Things to Look For While Picking A Car For Your Parents

Parents are special. They nurture your ambitions, guide you in all walks of life and selflessly dedicate most of their adult life working and looking after the family. They only find time to pursue a hobby when you are independent, both professionally and financially. After helping you settle down, most parents choose to spend their time travelling, seeing new places or indulging in various experiences. And why not? It is an excellent way to #DiscoverMore about life and the world!

If the prospect of traveling, exploring sounds exciting to your parents, you must consider helping them pick a car that’s more comfortable, convenient and safe to make these travels possible. So, here’s a list of features that you should consider to make traveling a more enjoyable experience for your parents.

Safety First

Safety should be the most essential consideration while buying your car for any one, then be it your parents, your kids or even yourself. So much so that you should be willing to trade some convenience features for enhanced safety. Essential, safety features include airbags (the more, the better), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and traction control. But you must also consider important safety features, like build quality of the models you are considering as well.

For Ford, driver and passenger safety has always been a top priority. Ford was among the first carmakers in India to make dual airbags standard across its product range. Today, Ford cars are not just built tough but offer several best-in-segment safety features, such as up to seven airbags for all around protection; standard ABS and EBD; traction control & use of other superior material that reduce other safety hazards. Before you make your decision, don’t forget to know more about Ford’s safety focus here.

Intelligent Steering

It’s only human for reflexes to get slow as people age. And the last thing you will want is for your parents to stress over manoeuvring their car through narrow and crowded roads. What’s sure to make a world of difference to their driving experience is a steering wheel that can understand and adjust itself to the situation. It’s more than convenience; it’s pure delight.

For instance, the Electric Power -Assisted Steering System or EPAS, a feature that can be found in the Ford Endeavour and EcoSport, is designed to help cars move effortlessly at low speeds, particularly when parking in tight spots. The steering wheel also tightens up when travelling at high speeds, preventing the vehicle from drifting. This is because a sensor optimises steering based on the speed at which the car is moving, avoiding situations of understeering or oversteering. A technology called Pull-Drift Compensation helps the steering to continuously adjust to conditions that cause your car to pull to the left or right, such as uneven surfaces or cross-winds. This level of control and feedback will certainly make driving stress-free.

Infotainment

A little music and some help navigating unfamiliar or new places are welcome additions on long drives. And that’s where an infotainment system comes in.

Ford offers a touchscreen-based infotainment system across all models, covering nearly 90% of its variant lineup. The system seamlessly connects to a smartphone to ensure drivers will never have to take their eyes off the road as this infotainment system lets them accept or reject calls, listen to text messages, and dial a number; all through voice commands. Moreover, embedded navigation offered with Ford Figo, Freestyle, Aspire and most variants of EcoSport offers audible directions that are excellent for those who have difficulty reading roadside signs.

Not just a smart infotainment system, Ford cars are also the only ones in India to offer 100% connectivity via first-of-its-kind FordPass, a mobile connectivity solution that allows owners to remotely start/stop as well as access their vehicle via a mobile app. All new Ford cars are equipped with a factory-fitted, cloud-connected device that facilitates real-time information exchange — like vehicle health alerts & location, fuel info & more – between the car and the FordPass app.

For those who love tech and want a more advanced infotainment, Ford offers its patented SYNC 3 system with top-of-the-line EcoSport S and the entire Ford Endeavour lineup. Ford SYNC3 is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible to ensure you stay connected with your digital lives, at all times.

Parking Aids

Let’s face it; not everyone can parallel park like a pro. So, having a little assistance at these times can be super helpful, and that is what parking aids offer. Rear and front parking sensors can warn you if your car is too close to an object or surface. Add a reversing camera to this mix, and you no longer have to crane your head, arch your back, bend outside the window or depend on a passer-by to help you reverse into a parking spot. And with semi-auto parallel park assist feature in cars like Ford Endeavour, driving becomes as simple as ever. You can activate the function with the touch of a button to help you find the right size parking spot for your car. As you control the gears, brake and accelerator, the vehicle automatically steers and parks itself.

Adjustable Seats

There would probably be no point in having so many convenience features if you were sitting uncomfortably while driving. Besides, the more relaxed a driver is, the more likely he/she is to have a great experience, and this makes it essential to have the right seating position and height. While most cars in India offer allow the driver’s seat to be adjusted back and forth, you can pick a Ford for your parents to adjust the seating height as well. Sitting at an optimum height ensures that a driver has complete view of the road and be more vigilant of any obstructions that lie ahead, making their drive a lot safer and more convenient.

For greater comfort, you can also choose Ford Endeavour that offers power-adjustable seats that can be moved in 16-ways at the touch of a button.

Automatic and Convenience Features

Technology has made everything as easy with just a push of a button, and there’s no doubt all of us are reveling in the convenience this brings. So, why should driving be any different? You can pick from a variety of convenience features that not only keep you comfortable but help avoid distraction too.

• Automatic Headlamps & Rain-Sensing Wipers ensure that your parents don’t have struggle to look for the right switches for these essential features
• Keyless Entry and Push-button: All Ford cars offer these features to ensure that owners don’t have to fiddle with the key FOB and can enter the vehicle at the touch of a button on the door handle as well as set off on their journey at the push of a button.
• With automatic climate control, they can set the temperature of the cabin as they like and let the intelligent system regulate the air to adjust the temperature. Ford cars offer power air-conditioners that bring the cabin temperature from 50-degree Celsius to 25-degree Celsius in just 15-minutes
• Storage Spaces: Apart from lots of storage spaces, make sure your preferred car has a dedicated space to securely stow away the phone. Ford EcoSport offers a skid-free surface just above the glove compartment to place a smartphone. This surface is skid-proof and prevents the phone from falling down during sudden braking, thereby reducing driver distraction
• Don’t want your folks to fumble with keys when opening the boot? Pick a car with Hands-Free Power Lift Gate, like Endeavour, that makes opening the boot effortless.

For even greater convenience, you should consider buying an Automatic car for your parents. Automatics come with their own advantages like lesser peddle effort in bumper to bumper traffic or cruising on highways. The fun of an automatic is enhanced if you choose the right technology.

You can opt for segment-best six-speed torque convertor automatic on the Ford Aspire, Figo & EcoSport. Ford in fact will bring a value-rich Titanium variant of the EcoSport Automatic soon that’ll offer the best technology at a price you would love.

After-Sales Service

Of course, after travelling to new places, they will have to ensure regular servicing to keep their car in top condition. And even this phase should be just as comfortable and relaxing as driving is. A car service that offers convenience and ease when it comes to maintenance and servicing can make a world of difference to caring for the car.

To ensure your parents continue priotising safety, Ford has introduced a whole host of contactless service through its Dial-A-Ford initiative. Customers can test drive or buy their favourite Ford, book scheduled maintenance, avail roadside assistance or send their car for repairs by simply dialing 1800-419-3000. Ford’s team of experts will pick the car and drop it back right at the door-step after thorough sentization. This contactless service is particularly essential during the current pandemic situation to ensure safety.

Not just convenience , Ford offers surprisingly affordable maintenance cost that is as low as Rs. 1,400 for the first service. Ford cars also offer longer service interval of one-year or 10,000 KM between scheduled maintenance, compared to six-months or 5,000 KM for most other car models, ensuring fewer visits to the service center.

So give wings to your parents’ desire to hit the road. After all, it’s the perfect time for them plan leisure trips and see more of the world. So, help them find the right car to accompany them on these journeys, and ensure a safe, happy and comfortable post-retirement life for them!

Planning to buy a car for your kids too? Here’s a list of things you should consider to give them their perfect first ride.