Autoblog

Push the aging "'boomers" out to sea on an iceberg, just like Eskimos do. Of course, make sure the "'boomer" is sitting in a Toyota Camry on top of the 'berg.

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Because I could well be among the oldest geezers having fun on Autoblog, I'd like to respond to each of the ideas mentioned:



* Easier-to-read gauges:



A good pair on no-line (blended) bifocals makes gauge reading a non issue. Of course, gauge clusters like those in the current Honda Accord and other cars with electroluminescent dials are the best. But good glasses are all one needs. I'd strongly recommend blended bi-focals that make viewing anything at any distance easy and comfortable. At least they work for me.



* Larger handles attached to sturdier doors:



Door handles should be easy to grab and I don't know of any cars on which that's a problem. Aren't doors stronger these days for crash protection? This seems to be a complaint that makes little sense.



* Advanced snow and ice removal systems:



Older people should spend their winters in Florida, Arizona, or California anyway. If they can't do that, then let the car warm up with the heater/defroster on full blast and the window clearing will take care of itself in a few minutes. Older people shouldn't be in a hurry anyway.



* Window films to reduce glare:



This is fine so long as the films don't reduce night vision. Older people have more trouble seeing in reduced light, so tinted windows are a bad idea if they restrict vision even a little bit.



* Larger control knobs:



Cars of the past all had large enough knobs. The move to push buttons and digital everything has resulted in fussy little buttons to adjust radio volume, heater fan speed, etc. Take a look at the current Honda Accord for a large radio volume knob and other controls that make sense.



* Lane-deviation and blind-spot warning systems:



Great idea here. Some of the newest cars have lousy rear visibility (the current Honda Accord I praised above is deficient in visibility to the rear). The high rear decks and wide "C" pillars don't help. So, whatever high-tech warning systems could be built into cars have merit IMO.



In any case, drivers should adjust their side mirrors correctly so the mirrors are aimed away from the side of the car enough to show what is approaching from behind in adjacent lanes. Go to the website below to see how to set your side mirrors. If the URL is too long and doesn't work, just Google "setting side mirrors."



http://wiki.ehow.com/Set-Rearview-Mirrors-to-Eliminate-Blind-Spots





* Wider, heated seats:



Heated seats are fine if you live in a cold climate and have leather or vinyl seating surfaces. I don't think fabric seats call for heaters--even in cold weather.



As for wider seats, yes, older folks do spread out as they age and wider seats will help sell cars to the fatties.



But it's better for those old folks to eat less grease and crap and excersize more so they can maintain weight proportionate to their height. Walking 3 miles a day works wonders.



Being inert is a killer and dead fat people don't buy any cars at all!

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Sorry about the typo above--the correct word is EXERCISE, not my misspelling.

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Looks like the American manufacturers are following in the doomed footsteps of my old employers at Longbridge in the UK.



By persuing and eventually getting a reputation for selling to the older market sectors.. the Rover brand became far less sexy or sought after by younger or middle aged "to young for a Rover" products.



Even though the more recent sporty versions of the products under the MG brand still appealed to these sectors.



Then slowly over a 20-30 year period the older market sector, retired and stopped buying new cars every few years...then unfortunately they started to literally die off...leaving the company with an ever shrinking fan base!



Now this isnt the only reason why MG Rover went into administration in 2004 (the last two sets of owners both German and British had a big impact to!) but it was a factor in the slow demise of the Great British Institution.

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Okay. I have no problem with making gauge clusters easier to read for all involved. Electroluminescent and whatnot.



But...if you can't read the gauges...even with the aid of corrective lenses...you really should NOT be operating a motor vehicle.

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The new Civic, like the Toyota Echo of a few years ago and the Lincoln Town car of many years ago, had a large LED speedometer to appeal to young techies.



But the folks who really liked the large LED speedos were older people who could read the numbers easier.



Truth is, you can sell young cars to old people, but you can't sell old cars to young people. As I see it, the only significant concession to us geezers should be in ease of entry and exit.



Aching backs don't like low coupes--especially if we're asked to contort ourselves to enter the damn things and sit back there for any length of time. Otherwise, design cars as youthful as you want.

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Easy to read gauges (clear, plain, simple format with large enough numbers/letters to read at a glance) and large knobs/controls are sales features to all customers.



Much the same as well-designed wrist watches. A clear dial with obvious markings delivers the information faster with less ambiguity than a "busy" dial filled with lots of sub-sets and features. Look at airplane cockpits, even today.



Knobs are easier to operate with cold fingers or even gloves/mittens. Not everyone (young or old) lives where the heater is a rarely used feature.



I feel that most seats are already too wide/broad/roomy, and think a range of adjustment or even S/M/L factory options might be a better solution than a "one size fits some, sort-of" approach.

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