Car choice: Something that's easy to get in and out of, please

Roddy Copeland needs a small car with a low sill, to make life easier for his disabled wife

(Ford)

A car for the head

There is some online help available for drivers. The Research Institute for Consumer Affairs has put together a handy search tool to find the right car when restricted and wheelchair access is important, at ricability.org.uk/content/car-search. As to particular models, the Ford Fusion comes to mind as a small high-rise version of a Fiesta. It seemed a pointless car at first, but soon caught on with older motorists who found it easy to get into and out of as the seating was positioned fairly high. A 2007 example with 40,000 miles and a 1.4 engine, and which comes with air conditioning and alloys, is £2,789 for one example we identified.

(Honda (Honda)

A car for the heart

A high seating position is the biggest help to older and infirm motorists and their passengers. Although it would be easy to go for a 4x4 here, the emphasis should be on a compact vehicle which will be economical to run, which is why we ought to be looking at a Honda Jazz. This is a high quality town car which is very economical to run. The interior is very versatile and there is a great air of quality. A 2008 1.4 i-DSi SE with just over 70,000 miles and just two owners is £2,595.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visitfreecarmag.com