Hooniverse Asks- What’s The New Stereotypical Old Man’s Car?
As cool as you eventually realize they are, eventually everybody’s mom and dad gets to an age when cars become more of a rolling rest home than a road eater, and proclivities toward brands and demands change, just like waistlines, and hairlines. Yesterday we wondered what cars you were waiting around to become barely legal cheap enough to make sense. That waiting game has proven to be as popular with car nuts as Chutes and Ladders, but it does put a kink in one’s hose when it comes to instant gratification.
Of course, the other issue with waiting is that your interests may change, and that GT-R you’ve been watching drop in value year after year, may not be as attractive when it finally gets in your price range because you grown some new sensibilities, including a penchant for wearing your pants hiked up to mid-navel because it’s just so damn comfortable. When that occurs, it used to be a pretty easy choice – you either went Buick, Oldsmobile, or, if you were really a Saggy McMoneypants, a Lincoln, Benz or Caddy.
But today that’s all changed. Olds is long gone, Cadillac, the Germans, and even Buick all now make twitchy cars with – god help you – stick shifts and dead pedals. At your age, you don’t like anything that comes with something that’s called dead. Lincoln at least still knows how to velour-up an interior, and the Town Car is big enough to do some real damage should one of those punk kids try and fight you for that left lane – and your blinker is on because you’re planning to exit. . . in 25 miles. But even Ford’s septuagenarian-friendly brand is changing – or disappearing depending on who you believe – and the Town Car? Gone the way of your sex drive.
So what’s an old fart to do these days? It used to be that American manufacturers had a product for every life stage, from entry to exit, but when they decided to start building utter crap and people took a leap of faith with foreign cars, they lost the Hometown Buffet crowd. What do you think is now the poster car of the AARP? What current product is besmirched with the title of the choice of an old generation?
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Most stereotypical old people I see these days are driving Honda Accords or Toyota Camrys. Though, there is an elderly lady around the block from me that drives a G8 GXP. No lie. She's a bit of a hero to me.
Camry and Corolla are big with the blue hairs by me. Never get behind one at a light. You'll get passed by at least 3 cars.
I love my great-aunts, but they do fit that stereotype with their Corollas. (Their sister, my grandma, isn't much faster despite having twice as many cylinders to play with in her Coupe de Ville.)
My stereotypical old man would drive one of these, in the fast lane with the left blinker on going 20 below the posted speed limit, and driving fairly erratically (because he is trying to figure out what that damn noise is (lane departure alarm))
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/06/panamera__23_optb.jpg" width=550>
Mine….
<img src="http://hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/025-650×433.jpg" alt="" />
I'm sorry.
Toyota Camry or the Avalon for the extra bland trip to the 4:00 Buffet.
Avalon is the official car of Toms River NJ, the Del Boca Vista of NJ.
hahahahaha, its so true. The other car I see a lot of 60 something guys driving is the scion xB…I guess the mentality is, "it is marketed at kids, so it must make me look young."
Actually, I was talking to a Kia salesperson about this, and she says that the Soul is super popular among old people because it has a good hip point making it easy to get into and out of. Also, apparently the seats are extra wide if you're fat, and there's plenty of room for a walker. She wasn't trying to convince me to buy one, obviously.
That and the combover.
Yeah…that ease of entry thing is selling a lot of cars like that. The Element skewed old too.
My grandparents lived in Toms River. They're both dead now. Therefore Avalon is the official car of dead people in NJ?
/college logic classes finally come in handy!
People don't live in Toms River. They wait for the inevitable.
K cars still carry a blue hair connotation to them, most likely formed in my mind during the 90s when everyone I went to high school with was receiving K cars, Grand Marquis and Buick Park Avenues from their Grandparents who, "Could no longer use it."
Also, an alarming amount of Ford Taurus/Mercury Sables.
1984 Alfa Romeo Spider
On a recent trip to florida…
<img src="http://greshamtoyotablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Toyota-Avalon-2.jpg">
I think Toyota is brainwashing the old folks.
When better Buicks are built, Toyota will build them!
There's a retirement community across from my work and I seem to notice an inordinate number of Honda Odyssey minivans – especially the second generation. Not sure if there's any correlation there, but that's what I'll go with.
<img src="http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/12/2008/11/2010-Ford-Fusion-Sport.jpg" width=500>
In this color. Maybe that's why everything inside it is huge and the "leather feel" plastic has canyons in it.
Depends, are we talking I'm 65 and want a fun car, but I'm too old for a stick shift or are we talking I'm 80+ and try not to leave a 10 miles radius of my home, only during daylight hours, because I get lost easy. For the 65 year old, a slightly used luxury convertible, most likely a M-B SL of some sort. (My dad couldn't afford a Benz so he got a 2003 Saab 9-3 convertible) The 80 year old bought their last car 10+ years ago so they have a Lincoln Towncar or a FWD Cadillac of some sort.
I could also make the argument that the Tri-Five '55-'57 Chevys are the most stereotypical old man's car. Just about every small time car show features a red 1957 Chevy Bel Aire (coupe or convertible) with: a chromed out small block (or big block), automatic, a hula girl on the dash, a drive-in tray of plastic food on the window, tissue dispenser on the dash, a boom box blaring doo-wop music, and a big DO NOT TOUCH sign. Of course the car is only taken out for car shows or maybe cruise night at the local Sonic and never driven over 50mph, even though the engine had 500 HP. Always owned by somebody that turned 16 around 1957.
You had me at "Depends".
"Depends", that's usually the difference between 65 and 80.
Lovely ad! Did you kit-bash that yourself, or did you find it floating in the tubes?
You know another demographic that bought lots of Panther platforms? Hearse builders.
<img src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/93/247830152_d5415ef776.jpg" width=500>
Find whatever model provides the platform for the next generation of cars to haul around the recently deceased, and you'll find the vehicle of choice for those who are nearly there.
<img src="http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/95046/2008-Buick-Enclave-i001.jpg">
I've never seen one driven by someone under 60. I suspect that the Buick Encore will be similarly popular with the gray hair set.
I was going to say Buick anything. All Buicks – with the exception of the one Tiger Woods drives in the commercial – are driven by people collecting Social Security.
I have an '08 Lacrosse Super, bought from the estate of a retired Marine. Nobody knows what it is, which makes it invisible.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-quickest… http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/26/in-the-autoblo… http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/04/2008-bui…
If the last two days I spent in an Arkansas town of 4500 people where the median age is 59 (seriously) is any indication, it's the late '90s / early '00s Oldsmobile 88 / Buick Lesabre twins. I've never seen so many in one place.
Here in Florida you can find plenty of H-car Buicks and Olds for cheap that have low miles and been well cared-for. I got my '94 LeSabre from my mom in 2008 some months before she passed away. She gave me the car because she was no longer driving at all and had no more use for it. The car was in pristine shape and had only 25,000 miles on the odometer.
Ahhh., the proverbial Condo Car…
toyota previas are what the cool old cats are driving around me. and i enjoy the fact that i can hear them coming with their whistley exhaust.
My parents, who are in their late 70s early 80s, drive a Lancia Epsilon. So much for stereotypes…
<img src="http://picture1.goo-net.com/7009571839/20110710/J/70095718392011071000100.jpg" width=500>
Note: they live in France.
Yeah, Europeans are a different story entirely.
I find it amusing that Honda is perceived as an 'old people' brand in the UK***.
*According to TopGear, who have probably skewed my impression of the UK in many subtle and inaccurate ways.
**The UK is sort-of Europe.
Isn't it considered that in the us too? Definitely getting there. So is Toyota.
Minivans – they're roomy, comfortable, easy to get in to, and there's plenty of space for grandkids/walkers and scooters/that Boca Raton trip. And yes, between my grandparents, there've been three SWB Caravans/Voyagers.
I'll also throw a shout out to the Chevy Impala, Buick Lucerne, and Cadillac DTS for their last year of production – never underestimate the power of a bench seat. If Nissan wanted that demographic, they'd put one back in the Cube.
Yeah, minivans are freaking huge among the elderly. It used to be the Chevy Venture around where I lived – my sister's in laws are on their second, my aunt went through two before going to a Dodge Journey – but now the Caravan has been the default choice.
Definitely the Avalon, and if you want to go a little upmarket, the Lexus ES.
If I was to stereotype my dad, I think his next new vehicle purchase would be either of the following:
Subaru WRX STi
or
KTM RC8
I don't think I can stereotype my dad.
Yes, there are definitely outliers. Nearing 70, my Dad is a car guy who wouldn't be caught anywhere near an AARP endorsed vehicle.
My Dad's last car was a Fiat 124 Spyder with a Pathfinder as his daily driver.
aarp mobile: Honda Accord
A guy at work this week has a Panther-chassis, and I have to admit, it has appeal. It's a rental, he's traveling.
Sure, I want a bit more power, slightly tighter, yet still cushy, suspension, but I could own one of these and be happy.
Then, again, when I was in FL a couple of weeks back, my eyes were peeled for old, pre-1974, Cadillacs which I could take home.
And no, I'm not an old fart. The '05 STS, with the magic shocks turned to 'performance', is remarkably agile for a US-designed vehicle of its size/mass/make.
BTW, the RX300 was designed to have a seat which is at the 'hip point' of 90% of the US population. I have to admit, both my partially-crippled self and wife like it for ingress/egress. Plus, it's a bitchin' road-trip machine. 24 hours in the driver's seat, not sore. Tired, but not sore.
If you want a Panther with more power and a tighter chassis you have two options: CVPI or Marauder. Either are solid choices, though the Marauder probably has more creature comforts (as well as more power and the tightest suspension).
I had an RX350 for a while when I worked in Florida a few years ago. It's alright, has a fantastic engine, but you're right. That was a comfortable car to drive from Cocoa Beach to Key West to Ft. Meyer and back.
Yes, Buick Lucerne. If you bought a Cadillac you're not necessarily old, but if you bought a Lucerne there is no way in hell that you're not.
I have an uncle- definite car guy, has always had older chevy muscle cars, who is now 50, and rented a Lucerne recently on a trip. He can't stop gushing about how nice it was, and wants to buy one. It makes me sad…
Uh, oh, that sounds like me. Exactly like me.
I'm 21. I should think about a life insurance policy, right?
But in my defense it was a nice car aside from the plasticy dashboard, furry parcel shelf and wooly steering. If it wasn't a rental with cloth seats it might have been better. I do not lie when I say I wan that car instead of a '03 Accord. Really. Maybe if the Accord was a 6-cyl I'd change my mind, but as is I like the Buick more.
Uh oh, that sounds like me. Exactly like me.
I'm 21. I should think about a life insurance policy, right?
But in my defense it was a nice car aside from the plasticy dashboard, furry parcel shelf and wooly steering. If it wasn't a rental with cloth seats it might have been better. I do not lie when I say I wan that car instead of a '03 Accord. Really. Maybe if the Accord was a 6-cyl I'd change my mind, but as is I like the Buick more.
GMT400 Tahoe 4-door. I see elderly people driving these everywhere around these parts — including my mother-in-law and her brother, both in their 80s.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/1st-Chevrolet-Tahoe-4door.jpg/800px-1st-Chevrolet-Tahoe-4door.jpg" width="512">
Hey, the kids have all flown out, we don't need the minivan anymore. Let's get something cooler, something more fun to drive! Let's go get a Toyota Camry Solara!
<img src="http://img2.netcarshow.com/Toyota-Camry_Solara_Coupe_2004_1024x768_wallpaper_03.jpg" width="500">
Img.src. netcarshow.com
The convertible is especially neat.
My grandfather wants one. He's not even 70. Of course, he intends to keep his Sable wagon until the sun grows cold, so perhaps age isn't entirely a factor here.
My parents, who are 74, have always been atypical. They've driven things like Saabs, Simcas and Opels for years, which is odd for a Republican couple from Southern California.
That said, their friends all drive these…
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/2011_Toyota_Avalon_–_06-16-2010.jpg/280px-2011_Toyota_Avalon_–_06-16-2010.jpg">
Thankfully, my parents still give a sh!t and drive something more interesting.
<img src="http://images.thecarconnection.com/med/2011-cadillac-cts-v-wagon_100331519_m.jpg">
Not their actual car in this shot, btw.
Hell, a Republican couple in Southern California is atypical already, doesn't matter what cars they drive.
Not so grasshopper. Southern California is pretty Purple. Orange county is one of the most Republican places in the country. It's just "old school", Nixon, Country Club Republicans instead of the wrapped in the flag and cross Republicans of the South and Midwest.
True.
Many retired military in the mix also.
Fair enough. I lived a little north of Santa Barbara for about a year, and while the area I was in had a lot of republicans (thanks to Vandenberg AFB), I always got the feeling that going a little south you got into strongly liberal territory. I think my perception of the entirety of Southern California has been colored by that…
Nope… perhaps in parts of LA, but I'm smack dab in republican-ville here in coastal Orange County
I lived in Santa Barbara for a time and the combination of college town and Hollywood money make it seem more liberal than it really is. In reality, it's mostly Republicans that can afford the least affordable community in America. Don't forget it's where Reagan lived.
Truth is, now that I've lived in the "liberal Northeast" and the "Bible Belt", I've come to realize that Southern California is as much Libertarian as anything. Neither Democratic party nor GOP dogma go very far with people there. To be successful in SoCal politics, you've got to be able to claim the middle ground.
Now Northern California is whole other kettle of fish, but that's another line of dicussion for another blog.
Silver Honda CR-Vs. Camrys. PT Cruisers. And they really miss Saturns.
In his (and your) defense, they really are nice cars, at first glance at least (I don't know about. I knew another older couple that had one, and it really was quite comfortable. I liked the feel of it well enough for what it is. If you're looking for an American made luxury car, it's not a bad choice. I was just lamenting the fact that he would be looking for a luxury car, and not somehing to smoke the tires of off like he used to.
The car replacing the Lucerne may very well be on the Zeta platform. So tell him to hold off a little while.
After 25 years of having a new Honda every year for their DD, my grandparents share an E38 740iL for rainy days and an E36 328ic (5-speed!) for non-rainy days. I don't know what got into them, but I like it.
The one surviving grandparent I have left just gave up her Toyota Corolla because she never drove it (thank god). They appear to be pretty popular with the blue hair crowd.
My 79 year old grandmother just got a new Buick LaCrosse. Despite what GM marketers and fanboys claim, Buick is still the king of old fart cars.
However, my increasingly old-mannish 58 year old father loves his beige Camry, and my now 86 year old grandfather drove a gray Camry before he gave up his license. However, I still see plenty of young people driving Toyotas, its just that the old folks never saw a need to walk away from the brand – it has to do more with Toyota being a comfortable, low-maintenance appliance car than a geezer car.
I'm the pastor of an aging congregation in an aging suburb and the big bodied Ford/Mercury cars are still well represented on Sunday mornings. The more well heeled ladies all drive Lexus RXs whereas the well heeled men all drive large Cadillacs. Camrys, Avalons, Corollas and Accords are all represented in abundance. There are a few outliers including an Xb, a Fusion hybrid, and several 3 Series and Porsche convertibles. But, the vehicle that is number one among aging Episcopalians is the Honda CRV. I counted one morning and there were more than a dozen CRVs driven by the +65 set. Interestingly, there are a number of RAV4s as well, but they are all owned by the under 50 cohort.
It pains me to say this, but I have to nominate my own car, the Honda Fit, especially in base trim. If it weren't for forums (FitFreak.net) I'd believe myself to be the only person who simultaneously owns a Fit and does not receive AARP newsletters. I often wonder if the elderly see me rollin' and are appalled (see "hatin'") by the things that set my Fit apart from their, are intrigued, or (most likely) don't even notice.
I did, however, have an elderly couple in a Yaris pull up next to me at a stoplight over the summer. The old man yelled over "Is that car any good?" "Uh..yeah, I guess. I like it." "Ok, thanks." and then the light turned green. Maybe he traded the Yaris shortly thereafter, I don't know. Probably not helping my cause any.