My wife has had a Eunos/MX5 for several years now, utterly reliable and lots of fun especially in the summer. it has been used for local runs, backwards and forwards to work/shops etc. However my wife has developed a disc problem and my mother-in-law is increasingly in need of support. There has been a significant increase in journies to her home - 60 miles away. Either we or my wife are doing the trip around three times a week or more now. With the winter approaching as well we are seriously considering getting my wife something more comfortable for the longer runs she is doing now, and which my increasingly infirm MiL can get in and out of easily, and perhaps take a walking frame etc. Until recently she was in and out of the Eunos like a spring chicken - not bad for an 89 year old! - but much more difficult now. I am thinking the solution is a reasonable newish (by my standards) 2/3/4 year old Toyota Yaris automatic. Preferably 1.3 to give a bit more grunt, and 3 door to give best possible access to the passenger seat. Air con and a CD player would be nice as well whilst we are at it, and of course the benefit of toyota reliability and quality. I am pretty much decided on the Yaris, but would welcome a sense check and any feedback from anybody who has one. I was slightly put off by a road test, Parkers I think, that mentioned poor ride quality - one of the reasons for getting one!
Thanks MGs
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If you can stand the looks, try a Yaris Verso - my mother had one for three utterly trouble free years.
The auto is smooth and access is exceptional as its just the right height to slide into the seats rather than down into them which my disabled grandmother found brilliant..
Ride quality is acceptable on the Verso, not sure about the hatch.
Get a CDX which has good spec.
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Mrsb has had a 1/3 Yaris (manual) for just over 3 years.
It's a very good car and for the size and money you won't do much better. It's not the last word in handling or refinement, but it's well-equippped and has a "grown up" feel.
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You are making a sensible decision. Other cars are also good for the people lacking in mobility. I wouldn't choose my mother's Suzuki Wagon R for long trips, but I would strongly recommend a Subaru Forester and I believe the Ford C-Max is also very good in this respect. Both are very good on cross country driving. Friends of my parents have a Yaris Verso and also rate it very highly.
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I saw a programme on TV once where Ford had devised a special suit that constraint movement - similar to how an elderly or less able person may feel - when entering the car. They used it in the design of the front seats & doors on the Focus - which is apparently comfortable and easy to get in and out of.
I do not have first hand experience of this but our 53 plate Corolla is also easy to get in and out of as the front seats are quite high.
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Not so much why not a Yaris......but why not a Colt?
My daughter has a Yaris 1.0 and it is a very good and reliable car. My wife and her daughter both have a Mitsubishi Colt, the really peppy 1.0L 3 pot engine version. They are really more funky looking than the Yaris and really very well built. Bags of leg room in the back. The best thing is that they are much cheaper than the Yaris because they are (for some inexplicable reason) underrated by the public. You can bargain really well for a new one. Step daughter got a great discount, free insurance and interest free loan over a year. 2nd hand can be an even better bargain. Look at Mitsubishi web pages for pre owned and compare spec with Yaris on Totota web site, see the price difference.
Check out HJ's review
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Elder daughter is on her second 1.3 Yaris and has been delighted with both. She didn't like the looks of any of the competition, and the 1.3 is very nippy and lively. The problem with a 3-door is that the doors are very side and this makes it more difficult to get out if there is another car parked next to it, as in a car park.
The Verso is hideous but would be practical for mother-in-law: also think about a Honda Jazz, which can come with a CVT. Quite tall and so easy to get in and out of, and lots of room all round, defiintely more than the non-Verso Yaris. Jazzes are equally reliable.
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Sorry - the doors are very wide, not side!
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Before we bought our Yaris we tried several.
A 3 door is MUCH less convenient than a 5 door... fold the rear seat down and you get lots of room.
Buy a facelift post 2002 model (tears in headlights ) as it has small but significant improvements.
We bought a diesel one and whilst it does not handle as well as a Fiesta it is easier to get in/out and the finish and fit are much better..
madf
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Thanks for your comments folks, much appreciated. I think a Verso, however good, might be a step too far, even I find them odd to look at and I wont have to drive it too much. We shall go and check out the 3 v 5 door issue with regard to access v convenience. Access is really the issue here. Hadnt thought about a Colt but will check out on autotrader for availability at around the £5k level which is the figure I have in mind, although I will go higher if I need to. Certainly encouraged by the positive feedback so thank you all very much for that. As ever, the supportive input of BRers much appreciated.
Thanks MGs
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My parents bought a 18 month old yaris last december. Its the 1.0l (4 cyl i think) 'blue' edition. Its a 5 door and they have had nothing but praise for it. They say its realy easy to get in and out of due to the high seats. I've driven it and for a 1.0l its really nice to drive about town. I've also driven it on the motorway, and its a little noisy at motorway speeds, and feels a bit light, but then I suppose its not meant for regular m'way speeds. On normal roads its very quite and easy to drive.
One thing my dad had a (minor) moan about was that its difficult for him to wash the roof properly as he is realtivly short and cant reach the middle of the roof. Apart from that its all been good.
For 5k you'll get a decent low mileage quite new car.
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