Best 2023 Crossover SUV Models For Seniors
Compact crossovers and SUVs have replaced midsize sedans as the American family vehicle of choice. Crossover vehicles offer a whole lot more interior and cargo room than a midsize sedan in a smaller body. Plus these compact models use less fuel and drive more like cars than their larger midsize and full-size counterparts.
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For senior drivers, small SUVs and crossovers make a lot of sense, as they offer easier entry and exit, a better view of the road, plus more space and comfort than conventional sedans. In most crossovers, you’re simply sitting down into a driver’s seat at what would be table height in your home. This is an advantage over the more “adventurous” SUVs that have more ground clearance and off-road optimization which means stepping up higher into the vehicle and usually a rougher ride.
Another important feature of these vehicles for seniors are the high-tech safety systems that are standard on most models. The manufacturer’s decisions to fit these vehicles with more active safety equipment works in favor for drivers of all ages, as they can help a driver react quicker and more effectively thanks to things like automatic emergency braking, cross traffic alerts, blind spot monitoring and following distance indicators.
Listed below are the best 2023 crossover SUV models for seniors.
Honda CR-V
The CR-V is Honda’s best-selling model and the second-best-selling model overall in its class. Honda has redesigned and improved this popular vehicle for 2023. The all-new CR-V looks much more distinctive and attractive than before and it’s a little bigger too—providing just as much rear seat space as its recently redesigned Korean rivals. Cargo space also increased a little, with up to 39.3 cubic-feet behind the back seat and 76.1 with it folded, still right near the best in its class.
The interior gets a big style upgrade too, copying the style of last year’s Civic and making it feel a little more upscale. All this, plus Honda’s sterling reputation for quality and reliability, make the CR-V an excellent choice.
Base price: $31,110
Kia Sportage
This very popular model from Kia offers a lot for the money. It is all new for 2023, being the redesigned fifth-generation Kia Sportage. The exterior design is futuristic and flowing, mimicking Jaguar type of curves rather than typical angles. It’s the same in the interior, with Kia’s new screen-heavy dashboard is similar to the kind of curved display seen in contemporary BMW products.
The cabin is not only pretty to look at, but very spacious too. The back seat room is best in its class and all the chairs are comfy. Cargo space is also top class, even better than a few midsize SUVs with 39.6 cubic-feet of room behind the second row of seats. Very nicely, Kia offers the longest warranty coverage in the class, with five years and 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper and a 10 year / 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
Base price: $25,990
Mazda CX-50
The 2023 Mazda CX-50 is an all-new model from Mazda, similar to its older CX-5 model. While the same exterior size as the 5, the CX-50 has more room inside than the 5 and gets slightly better gas mileage, plus it also offers more off-road capability. Mazda has traditionally focused on making its vehicles fun to drive on the road and usually delivers handsomely on that front, but off-roading is newer territory. It has almost an inch more ground clearance over the 5, a smoother ride on rough pavement and a smarter AWD system. The CX-50 also has improved gas mileage over its cousin.
Base price: $27,550
Mazda CX-5
Although this is an older Mazda model, it still holds its own and worth considering. The Mazda CX-5 has a long reputation for being practical, fun to drive and good looking – and although the current second-generation model is now almost six years old, it’s still all of those things. The base-model, 187-horsepower CX-5 is pretty to look at and provides reasonable performance, while its 256-horsepower turbo option provides one of the most satisfying drives in its class. There’s plenty of space inside, although the back seat is on the smaller size for a compact crossover SUV. Overall cargo volume is good, with plenty of space behind the back seat.
Base price: $26,700
Ford Escape
This American crossover model has proven itself to be practical and roomy for some years now. The 2023 model has exterior and interior changes and improvements. The bug-eyed appearance of last year is replaced with sharp new headlights that would look at home on a BMW X2, and there’s a new and exciting ST-Line trim that’s only $2,340 more than the base model. The ST-Line has a more powerful 250-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which gives the Escape performance on par with the more expensive Mazda CX-5 Turbo. While the base model engine is adequate, it is noisy and less performing, making the ST-Line model well worth the slightly higher price.
Base price: $28,995.00
