The Toyota Verso, launched in 2009, designed to be a compact MPV, was a replacement for the Corolla Verso. The Verson carries on the long tradition of safety and reliability that run through the Toyota range, with Euro NCAP declaring it to be the safest MPV on the market in 2010.
A standard Verso is comfortable, spacious and reliable, but when alterations are needed for the disabled, things can go slightly wrong. The following review was written by one of our readers, Mandy Sellars, who explains some of the difficulties that she has experienced with some of the alterations needed for her condition.
"My car is a Toyota Corolla Verso, its a 7 seater one.
I have had this for 4 years and its been adapted for me to use: it has an extended steering wheel so I can reach it as due to my condition I need extra leg space.
There are extra runners on the drivers seat so that it touches the back seats, this gives me the room I need to sit in the drivers seat.
"It's a 58 plate thats makes it 4 years old i think? sorry hopeless with these things.
well its difficult for me to give a clear definition as to whether its comfortable as i get pain from driving, but i think essentially for most people it could be.
Yes it's easy to park i dont have problems at all. Of course for me i always need to park in a disabled space as you will know thats not always easy.
"The extra seats in the boot have been removed and fitted with a hoist to lift my electric wheelchair in to the back of the car. The wheelchair is a sunrise quickie F55 so it is taken apart to fit in the boot, the arms, footplates, back and seat are removed. it fits snuggle in the boot but doesn't leave much room for anything else to fit in the boot.
"I have hand controls to drive my car and have found that Toyotas new gear control, which is known as a multi mode gear box, which they say is in-between a manual and automatic gear box. However, I would definitely say that for anyone who has to use hand controls not to go for a car that has a multi mode gear box. The reason being is that with a standard automatic you can stay static on a hill without putting the hand break on, however, with a multi mode gear box you need to use the hand break when stationary on a hill. This is where the problems start, having to find the biting point in the acceleration with one hand whilst taking the hand break off with the other and no hand to steer with!! so this in my opinion is very dangerous and such gear modes shouldn't be offered to someone using hand controls.
"I know the way to start cars has changed a lot over the years and now there is a button on the dash board, this for me personally is pretty difficult to reach, it was so much easier when you put a key in on the steering wheel to start the car."
Mandy's experiences go to show that if you have a mobility issue that requires you to alter a cars specifications, then much thought is needed as to whether some alterations will actually make you life more easier, or not.
