When I was a kid, the stereotypical cars that old people drove included the exact pearlescent white 1998 Cadillac DeVille that my grandmother owned, any Buick sedan, Lincoln Town Cars, Ford Crown Victorias, and Toyota Avalons — mostly large, comfortable sedans. Now though, in a world where Cadillac sedans have gone all sporty and firm; Ford, Lincoln, and Buick have all stopped selling sedans; and the Toyota Avalon is no more, what modern vehicles are left to take the torch and ferry silver-haired AARP members to all of their doctor’s appointments?
All of the cars listed above shared a few commonalities that made them appealing to senior citizens, like big plush seats, a suspension tuned for comfort and comfort alone, relatively quiet interiors, and giant trunks. I imagine these kinds of cars appealed to elderly folks since they were reminiscent of the frankly awful American cars from the past, and they represented a familiar, spacious, and comfortable environment. Familiarity and simplicity are important to the older crowd since technological savviness isn’t often at the forefront of their skillsets, and they don’t have the patience or eyesight to navigate modern layered infotainment screens or a sea of tiny buttons.
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