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Top 10 Sedans for Tall Drivers for 2014 | Edmunds.com
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Top 10 Sedans for Tall Drivers for 2014 | Edmunds.com
Tall drivers can have a hard time finding vehicles roomy enough to provide comfortable transportation. These 10 picks offer the most front passenger space.
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Are there no tall Europeans? At 6'4" and a 36" inseam, I wish there were better choices.
Best buy a Scandinavian car - Norwegians and Dutch are the tallest men in the world. The Dutch seem to like the Mitsubishi Outlander. The Renault Clio leads in sedans, but it's a subcompact, and probably leads because of its mpg and low cost. Closest platform relation for the US would be the Nissan Cube.
The 2014+ Impala is rated at something like 45.9", which also may be a bit optimistic. But, it's also the first car I've driven in a long time where I didn't have to put the seat back as far as it would go.
I wonder if the reviewers actually put a tall driver in these cars, or simply went by the published specs. Some cars might have generous headroom but inadequate legroom, or vice versa. So if you have a long torso and short legs, or a short torso and long legs, there can be a world of difference in how the car fits you. In my case, I have long legs and an average torso, so legroom is usually my biggest concern. Some of these cars also might have doors and windows that curve inward sharply, forcing a tall driver to lean inward.
I also find it interesting that the VW Passat didn't make this list. I haven't been inside the latest version, but I heard they were supposed to be pretty roomy...built with the U.S. market in mind. And IIRC, it took some flack for that.
I just have one question for car manufacturers. What crime would you guys be committing if you made 48" of legroom and 48" of headroom for both the front and rear of your vehicles the minimum for all your models, from sub-compact to your full-size SUV? Why should the occupants of any modern day vehicle be struggling to find sufficient leg- and headroom?
Designing something that had all those measurements at 48" would definitely be for a niche market. Throughout history, most vehicles have been designed to perfectly fit an "average build" male about 5'10-5'11" tall. As a result, if you fall outside of that target, you get a diminishing return on comfort. If you designed something for really tall, long-legged occupants, it's going to diminish the comfort and usefulness for more "average" height drivers.
Also, be wary of those published headroom/legroom numbers. I'm convinced they're occasionally fudged. Also, legroom is a combination of how far back the seat goes, and how high up it is. So one car with 42.5" of legroom could feel totally different from another car with 42.5".
The xB is really good in the back seat with regards to legroom, though. The Fit, more average. It's been ages since I've been in an xB, but I don't remember having too much issue with the side curvature. However, I found it really bad in the Fit.
One of the roomiest cars in recent memory that I've sat in, with regards to front seat legroom at least, is the current Impala/XTS. One of the few cars I can think of where I don't have to put the seat all the way back to get comfortable.
The only problem is that the M35 is at least 8 years old...so good luck finding one with low miles...
Downside? A choppy ride. Not a great long-distance car, but near-perfect for metro commutes.
I can vouch for the huge amount of headroom in the Impala, just rented one. But a show-stopper for me is the metal trim that goes low across the dash - LOTS of bothersome reflections.