I am what one might call a super senior and I drive an electric car (Genesis GV60P). On the other hand, I have a golfing buddy and he can't figure out most of the features on his new
Cadillac sedan (two PhDs don't help him). Fortunately for him we have a golf buddy who was a senior manager at Microsoft before retiring who helps him out.
To give you the best advice I think we need to know what is important to you. To me it was driving electric plus 3 things: (1) a small vehicle; (2) a luxurious vehicle; and (3) a powerful vehicle. My now one year old vehicle met these criteria. I am reasonably technical but since I retired I no longer the option of finding the youngest colleague in my office to answer technical questions.
Your posting implies, but I might be reading too much into it, that you are somewhat insecure about new technologies. If that is so, you might want to stay in the Lexus world if it otherwise has vehicles that meet your need. It used to be that if you were used to how a car was set up, if you stayed within that family the newer model would be similar. Unfortunately, that is no longer necessarily true. Many car companies move the steering
wheel controls from one side to the other. To me that makes no sense. Once you put (e.g.) the cruise control button one side, just leave it alone. So if this is important to you, stop by your local Lexus dealership and check out whether muscle memory would help you.
It sounds like you want at least some of the newer technology. A couple that I require are adaptive cruise control and a headup display. If you and your spouse are not pretty close identically sized, and you both will be driving the vehicle, you want a vehicle that can store at least two settings (position, drive mode, etc.). A lot of the new technology is often combined in what are called ADAS systems:
Advanced
Driver
Assistance
Systems. These include blind spot warnings, lane assistance, emergency braking, etc. Consumer Reports has some great and useful information on these. If you don't have a subscription, go to your local library. CU also publishes annually a special purpose issue that they sell in book stores, supermarkets, etc. for buyers of new cars. These might also be available in your local library.
If you now have more trouble getting in and out of your sedan, because of how low the seat is, you might be a candidate for a crossover instead of a sedan. Most crossovers will not corner as well as a sedan (simple physics). But if you are facing a reasonably near hip replacement or knee surgery, a crossover might be better for you.
Since you appear to be somewhat hesitant about all the new technology, you might want to also consider your purchase/dealership options. Some dealerships are better and more willing to work with you, help you get setup, and do so subsequently if you need/want it. Dealerships are independently owned and operated and some are great and some are terrible. Check reviews and talk to friends about their experiences.
Do you have any unique needs? For example, the first thing I did when I went to the dealership was take my golf bag out of my car and make sure it would fit in the new car. Do you have any such unique requirements.
So to the extent you can, give us your basic needs and your most important like to haves and any gotchas (features or aspects of a car that completely turn you off).
Good luck!
