Best car / SUV pick for an elderly passenger?

I had a G6 Pontiac, too low. Have a Chevy Captive a little too high. When I was looking for a new car I tried a Fiat. It was perfect but I was watching a baby and the carseat couldn't be put in the back. It was a two door and seat didn't come far enough up. I wish I had waited for a 4 door Fiat that came out later in the year.

When you check out vehicles, check for head room in the doorway too. My mom used to be able to step into a vehicle, but now she has to go bum first and then swivel in.

Easiest vehicle for mom to get in and out of is my friends' Toyota minivan. (Plus a Toyota will still be running when all the other makes have fallen to pieces...and I say that as a Ford owner!)

I'm loving the suggestions. thank you everyone.

We use a dodge minivan and DW can get in and out by herself. Although I did make a wooden platform to help her if she needed it. She is short (4'10") and over weight.
for a while when she was in rehab at home we taught her how to get into and out of the back seat. At that time it was the perfect thing to do, for both of us.

Although harder to find nowadays, a bench seat can be easier to get in and out of. There is not having to get over the dip of the seat.

The Hyundai Tuscan is lower than the SF. Also if Mum is not going to be driving herself have her try to get in and out of the back seat. More often than not it is a bench seat, there is the seat in front to grasp and generally easier to access.

My mom had a difficult time getting in when the seat was too high, as in an SUV... And a difficult time getting out when the seat was too low, as in a typical smaller car. We have a Honda mini van and it was perfect for her to get in and out of. Now I have to lift her in and out and I find the same thing...SUV is too high...car is too low...minivan is perfect.

I had the same issues with Hubby,plus he is a large man so I had to consider leg room and seat width as well. When I went on “scouting missions” to car lots, I always took a measuring tape with me! I am excited to see the new Hyundai Kona.

Thanks all. Queen Mary 😂
We are about to go car shopping, the Santa Fe is moms which she bought 8 years ago, can no longer drive. It is the height of the chassis (?) that's the issue, to tall for her to step up and swing legs in. So as much as I hate giving up the hatch, I think we'll have to get our version of the Queen Mary. we both don't like the feeling of a low car. But it's about her safety , guess we'll get used to it. Maybe someone out there had/has a similar situation?
Thanks.

Carolellen, like blannie mentioned above, everyone is different. My Dad just loved my Jeep Grand Cherokee, it was a tad bit of trouble to get in because Dad was now under 5 foot tall [amazing how an elder can shrink so much in a matter of years] but Dad had zero problems getting out.

If I had used Dad's Olds sedan, it would take him 10 minutes to try to get out as he had trouble lifting himself up from a sitting position, it was painful to watch. I couldn't help as I was a senior myself.

On the other side of the coin, my Mom had a very difficult time getting into my Jeep and she didn't like the "truck ride", so she would refuse to ride in it. Thus I had to use my folk's Olds sedan for her which I hated driving... darn thing made me carsick just backing out of the driveway and the thing was so wide I felt like I was driving the Queen Mary down the highway, hard to park, too :P

Everyone is different. I managed a non-profit that drove seniors to their doctors' appointments using volunteer drivers. Some seniors could only get in sedans (lower) and others could only get in higher SUVs (smaller SUVs). You definitely need to have mom try different vehicles until you find one that works. Both my parents liked my Toyota Camry and I've taken many seniors to appointments in it and it worked fine.

My LO had a difficult time getting into a low seat. She did better with something she didn't have to stoop down to get in. Has your LO tried something besides the Sante Fe?

Honda Fit. My elderly mom said it was the only car she could easily get in and out of.