We've been planning to buy a new car in the spring for some time (pre-accident actually). Our TSX, which we really do love, has gotten too small for our needs. When Jason was first injured, I was worried that I would have to go out and buy one of those big, wheelchair-accessible vans before he left the hospital. Thankfully, one of the nurses at the rehab center set me straight and told me that, with the level of injury Jason has, there was no reason why he couldn't get in and out of a sedan on his own. It's been nice to have time over the last few months to think through our car options, and decide what makes the most sense for us, given Jason's level of injury. Problem is, we can't really decide what is the best option. I think we've more or less decided against going the fully- accessible route. Whatever car we get will need hand controls installed, so that Jason can drive (I think he's really looking forward to being able to do this), but there's no real need for full ramps and things of that nature. We've joked in the past that we'd never get a mini-van, but the main reason for that is Jason wouldn't be able to get in and out of a van unless it had the ramps. Right now, we're thinking about a Subaru Outback, maybe a Mazda of some sort, and Jason's recently begun looking at a 4-door Mini Cooper (Actually quite big, despite its name). We'll probably look at some other SUVs...though those tend to be high off the ground. Really, we just need storage room and something lower to the ground. Beyond that, I think we're open to anything. Let me know if any of you have ideas for things we should look into.
In other transportation news, Jason began taking the shuttle to work today. I think it went reasonably well this morning, and hopefully will be okay tonight. As with any change, it'll probably take a little bit of time to get accustomed to the new normal.
I hope you all are well. I'll post again in a few days...we're coming up on 5 months since the accident, so it's time for another "official" update.
Love you all,
Ashley
I think the Subaru and Mini Countryman are both excellent options. Two you may not have considered are the Infinity EX (for the luxury choice), and the Ford Explorer (should you go for the "big" option). Both have features that seem helpful (as extras of course). The ford has a power tailgate, and the EX has exit/entry assist in which the steering wheel and seat are moved to make getting in/out easier - not to mention 300hp :)
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