Car Choice: Try the Jazz...everything else is a waste of space

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
Life & Style blogs

Living a long, healthy life – looking after your heart

In my clinic I see all sorts of people walking through my door. Mostly, they come to me because they...

Tips on renting your property to students

Five important things to think about before the Freshers arrive...

Problem neighbours make 17,000 people move home

Should you research your neighbours before you buy?


Alan Nattrass says with an exclamation mark that he does 10,000 to 11,000 miles a year! He admits to being 78 and his wife has mobility and sight problems, so they need a vehicle that is compatible with those issues. He has a generous £7,000 budget, so let's see what we can come up with.

A car for the head

So, what we need here is wide opening doors and a high seating position which makes entry and exit much easier. Otherwise it will be the usual ingredients of frugality and practicality. This means we should look at smaller people carriers and brands of supermini hatchbacks. And I find it hard to look beyond one model – the Honda Jazz. Its seating position is high, meaning that Alan's wife should find it easy to get in and out. Being a tall car, it has plenty of room inside despite the car being fairly compact. A decent-sized boot means there is lots of room for shopping. I think the smallest 1.2 litre petrol engine will be fine for the bulk of short journeys and should return a decent 50mpg on average. The basic S model is adequate, but for more comfort I would recommend at least an SE which has air conditioning and a more adjustable driver's seat. This is not a cheap car but the Jazz is a high quality one. Buying one that's a couple of years old means that the effects of depreciation are reduced. I found a 2008 example at a dealer; it had done 18,000 miles, had air conditioning and central locking and a decent warranty and it was great value at £7,000.

A car for the heart

Although I am tempted to recommend a compact people carrier for Alan, I get the impression that it may well be a waste of space. Something that could be clumsy to park and just too big could be a problem. So, I would like him to consider a Kia Picanto. Here is a small car with a big heart and unusually wide-opening doors that aid access along with the fact that the body is tall. I would also recommend a swivel seat. Either a complete seat system that replaces the original, or adapted cushions that would allow Alan's wife to get in and out more easily. Although you can buy these for around £20 or so, a replacement seat could be up to a £1,000. Then again, the Picanto is wonderful value for money, so they would be able to afford it. This little vehicle is certainly frugal as either of the small petrol engines will easily return over 50mpg and could not be cheaper to service and insure, ideal for anyone on a fixed pension. Looking in the classifieds, I found a 2010 model (now replaced), with delivery miles, at £7,000. So, that's a brand new car with 1.0 engine and air conditioning and direct from a Kia dealer. Peace of mind right there, and worth a test drive.

Looking to buy?

Please write to Car Choice, Features, Independent on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF or email James Ruppert at carchoice@independent.co.uk, giving your age, address and phone number, details of the type of vehicle in which you are interested and your budget.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

Is Ridley Scott the most macho man in movies?

Ridley Scott: The most macho man in movies?

His cinematic CV is unparalleled. Yet the Alien director is still obsessed with beating his rivals.
Being Gary Lineker: The clean-cut anchorman is this summer's Mr Sport

Being Gary Lineker

The clean-cut anchorman is this summer's Mr Sport...
Gallic gourmets are putting French cuisine back on the culinary map

Gallic gourmets put France back on culinary map

Overdone, out of touch and old-fashioned: French cuisine has never been at a lower ebb...
So Moorish: Mark Hix offers his own take on classic Moroccan dishes

So Moorish: Mark Hix's Moroccan dishes

Why not create a north African-inspired feast to share with your friends?
Sin and the single mother: The history of lone parenthood

Sin and the single mother

Maureen Paton explores the history of lone parenthood.
The outsider: Margaret Howell is British fashion's queen of minimalism

The outsider: Margaret Howell

The designer tells Susannah Frankel why she has never felt part of the fashion industry.
The 50 Best luggage

The 50 Best luggage

From chic cases to compact baggage, pack it all in this summer
For men only: A pilgrimage to Mount Athos in Greece

For men only: A pilgrimage to Mount Athos

On a secluded peninsula in north-east Greece lies an enclave that's way off the tourist map, especially for women...
48 Hours In: Faro

48 Hours In: Faro

More than just the gateway to the Algarve, this city has much to tempt you off the beach.
Here, the coast is always clear: Celebrating sixty years of Pembrokeshire's National Park

60 years of Pembrokeshire's National Park

Mick Webb reveals a land of puffins, tanks and Hollywood blockbusters.
Free Range: Meet the designers of tomorrow

Free Range

Meet the artists of the future
Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?

Feeding a hungry world – or meddling with laws of nature?

As scientists at Rothamsted's GM trials plead with activists not to sabotage their work, Michael McCarthy visits the battle field
Monkey meat that could be behind the next HIV

Monkey meat that could be behind the next HIV

Deep in Cameroon's rainforests, poachers are killing primates for food. Evan Williams reports from Yokadouma on a practice that could create a pandemic
Catcalls, whistles, groping: just another day for a young woman

Catcalls, whistles, groping: just another day for a young woman

Government urged to take abuse more seriously as London study shows 41 per cent are harassed
Jailing of Maori separatists stirs colonial-era resentment

Jailing of Maori separatists stirs colonial-era resentment

Militant Tuhoe tribe members defiant amid claims race relations had been set back 100 years