Today’s vehicles offer a wide variety of features that make them more desirable than ever. Seniors, in particular, can find vehicle amenities that offer greater comfort, convenience, and user-friendly technologies that make driving safer and more enjoyable. Vehicles can help senior drivers see more clearly, avoid hazards, and reduce the stress of every day driving experiences. The three most important features in luxury vehicles for seniors include good visibility, advanced safety features, and voice control. Here are a few tips on what seniors should look for when purchasing a new luxury vehicle.

Seniors sometimes have problems with vision, so the ability to see easily 360 degrees around the vehicle is an important feature. SUV style vehicles are usually higher than sedans and offer an elevated view of traffic that may be better for the senior population. Good visibility when backing up can be even more important for seniors who may have some difficulty in turning around in the seat. Built-in back-up cameras have made this task easier and safer. However, not all cameras are the same. Some vehicles offer cameras that provide a broader view of side areas that can detect fast-moving vehicles that may be coming up from behind. The Infiniti XQ30 is a comfortable luxury vehicle that offers a 360-degree camera. 

Another feature that is built in to many new models is the blind spot warning. This technology detects vehicles that are in positions not easily seen by the driver and provides a warning. Lane departure alarms and lane control assists gives a warning when your vehicle leaves its lane without signaling, to prevent “drift” into other lanes of traffic. Some luxury vehicles will also offer driver attention warnings that signals when it detects the person at the wheel is showing unusual driving patterns that signal drowsiness or inattention. Seniors who enjoy road trips for vacations or to visit the grandchildren will enjoy the adaptive cruise control feature on the luxurious Audi A7 that adjusts to keep a constant distance between drivers and the vehicles ahead of them on its own. This can eliminate that constant adjust and re-adjust needed by older cruise control systems.

Voice control is a new feature in vehicle operation that is quickly becoming a favorite for seniors. This feature allows drivers to concentrate their attention on the road and other vehicles, instead of manipulating buttons to operate car systems. Also available is technology that detects and signals when a crash in imminent and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not react. This feature can be of particular interest to seniors who may have physical conditions that slow reaction time. By 2022, this is expected to be a standard feature for all vehicle manufactured in the United States. At the high end of luxury vehicle price points, seniors can also find vehicles like the Cadillac CT 6 that offer automatic parking, which can help seniors get into parking places safely and effectively, without the physical straining that is sometimes needed.