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Tesla for 80 year old?

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It is a big mistake to classify people by age, everyone has different capabilities and enjoy various things that can be very opposite. I have seen some thirty year olds that should not be driving, if you want to drive an electric car you can learn what you need to know. I play tennis with a few friends that are in their early 80’s and could give any 40 year old a run for their money.
 
Everyone is missing the point. The women in question has already had an accident where she fell asleep at the wheel. She shouldn't be driving at all. This isn't about 80 year olds in general, it's about someone with mental decline. It happens at different ages for different people, my paternal grandmother lived to be 102 and never lost her marbles but my mother and her mother both developed Alzheimer's in their late 80s and the way we found out about my mother's is when she had a car accident. If FSD worked then it would be a solution but it's still years away from being Level 5. Parenthetically I bought FSD for my car not because I thought they would get close to true self driving in the next few years but because I wanted to contribute to it's development so that it is ready when I'm 80, I'm 66 now.

I didnt miss this point ( I dont think many others did either, actually). I think everyone was just trying to somewhat respect the OPs question. The OP clearly stated:


I tried to convince them to stop driving but they will not consider that option.

So, even the OP thinks the best option is for them to stop driving, but the OP also does not appear to have the authority to simply "make that happen" so people were trying to answer the question as it was presented... or at least I was, and I assume others were too.

I agree with you that the probable "best" outcome is them not driving any longer, and I hope they dont hurt themselves or others before figuring out that is the "correct" outcome for them.

As has been mentioned a few times by a few people, including someone in the respective generation (thanks @CameraJim for your perspective!), this really depends on each individual. While it is true that EVERYONES reaction time slows down a bit as we age, we all have different mental acuity, ability to process, etc.

My sister and I basically had to take my mom's car keys away at the end of 2019. My mom was 73 at the time, now 74. She likely shouldnt have been driving for at least a year before we did it. She got into a fender bender that thankfully wasnt serious but the way it went down showed she should not have been driving.

I got into a big argument with her about it (I am the oldest of 2 children). I basically had to ask her, in a loud voice "So, whats it going to take for you to stop driving, are you going to have to kill someone with your car before you do?" She was mad at me for like a month... but I got her to stop driving.
 
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Hi Everyone,

Is a new Tesla model 3 an appropiate car for an 80 yo couple? My sister was just involved in an accedent where she fell asleep and she and her husband need a new car. I tried to convince them to stop driving but they will not consider that option. Since Tesla is about the safest car to drive they are considering it.
But of course they are very high tech averse and can barely manage thier phones. The nearest Tesla dealer is 150 miles away. I am even further away. Can a new Tesla be set up and delivered to them that would not need alot of additional tweeking and service? How steep would the learning curve be for them?

Thanks for your input.
Yes.
 
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Everyone is missing the point. The women in question has already had an accident where she fell asleep at the wheel. She shouldn't be driving at all. This isn't about 80 year olds in general, it's about someone with mental decline. It happens at different ages for different people, my paternal grandmother lived to be 102 and never lost her marbles but my mother and her mother both developed Alzheimer's in their late 80s and the way we found out about my mother's is when she had a car accident. If FSD worked then it would be a solution but it's still years away from being Level 5. Parenthetically I bought FSD for my car not because I thought they would get close to true self driving in the next few years but because I wanted to contribute to it's development so that it is ready when I'm 80, I'm 66 now.
I disagree that falling asleep is indicative of cognitive decline. I've had that problem almost since I began driving. It's always on long trips, and it's worse at night so I know that I cannot do long hauls at night. I have diagnosed sleep issues that contribute to this problem, but there are ways of dealing with it. Having this car is an extra level of security for someone like me, and having to stop and charge more often than getting gas actually keeps me more alert.

At least I've quit riding a motorcycle. Yes, I fell asleep while riding (controlling, not as a passenger) and it scared the living daylights out of me.
 
For older drivers, you might consider whether they can read the screen in a Tesla. For some reason, Tesla use a fairly small font which can be difficult to read - even though there is enough space to make it larger.
 
And I know several kids (age 60) who can't handle the Tesla, think it's too complicated, don't like plugging it in, and basically just leave it in the drive gathering dust. It's not age. Some people just will never understand tech.

As for not being able to see the screen, I'd recommend they see their opthalmologist. This is what glasses are for. In California, eyes are checked for near and far both for driving.
 
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As for not being able to see the screen, I'd recommend they see their opthalmologist. This is what glasses are for. In California, eyes are checked for near and far both for driving.
I'll agree about having proper vision correction to drive, but the font on the screen is still too small, especially for critical info. If you're tall, it's even worse, as your seat will be back, increasing your distance to the screen. The alerts, at minimum, should be larger or text-to-voice.
 
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Hi Everyone,

Is a new Tesla model 3 an appropiate car for an 80 yo couple? My sister was just involved in an accedent where she fell asleep and she and her husband need a new car. I tried to convince them to stop driving but they will not consider that option. Since Tesla is about the safest car to drive they are considering it.
But of course they are very high tech averse and can barely manage thier phones. The nearest Tesla dealer is 150 miles away. I am even further away. Can a new Tesla be set up and delivered to them that would not need alot of additional tweeking and service? How steep would the learning curve be for them?

Thanks for your input.
And there is no handle to help you get in and out of the car.
 
I’m 72 and my wife is 7 years my junior. We’ve have had our Model 3 LR for a month.

We’re both reasonably technically savvy, with iPhones and iPads and Apple Watches, Apple TV‘s and the like. I feared the Tesla would be overwhelming, but the interface is overall pretty intuitive after a few drives.

The Model 3 is lower than our previous car, a Honda Clarity PHEV. We’re both still pretty spry, but it does take a bit more effort to get into and out of the Tesla. I hear the Model Y is better in that regard.

But as others have said, mental acuity and physical abilities can vary immensely in folks in their later years. So, I guess the answer to the OP’s question is ultimate “It depends”.
 
I'm 70 and have thoroughly embraced EVs. I bought a new leftover 2020 Nissan Leaf SL+ a year ago. Because of all the incentives I got it for a song. Got quickly bored with it and took delivery of an M3 SR+ last August. A relatively light weight (3616 lb.), RWD performance sport sedan. 100% Electron powered. What a hoot!

I am an early adopter of new tech. I bought one of the first Infiniti Q50 hybrids with the tech package (2014). There was nothing like it on the road at the time. The first and still only true drive by wire. There was no physical connection between the steering wheel and front tires. A pretty passable version of Tesla's autopilot too. Combined 360 HP, 403 ft lb. @1450 RPM. 0-60 in 5.0. A real magic carpet ride.
 
Coming up on 74 - been driving Teslas since 2013. I believe age is different for each individual. So far over 320,000 miles on our three Teslas. Only real complaints are the sudden major interface updates and - for God's sake quit with the gray lettering - print should be black. Maybe Musk is trying to save on ink.
 
I'm 80 and on my second Tesla.

First was a 2019 model 3 SR for $35,000. Last December I sold the SR and purchased a 2022 model 3 Performance and LOVE it. MY wife thinks I should have bought the model S Plaid

With the 2019 SR I was a Tesla Beta tester for FSD and had fun doing it BUT I won't do it for the new Performance. That's where my age comes in. I was too nervous while the car drove through busy towns. Maybe if I had grown up with the tech, I would have been OK for FSD but I'm too set in my ways to be relaxed while the car makes all the moves.
 
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I dont think a tesla model 3 is the appropriate car for someone you describe as "tech averse, can hardly handle their phones".

The age doesnt have that much to do with it other than as people get older, some get more "stuck in their ways". It would be a steep learning curve, with the fact that, especially on a model 3, there is no traditional dash, everything is interacted with the tablet, etc, a need to get home charging or spend a bunch of time at a supercharger, etc.

As you mention, its likely they wont be driving much longer (or that they should be driving at all), so you should convince them to buy car they are comfortable with / used to. Their reaction time is already much slower, IF they are going to drive, they should be driving something they are comfortable with.

To nip the inevitable next comments in the bud, no "full self driving" is not an appropriate stopgap for this situation.
Model Y is identical to Model 3 as far as tech is concerned. It can be driven using minimum tech. Add capabilities slowly one at a time. There is no rush
 
Coming up on 74 - been driving Teslas since 2013. I believe age is different for each individual. So far over 320,000 miles on our three Teslas. Only real complaints are the sudden major interface updates and - for God's sake quit with the gray lettering - print should be black. Maybe Musk is trying to save on ink.
Option to control font would be great for both wife and my self. I am 86 years old. DO IT.
 
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Note that the OP in this thread was likely a troll post. The subject is a decent one for discussion, but the OP in this thread posted this thread and never logged in after the day it was posted to even look at the thread they created.

Thats a pretty big "pet peeve" of mine, even if the subject is ok (which this one obviously is).

Screen Shot 2022-03-08 at 7.47.09 AM.png
 
Note that the OP in this thread was likely a troll post. The subject is a decent one for discussion, but the OP in this thread posted this thread and never logged in after the day it was posted to even look at the thread they created.

Thats a pretty big "pet peeve" of mine, even if the subject is ok (which this one obviously is).

View attachment 778338

I find it more likely that the OP is simply not a forum person, and got what they needed, than an actual troll. If they have a sister who is 80, likely they are in the same age bracket....and pretty likely they aren't going to be hanging out on forums on which they don't own a car. They did post 3 times.