[lloyd99]

I own a 2021 X7 M50i, without running boards. I sometimes have to transport my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who are now both in their mid-80's . Even when I have the X7 set to the lowest height setting, they have difficulty entering the vehicle. I've owned other SUVs in the past - including Buick Enclave x2, GMC Acadia X2, and a Hyundai Palisade. They never seemed to have this much trouble in the past. But then again, they are also now older than in the past. The X7 seats "seem" to be located more inward than my past vehicles, so that could be a contributing factor too?

I was thinking of maybe getting portable step that I could keep in the vehicle and have them use it. But then I worried about stability of them standing on a step with one leg, while lifting the other leg into the vehicle - which may also be difficult for them.

I am curious - has anyone found a way for their elderly passengers to more easily enter their X7?

[Qsilver7]

If your in-laws have any upper body strength and good shoulder articulation….have them use the “Oh Jeezus” handles (#6 & #9) in the headliner to help with entry/exiting the vehicle:

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If your in-laws have any upper body strength and good shoulder articulation….have them use the “Oh Jeezus” handles (#6 & #9) in the headliner to help with entry/exiting the vehicle:

Thanks for the suggestion. I do encourage them to use the handle. The whole process is just a little too much for them - one foot on the ground, and the other foot in the vehicle, one hand on the door or seat and the other hand on the handle, all with weak upper body strength. They are okay with sedans, and even with my wife's Cadillac XT4. But my X7 is just too much. I try to avoid transporting them in it - but sometimes it happens. I'm not sure if the X7 is harder to enter than my past vehicles, or if they're just older and weaker, or all of the above.

[Orient330iNYC]

my father is elderly, and very poor upper body strength. sedans are easiest for him, its the height that he has an issue with. with the X7 i pull up in front of our building and drop the suspension to the lowest next to the curb and have him enter on the curb side. that seems doable, our curbs are about 7" above street level, so that cuts the height difference even more. when takin an uber, an suv is difficult unless they pull over to the curb, even worse are the handicap minivans (lifted to accommodate the wheelchair lift in the back.)

even just the past few years, its gotten more difficult for him, i suspect as hes gotten older his core strength has gone down, his upper body strength has gone down, so getting into a car is just difficult without help. whats even more difficult is he will refuse help and grab for anything (seat belts, drivers headrest, uber driver's neck) to try and hoist himself in. those are the moments when i step in and lift. he's only a few years short of 90 though.

something like this might help- but it takes time to set up and break down.
https://www.amazon.com/REDCAMP-Foldi...dp/B099PQ6VLW/

[rjabend]

That is another DTD feature that BMW has included in that the vehicle is even a little difficult for young folks to get into if they are 5'8" or less. There needs to be auto-lowering on entry and departure IMHO.

PS - There have been a number of threads on this topic.

[Saejin]

Maybe automatic running boards like in this video. Seen them on a lot of full size SUVs and trucks.

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

my father is elderly, and very poor upper body strength. sedans are easiest for him, its the height that he has an issue with. with the X7 i pull up in front of our building and drop the suspension to the lowest next to the curb and have him enter on the curb side. that seems doable, our curbs are about 7" above street level, so that cuts the height difference even more. when takin an uber, an suv is difficult unless they pull over to the curb, even worse are the handicap minivans (lifted to accommodate the wheelchair lift in the back.)

even just the past few years, its gotten more difficult for him, i suspect as hes gotten older his core strength has gone down, his upper body strength has gone down, so getting into a car is just difficult without help. whats even more difficult is he will refuse help and grab for anything (seat belts, drivers headrest, uber driver's neck) to try and hoist himself in. those are the moments when i step in and lift. he's only a few years short of 90 though.

something like this might help- but it takes time to set up and break down.
https://www.amazon.com/REDCAMP-Foldi...dp/B099PQ6VLW/

Orient330iNYC - Thanks for the reply. I do use the curb technique when I pick them up at their house - which helps. But I'm still stuck if we're in a random parking lot or my driveway. An RV step stool sounds like a good option - heavy duty, non-slip, good size. I could store in my trunk area and pull out when needed. I'll be ordering one and will try it out.

Originally Posted by Saejin

Maybe automatic running boards like in this video. Seen them on a lot of full size SUVs and trucks.

Wow - that is very cool. Thanks for mentioning it. I've seen some references to them before for other vehicles, but I didn't realize there was such a solution that would be compatible with an X7. I only transport my in-laws once every 4-6 weeks, so this route might be overkill. Although, heck, it would make it easier for everyone to enter - not just my inlaws. If the RV step stool doesn't solve the issue, I'll look into this next.

[Brigitte]

Originally Posted by lloyd99

I own a 2021 X7 M50i, without running boards. I sometimes have to transport my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who are now both in their mid-80's . Even when I have the X7 set to the lowest height setting, they have difficulty entering the vehicle. I've owned other SUVs in the past - including Buick Enclave x2, GMC Acadia X2, and a Hyundai Palisade. They never seemed to have this much trouble in the past. But then again, they are also now older than in the past. The X7 seats "seem" to be located more inward than my past vehicles, so that could be a contributing factor too?

I was thinking of maybe getting portable step that I could keep in the vehicle and have them use it. But then I worried about stability of them standing on a step with one leg, while lifting the other leg into the vehicle - which may also be difficult for them.

I am curious - has anyone found a way for their elderly passengers to more easily enter their X7?

There is a step stool with adjustable height and adjustable handrails:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW4YN67...lig_dp_it&th=1

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by Brigitte

There is a step stool with adjustable height and adjustable handrails:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW4YN67...lig_dp_it&th=1

Brigitte. Thanks for the suggestion, I appreciate it. I did see that product while browsing for RV step stools on Amazon. I like the handles - seem very practical for the intended use case. But I also wanted to be able to fold up the step stool and fairly easily store in my truck area (preferably below the floor). So I ordered the other type today and will try it out. If its not stable enough for them, I may circle back and order this product.

PS - even if I stay with the folding RV step stool product, the picture from the model you suggested gave me a different perspective for how they might enter the vehicle. Instead of one foot on the step and the other foot lifted up to enter the vehicle (stepping in sideways), they might be able to stand with both feet on the RV step stool, turn so their butt is towards the seat, and then sit down (perhaps while holding the handle above, or with a hand on the door, or with my hand holding assistance. Feels more stable and less balancing required. So thank you also for that perspective.

[Brigitte]

Originally Posted by lloyd99

Brigitte. Thanks for the suggestion, I appreciate it. I did see that product while browsing for RV step stools on Amazon. I like the handles - seem very practical for the intended use case. But I also wanted to be able to fold up the step stool and fairly easily store in my truck area (preferably below the floor). So I ordered the other type today and will try it out. If its not stable enough for them, I may circle back and order this product.

PS - even if I stay with the folding RV step stool product, the picture from the model you suggested gave me a different perspective for how they might enter the vehicle. Instead of one foot on the step and the other foot lifted up to enter the vehicle (stepping in sideways), they might be able to stand with both feet on the RV step stool, turn so their butt is towards the seat, and then sit down (perhaps while holding the handle above, or with a hand on the door, or with my hand holding assistance. Feels more stable and less balancing required. So thank you also for that perspective.

I hope it will work for them. Yep...stability is very important because we lose our sense of balance as we age..

[rjabend]

May have some helpful content:

https://www.aarp.org/auto/trends-tec...sabled-adults/

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by rjabend

May have some helpful content:

https://www.aarp.org/auto/trends-tec...sabled-adults/

Wow, thank you for sharing. I had no idea these extra tools were a thing!

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

my father is elderly, and very poor upper body strength. sedans are easiest for him, its the height that he has an issue with. with the X7 i pull up in front of our building and drop the suspension to the lowest next to the curb and have him enter on the curb side. that seems doable, our curbs are about 7" above street level, so that cuts the height difference even more. when takin an uber, an suv is difficult unless they pull over to the curb, even worse are the handicap minivans (lifted to accommodate the wheelchair lift in the back.)

even just the past few years, its gotten more difficult for him, i suspect as hes gotten older his core strength has gone down, his upper body strength has gone down, so getting into a car is just difficult without help. whats even more difficult is he will refuse help and grab for anything (seat belts, drivers headrest, uber driver's neck) to try and hoist himself in. those are the moments when i step in and lift. he's only a few years short of 90 though.

something like this might help- but it takes time to set up and break down.
https://www.amazon.com/REDCAMP-Foldi...dp/B099PQ6VLW/

AN UPDATE : Thank you Orient330iNYC for the suggestion of using an RV-type step when transporting my elderly in-laws in my X7. I purchased one a few weeks ago, and finally had a chance to use it yesterday for the first time - actually I used it 4x yesterday - when transporting them to and from a holiday dinner. It was a TOTAL GAME CHANGER. The step made it SO MUCH easier for them to enter and exit the vehicle. Mission accomplished!

In case it is helpful to others, this is the step I purchased from Amazon. Cost was under $60. It is a fairly large step (14.5" x 19") and feels very sturdy - plenty of room for standing on, as well as adjusting feet positions. The legs fold flat, so it easily stores in in the trunk area without taking up much space.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GXWCMJG/

When it is time to use it, I first lower the X7 to the lowest height setting. Then I remove the step from the trunk and flip open all four legs. Then I open the desired vehicle door for the passenger. Then I place the step at the desired location inbetween the vehicle and the open door. With the X7 set to the lowest height, the step fits just underneath the edge of the rocker panel, so I slide it about an inch or so underneath the rocker panel. All of that effort takes just 30-60 seconds (half of which is waiting the for the height to lower). Then the passenger steps onto the step, adjusts their footing and body position, and steps into the X7. They can hold onto the seat, the door, or the handle above the door. (The handle above the door was a little trick for my in-laws to use, but simply using a hand of the seat and a hand on the open door worked just fine). Repeat process for additional elderly passengers at other car doors. Then fold the legs of the step back to the flat position again, and return to the trunk. Repeat the process when they exit the vehicle.

Thank you Orient330iNYC and everyone else who offered suggestions. This RV step worked VERY WELL yesterday. We were all giddy with excitement after using it the first time yesterday. My in-laws were actually laughing and smiling when we used it the other 3x.

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by rjabend

May have some helpful content:
https://www.aarp.org/auto/trends-tec...sabled-adults/

Originally Posted by lloyd99

Wow, thank you for sharing. I had no idea these extra tools were a thing!

An additional update... Thank you again rjabend for the accessory recommendations. In addition to purchasing and using the RV step I mentioned above, I just purchased an Assist Bar (aka grab bar or handle) like the one mentioned in the AAA article you forwarded. The idea is for it to provide additional support for my in-laws when getting in and out of my X7. In case it might be helpful to others, I wanted to post some additional info.

This is the device I purchased from Amazon. Cost was only $10.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9XH6GZ5

It was definitely helpful for my father-in-law when getting in and out of the front row passenger seat. He put one hand on the vehicle door and the other hand on the grab bar. I feel it worked very well. Using it for my mother-in-law for the second row was less helpful. The U-shaped latch the grab bar is inserted into is fairly flat for the front row door. But for the second row, it is positioned at a fairly steep angle. So when you insert the garb bar into it, the grab bar is not parallel with the ground, it is instead at a 45 degree or so angle. So it is harder to grasp and isn't able to provide as much support when getting into and out of the vehicle. Fortunately, my mother-in-law is fairly mobile and the RV step by itself provides all the assistance she (currently) needs.

I hope the info on the RV step and the grab bar might be helpful to other X7 owners with elderly passengers.