-only model but is quieter as well.
Overall, across all models, the RAV4 has a lot
of standard features that seniors will appreciate including a wi-fi hot spot as well as wireless
Apple Carplay and Android Auto which makes using your smartphone for navigation, exceedingly
simple. Seniors will be comforted by the presence of multiple standard advanced safety technologies
found in the RAV4, including automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, standard
lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Prices for the RAV4
start in the mid-$27,000 range. for the gas-only model but we think the extra
$2650 to get the hybrid model is well worth it for the jump in fuel economy and the fact
that it comes standard as all-wheel drive. Somehow this list wouldn't feel complete without
the next SUV on our list, the Mazda CX-5.
Mazda's have been incredibly popular over recent
years and the CX-5 is no exception as Consumer Reports calls it one of the best small SUVs ,
in part due to a quiet cabin and an enjoyable, comfortable ride that stands out in its class. Seniors will enjoy that all CX-5 s now come standard as all-wheel drive and offer a strong
suite of standard safety features which includes Forward Collision Warning, Automated Emergency
Braking with Pedestrian Warning, Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Warning.
There are a couple downsides for seniors to the CX-5 that we should note including its infotainment
system isn t intuitive at first and fuel economy isn't as high as some competitors at an average of 26 miles per gallon (9.0 L/100km). However, safety ratings are top notch with the CX-5 receiving a Top safety Pick Plus designation
from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a 5-star rating from NHTSA. Prices for the Mazda CX-5 start at just under $27,000.
The 2nd Subaru appears on our list at #3 with
the Crosstrek.
The Crosstrek is an exceedingly practical SUV that offers the whole package.
In fact, it s ranked number one by Consumer Reports in the compact SUV vehicle category. Seniors
will appreciate that the Crosstrek comes standard as all wheel drive and offers impressive ride
comfort as it drives more like a car than SUV. In addition, the Crosstrek offers a roomy back
seat and an easy to use infotainment system.
The Crosstrek is a rare SUV in that it comes
standard with a manual transmission. In this configuration, advanced safety technologies
such as Forward Collision Warning and Automated Emergency Braking are not available as buyers
need to upgrade to at least the Sport Trim level to get an automatic transmission and these
and other advanced safety technologies.
Regardless of transmission choice, overall safety
ratings are off-the-charts with the CrossTrek receiving a Top Safety Pick Plus designation from
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and a 5-star rating from NHTSA. Seniors won t have to worry about spending too much time at the pump with the CrossTrek, as fuel economy ratings come
in at an average of 30 miles per gallon overall (7.8 L/100km)
The base model CrossTrek starts in the mid-$23,000 range but we recommend upgrading to at least the Sport trim level which starts
at just under $28,000. In the number 2 spot, we have one of the hottest SUVs on the market today...
the 3-row midsize KIA Telluride.
Now Seniors as a group may not need larger 3-row SUVs often
but we can't forget that seniors are just like anyone else and have a variety of wants and needs,
including some that want or need larger SUVs.
The handsomely styled, yet somewhat aggressive
looking Telluride, is genuinely an impressive SUV, that landed a near perfect overall score from
Consumer Reports of 97 out of 100, putting it into the top spot of midsize 3-row SUVs. There's
a lot for seniors to like about the Telluride.
The cabin of the Telluride pushes into
the luxury category. Seniors will enjoy features like standard push-button start and
the 12.3" infotainment system that is easy to use. Seniors that need an SUV for towing a small or medium
sized camping trailer will love the Telluride, as it can tow up to 5,500 pounds (2494 kg) when properly
equipped. The Telluride performs strong in the area of safety as it received a Top Safety Pick
designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and features an entire suite of
standard advanced safety technologies that are too numerous to list. Fuel economy ratings
aren't exciting but are roughly on par with competitors at 23 miles per gallon overall (10.2 L/100km)
The Telluride technically starts at $35,690, but dealers oftentimes add additional markups
due to high demand and low inventory.
The last vehicle on our list is clearly not
an SUV but give us a moment to explain.
The Ford Maverick is an extraordinarily popular
small 4-door crew cab pickup truck that is built on the same platform as two Ford SUVs, the
Ford Escape and the Ford Bronco Sport.
Of course, just because it s built on a platform
shared by SUVs doesn't make it an SUV and we get that but we wanted to mix this list up a little at the end as
some seniors love trucks just like anyone else.
Active seniors will love the Maverick's low
height of the 4 1/2 foot (1.37 meter) long truck bed that makes it easy to load an unload. They'll
also love the fact that it comes standard as a hybrid that sips instead of gulps fuel due to
a superb fuel economy of 42 mpg (5.6 L/100km) in the city, 33 (7.1) on the highway, and 37 mpg (6.4) overall. Seniors
that enjoy outdoor life or haul payloads often will appreciate the Maverick's payload capacity of 1,500
lbs (680 kg) and towing capacity of up to 4,000 lbs (1814 kg) depending on configuration. A relatively easy to use 8.0 inch (20 cm) touchscreen infotainment systems well as onboard wi-fi hotspot. When it comes to safety, the Maverick is solid as it features multiple advanced safety features such as Forward Collision Warning and Automatic
Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection while other advanced safety systems
are available on higher trim levels.
Starting prices for the Ford Maverick are very
reasonable, starting at a little over at just $22,000 for the base model. Thanks for watching...hope you enjoyed the video!
