Best Small Cars for Seniors

If you’re a more mature driver, then you shouldn’t have to compromise on space and quality to find the new car that suits you… and with Vertu, fortunately you won’t have to.

Not only are there a plethora of fine cars out there that deliver on style, refinement, economy, practicality and value, many of these also offer the discerning qualities that might appeal to older drivers, such as easier accessibility, good all-round visibility, useable interior designs and light driving controls.

So, if you are a senior in the market for a new car, it’s reassuring to know that if you do have specific needs for your next vehicle, there is a top-quality car out there for you.

Dacia Duster

The Dacia Duster may have earned itself a loyal following on the strength of its value-oriented function over form ethos, but the latest generation compact SUV is considerably more desirable.

It’s still a great value route into a well-sized car that offers the benefits of convenient access to a spacious and well laid-out interior that hasn’t diverted all of its key controls to modern touchscreens.

It’s also spacious with good visibility, while the Duster, with its squared off corners makes placing it on the road easier.

Mild hybrid and full hybrid engine options are available to help keep running costs down, which helps complement a package that majors on being a lot of car for the cash.

Hyundai i10

While rivals have come and gone over the years, the Hyundai i10 has remained a constant among the most affordable models on sale in the UK.

In that time the i10 has become more sophisticated and advanced, but it hasn’t ignored its origins as offering a surprising amount of space in such small dimensions.

A tall roofline makes getting in and out easier, while ensuring there is plenty of headroom once you are settled. The functional interior is pleasingly conventional, while touches like the dash-mounted gearstick – manual or automatic - are a real benefit on the road.

Light steering and economical engines make the i10 an ideal companion if you tend to stay within the city limits, while it doesn’t hurt that it is also one of the UK’s cheapest new cars on sale.

Honda Jazz

It has been 25 years since the Honda Jazz arrived on these shores, but while the Japanese firm’s smallest offering has modernised with the times, its core appeal has always remained the same.

Blurring the lines between a small hatchback and a multi-purpose vehicle, the Jazz is filled with clever touches that can be appreciated on a day-to-day basis.

First and foremost, the Jazz is spacious inside and features a large window area that both lets in the light and offers good visibility. There is also a large 304-litre boot, while the rear seats can be folded down or have the base flip upwards cinema-style.

All Jazz models get 1.5-litre Hybrid power, complete with a CVT automatic transmission, ensuring a refined and economical drive with over-60mpg achievable.

Citroen Berlingo

If outright space is the number one priority for your next car, the Citroen Berlingo packs a lot of room into a package that won’t take up too much room on the road.

Indeed, the Berlingo in standard length measures barely more than the French firm’s mid-sized C4 hatchback, yet those humble van-based origins allow for plenty of head and legroom, plus a vast boot area.

The high-set dashboard is easy-to-hand and opens up the floor space between driver and passenger, while Citroen’s patented Advanced Comfort memory foam seats are among the most cossetting of any brand.

With plenty of window area allowing excellent visibility and the boxy shape helping with placing it on the road, it’s little wonder the Berlingo has become a go-to for those with mobility needs.

Volkswagen T-Roc

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Volkswagen SUVs but whether you choose big, small or anything in between, you can be sure of getting a model of multiple talents to meet your needs.

Among the more popular options is the Volkswagen T-Roc, the appeal of which has increased further following the launch of the latest generation, which introduces sleeker look and major interior upgrade.

Echoing the everyman appeal of the Golf, the T-Roc reimagines the hatchback in a desirable SUV format, complete with a higher driving position and lots of space up front.

The mature new look is complemented by a similarly well-sorted driving experience, the T-Roc proving mature and refined out in the open, without feeling unwieldy when threading through city lanes.

MG4

For those enticed to go electric for their next car, the MG4 complements its low running costs with a price tag that is more affordable than other similarly sized zero emission options.

Three battery options are available – 49kWh, 64kWh and 77kWh – with varying power and range figures, with the most frugal of these capable of travelling upwards of 323-miles on a single charge.

Being electric, the MG4 is therefore responsive and refined, while the light steering and excellent visibility consolidates its credentials as the perfect urban companion.

A well-sized boot and ample dimensions providing convenient access to the cabin simply adds to the MG4’s appeal.

Hyundai BAYON

For versatility on a budget, the Hyundai BAYON offers many of the benefits of an SUV in a practical, value-focused package.

More conventional than some of Hyundai’s more recent state-of-the-art offerings, the BAYON puts comfort and convenience to the forefront.

Priced like a conventional supermini but with dimensions that put it closer to an SUV, the BAYON feels spacious behind the wheel, while the dashboard is logical and refreshingly easy to navigate.

The 411-litre boot has a low and wide aperture for easy access, while on the road the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine is economical and the steering controls are light.

Vauxhall Frontera

The Vauxhall Frontera nameplate has returned to adorn the latest addition to the firm’s SUV offerings as a more rugged complement to the boldly styled Mokka.

Despite being bigger than the Mokka, the Frontera comes in at a cheaper price point, while its squared off edges and upright profile makes it the more practical choice of the two as well.

A tall driving position allows for a great view of the road, which in turn makes getting in and out of the Frontera a particular doddle. In fact, the Frontera is among the most spacious in its class with generous head and legroom all round, plus a well-sized boot.

Adding to the rugged SUV’s appeal is the option of both petrol-hybrid and electric power, though whichever you choose, the Frontera benefits from light steering and a smooth ride.