4 SUVs Retirees Should Avoid Buying in Spring 2025
Written by
Andrew Lisa
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
A typical retiree in the market for a new SUV will focus on value, safety, fuel economy, reliability, long-term ownership costs, comfort, visibility and ease of access.
Those factors and others should make older drivers think twice about plunking down between $30,000 and $60,000 on the following SUVs, which might be right for many drivers but probably wrong for most retirees.
Chevrolet Tahoe
- MSRP: $59,000
The Chevy Tahoe is a mammoth even among full-size SUVs. The large, powerful vehicle gets generally good reviews from publications like Car and Driver, but mostly as a family hauler. However, older adults should consider several potential drawbacks that Edmunds highlighted.
The Tahoe’s significant ground clearance makes getting in and out a challenge for those with mobility issues, its seats are not as comfortable as the price point would lead buyers to believe, and it has less usable cargo space than drivers expect from a vehicle as big as the Tahoe. Also, it gets just 17 combined mpg and only 15 in the city, where maneuvering can be a challenge with such an enormous vehicle.
Land Rover Discovery
- MSRP: $60,200
Retirees looking to ride in style in a luxury SUV should think twice about the Land Rover Discovery. It suffers from the same high step-in-height issues as the Tahoe, and its large size and boxy dimensions can make it a challenge to park and to navigate tight roadways.
Both Car and Driver and Edmunds lament its miserable cornering around tight turns, as well as its tight second row and laughably small third-row seating, which the former calls “child-sized.”
Land Rover advertises heavily on the Discovery’s undeniably impressive and sophisticated tech, but for many seniors — and anyone who prefers a more straightforward and user-friendly cockpit — the spaceship-like layout and touchscreen-everything can feel overwhelming.
Then, of course, there are the mechanical and electrical issues for which the entire Land Rover lineup is infamous, which contribute to RepairPal’s estimate of $700-plus annual maintenance and repair costs.
Jeep Wrangler
- MSRP: $32,690
The beloved Jeep Wrangler is one of America’s most iconic off-road vehicles, but adventurous retirees would be wise to opt for one of the many alternatives that are nearly as capable but far more comfortable.
The all-wheel drive — and much cheaper — Subaru Crosstrek, for example, can tackle the trails with confidence but drives like a car on the road. The Wrangler’s ride is comparatively choppy and its elevated step-in height is prohibitive. Its combined fuel economy is mired in the high teens, which makes it expensive to drive, as does what RepairPal cites as annual maintenance and repair costs of nearly $700.
Ford Bronco
- MSRP: $37,995
If retirees avoid the beloved Wrangler, they should do likewise for the SUV that Ford resurrected from the graveyard of automotive history to compete with the Jeep.
Consumer Reports explained that, like the Wrangler, the Ford Bronco is a bona fide off-road warrior, but several conventional SUVs can match it for most of what drivers are realistically likely to encounter beyond the pavement.
Also, older adults should know that Consumer Reports’ drivers couldn’t remember testing a vehicle with longer stopping distances — 149 feet on dry pavement at 60 mph and an endless 168 feet on wet roads. Publications like Edmunds also note its unimpressive gas mileage, noisy ride and uncomfortable seats.
More From GOBankingRates
