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Can you suggest a replacement for our SAAB 9-5 which will be comfortable for my elderly wife, who suffers from a bad back?

My elderly wife has a chronic bad back, which severely limits her ability to sit for any prolonged period of time. Our trips are limited to a 50-mile radius of home. She drives a SAAB 9-5 automatic, which is over ten years old and gives a smooth and reliable ride. We realise it may need to be replaced in the near future. Could you please advise on a suitable replacement car that will provide a smooth and comfortable ride for her. Performance is of no interest but smoothness and comfort of ride are.

Asked on 15 December 2010 by NE, Cheadle

Answered by Honest John
Best very small car for ride comfort (surprisingly): Chevrolet Spark. Best small car for ride comfort: current Citroen C3. Best subcompact for ride comfort: Renault Megane on 165/65 R15 tyres. Best family car: Citroen C5 on Hydractiv 3 suspension. But it might be better to sit more upright in something like a Ford C-Max that also has excellent entry and egress. Many ‘disc involvement’ problems are caused by the bending on entry and egress.
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