Once upon a time, two-income families bought two cars and the second car was sometimes that original VW Beetle. Detroit automakers didn't realize that taste in cars was changing, so it took them time to catch up to the need for a basic second car without the chrome and frills that car owners once bragged about.

Well, I predict that another era of car manufacture is in the offing. Soon Baby Boomers will reach the age of arthritic pain and will need the car that we need now. And what is that? It's a car high enough off the road so that we can open the door, turn around and point and land without injuring our tail bones. But it will be without all the bells and whistles and horsepower that the young SUV owners need for off-road driving.

Yes, I predict that in the next few years there will be a new baby boomer market for furniture raised 4 to 6 inches higher, and cars that are comfortable getting into, and with the smooth ride of a town car. Right now, I want a car that is easy to park when I go to the pool to swim and that has good visibility when one glances around to check the blind spot. Truck drivers will tell you, if you can't see the rearview mirror of the truck ahead of you, you had better not try to pass because that truck driver can only see what reflects in that mirror.

In our quest for the perfect car for oldsters we realized that to get anti-lock brakes, side air bags, all-wheel drive and plenty of room for long-legged people like us, we were going to have to pay more. The drawback is that to get this high-seated, roomy, well-built car, it won't be the luxury cruiser that we had become accustomed to.

Another thing. The moon roof (what happened to the sun roof?) takes at least 2 inches off the headroom, so better have the tallest member of the family likely to drive the car try it out.

The other day the car salesperson sent me off with the key to one of the safest cars on the market and seemingly with all the requirements on my list. But the minute I started up this monster vehicle I realized that I was not in control. The safety features added so much weight that it took a real punch on the gas pedal to advance through a green light after a full stop. The console looked like an airline pilot's layout.

I could hear the salesperson droning on, "Just think. You can find your way back off-road when you get lost with this great feature."

Whoever told him I was planning to go off-road? I get panicky on a walk when I can't see my husband, who has turned the corner before I get there. I don't need the thrill of advancing to 100 miles an hour in a split second. I only need a car that feels good when I sit down in the driver's seat and that I can look over the hood and know how to judge where I am on the road.

Well, that radar system to keep us oldsters from hitting a car when backing up might be nice. But what do we need with top racks when we aren't camping anymore or trailer hitches when we probably won't be going farther than the local supermarket.

Seriously, choosing a comfortable, safe, gas-efficient automobile is getting more complicated. We are now looking forward to a hybrid to do our share in eliminating global warming. One advantage to being an oldster is that the shoreline flooding predicted in the next 50 to 100 years won't materialize in our lifetime.

Georgie Bright Kunkel is a freelance writer and speaker who can be reached at gnkunkel@comcast.net or (206) 935-8663.