My mum has, over the last 5 years, suffered more and more with knee problems (she's now 75). So much so that when she last changed her car about 12 months ago, she went for an automatic.

She says it has been a godsend. She is more willing to drive, she does not suffer with knee pain anywhere near as much after driving (making days out far more enjoyable), and if driving in the evening she isn't awake half the night in agony from it.

... I think I now know enough to advise him.

Presumably you know that there are various types of "automatic" gearboxes. If not, HJ describes them here:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/automatic-transmissions/

Don't take my summary on that page as gospel. I lost interest, after some negative comments, before I'd finished it.

I have had a knee problem and very painful it was too. I think that mine is not arthritis but using the knee in a way it was not designed for. I found that I was getting out of the car with my right foot on the ground and standing up, thus putting the knee under torsion. When I realised that I schooled myself into turning in the seat and putting both feet ont ground before standing up.

Several friends have had the same problem. It might be the right knee for drivers or the left knee for people who are normally passengers. When the friends were passengers in my car and I told them to put both feet on the ground before standing up I got a few grumbles, and in some cases had to repeatedly remind them, but eventually their problem cleared up.

My previous work on car transporters has caused me, or exacerbated, joint problems.

We don't drive manual cars by choice, all three cars are torque converter autos, and all our modern fleet of lorries for my work are automated manuals (the work of the devil), but gearchanging itself doesn't cause me problems well certainly not on a modern vehicle, some of the old lorries i drove you seriously needed to use both feet to hold the unassisted clutches down in traffic sometimes.

It's entry and exit from cars that makes the difference, both height and door length, and up to a point seat materials.

The raised height of a higher MPV or 4x4 makes the world of difference, higher the better, literally just rest your bum on the seat and swivel in/out, the alternative of cambering out from a laid back type position in a low is seriously strenuous.

Coupes and sports cars the worse by far, oddly enough the little Mazda MX5 is fine, but for me to get out of Peug 307/308CC or BMW Z4 must have been hilarious to see, i'd have to put one hand on the ground clamber out from under the roof and steering wheel, sort of limboing over the huge sill on the Beemer and then once out, twisted,, straighten meself up again, getting in was dive for it and drag me right leg in afterwards.

Which beggars another problem, 3 door cars/coupes with huge doors, not only long but stupidly thick and convex to accomodate styling and supposed safety, in the confined space of a car park you can be trying that exit out of a 18" maximum gap behind your right ear, ideally you need the window open whilst you do this as it give room for your shoulders, so frameless windows better on such designs...you should try this when delivering left hand drives where you, as the driver, are unpracticed in the art of prying yourself from under a left hookers steering wheel where you can only open the door a fraction because of safety rails or support posts.

This again made worse by the fashion of narrowing the roof line effectively making the door wider still.

Then if course, sporty cars have to have sporty seats which hug you in place in case you might actually drive it sportily one day, therefore even the leather seats are shaped to keep you in, if they're shaped and buffed leather like a chamois they glue you in place, even the cloth acts like a brake.

You might laugh but the easiest vehicle i've ever driven, including entry and exit, were the Hilux we owned before and the present Landcruiser, just slide in and out, both torque converter autos with silky smooth auto boxes, SWMBO has always maintained that the Hilux was the nicest vehicle to drive she's ever known and she's driven hundreds, the obvious height advantages pay off as did huge door mirrors and the excellent turning circle considering its length, switchgear and control simplicity just the icing on the cake.

I doubt the subject of the discussion wants anything quite so large, but i'd certainly get them to try something higher than normal with a proper TC or CVT auto box, 4 door for shorter doors and non sporty so ensible seats.

Forester sort of thing maybe.

Edited by gordonbennet on 13/06/2015 at 21:05

Duck's disease...Bromp, in the words of the Dick Emery, you are awful but i like you.

My mum was fine in my previous Landcruiser after her hip replacement, i just kept a caravan doorstep in car so she could step aboard like royalty.

Yes of course height is important, maybe the seat base should be at bum level.