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cars for tallish people

acheron

acheron

Diamond Member
I am 6'4", and a lot of cars are uncomfortable to drive for me (or just plain impossible). Generally it's not the height of the roof so much as it is where the steering wheel and driver's seat sit, and whether I can adjust the wheel and seat enough to be able to fit my legs underneath the wheel.

I am going to be looking for a new car soon, and wanted some suggestions from other tall people as to what cars you've found comfortable to drive. (Comfortable to sit in the passenger seat would be nice too but not as essential.) I'd kind of like a hatchback or wagon, but am open to sedan suggestions too. No SUVs.

I know it's a pretty open question, and I'm not restricting on price or anything right now. I'll be doing a lot more research soon, I was just hoping to get some ideas.
 
I've been very happy with VW Golf's that I've rented over in Europe. They actually seem to have a lot more room than even the Jetta because of the hatchback nature. Suprisingly I just went on a test drive of a Mazda MX-5 and fit in just fine (I mean it is a tidy little car...so there isn't a ton of space...but I fit and was comfortable). I'm 6'5" by the way...mostly legs...I do have broad shoulders, but I am relatively thin...so my comments are purely from a long leg/arms/etc perspective.
 
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I've generally found American and European vehicles to be more suited to me in that regard.
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Agreed...this seems to generally be true. I remember shopping for a midsize sedan back in the 2000 timeframe and Accords, Toyota's, etc didn't seem to have as much room as European/American cars. The only Asian car that seemed to have a lot was the Maxima...and the Millenia wasn't bad.
 
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I've generally found American and European vehicles to be more suited to me in that regard.
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Just say it... you know you want to...VOLVO!
 
I'm 6'4" and drive a 350Z. Getting in and out is not exactly fun, but I'm still young and limber so it's okay for me. Once you're actually in the car, there is more space than I expected.

Probably not what you're looking for, but I just thought I'd share my experience.
 
I've been doing a ton of searching lately trying to find a new one. Its very hard to get a car that fits better than my Altima. You don't want the power seats, they take valuable inches away. New G35's and G37's are supposed to be the same.

I wanted the 370z, get a great discount on it, but the dealer never has one to try. I did have difficulty getting into a 350z, and visibility was pretty poor, but it is a sports car.

The Hyundai Azera is also supposed to have huge headroom, but I still don't trust Hyundai.

I sat in a 2002 BMW 745iL, and its probably been the best car for visibility and headroom, though everyone will caution you against an old bimmer.

Probably my best candidate right now (subject to change at any minuite) is a Volvo s60R, I drove the auto 2wd version and it was a bit cramped, but much better than most of the cars people point you at when you're our size. It was smooth and comfortable. The R version seems to be the best way to get an awd manual
 
When I sold cars, I found that the BMW X5 fit tall guys, and of course the 7 series would (it's a damn boat). Also, the Hyundai Azera is a surprisingly quality car. I've driven the crap out of those things and they do well. The company is coming up quickly in quality but still with lower prices, worth checking out. For something a bit smaller, The Subaru Forester sometimes fit tall guys well. I don't know about the new bodystyle though, as I have not been in it. The older, square ones gave good head/shoulder room. VW seems to be fairly accomodating, but rear passengers will suffer for it. Also, strangely, the VW Beetle has a lot of space for front passengers. I know a fairly tall guy who also adores his Honda Element.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
I'm 6'4" and drive a 350Z. Getting in and out is not exactly fun, but I'm still young and limber so it's okay for me. Once you're actually in the car, there is more space than I expected.

Probably not what you're looking for, but I just thought I'd share my experience.
Click to expand...

I have the 370Z and it's the same; it's a little harder to get in versus a full-sie car, but there is ample space inside. Part of that probably is due to the car being so low too...
 
As I am 6'5" with a 39" inseam, leg room is the #1 priority for me. If the driver's area has a forward dash design I can't sit in it. This was the reason whey I ended up buying a PT Cruiser, as it had a flat dash and my knees did not connect with it. In order for me to drive in my Saturn SL2, I had to add a metal rail to adjust the seat another 6 inches back.

It is very car specific and I would recommend just sitting in all the cars you can to get to a true feeling for it instead of having members list their suggestions.
 
I'd skip the Subaru sedans/wagons. I'm 6' 4" and fit in my 97 Legacy wagon and 06 Legacy sedan, but it is not ideal. If it were any smaller, I'd be constantly uncomfortable.

Look at the Pontiac G8. My 06 GTO had plenty of room for me and the G8 I sat in does too. You can get the V6 version if you don't want all the power/low MPG of the GT version.
 
Just to add on the G8, I find it pretty comfortable at 6'6" 250lbs. It's rather roomy all-together.

I had to play with the seat quite a bit but once I found my sweet spot I really have no complaints and is quite comfortable (But I wouldn't say the most comfortable thing ever.) . Just be sure to check one with a sunroof first if they interest you at all, as you do lose a little headroom.

I agree overall that US or European makes are your best bet. I have yet to find any asian import that is comfortable and puts me in a decent seating position at the same time.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
I'd skip the Subaru sedans/wagons. I'm 6' 4" and fit in my 97 Legacy wagon and 06 Legacy sedan, but it is not ideal. If it were any smaller, I'd be constantly uncomfortable.
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Hm, really? That's too bad, I was thinking a Subaru wagon might be a good choice. (Though obviously everyone's a little different so I'll give it a try myself too.)

Thanks for the ideas all. Yeah, I was figuring I would just have to go around and sit in a bunch to find something good, but it's nice to hear other people's experiences.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
I'm 6'4" and drive a 350Z. Getting in and out is not exactly fun, but I'm still young and limber so it's okay for me. Once you're actually in the car, there is more space than I expected.

Probably not what you're looking for, but I just thought I'd share my experience.
Click to expand...

I call BS, I'm legitimately 6'1" and when I sit in a 350z, there is about an inch between the roof and my head. If the car ever goes over a large bump at speed, I will hit the roof. I can't imagine what it would be like if I were 3" taller.

Having said that, I will "fit" in most cars but to have good head room I will need a car with a min of 39" of headroom.
 
Originally posted by: sindows
Originally posted by: tfinch2
I'm 6'4" and drive a 350Z. Getting in and out is not exactly fun, but I'm still young and limber so it's okay for me. Once you're actually in the car, there is more space than I expected.

Probably not what you're looking for, but I just thought I'd share my experience.
Click to expand...

I call BS, I'm legitimately 6'1" and when I sit in a 350z, there is about an inch between the roof and my head. If the car ever goes over a large bump at speed, I will hit the roof. I can't imagine what it would be like if I were 3" taller.

Having said that, I will "fit" in most cars but to have good head room I will need a car with a min of 39" of headroom.
Click to expand...

So when you go over a bump, your ass comes out of the seat? Sorry, that's never happened to me. For all I care, call BS until your blue in the face.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: sindows
Originally posted by: tfinch2
I'm 6'4" and drive a 350Z. Getting in and out is not exactly fun, but I'm still young and limber so it's okay for me. Once you're actually in the car, there is more space than I expected.

Probably not what you're looking for, but I just thought I'd share my experience.
Click to expand...

I call BS, I'm legitimately 6'1" and when I sit in a 350z, there is about an inch between the roof and my head. If the car ever goes over a large bump at speed, I will hit the roof. I can't imagine what it would be like if I were 3" taller.

Having said that, I will "fit" in most cars but to have good head room I will need a car with a min of 39" of headroom.
Click to expand...

So when you go over a bump, your ass comes out of the seat? Sorry, that's never happened to me. For all I care, call BS until your blue in the face.
Click to expand...

Stiff suspension+little sidewall=yes
 
I'm ~6'3", and I fit in a Focus really well. Gobs of room for me, and I don't even have to put the seat all the way back. Surprising for a Compact. The Fit is also surprisingly roomy for a subcompact, and I also fit well in my GF's Rio, though I have to have the seat all the way back in that. The last cars that I remember being smaller than I'd ideally like were the 4G Acura TL (tight around the legs), and the E46 3-series, both were fine but made me feel a little cramped. The Fusion is also really accommodating.
 
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