One automotive dream that’s surprisingly relatable is buying your parents a car. Whether it’s the dream of reuniting your Dad with his old Corvette or simply gifting your parents a nicer daily driver, that aspiration of handing over a set of keys goes far and beyond the reach of automotive nerdery. I’d like to think many of us who have good relationships with our parents hold a dream to work hard enough that one day, we can give back.
But what to give? Let’s assume you’ve got a blank check for this, all the funds will appear out of the ether, no strings attached. In other words, pick anything you like.
My parents have a decade-old Hyundai Sonata and although it served its purpose well at the time of purchase, it’s worn out its welcome. Between the blind spots and awkward entry and egress, something a little more upright would be a quality-of-life improvement. At the same time, fuel economy matters, and a hybrid sounds ideal for their situation. I know my parents well enough to know that they wouldn’t put up with German complexity, so that’s several marques I can cross off the list right away. My parents also like red cars and airy interiors, so a Lexus RX 350h in red would be a solid pick– but there’s a problem. In Canada, Lexus won’t sell you one in Matador Red with a light interior. It’s the same deal with the NX 350h, so it looks like Lexus’ nice but sensible crossovers aren’t going to work here. Oh well.
Maybe it’s for the best. For the longest time, my mum has wanted a small pickup truck. An old Ranger, original Tacoma, or Nissan Hardbody would be brilliant for my parents’ renovations and hobbies, but old small trucks give up a lot of safety, fuel economy, and comfort over what’s currently out there. Since I have a blank check in today’s Autopian Asks scenario, my choice would be a 2024 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid in Hot Pepper Red with the Luxury package, the tri-fold tonneau cover, and a set of floor liners.
So, if you had a blank check, what car would you buy your parents? Whether it’s a weekend getaway car or a new daily driver, leave your answers in the comments below.
(Photo credits: Lexus, Ford)
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My parents are terrible drivers, so I’d get each (divorced, hence two of everything) a driver with a couple of i3s for the daily stuff and a couple larger PHEVs for the weekend getaways.
Well, neither of my parents can drive now, but if I were to purchase one for them now, it would be a 1966 Mustang Convertible for my dad and a 1970 VW Beetle for my mom. Those were the two cars they loved the most and talk about most fondly.
My dad would either want an old 5 series (like E28 or 34 can’t remember) or a Trackhawk. My mom would be happy in a cushy sedan that isn’t ugly (this will immediately kill all desire for the car) or the right color combo.
My dad and his wife have a 2006 BMW 325i manual. It’s getting a bit tired and his wife is getting to the age where she’d prefer an automatic.
Since they are in their eighties and don’t really travel outside the city by car anymore, I think a BEV would be a great choice. However, my dad won’t have a Tesla (because Elon) and has owned only BMWs for the past 50 years. That new BMW Neue Klasse EV looks like the ticket if they can hold on until it comes out. Otherwise, I’ll push them towards a Volvo EX30 or an Audi Q4 E-Tron.
You could get him a Mini EV. Those are BMW too. Or an i3.
Well, my mom has a Matchbox model of a Mercedes SLK in her room so the choice is easy. And I’m sure she would like it in yellow…
I would buy my dad a 2024+ Toyota Tundra, or a Tacoma. He uses a lot of tools for his work, and he currently uses a 2006 Corolla S to transport them.
For my Dad, he passed away in 2014, I would get him the Tundra SR5 Double Cab with 8 ft bed. He loved his Tacoma and the he would have loved to be a handy man in retirement.
For my Mom, this came up recently when her Subaru Forester cooked it head gasket, I would probably get her a RAV4 Prime or Tucson PHEV. She likes a smaller vehicle, she doesn’t drive that much. Speed is not a concern for her. It just needs to be comfortable not overly complex controls.
My Dad has always wanted a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport (Although he’s one that calls it an IMP”AL”A (AL like the name AL instead of IM”PALL”A and it drives me crazy and is grounds for not getting one ha ha) Also of course my Mom would love the car too
For Dads retirement I pulled up in a new TLX V6 (back in 2016) and tossed him the keys. His dream was a Legend back in the 90s and I figured this was as close as I could get with something new at the time. Was priceless seeing his reaction in front of everyone at the retirement party when I pulled up in it with the giant Lexus-style bow on the hood.
Easy… E63 AMG Wagon, in Dolomite Brown thank you very much.
Brown E63 wagon is always the correct answer.
Not a Cadillac. We all saw that when Jerry Seinfeld bought Morty a Cadillac, it set off a chain of events that had him ousted as president of the Condo association.
“I’ve ridden in a Cadillac hundreds of times…THOUSANDS!!!”
Reading through these great comments, I wish Autopian had forums that we could also use.
Dear Autopian Forum, the craziest thing happened…
I went car shopping with Mom last summer and she chose a 2021 Nissan Rogue (Platinum AWD) over all the Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, Chevys, Hondas, Toyotas, Mazdas and Cadillacs she tried. It’s not very compelling to drive (it’s not bad, it’s a car) but it’s pretty nice inside and looks really sharp in Boulder Gray. She loves it. I wouldn’t buy one (I like sportier cars) but I’ve borrowed it a few times and I could totally live with it as my DD.
I actually wrestled with this exact situation a few months back. My conclusion was a very mint Chrysler TC by Maserati
My mom’s favorite car ever was a Lincoln Mark VIII from approximately 1996. She just loves coupes. I thought about something like a Mercedes S-Class Coupe but the issue is that her eyesight is not that great and she might damage it. Plus, it would be too high-tech for her to be familiar with it and she wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the performance. That is how I arrived at the Chrysler. The interior is quite nice, the car is kind of slow (but doesn’t matter), it has branch cachet among her social circle, and if she dents it or messes it up no one will get that upset.
I did also shop a Tesla Model S as I thought the “auto pilot” function would let her drive more confidently and she would appreciate not having to spend money on gas. In the negative column, I was unsure if her condo building had charging infrastructure installed and if not, if I would be able to pay to get it installed.
The thing that killed it though was that I spent a few hours reading about Tesla Model S reliability. I found it very curious that when Tesla owners were asked if a Model S was reliable in comparison with an ICE car, the answer was almost universally yes. When a person asked about buying a new Tesla vs an old Tesla, the answer was almost always in favor of a new one because they always reported the old ones as full of problems. It didn’t matter if the used Tesla was a 2013 or a 2020, there was always people going on and on about how Tesla didn’t have its act together but that the new ones are much better. Many Tesla owners were getting new ones every 1 – 3 years. Almost like new iPhone model upgrade schedules. I found it kind of shocking.
I’d buy my mother in law an all you can eat Lyft subscription and take her keys away because she’s a menace
My Dad, a legit Morris Mini, My Mum a new Mini E or a 3 door S.