I am in the process of getting my learners and I need a car the only thing is that I am going to need an auto and get modifications done possibly hand controls.I am liking the Suzuki Swifts as the have high seats and bigger tyres but is it really a car thats going to last me half a life time!
mugenb20b,
Aug 25, 8:44am
Half a life time!
jancemord,
Aug 25, 8:45am
I only can get funding for the driving modifications once so I want a car that will last me a few years without and major issues.
msigg,
Aug 25, 9:17am
Well if you like themyes, they will last and hold there price, very reliable small car, with petrol ever increasing you can't loose with a small car
jancemord,
Aug 25, 8:19pm
Thanks Jaz,I am unsure atm what I can get keeping options open
nicolaas3,
Aug 25, 8:25pm
I would go one step back and talk to the guy that would be doing the modifications for you and start from there. Its amazing what can be done, but its going to be very specific to your needs and that will probably drive the choice of car.
3tomany,
Aug 25, 9:06pm
how much can you spend and will there be other things the car needs to do for you other than transport i;e load carrying maybe a family in this lifetime etc to help us understand youre requirements
modie61,
Aug 25, 9:08pm
Not only should your car be made to suit your needs,your car should be a pleasure to drive,because you my friend will take great pleasure in driving,therefore the car should look good and do everything you want it to. Good luck and happy motoring. PS i like Swifts,they will be around for a long time to come.
3tomany,
Aug 25, 9:09pm
+ is it better for you to have a reversing camera or reversing sensers to assist in daily driving duties
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 25, 10:25pm
Jancemord, I just did some checking because I knew the VW Golf familyof cars was quite popular for this sort of conversion. There is a supplier called Menox who are supposed to make some of the very best hand controls in the world.
They make a canbus hand control for the Golf (Which should also work with the plus, but check to be sure) that plugs straight into the cars computer. What that means is you get buttons for the wipers, indicators, lights, cruise control and horn on the same hand control that gives you acceleration and braking.
Because it interfaces directly with the computer it should only require one cable if it works how I think it does so would be really easy to install and uninstall.
The only thing is, I don't know if they do a right hand drive version. But well worth checking out IMO as it looks to me like it would make your car a LOT nicer and safer to drive. Here is their website. Happy car shopping.
Edited to add a bit more info. When I say VW Golf Family. The Golf Plus, Audi A3, Skoda and VW Golf are all built on the same platform. Meaning they are basically the same floor pan, engines, electrics and mechanicals with just a different top put on the bodyshell. If that makes any sense!
They are super popular on a world wide scale, that's why its easy to get factory made accessory's like these hand controls and of course regular parts are quite cheap and easy to get as well.
Another bit of useful info, I was thinking cruise control might be really nice for what you are doing, radar cruise would be even better but I don't know if your budget would stretch to a car with that. Anyhow, if you buy a secondhand Golf or Golf Plus that dosn't have cruise control it is easily added very cheaply. In the case of the Menox kit it should just be a matter of telling the cars computer to turn the function on. If you didn't use a Menox kit you just buy the cruise control stalk, plug it in and tell the computer to turn the function on. Stalks are something like $200 bought online from memory.
kazbanz,
Aug 26, 12:35am
jancemord.Ive been involved in a fair few of these conversions you refer to.Depanding on the who and how of your funding I've also been involved in the paper war needed for the funding. Sorry to be blunt but I will not make a car recomendation without knowledge of the specifics of your disability.-I don't expect you to post that on this media. To help you though, The normal way the funding works is that its split into two components. The first being the purchase price of the vehicle. The second the hand control conversion,the wheelchair storage unit and a small allocation is seperate for driving lessons. Cars I'm NOT reccomending to you (without knowing you) but I know havesucessfully been converted are. Suzuki Aerio (disabled from the waist down /wheelchair) Toyota funcargo (waist down but walking frame) + broken back -unable to turn body Toyota raum -walking with sticks. Nissan largo-FULL stripout-electric wheelchair locks in drivers position. These are three Ive personally been involved in. There is one car just come on the NZ market virtually taylor made for disabled drivers. Toyota Porte. It has a HUGEsliding left door ( very tall and very long) making entry for a disabled driver from the left side really easy.
jancemord,
Aug 27, 7:02am
My disability is a walking stick and coordination issues with my left foot so its SFA
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 27, 8:05am
O.K so what will you actually need changed then if anything, or do you just need a good automatic car that's easy to get in and out of!
annrob,
Aug 30, 9:22am
Jazz is almost convincing me on the golf, but the real question for a learner driver is- how many trees, fences and garages can you hit without damaging it too much as a learner driver!
bashfulbro,
Aug 30, 10:01am
My first was a 1938 Morris 12
shorebee,
Aug 30, 9:20pm
i brought a skoda roomster that had hand controls in wellington, apparently an easy conversion. the car was an 08 done 40ks for 12 grand. i gave away the hand controls but the receipt was from a company in palmerston north who fitted them for about $1500
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 30, 9:31pm
More than likely another plug in solution like I mentioned above. I suspect the companies that make the control's love VW. Because of the mostly shared you would likely only have to make 2-3 versions to cover all of the VW/Skoda/Audi/Seat range.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 30, 9:37pm
You might not even hit anything! Either way you are wanting a car to keep and repairs are going to be a similar deal with VW as any other car. Besides insurance would pay for big stuff anyway.
Having ordered plenty of panel parts for VW from bringing in damaged ones in past I can tell you parts are easy to get and prices very reasonable. I would rather in general buy panels for a VW thanSuzuki and some of the other common brands. The only thing I would say is the Golf Plus version is less common on our roads so if you had a fairly substantial prang in one of those there could be a 1 -2 weeks wait if a panel was not in NZ already. I wouldn't let that put me off though as the chances of your even ever being in that position are low and if you are is it really that big a deal!
We have had a similarly rare car for panels for over 100'000km and its never been an issue. I could actually get at least secondhand panels for ours overnight if I needed them.
Mechanical parts for the Golf Plus are a non-issue as its just the same as a regular Golf in that respect.
They are well built and unlikely to suffer any more damage than any of your other options. If you happen to have a major prang in a Golf its 8 - 12 airbags and other class leading safety features will likely be an asset too.
If you decide to go ahead with a Golf, feel free to come back for advice. I am more than happy to help ensure you get a good one and fill you in on what maintenance might be coming due etc.
If you get the chance see if someone will take you for a drive in a Golf or Golf Plus. Even as a passenger I think you will understand why I like them so much, set the economy gauge to give you instant economy readings too so you can appreciate what I am on about there if you can.
Happy shopping.
kellrae,
Aug 31, 1:56am
Interesting thread.
I currently have a Suzuki SX4, and have MD, mobilising most days for work using a walker and a collapsible powerchair for other activities.Problem with this chair is I need to have someone with me to get it in and out of the car which is a pain.
Long story but am waiting (and waiting) to be reassessed for a powerchair which I can then get vehicle with a hoist to be a bit more independant.
Would love to keep the SX4 but will need to look at something bigger as it is way too small for a hoist.Not sure where that is going to lead me personally.
Anyway, I can highly recommend the SX4, it just ticks all the boxes for me currently.
Mind you driving an auto is a tad boring as my previous car was an Alfa147 selespeed.DH has this now as I could no longer get out of it on my own.(very sad)Now that is a lovely nippy car!
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 31, 2:08am
If you liked the Alfa's selespeed you will absolutely love VW's DSG. Its the same idea but you get an extra gear and the second clutch means the change is absolutely instant unlike the Alfa. (BTW, we have two Alfa's and I am not otherwise knocking Alfa's).
The paddles only come standard on the likes of the GTI but I think you could likely add them to most models easily as a kit (although I havn't looked into this). Even without the kit you can still do the gearchange manually if you wish using the gear lever, in all honestly though the VW software is so intuitive I rarely bother.
I am not sure how big a vehicle you need to accommodate the hoist etc but you might well enjoy a Passat, Audi A4/A6 or Skoda. The other great thing with the VW is even the larger ones are very good on fuel.
I would suggest something with the 2.0 Turbo engine might really suit you, its the Golf GTI motor and but is also available in the larger Passat etc. It basically gives you the same amazing economy as the regular 2.0 when driven normally but has significantly more grunt when you put the boot in. It also feels more torqey even at lower revs which makes it even nicer to drive.
Best of luck with it all, if you can go for a run in some of these cars you will likely see what I mean. I think its just the ticket to get you back to enjoying the sort of fun you had in the Alfa. The VW dosn't quite have the Italian magic but with the 2.0 T its a lot of fun in its own way. Although to be fair the regular 2.0 is not slow either especially in the Golf/Golf Plus sized bodyshells.
kellrae,
Aug 31, 5:08am
Thanks TJPM
I do love the 147.DH calls me the 'handbrake' when he gets carried away.
I will need something with a large boot opening.Skoda Yeti looks interesting as does the VW Tigan.But have to wait until I know what kind of powerchair I am getting.Some chairs are even too heavy for a hoist and have to have ramps!Then that means a Kia Carinval etc, which I really don't want.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 31, 5:50am
Yeti and Tiguan are great cars. You could likely stick with VW if you wanted even with the heavychair. The likes of the Touran and even the Caddy can be had in quite nice spec, you certainly don't have to have the Caddy in tradesmans form if it came to that. They are also built on the Golf/Yeti/Tiguan platform so you can have most of the same engine options and most importantly the great DSG transmission. Handling etc is of course deceivingly good too given what its built on. Best of luck with it all, I would suggest having a search of some U.K sites for ideas, you could even consider importing a vehicle from the U.K that is converted and ready to go. It can be quite cost effective and some car dealers here are even starting to do that with their regular stock.
Oh, and I sympathise with your husband, it so easy to get carried away in an Alfa. We have a 156 JTS and a 1975 Spider, the 156 sticks to the road like glue and the spider is the polar opposite wanting to go everywhere in a powerslide. Mrs Jazz is my handbrake too, only she comes with the audible speed readout option as well.
jancemord,
Sep 1, 10:51pm
I have driven a few motorbikes backed trailers etc so im not fresh fresh
kazbanz,
Sep 1, 11:07pm
Jancemord. Given your description of your disability it sounds to me that just about any autocar will be driveable with no modifications. Where you will find difficulties is getting in and out of a low seated carwith a low roof such as a nissan sunnyvw golf etc. So based on your description I would recommend you get a high grade version of the Toyota Ructus. High roof,higher than normal seat and no big door sillsetc if swinging the left leg in is an issue. Its also not so square looking as other alternatives I can think of
nzdoug,
Sep 2, 6:33am
Old beetle has trained 1/2 of the. World pop to drive ffrom 50s to 80s and are now "CLASSIC".
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