Remember getting home from uni or work, having some curried sausages and mash for tea and settling down in front of the telly at 7pm to have a laugh watching Blankety Blanks? Switching on the AM/FM radio you bought at Brashs and tuning into Eon FM to hear the latest tracks from Split Enz, The Angels and Aussie Crawl? Heading to the theatre for the premiere of Breaker Morant?
No? Then this article isn’t for you, young whippersnapper. While we’re at it, get off our lawn ya bloody millennial!
If you do remember some or all of the above, chances are you’re either close to retirement or you’re already there. In which case you might be thinking about switching out your current car for something more suited to your updated needs.
Our pick of the litter for every type of retiree
Like cars, every one of us is built differently. Which means there’s no ‘one size fits all’ car that will tick every box for every retiree. As such, we’ve come up with what we reckon is the top performer in a few different categories, hopefully helping you make a more informed choice in vehicle for this exciting next phase of your life.
The Adventurer
The type of retiree who would fall into this category is what we refer to in the merry old land of Oz as the ‘grey nomad’. And there’s obviously a major focus on towing in this category, but we can’t also forget ride comfort and reliability (because you most certainly do NOT want to break down halfway along the Eyre Highway).
With all of this in mind, our recommendation is the Toyota LandCruiser Prado which clocks in from $66,247* driveaway for the base model 5-seat GX and all the way up to $96,562* for the top of the range Kakadu with premium paint.
Every model variant in the Prado range comes with a 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine in a six-speed auto, which produces 150kW of power and a very impressive 500Nm of torque (this being the more important figure in a 4WD). The Prado can tow up to 3 tonnes with trailer brakes, and when considering caravans even on the larger side (4-6 berths) have an average weight of around 1.5-1.8 tonnes, you’ll be able to tow whatever size you have with absolute ease.
But that’s not all. Your Prado also has an incredible 150 litres of fuel capacity split between a main tank and sub tank (provided you don’t opt for the flat tailgate pack). Which means you can go further on a single refuel.
And because it proudly bears the Toyota LandCruiser badge, there’s no denying how extremely reliable the Prado is.
The Economical
If you’re planning on doing the polar opposite of a grey nomad and spending some hard-earned time with your feet up, taking life as it comes - maybe focusing on some hobbies you’ve had to put on pause over the years because life got in the way - we totally get it. It’s time to shift gears and spend your time doing only what you love.
Which means you’re after a car that’s not too pricey, in terms of both purchase price as well as running costs, to get you where you need to go - in relative comfort while we’re at it.
Enter the Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid, priced from just $45,440* driveaway for the 1.6-litre petrol GDi with 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). And because it’s a hybrid, you’ll get an astounding 3.9 litres/100km fuel efficiency.
It’s also a superbly comfortable and intuitive car to drive complete with myriad premium options including leather appointed seats (with the front seats being heated and ventilated), smart key with push button start, rain sensing wipers, satellite navigation, front and rear parking sensors and a whole lot more.
Take a peek at the latest Hyundai deals and offers at carconnect today!
The Reliable
If you’re not overly concerned about how much your new car costs to run (provided it’s not anything ridiculous) but are more interested in being able to count on it no matter what while also being nice and comfortable behind the wheel, we’ve got just the car for you.
The Mazda CX-3, which you can pick up from a lowly $24,990* driveaway (for the Neo Sport manual with front-wheel-drive), is a car that you just know will start first time, every time, and will get you wherever you need to go without any hassles.
Further to its awesome reliability, its smaller size makes it very easy to manoeuvre around in tighter places like shopping centre car parks, and even the base model offers a range of great quirks and features that make driving it nice and comfortable.
If you’re interested in a Mazda, make sure you check out our latest Mazda offers.
The Speed Demon
Just because you’re a few holes into the back 9, that absolutely does not mean you can’t still enjoy yourself. In fact, it’s more important now than ever before that you truly live life to its absolute fullest. That all sound good?
Then you’re going to want to get yourself a Porsche Boxster 718 Spyder ($227,158* driveaway). Powering this exquisite piece of art on four wheels is a 4-litre, naturally-aspirated flat six cylinder engine which pushes out an astounding 309 kilowatts at a crazy 7600rpm and 420Nm of torque at around 5000-6800rpm. An engine that will take you from a standing start to 100 kilometres an hour in just 4.4 seconds and has the ability to take you past 300km/h.
Like all Boxsters it’s a mid-engine, which makes it an absolute dream in its handling capabilities - especially working in unison with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system on sports mode, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and superior suspension setup.
And because it’s a convertible, you can take the top down and head out for a cruise around the hills for a truly incredible driving experience.
Bit too pricey for your liking? A great alternative is the Ford Mustang GT Convertible, whose 5-litre V8 spits out 339kW,7000rpm, 556Nm/4600rpm, hits 0-100 in 4.6 seconds and is priced from $82,624* driveaway.
The Icon
You’ve no doubt been waiting for this one, and it’s finally time, folks. The pinnacle of retirement life. The icon of the older-generation Aussie. The car that will easily run for at least a few hundred thousand k’s and cost bugger-all to do it all. The car that will undoubtedly be around long after we’ve all left this Earth.
The car. The myth. The legend. The Toyota Camry.
Sure, some might see it as a little bit on the boring side. But whatever anyone thinks about the Camry, they’d be hard-pressed to deny it’s a highly reliable and economical vehicle ideally suited to people who have recently retired and no longer want anything overly fancy.
Priced from $35,156* for the 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder FWD Ascent with 8-speed auto transmission and reaching $51,128* driveaway for the top-of-the-line 2.5-litre hybrid SL with automatic e-CVT (electronic continuously variable transmission), you’ll see a lot of inclusions whichever badge you end up choosing.
Though if you’re really keen to minimise the damage at the fuel pump, we suggest going for one of the hybrid variants as it chugs just 4.7l/100km as opposed to its 6.8l/100km petrol counterpart.
Like all cars, the more you spend the more advanced features and tech you’ll get, but even at base model level the inclusions are substantial: colour touchscreen infotainment display, Toyota Safety Sense (incl. pre-collision safety system, lane departure alert, auto high beam, etc.), reversing camera, hill-start assist and a heck of a lot more.
Go through the car buying process with ease using carconnect
When it’s time to buy the ideal car to suit retirement life - whatever that may look like - make sure you engage with us to ensure the smoothest, easiest path to purchase. With more than 20 years’ experience in this industry, you can rest assured we have the expertise to achieve the best outcome for you.
We’ll take care of sourcing the make and model you want by tapping into our nationwide dealer network, then tender the sale out for the dealers to put their best bid price forward. Then simply choose your preferred deal and we’ll even arrange for delivery of your new car directly to you.
All you need to do to get the ball rolling is search for your new car and pop in a few details, then leave the rest to us! For any questions, please call us on 1300 880 008 or message us online.
