Senior drivers often have different wants and needs than younger drivers when it comes to cars. But like almost everyone else, they’re also concerned about the high cost of fuel. The following new 2010 cars offer good to excellent fuel economy as well as features that will appeal to older drivers…
Under $15,000
Roomy Backseat
Nissan Versa 1.6 sedan.
Base price: $10,990* with automatic transmission and air-conditioning. In addition to being one of the least expensive new cars on the market now, the Versa compact sedan also stands out because of its substantially roomier backseat. Four adults can sit comfortably in the Versa — a claim few compact sedans or hatchbacks can honestly make. (Five can sit in a pinch.) Its high roofline and large, wide-opening doors make it easy to get into and out of.
Gas mileage is very good — 26 miles per gallon (mpg) city, 34 mpg highway — and the Versa’s ride is softer than that of many smallish cars, too.
For those who want more power — and amenities — you can get the Versa 1.8SL, which has a larger 1.8-liter engine and high-tech features, such as Bluetooth wireless (which allows you to use portable electronics, such as a PDA and cell phone, through the car’s telecommunications system) and keyless ignition (rather than the mechanical key, you carry a key fob with a wireless transmitter that sends a signal allowing you to stop and start the engine by pushing a button on your dashboard). The 1.8SL also offers luxuries, such as a sunroof and premium stereo with satellite radio and MP3 capability, which allows you to plug in an iPod or any digital music device. Prices for the Versa 1.8SL with automatic transmission begin at just over $16,000. (Manual transmission versions of the Versa 1.6 and the Versa 1.8 are about $1,000 less than the prices for automatics.)
about $20,000
Easy to Operate
Honda Insight hybrid.
Base price: $20,510. The Insight is a hybrid gas-electric five-door hatchback similar in layout and size to the popular Toyota Prius but costs several thousand dollars less.
Two features especially stand out. The first is the simplicity of its interior layout. While the shape of the instrument panel is swoopy and futuristic, the controls are similar in function to what you would find in a non-hybrid car. For example, instead of a dashboard-mounted toggle switch to control the transmission (as found in the Prius), the Insight has a conventional floor-mounted gear selector and the usual ranges of park, reverse, neutral and drive, plus sport (meaning that the transmission holds each gear longer for more power). Other controls are familiar and easy to understand and use, such as the rotary knob for the air-conditioning system (there are no computer “menus” to deal with).
The Insight’s other strong suit is its “kammback” rear section. Instead of the typical steeply raked hatchback design with an abbreviated trunk area, the Insight’s rear section tapers gradually, with the single-piece tailgate section opening wide to provide generous access to the large, 32 cubic foot (with the second-row seats folded down) cargo area. This means larger, unwieldy objects will fit — and it’s less trouble getting things into and out of the cargo area.
Gas mileage (40 mpg city, 43 mpg highway) isn’t as high as that of the Prius (51 city, 48 highway) but the Insight’s much lower up-front cost washes out the Toyota’s gas-mileage advantage. It would take several years of driving to make up for the approximate $2,240 price difference between the cost of a new Insight and the cost of the least-expensive version of the Prius ($22,750).
Under $30,000
Big and Well-Equipped
Ford Taurus.
Base price: $25,995. The Taurus was a great car in the 1980s, and, thanks to a complete redesign for the 2010 model, it is once again exactly that. This is a large, five-passenger sedan that is exceptionally comfortable, smooth-riding and very nicely finished and equipped — for significantly less money than you would pay for an equivalent import, such as the $28,595 Toyota Avalon. The new Taurus is actually bigger than the Avalon (which is itself bigger than the Camry or the Honda Accord) with more front-seat headroom and legroom and a substantially larger (20.1 cubic foot) trunk.
The Taurus also comes standard with a powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission and can be ordered with all-wheel-drive for improved winter and wet-weather traction and safety. Another helpful feature is an external keypad entry system. If you lock your keys inside the car, you can enter a personal code to unlock the vehicle. Base SE models (the least expensive with fewer features) are very well-equipped with a six-way power driver’s seat, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel (which makes the car fit a variety of drivers), as well as automatic headlights, air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks all included.
Gas mileage is 18 mpg in city driving, 28 mpg on the highway.
Under $35,000
Luxury for Less
Buick LaCrosse.
Base price: $27,835. General Motors may be in trouble, but its Buick division is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak landscape.
Reason: Buicks, such as the LaCrosse, continue to offer the “traditional luxury car experience” and they are actually selling well. The midsized 2010 LaCrosse — a major upgrade from the 2009 model — is noticeably softer-riding than the typical midsized luxury sedan — where the emphasis is increasingly on high-performance handling and the “sporty” driving feel of an import car. There’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s what you want. But if you prefer a car that drives closer to the way American luxury cars used to drive, the new LaCrosse is apt to be more to your liking.
It’s also a great deal — priced comparably with cars that aren’t even in the luxury or near-luxury class (such as the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord) and more than $7,000 under the price of similarly posh, similarly equipped luxury-brand competitors, such as the Lexus ES350, which starts at $35,345.
The 2010 LaCrosse comes standard with a 255-horsepower V-6 engine, six-speed automatic transmission, satellite radio, 17-inch wheels, climate control, leather trim and full power accessories (such as windows, door locks and cruise control).
The 2010 LaCrosse is rated by the EPA at 18 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg in highway driving — the latter figure only a few miles per gallon off the pace of many economy-class cars.
Under $45,000
High-End Performance
BMW 335d.
Base price: $43,900. Combining luxury, performance and excellent fuel efficiency, the diesel-powered version of BMW’s highly regarded 3 Series sedan is literally in a class by itself — for the moment, at least.
No other diesel car on the market can match the 335d’s high-end amenities, high power and performance (zero to 60 in six seconds) and its EPA-rated 36 mpg capability on the highway. (Its 23 mpg city rating is also very good for a car this powerful.) In fact, competitors of this BMW tend to get around 10 mpg less on the highway and five mpg less in the city — a huge difference.
The reason is simply that none of those brands currently sell diesel-powered versions of their luxury-sport sedans. (Only Mercedes-Benz currently offers a diesel-powered luxury-sport sedan, the E320 BlueTEC. But the E320 is much more expensive — starting at more than $54,000 — and is a larger car than the 335d, so it’s not really in the same class as the BMW.)
And the diesel downsides of truck-like noise, rattles and clouds of sooty black smoke? They’re history. Modern diesels like the BMWs are smooth, quiet — and clean.
*Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for base model, including freight.
