ALL the new pickups have inadequate headroom!!!

joeshmowjoeshmow Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Toyota
I'm 6' tall but I have a long upper body about like that of someone 6'6". The new Tundra doesn't work for me at all. No head clearance and my eyes are almost level with the top of the windshield. I thought that this was just a new Tundra problem until I started looking around at all the other new pickups. None of them fit me nearly as well as my 1997 Ford 150, including the new Fords. it seems that they are making them more "aerodynamically" now with more steeply sloping windshields, not that they get any better gas mileage than they did in '97. I have now tried all of the big pickup trucks. Headroomwise, the Tundra is the worst of them. Windshieldwise the Titan is the worst. My eyes are about level with the top of the windshield in the Titan. The only way I could deal with these vehicles would be to learn to drive in a reclined position, but that idea does not appeal to me. Ironically the compact pickups have better windshield and even headroom space, and double-ironically I can fit better into a little compact car than I can into the new giant pickup trucks - all of them! So I think I'll just have to keep my '97 F150 running forever, even tho it has almost 300,000 miles on it. I don't know what really tall people, basketball players, do now if they want a new pickup truck. All of the salesmen in the dealers I visited agreed with me too. One guy said his father is 6'8" and only solves the problem by driving in the reclined position. All except the Dodge salesman, that is. He seemed to be on cloud nine and just kept repeating salesman school mantras like "How close are we to completing the deal?" - but then his boss was looking at him funny too...
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Comments

  • joeshmowjoeshmow Member Posts: 9
    Some have suggested custom seat lowering, but I'm afraid that lowering the seats will cause an uncomfortable position with regards to leg position on the pedals, plus maybe voiding warranties, and then what about air bag angles, and, who knows, insurance companies might say injuries weren't covered because the seat-safety belt-air bag configuration was altered.

    What the current crop of pickup trucks need is some retro styling, namely a higher roof and a more upright windshield. I can't believe what they've done to pickup trucks in the last ten years while I wasn't looking! Used to be any big galoot could fit into a pickup truck!
  • joeshmowjoeshmow Member Posts: 9
    If anybody has any rational suggestions I'd appreciate it. Oh yes, I tried the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks as well as the 1/2 ton trucks, tho i only wanted a 1/2 ton. Unfortunately, huge as they are, the bigger ones are no better as far as headroom and windshield height goes.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Ever try a GMC 4500?
  • joeshmowjoeshmow Member Posts: 9
    Ever try a GMC 4500?

    _________________

    No. I did try the 3500 though. I was only looking for 1/2 ton pickup truck to possibly replace my '97 F150. Does the 4500 finally have more headroom?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    The cab is huge. Same with the truck....
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Aren't they $100k+ vehicles though?

    -mike
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    http://www.gmc.com/mediumduty/topkick/4500/index.jsp

    guess depends on what options you pick.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yeah most of the ones with pickup beds these days run in the $100k mark by the time you get leather, 4x4, pickup truck bed, etc. I guess a stripped one could get it for cheap.

    -mike
  • joeshmowjoeshmow Member Posts: 9
    I tried out a Ford E-150 van today. No problem, plenty of headroom and plenty of windshield visibility.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    There you go, a van is what you needed all along :)

    -mike
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