Ask the Car People.SM


Best Vehicle for Tall and Large People

869 messages,  Last post on May 04, 2013 at 6:33 PM

You are in the SUVs Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Avalon, Pontiac Bonneville, Lincoln Navigator, Buick Rendezvous, Sedan, Wagon, SUV

Messages Page 86 of 88

#843 of 869 Camry (Hybrid) A Good Choice For Six-Footers by chris_s_2010

Feb 25, 2012 (11:57 am)

I am 6'4" and my son is 6'6". I needed a "new" used car that would work for both of us and have adequate leg and headroom in both the front and back seats. I wanted a sedan that was relatively new and had decent fuel economy. In the end, I bought a 2010 Camry Hybrid and I am very happy with it.
 
One Saturday morning, I took my son with me and we did a tour of the local car dealers trying out all of the sedans we could find. This included Camry, Accord, Hyundai, Kia and Ford Fusion. I liked the Hyundai Sonata and that was my first choice based on looks. According to the specs on paper, it has the best front legroom (45.5"), good front headroom (40"), average rear headroom but relatively poor rear legroom. The front seat does have good leg and head room. If you don't use the back seat much (at least for tall people), then this would be a pretty good choice for a tall driver. With the sloping roof line, the back seat would not be comfortable for six-footers. The only model choice is the GL because all of the rest have a sunroof and that makes the front headroom inadequate. The GL does not come with an electric driver's seat (it may be an option if you buy it new). It does have an adjustable steering wheel. I still liked the car but it felt a bit cramped overall, even sitting in the front seat.
 
We tried the Kia (same basic car as the Hyundai), the Accord (they didn't have one in stock without a sunroof) and the Fusion (felt cramped - especially in the back). I already have an older Camry and I really like it (even though front legroom is limited). A newer Camry wasn't at the top of my list because the interior dimensions on paper just seemed average, Toyota has been having some reliability issues and the styling was pretty conservative. Once we sat in it, there was no turning back. Initially we tried a 2012 and it is a bit larger than the older models but not by much. The front leg and headroom was very good and with the electric driver's seat (and adjustable steering wheel), it made it even better. With a squarer roof line than the Sonata (and most other sedans), the back seat was also very good for leg and head room. We started looking for used Camry's and I found a 2010 Hybrid that we liked so we bought it. We just finished a vacation trip to Florida in it and we found it to be very comfortable and at 40+ mpg, very efficient as well. Luggage room in the trunk is a bit limited because of the battery pack but the car fit three adults and our luggage quite adequately. For local use, it can comfortably fit 4 or even 5 adults with adequate headroom for six-footers in front and back.
 
In conclusion, I recommend the Camry, and especially the Hybrid for its interior room as well as its efficiency. I did quite a bit of research on the Camry Hybrid and found that it has an excellent reliability record. The Toyota engineers seem to have done a really good job on this car. Unlike the Prius, the Camry Hybrid feels pretty much like a normal car. It has a lot of technology in it but this hasn't lead to lots of failures or expensive replacement of parts. With 2 engines and dual braking systems, many key parts aren't under as much stress as they would be in a normal gas engine car. The battery pack was designed to last for the life of the car and so far, that seems to be the case. I also learned that you have to try them out to get a real feel for the interior room. I still don't understand how the Sonata and the Camry can both be rated as having the same rear headroom (37.8") when they are, in fact, so different. There are quite a few Camry Hybrids so it isn't too hard to find a used one at a fairly reasonable price. I ended up paying about the same as I was expecting to pay for a used 2011 (non-hybrid) Sonata.

#844 of 869 My 2 Cents... by bigguy72712

Mar 11, 2012 (1:34 am)

I am 6'7" approx 450ish. I currently drive a 2006 Dodge Ram Quad Cab which is far and away the most roomiest vehicle I have ever driven. I just bought a 2012 Kia Soul for my daughter who is 5'8" and took the opportunity to "try on" Kia's SUV line. Given that I am evenly split (long legs long torso) nothing was really comfortable as a daily driver. I have several friends who bring by their trucks to see how I fit the Ford Series is hard on head room but ok on leg room. I test drove a 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche and was completely impressed.
 
I am in the market for a mid-sized SUV to replace my truck. The cost of fuel is KILLING me at 14 miles per gallon. I am going to try Honda, GMC and Hyundai. I am hoping to stay 27k or less. Due to injuries sustained while I was military, cars are just too painful to get in and out of...that being said, my ex did get me to try her 2011 Yaris and she got a great laugh, it just was not designed for a guy with a 60" chest.

#845 of 869 An update by bigguy72712

Mar 12, 2012 (10:31 pm)

So...after alot of research I finally went and purchased a 2012 GMC Terrain (SLE2). At 6'7" and girthy..."trying on" the car is always mandatory. It makes the shorter sales people celebrate that they are not taller and can be quite a laugh. I first went and tried the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. It was a little short on head and legroom, though trying a model with power seats gave me about an inch to spare, but my knees were about 1/2" from the dash. I just could not imagine a long drive without road rage. I went next to GMC and tried the terrain. It has about 2 1/2" more leg room than my Full-Sized Dodge Ram 1500 (quad cab) and about equal headroom. The hip room is snug but comfortable (God, I need to lose weight) and the shoulders had suprising room. I was going to try the equinox, but found out it is 3" more narrow than the terrain. While I was there, I sat in their full sized GMC SUV and OMG...what room!!!. But I was determined not to pay almost $40k for my new car plus the economy would ave left me only a little better than staying in my truck.
 
What fits in a car is very different depending on your build, I am cursed with a long body and a 36" inseam and a 60" chest. I wish car dealers would tailor advertising a little toward our market. I found the Terrain easy to get in and out of with a tilt/telescoping wheel. It sits high enough to not be hard on my knees but low enough that I am not climbing into it. It uses E85 fuel so I am anticipating an almost $200 a month drop in fuel costs by moving from my Dodge to this. At a $29k sticker price for the SLE2 package with power/heater seats and AWD It was an easy sell.

#846 of 869 Re: An update - GMC Terrain by shadowtrax

Mar 13, 2012 (8:28 am)

Replying to: bigguy72712 (Mar 12, 2012 10:31 pm)
Hello bigguy72712 - I found the exact same thing that you did with the GMC Terrain!! I am 6'7" with a 37" inseam and virtually gave up on finding an SUV with decent leg room and head room. It was by accident (literally) that I found the GMC Terrain. Our car was hit while at a stop light and we got the Terrain as a rental vehicle - I could not believe how much leg room there is once the seat is all the way back and tilted! I can almost stretch my 37" inseam legs all the way out (seat back AND tilted back), and with the telescoping steering wheel, I can just reach the wheel. More room than any car (although the new Buick Regal has almost as much, but less shoulder room). Also, the back seat slides forward/aft so with the back seat all the way back, there's a little room behind me (the driver) as well.
 
For all you tall folks out there, please try the GMC Terrain (or the sister vehicle the Chevrolet Equinox - 2010 on) if you need leg and head room, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Thank you GM for puting some leg room in your vehicles - if you put the seat back further, you can always slide the seat up if your short, but you can never slide it back...

#847 of 869 The missing point by macmanjim

Mar 20, 2012 (1:40 pm)

I am 6'5, over 300, 34" inseam, 56" chest. The point isn't only what car is comfortable once you are in it, but getting in and out. I normally drive a 2009 Suburban (which I hate as it's slow, pondering handling and not that much room for how big it is) and it had to go in the body shop for 4 days, during which time I got a rental. I tried a Chrysler 200. I couldn't even get in the car. A Chevy Impala was better, but the door opening was not long enough and swinging my legs in was a biotch. I settled on a Hyundai Sonata as I could get out of it better than the other two, but it was not a breeze.
 
It seems to me that newer cars have both lower roof lines and even lower openings, probably for more structural rigidity to hold up better in a crash. The thing is, it makes ingress and egress a pain, no matter what the ergos are once you get in and out of a car.
 
My handicap is that I had my neck fused on three levels in January. I really don't want to have to get a truck as they are slow, handle poorly and get bad gas mileage. Oh well. I really wanted that SS Camaro, but it won't work. :/.

#849 of 869 most headroom - ford transit by 2grumpy

Mar 25, 2012 (3:56 pm)

The Ford Transit small van has 51 inches of headroom. Now there's a vehicle for tall people. The tall vehicle height and small engine will likely keep this van off the highway, but as a city vehicle, I don't think you can find anything else with more headroom.

#850 of 869 Re: most headroom - ford transit [2grumpy] by macmanjim

Mar 25, 2012 (4:06 pm)

Replying to: 2grumpy (Mar 25, 2012 3:56 pm)
A van? Shoot me now.

#851 of 869 Re: most headroom - ford transit [macmanjim] by steve_ HOST

Mar 25, 2012 (4:35 pm)

Replying to: macmanjim (Mar 25, 2012 4:06 pm)
I see a few on the highway but not many. I like the looks. Not your typical minivan by any means. Just wish it had a 5 speed MT.
 

#852 of 869 Re: most headroom - ford transit [steve_] by kyfdx HOST

Mar 25, 2012 (7:33 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Mar 25, 2012 4:35 pm)
The one at our local car show in 2010 did have a manual transmission.. they don't offer them, now?
 
I mostly see them outfitted as light delivery vehicles... for florists, etc...

Messages Page 86 of 88

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement