Are gas prices fueling your pain? - READ ONLY

Replying to: fezo (Apr 21, 2008 1:42 pm)

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• fezo (Apr 22, 2008 7:22 am)
• snakeweasel (Apr 22, 2008 2:05 pm)
  • fezo (Apr 22, 2008 2:49 pm)
    • snakeweasel (Apr 22, 2008 3:38 pm)

Replying to: avalon02wh (Apr 22, 2008 3:17 am)

Not necessarily, I have known people that are large/tall that fit rather well in small cars. One person was about 6'3" and 270 pounds. He drove a tiny Civic back in 1980. Another friend was 6'3" and 200 pounds. His wheels were a Geo Metro. Proper design is the key.
 
I think how masochistic you are is more key here, rather than "proper design". I'm 6'3", and about 200 pounds, and know I'd be miserable in either of those cars. One thing to keep in mind is that not all 6'3", 200 pound people are built the same way. In my case, I need a lot of legroom, but headroom is usually not too much of an issue. And I need my legroom to be the type where I can stretch out. Some cars with a tall seating position might boast a good measurement for legroom, but in my experience you're just too close to the firewall to really be able to stretch out. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd rather be stretched out in a livingroom recliner than perched on a cheap, thin kitchen chair.
 
Interestingly, the Fit's front legroom is published at 41.9". For comparison, my 2000 Intrepid is 42.2", and I dug up some old stats for my '79 New Yorker and '76 LeMans that put them at 42.3" and 42.5", respectively. However, from sitting in them all, I can tell you that there's a lot more than 6/10" of an inch difference between a Fit and my LeMans! However, the LeMans does have a power seat that goes into some pretty contorted positions. It has a much wider range of motion than my New Yorker. Whenever they list front seat legroom dimensions, they must have some kind of standard they put the seat at, because I notice that on cars with a power seat, the dimension is the same as an equivalent car without a power seat. For instance, an Intrepid R/T or ES would have a power seat, but it's listed at the same 42.2" as my base model, which just has manual fore/aft.
 
If you're comparing an '02 Avalon to a Suburban, I'd agree with you on the legroom and headroom front. Those Avalons are very roomy cars in that degree. They're a bit narrow inside, noticeably narrower than a Suburban. But that's really only going to come into play if you need 3-across seating. The Avalon is also very slab-sided, almost like a mid-60's car, so you don't have the sides curving in, cutting into passenger space like they do on most modern cars.
 
Now back in high school and college, a friend of mine had a 1980 Accord hatchback. I drove it a few times, and it was a pretty good fit for me. Well, at the time at least. That was 20 years ago. Dunno if I'd be able to tolerated it nowadays!

Replies to this message:
• lemko (Apr 22, 2008 7:02 am)
  • andre1969 (Apr 22, 2008 7:36 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 22, 2008 4:54 am)

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• andre1969 (Apr 22, 2008 7:36 am)

Replying to: kernick (Apr 22, 2008 4:48 am)

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• ateixeira (Apr 22, 2008 7:24 am)

Replying to: lemko (Apr 22, 2008 7:24 am)

I'll go out on a limb and guess that Escalade ESV sales are down.

Replying to: lemko (Apr 22, 2008 7:02 am)

Well, I can tolerate quite a bit...after all, I was able to tolerate driving that thing all the way up to Pennsylvania. And I was masochistic enough to do it twice!
 
Actually, if it weren't for the skimpy legroom, it wouldn't be a bad little car, but it just forces me into a cramped position that's really uncomfortable for my legs. Headroom in the car is pretty good, although there's too much curvature in the sides for my tastes. The steering column is also too low for my tastes. Now if I just needed to hop in the car for 5-10 minutes, it would be fine. But it's not a good long distance car. Not for me, at least.
 
I'd probably have the same problem with the Aveo...tight legroom. I think the Aveo's seat might be a bit higher than my uncle's Corolla, though, so that would be an improvement if it gives me some thigh support. Still, the Aveo is roomy for a small car. Actually, for its small size, the Corolla is pretty roomy. But it still can't escape the fact that it's a small car, and if you're used to the comfort of a midsized or large car (or even an "old school" compact like a '68 Dart ), it's still going to be a compromise.
 
Now the Civic feels a lot more comfy inside to me. It has a somewhat lanky ~106" wheelbase, which a few years back would have been indicative of a midsized car. I'm actually pretty comfortable behind the wheel of a Cobalt or G5. But if I'm going to get a car that small, I'm getting it for the fuel economy, and I don't think a Cobalt is really any more economical than a 4-cyl Accord, Camry, Altima, or Malibu.

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• kernick (Apr 22, 2008 8:47 am)
  • lemko (Apr 22, 2008 9:04 am)
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  • Sylvia (Apr 22, 2008 12:48 pm)
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• lemko (Apr 22, 2008 8:48 am)
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• dieselone (Apr 22, 2008 8:05 am)

Replying to: 1stpik (Apr 22, 2008 7:52 am)