For the past 10 days or so, I've been searching high and low for a car for my mother. This has been a real challenge for the little money she has to spend and as much as I'd love to help financially, it just isn't possible. So I've been doing all of the running around and test driving.
A little background: my mom is disabled from a stroke about seven years ago. She has little use of her left arm but is lucky enough to still be able to get around fairly well and still works 30 hours a week. As of January 1, 2010, she will be RETIRED!  Yippe that she's retiring, but it leaves her in a pickle in that she will be bringing nothing in but social security. This is not conductive to purchasing a vehicle!
For anyone who lives in the northeast, you know what winter can do to the integrity of the frame of a car. This week, I've driven a lovingly maintained Ford Taurus with the engine apt to fall out in the next 6 months due to underbody rust. I have driven a Ford Taurus whose power steering line FAILED right in the middle of the test drive...I do so love to be towed by a friendly, toothless old guy. I have driven more than one Ford Taurus with a slipping transmission. I have driven a Ford Taurus with pretty much no braking system left. And I have driven a Ford Taurus with a mega-hot engine.
Anyone else would point out the obvious here. QUIT DRIVING FORD TAURUSES. Seems simple, huh? The problem is, it's pretty much all my mom feels comfortable driving. She's driven a Ford Taurus since 1987...no, not the same one! With her left arm being of little use, it's the one car she can get into, get adjusted in and drive fairly easily.
With winter fast approaching, the Ford Taurus is a hot seller in northeastern Ohio. I should know as I've called after so many of them that have been sold. At this point, Mom may just have to try her proverbial hand at driving something else. Like a Ford Contour. It may work out for her. She may have little choice. Wish her luck!
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luneib
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Nov 7 @ 2:12PM
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I know, the Ford Taurus is an easy car to get in and out of, I never owned one but a date of mine did and I remarked at how easy it was to get in and out of it, being tall that does present a problem for me. I can understand why your Mom likes it. Perhaps you can find another car with ease of entry which would equal the Taurus for her, there must be something out there. For me I didn't have to bend down to get into it, I just got in, I'm sure that is what your Mom likes about it.
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Hooks
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Nov 7 @ 4:46PM
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The one with the brake issues, would be easiest to fix, and since they are not supposed to sell them with brake issues, they should fix them. It's a do it yourself for about $100.00 to replace most everything, so it may be the one to go after.
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WSOR
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Nov 7 @ 5:03PM
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Hope it all works out for her! 
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Roverboy
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Nov 7 @ 6:21PM
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I've never met a Tarus that I liked...(except for the new one that was originally called the Five Hundred)...
That said, there IS another car that is easy to get into/out of, and it's doors are HUGE: the current VW Beetle. It's not too bad in the snow, either.
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