Editor: The following is a guest post by Andrew. In search of a tall friendly car, he did an immense survey of what’s out there. This will be a huge help for anyone looking for a decent car for tall people. Note that I’ve tried to include an image for a model of each brand mentioned, but these likely won’t be an exact match (Creative Commons libraries and somewhat limited…).
Thank you for this, Andrew!!
In 2017, I was on the hunt for my first-ever new car. Although excited to replace my modified 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse as my daily driver (yes, I know), I knew I had a challenge ahead: at 6’4” with wide shoulders and a huge car-roof-smashing cranium, I regularly fail to fit into “normal” sized vehicles. As I’m sure other extra large people out there will appreciate, my usual car experience is having my head pressing against roof, one leg twisted into the door while the other practically sits under my chin, and having the seat all the way back as I do the tall person’s “shoulder-pulling reach” to the steering wheel. Do I grow larger once inside a vehicle? Do I have a freakishly long torso? Am I all legs? I have no idea!
I could imagine my perfect car: a vehicle that was reasonably sporty (with good acceleration and responsive steering and handling) and that had excellent visibility and safety. It would feature good fuel economy, comfortable seats, enough room for two large people (my wife is 5’10’’), a useable backseat, and decent storage. And that car would be an established model with above-average reliability below $30,000. So not a fantasy wish list by any car enthusiast’s standards!
Diving into the internet of wisdom, I read way too many “best cars for the large and tall” posts. They had some great slideshows but no shortage of inconsistency (leg room, roof height, etc.) and so I eventually decided to do my own first hand research. I visited over twenty car dealerships and “sized” at least a few cars on each lot. Here’s what I found.
Jeep
Nissan
Toyota
Mazda
Chevrolet
Honda
Kia
Subaru
Hyundai
Ford
Jeep
Like a lot of “tall car” newbies, I assumed that Jeep would be the place to start. Nope! The boxy frame and large windows of some Jeep models certainly make them look accommodating to us giants, but my experience was quite the opposite.
Jeep Patriot
The super-affordable and much maligned Patriot isn’t being made anymore, so the low prices in the market made the last-year 2017 model, especially the manual shift version, a potentially attractive option. I figured I could get over the slow acceleration and known quality issues.
Trying it out: While the large and accommodating seats were quite comfortable, in any seat position I found that my eyes were positioned above the top window line (see: vision line height). The rear-window view felt particularly claustrophobic.
Conclusion: A recipe of poor reliability, slow acceleration and poor visibility is a dangerous brew. Nice seats though!
Jeep Renegade
I skipped the Wrangler as I don’t off-road and it is widely seen as a poor quality road vehicle. I had high hopes for the Renegade. The brand new “cute ute”, FCA’s boxy and fun Jeep, features the same engine as a Fiat 500xl. My co-worker had one and graciously lent it to me for a 40 minute test drive.
Trying it out: Not terrible, but a disappointment. The Renegade features a huge front window panel, but visibility out for tall drivers is blocked by an oversized central (name-of-mirror-thing). Handling was flat, acceleration slow and unresponsive to anything but a flat-foot. The Renegade was loud and felt surprisingly cheap at highway speed.
Conclusion: I may have been onto something; shortly after my test drive the vehicle earned an abysmal quality score from consumer reports… makes sense.
Nissan
Nissan has some ‘new’ vehicles on the market and was in the process of phasing out the always controversial Juke. I visited a couple of dealerships and did a short test drive with the Rogue.
Nissan Rogue
Trying it out: While the roofline height wasn’t terrible, the knee and footwells area was sorely lacking – my legs were pressed against the bottom of the dash. The vehicle isn’t particularly well-handling, the engine is unremarkable, the interior feels by-the-numbers – as does everything else. There’s really nothing special going for the Rogue as an overall vehicle and it wasn’t particularly comfortable. It is a vehicle that defies superlatives. It isn’t anything.
Conclusion: Nope!
Nissan Juke
I was hoping that the squarish profile on this funky love-it-or-hate it vehicle would reap the reward of a comfortable driving position. The base engine/trim level isn’t much; but there is the entirely ridiculous Juke Nismo edition so maybe this would work out to be something fun!
Trying it out: Head, meet corner/roofline. Shoulder, meet door. The Juke is a rare reverse “Tardis”, it actually is smaller on the inside.
Conclusion: Unsafe at any speed, for me, anyway. Oh well.
Nissan Qashqai (aka “Rogue Sport”)
In Canada the model is named the “Qashqai” and in the U.S. it is labeled the “Rogue Sport”. Nissan claims this is due to the success of the Rogue in the U.S. market. Well, maybe.
This vehicle has some positives going for it:
- Pricing is competitive
- It is an established model in a later generation (sold for years in Japan et. al., so reliability should be strong and company continues invest in it and expand distribution)
- Interior quality seems good on any trim level.
Trying it out: I was pleasantly surprised. The seats on the upper trim level were quite comfortable and the seating angle was slightly more upright, which I prefer. The interior was felt well-built and a step up from other models in the price range.
My hair brushed the roof, and my eye-line (VLH) was somewhat restricted, but it was better than most vehicles I tried out as part of car shopping. Rear visibility was somewhat compromised by a sloping back roofline and a squat window, which was obstructed by the rear seat headrests. With passengers, that could be safety issue.
Conclusion: Actually, not terrible at all! If you’re on the shorter side of tall, or have a body that is more legs than torso, it may be worth a look. I was ultimately looking for something a little smaller, a little better on fuel economy (or at least of comparable MPG and greater handling/accel.), and something with a little more headroom, so I moved on.
Toyota
Vendor published measurements are not a reliable indicator of fit! Despite most Toyota’s having an extra inch or two less than competitors in the “headroom” measurement, I decided to give them a shot.
RAV4
Judging by my local area every third vehicle in Canada is a RAV4 and so I’ve had the opportunity to ride around in them a bit. While the roofline/sightline wasn’t terrible, there also wasn’t much to recommend it. The RAV4 deal-breaker for me though, is the leg wells. The sloping area under the dashboard is relatively low and my knees simply don’t fit comfortably.
C-HR
The C-HR was clearly designed to be a part of the now-defunct Scion brand run by Toyota. Looking past the (optimistic?) “fun cars for urban millennials” brand that Scion represented, I do appreciate an interesting looking vehicle that is a little different than say, the impossible-to-remember RAV4.
Trying it out: Ha hah hah hah. Ha. Okay, I may be stuck…
Conclusion: I did manage to exit the vehicle without asking the salesperson for assistance.
Other Toyota vehicles:
- Too expensive to try: 4Runner, Sequoia
- I actually like to drive and acceleration and handling and stuff, so the Prius is not going to be a part of this conversation
- Pickup trucks: Not really what i was looking for, but they’re often not as a big as some people think, anyway.
- Would probably be fun if I was way smaller: the very affordable Yaris hatch.
Mazda
Mazda has a reputation for vehicles with well designed interiors and swift acceleration and handling relative to their competition. Those driver-friendly features combine with a mature (as in ‘reliable’) model line and reasonable pricing, and that’s an attractive proposition.
I spent quite some time at the local Mazda dealership although in truth that was mostly because (1) the showroom was terribly managed (2) and they couldn’t find any of the car keys.
Mazda 3 Hatch
Trying it out: As a car with a reputation for reliability and good handling at a reasonable price, I had high hopes… and a relatively short roof.
Conclusion: To some disappointment I conceded to myself that a head squeezed into the top-left corner of the roofline is a head that is not in a safe driving position.
Mazda CX-3
Conclusion: To some disappointment I conceded to myself that a head squeezed into the top-left corner of the roofline is a head that is not in a safe driving position even if the car if a little larger in overall size.
Mazda CX-5
Conclusion: See review of CX-3.
Oh well.
Chevrolet
Chevy is made for big, hard working Americans right? Maybe. On the basis of my criteria, Consumer Reports quality reviews and other sources I elected to skip the Trax, Equinox and Traverse and instead check out a couple of the newer members of Chevy’s lineup.
Cruze
The Cruze Diesel option is certainly an interesting and rare one, and Chevy has revived their interior comfort a bit in recent years. Could it be a good value at an affordable price?
Trying it out: Too small. Not horrible as no particular thing is off here, it’s just uniformly too small somehow 🙂
Conclusion: Diesel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Nash) will not fit into this car, and neither will I.
Bolt EV
Trying it out: Wish I could say! As of writing this article, Chevy Bolt sales were strong but the vehicle was hard to find in Canada. Indicators on sizing are about average for the class ( https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/bolt-ev/specs#specifications) but they can be deceiving (tall life vlh blog post.
Conclusion: Does the Bolt fit you? Tell us in the comments!
Honda
You’re probably already laughing, right?
Fit
The Fit’s reputation for being surprisingly roomly and decently agile on the road had my hopes up. At the dealership, the lead salesperson suggested it wasn’t even worth trying though. Thank you Mr. Salesman, but I’ll find out for myself.
Trying it out: Ever try on a shirt that was two sizes too small for you? Its like that.
Conclusion: The salesperson was right! I resist the urge to make a pun.
HR-V
Relatively slow acceleration and a bland feature set isn’t a great selling point but I do like the Scion-era design notes on the funky, contorted outer shell. The HR-V was clearly designed for “the millenials”. I’m willing to fake it if the vehicle fit is good.
Trying it out: My shoulder presses hard into the frame and and top-corner headroom feels far too close to my skull. It isn’t as bad as some of the other vehicles I’ve tried, but the HR-V is still too small for safety’s sake.
Conclusion: Does this mean the Scion IA (link) won’t fit me too?
CR-V
By all accounts the CR-V is an excellent, well-built vehicle. Yawnnnnn. I find the CR-V, the vehicle which arguably defined the current everything-must-be-a-crossover car market, incredibly boring. The vehicle footprint is a little larger than I’d like for squeezing into a downtown parking space. But we’ll see…
Trying it out: It isn’t terrible. The sloping roofline feels a bit tight and the VLH could be better, but the CR-V is better than most. The internal fit isn’t great, but among the rest of the field, it’s a reasonable option for this bug dude.
Conclusion: I don’t really like the CR-V but it is hard to argue with the Toyota build quality and overall value. I’d really like to find something that is a little more interesting and fun to drive, but if I’ve learned anything to this point, it is that options for the larger individual are very limited. We’ll see.
Civic
Have you read 1,000 of those “best cars for big people” posts like me? In nearly every comments section, someone says they drive a old civic and it fits them great. Maybe there’s something to this.
Trying it out: I’m trying out the new transformers-inspired Civic models and finding myself… pleasantly surprised! The seats are reasonably comfortable, and while I have to duck down a bit for enter and egress, once in the vehicle the interior space is unexpectedly adequate.
In the Civic, similar to almost all other cars I’ve tried, the headroom is a bit tight. But the visibility is better than what I expected from outside the vehicle and my shoulders don’t feel as awkwardly compressed as in other Honda models. The leg and knee space was surprisingly good with the title-steer all the way up and the seat pushed all the way back.
Conclusion: The Civic isn’t “spacious” inside but I was surprised to find it more pleasant to sit inside than other vehicles I tried. The Civic also comes with some variations on trim and engine, which is a bonus. If you’re a big person looking for a small vehicle, it may be worth a test.
Kia
Kia vehicles used to be seen as cheap and of subpar-quality. Not so today. The brand has reliably won high ratings and awards from (consumer reports) and (another source). Perhaps one of Kia’s small crossovers or the boxy Soul would be a good fit!
Forte and Sportage
I’m lumping these two cars together as (1) they’re both boring crossovers/suv -type vehicles and (2) My experience in them was almost exactly the same. See also: Nissan Murano.
Trying it out: The rooftline is a little lower than I’d like relatively to my vision height. Not terrible. Rear visibility could be a little better, but that is true for most of the market.
Conclusion: The Forte has excellent safety test results and is known to be reliable. It is a little smaller and not as “driving friendly” as I’d like, but it may do in a pinch for a larger person.
Optima
The Optima is often mentioned as a “larger than you’d expect” vehicle. Let’s see if it is true!
Conclusion: It isn’t true. Perhaps an older model of the Optima had more room. This vehicle is smaller, somewhat cramped and not even close to a viable sizing fit.
Soul
The Soul! Boxy, big windows, hamster-friendly. Good safety and build quality reputation, small parking space footprint, relatively affordable and Kia even offers an EV version and a sweet (turbo model)! I’m excited!
Trying it out: The interior has a lovely, progressive design. The seats are comfortable. Huge front window and reasonable rear visibility. This is going well except… my head is pressed lightly against the top roof / corner. While my view out may be better than almost all the other cars I’ve tested, it isn’t safe (or comfortable) to drive in this position.
Conclusion: Darn it! I really liked the Soul but the roofline misfit is a non-starter. If you’re a big person, this one is worth a try though – maybe you will fit where I failed!
Subaru
I’m decidedly pro-Subaru. I like the safety record. I like the unobtainable Subaru Levarge (link). I like the pretty awesome looking new Subaru Global Platform (link).
Impreza
The Impreza was the first car released on the new platform and the slightly larger wheelbase, all wheel drive and impressive review scores have my hopes high! I’ve always liked the Impreza’s aesthetic design and overall cost:value ratio.
Trying it out: Not bad! ~ but not good. The overall visibility is well above average for the hatchback, with narrow pillars and a nice viewing angle. But the roofline is just too low, my head is brushing the roof and corner lines. Darn.
Conclusion: Darn. I try sitting in it twice more… I really want to fit. Double-darn.
Crosstrek
The Crosstrek is an Impreza with more ground height, decked out in 1990’s Jansport backpack aesthetic. Which I like. Let’s do this!
Trying it out: Triple-darn. I did try the 2017 Crosstrek, not the 2018 – although stats indicate there shouldn’t be much difference.
Forrester
The Forrester is Subaru’s big beefy vehicle with a reputation for rugged somewhat-offroad capabilities and enormous storage capacity.
Trying it out: Nope!
Conclusion: The 2017/2018 Forrester lists at nearly the same headroom as the Impreza on Car & Driver. While these measurements aren’t a particular reliable measurement of vehicle room, it does make sense I wouldn’t fit into this one either. Perhaps the older models are taller?
WRX STI
I’m here, it’s awesome, why not. I was hoping that the low profile seating position of the sports car would help me to find a good fit and some sort of convincing reason that this would make sense when discussing with my significant other.
Trying it out: I decided to take a 15km loop through a nice curvy country road – exactly the kind of driving I like to do for fun. The salesperson was game and as we headed out for a fun little sprint that I was *not* going to speed or do that thing where people “test drive” sports cars as a fun little weekend diversion of “let’s drive super fast and terrify the sales rep!” We set off with high hopes…
Conclusion:
(image of cop lights)
Oh my. Okay, here is what happened.
- I kept the STI near the speed limit the entire time
- I took a few curves a little fast, but the STI could have cared less – it was built for this stuff
- I had a giant balloon attached to the vehicle which swung around as I went through the initial city traffic, terrifying all around me. Wait –
- I HAD A GIANT BALLOON ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE!
The salesperson forgot to take it off….and being attached a springy pole, the thing wasn’t in my rearview. It was, however, well in the view of all those people who had it swing precariously back and forth above their car, in the other lane.
Well, I didn’t know this when the cop was walking up to my window so I remarked, “wow, this vehicle really is a cop magnet!”. Long story short, no ticket and the officer was laughing the entire team. Think we made his day.
Hyundai
You’re probably already laughing, right?
Elantra
I was interested to see if the relatively affordable, sort-of-sporty Elantra GT would size well. Points to the dealership here for being more accommodating than the cars they are selling.
Trying it out: I’m not able to enter the vehicle without significant maneuvering. Moving on.
Sonata
Trying it out: See, Elantra, GT.
Veloster
I like the Veloster! It’s fun, its relatively speedy, it has THREE DOORS people! How can you not love that? There’s even a Turbo version.
Trying it out: It isn’t terrible, but it isn’t safe for someone my size. The lowest seating positions provides relatively good visibility out and up, but my head is firmly against the roof line.
Conclusion: It’s a sweet, little, car.
Tuscon
The Tuscon is just super boring.
Trying it out: I was expecting the the Hyundai Tuscon would be the exception in the Hyundai brand given the type of vehicle. However, the long sloping front windshield effectively steals headroom or styling. To me, it felt smaller than the Suburu Impreza, when inside.
Conclusion: “Swoopy” styling is the enemy of the large.
##
Ford
Like a lot of people in my general age group, I didn’t have the warmest feelings towards Ford (or Chevy) since we remember the “bad old days” when both companies were in financial trouble and their entry level cars were: unreliable, slow and always in danger of recall.
Times have changed! Today’s consumer level Ford’s are known for remarkable steering and handling for the price level. But would I fit in one?
Focus ST
Hot hatch is my favorite kind of car. This looks perfect for the kind of curvy, hilly, country driving I like to do. Fun video? Check. I’m much more interested in the ST than the standard focus, which is a car and has characteristics including: being a car.
Trying it out: The low seating position works to my advantage and forward visibility is actually quite good overall. It is tight, but much better than most small cars. Feels fun and zippy – but perhaps a bit crowded for a longer drive.
There’s a blocker-level issue here though: the Recaro seats. My shoulders will never, ever, fit in that. Apparently some people switch them with owners of the nicer seats on the standard Focus.
Conclusion: I really do like the ST and I suppose I could work around the seats thing. But I’m a bit tired of ‘swooping into’ a car seat and more room for groceries would be appreciated. If I was single and less interested in longer trips: yes, this car rocks.
C-Max
The what? Okay, the C-Max is a strange story. It is an MPV sold for years in Europe (what North Americans might call a small crossover) that was adapted into Hybrid and Plugin Hybrid models for the market here (arguably to meet CAFE standards.)
It is tall for a car with a small footprint. As in, “pope hat” tall.
Trying it out: This is …good. Even with the upright, straighter sitting position I feel like I have a foot of air above – it is a weird, nice, feeling. Visibility can be described as …ridiculously open. There are four windows on each side and relatively thin pillars. There are eleven windows in this vehicle, if you include the gigantic moonroof option.
Conclusion: Okay, so it is probably Prius-level slow and unwieldy, or otherwise critically flawed, right? I took it for a test drive and it found it to be: agile, quick and comfortable. Wow. Okay.
Escape
The Ford escape seems perfectly fine at almost everything and remarkable at almost nothing.
Trying it out: It is, perfectly fine. I’m not cramped, but not exactly comfortable around my knees/footwell area. The ride is good but not great. Visibility is good but not remarkable. Fuel economy seems, unsurprisingly, a little better than average. That’s the story here, from my perspective. Headroom was a better than most, but not particularly good.
Conclusion: It is a little bigger than I really need and while it seems to basically be a good vehicle, there’s nothing that really recommends it for me. In the Suburu Impreza, for example, I had less space but it had some driving qualities and an overall technology, design and aesthetic cohesiveness that was attractive. Do I like the Escape? Maybe. I guess. I don’t dislike it.
Mustang
Trying it out: Vroom Vroom!
Conclusion: Ouch ouch! There’s no room in here for me. Also, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be able to see traffic lights and stuff.
Transit Connect
Okay, the Transit Connect isn’t an ahem, “drivers car”. But it looks like a refuge in the market for the very tall (I am a big guy, but compared to most people who read tall person blogs and help sites, I would barely be considered tall at 6’4, if you are all are feeling generous).
Trying it out: There is an enormous amount of room in here (I remark to the driver, as I return from the airport, in the passenger seat.)
Conclusion: Maybe not the most fun to zip around town in, but if you don’t mind slow acceleration, have a big family, or want to convert to an airport shuttle service, this is a great car for you. Okay look: if you are very tall and don’t want to drive a big, big van and/or are tired of looking at “Honda Element vs. Nissan Cube vs. some-giant-old-SUV-from-the-80’s” posts, this might be the right vehicle. Just keep in mind, this is a ‘working vehicle’. If you want something more posh as a consumer level highway cruiser, you may want to check out the van market.
Conclusion
I am the proud owner of a 2017 C-Max Hybrid.
One year and 17,000 km later, I still love it. So I found the right car for me… hop you find yours too!
I am 6’8” 210 and I have a forester and it’s great.
Even better than the CX9 Mazda I had before.
Hi Jazz,
The Forrester didn’t fit me but we may have different body types. Glad yours is good for you! The new 2019 model is on Subaru’s Global Platform and is supposed to be a little bigger… so we’ll see 😉
Thanks for putting this together. Im 6’4 and test drove around 100 cars from all the major car companies and entered the twilight zone in having most cars center consoles being way too big and hitting my knees. Some cars would be perfect if the seat went back further and/or the steering wheel extended further.
I ended up getting the Tesla model 3 as it fit me the best in my price range. The Kia Niro was my 2nd choice, and Hyundai sonata / Kia Optima was 3rd in my price range.
The Tesla model S had even more room and the the Cadillac CT6 also was pretty good but out of my price range and a gas guzzler.
Wish these car companies would quit it with the huge center consoles and having the console angle into the drivers knees.
I’m 6 6, with proportional build. New Forrester is pretty good for me when testing.
Subaru Ascent is really good. If you’re tall, try it out.
Nice choice, the hybrid’s are always a great choice. I have a Lexus ES350h and get 35 mpg. I am 6’4′ and fit well in this car, purchased used and got a great value for what should be a $50,0000 car. It is truly amazing how hard it is to get into an affordable vehicle. I wonder about about some of the the smaller European mini-utes like the BMW 1s and 2s, small Mercs, and the little Infinity?
Thanks for the research.
I prefer a Ford F-150 pickup truck in the crew cab model. You can add as much performance and luxury as you can afford.
But then you have to drive a truck 😉
6’8″ C-Max “compatriot” here – I’m very glad that you found a car that works for you! It really is too bad that Ford stopped making these in 2018, as it’s the best smaller car that I ever had.
My early lessons have been that (1) this is more of a Euro-car, the thin paint does not like being in a salty/cold climate and needs careful attention, (2) the way Ford folded over the sheet metal at the bottom of each door created a moisture/salt trap, spray some Fluid Film into the crevices to avoid rust, and (3) a portion of the carpet in the trunk will become unglued from its slick plastic base, nothing to do, just accept it. I’d also suggest changing the 12 volt battery in the trunk ever three years, whether it needs it or not, to avoid being stranded in a parking lot somewhere. Enjoy!
Good advice, thanks! I was thinking along the same lines and did an Opti-Coat shortly after purchase, but I think I’ll do what you suggest as well. I was also thinking of getting a Krown anti-rust treatment. Glad you are enjoying yours too!
– Andrew
Just curious if you tried the outback. It has more leg room and you can push the seat back. Lots of head room. I am 6 feet and my husband is 6′ 3″ and has no problem.
Yes, I did try the Outback and it was the same as the Forrester for me. I think there have been some differences across the model years in the fit of those two vehicles… also even small stuff like electronic vs. manual seats make a difference. Glad you fit well!
– Andrew
I fit reasonably well in my ’08 Outback, but there was a redesign in the ’09 models that made them significantly less roomy.
That seems to be the way of things–every so often a car is accidentally made suitable for us but then it gets the ax (Honda Element) or is redesigned (Scion XB and Outback too evidently). Fingers crossed the Transit Connect somehow escapes this trend…
I’m 6’4″ and if you are interested in a used vehicle check out the Toyota Venza. It has a great, upright seating position. Toyota Camry has good room too. BMW Gran Tourismo models, available in all series have more leg room and storage with a hatchback.
I’m 6’4″. 260lbs. I prefer to wear hats and have glasses. It bugs me when my hat rubs the roof and it sucks when I mash my glasses into the top of the door frame. I’ve had a couple of really small feeling cars, I should have never bought that ’10 Grand Prix GTP, the sunroom SUCKED. I drive 50k miles per year, today I have a ’12 Camry and was close to buying a ’13 Accord, both are enough room for me. The Accord had more… Also, minivans are very comfortable for me, we have had 3. ’02 Grand Caravan, ’08 Saturn Relay and now a ’10 T&C. Most 1/2 ton pickups have been good.
I am 6’6″ and over 300 pounds. I drive a GMC Acadia and it has some great legroom.
Hubby is 6’8″ (mostly in the torso) and loves his 2017 Hyundai Sonata (Hybrid). Fits him very comfortably, great for long haul drives. Before that, he drove a 2014 VW Passat (diesel– so he had to return it after 2 years, since we’re in California), which was just as roomy, and had the added bonus of having sufficient passenger room directly behind him! He also fits into my 2015 Mazda3 hatchback. Not as roomy as his Sonata, but still comfortable enough for long drives, too. Huge contrast to his 2000 Honda Accord. These days, even regular sedans like the Accord have much better-built interiors for tall folks.
I’m 6’6″ and drive a 2015 Ford C-Max. Several people have stopped me in a parking lot and commented about seeing such a large person getting out of such a small car. They don’t seem to believe me when I tell them I fit with room to spare.
Same here! The C-Max footprint is fairly small and given the more upright sitting position – it really doesn’t look very large from the outside.
6’7″ and love my Kia Soul. The model without the sun roof has two extra inches of head space!
I was surprised when I saw that the Kia did not work for the writer.
I was in a Kia dealership in Dec. 2017 when a salesman convinced me to sit in a Soul. Was extremely surprised when I fit great. Salesman said he knew I would fit because he had sold one to a 7 footer. Ended up buying a 2015 with a manual transmission so my kids’ hands would be too busy driving instead of texting.
You’re right about the sunroof. My head hits the sunroof so my Soul does not have one.
2013 through 2019 work out great. Have not tried the prior to 2013 design. 2020 will be a redesign.
I’m 6’7″ and drive a 2016 Kia Soul (manual transmission). I sit up straight when driving and I still have a couple inches between my head and the ceiling.
I just went to the dealership and sat in a 2022 Kia Soul (automatic) and was pleased to find the same headroom.
I do have to lower the seats all the way down to get this, and I need a lumbar pillow.
Forgot to mention that my son and I are both 6’8″
I don’t understand. You said “look nissan murano” but u didnt try nissan murano. Also, I tried rougue and murano and murano is much more comfortable, you can move seats much more than rouge.
Sorry about that! I was just saying there that, similar to the Rogue and some other vehicles, the Murano wasn’t appealing to me, personally. I did try all three briefly, I found the seats in Nissan in general to be pretty good, particularly on the high-trim Qashqai (Rogue Sport). But the shape of the foot wells/knee area and side/door slope didn’t work for me. I do like some elements of the Murano’s aesthetic design.
I’m only 6’1″ and I find with most cars at least one of the problems you mentioned shows up. Ex. I can adjust the seat for my legs easily, but then I can’t reach the steering wheel. I also have severe arthritis so getting into and out of most cars is painful. I went with a Nissan Cube. My 6’3 – 6’5″ all laughed at me when they first saw it but they shut up once they realized how much room there is.
I once spent about 10 minutes fiddling to get comfy in a C-Max. I was impressed. That’ll probably be my next car. Thanks for the article.
Happy to help! The C-Max seating position is a bit different than most vehicles I tried… the more ‘upright’ alignment seems to help. I found the Kia Soul and Nissan Qashqai seemed to also have fairly good position/seating for steering too.
I’m 6 6 and my experience is that adjustability is a major advantage of many, but not all, upscale vehicles like Volvo, BMW and Mercedes . I have never fit all that well in a Lexus though, but have not tried in 10 years as it was pointless so it could potentially be different now.
Would love to hear your thoughts on family-friendly vehicles for tall folks!
We had a really tough time finding a vehicle that has enough room for a rear-facing child’s car seat to be installed behind my husband who is 6’11”. The angle and height of RF car seats can eat up a LOT of the legroom from the seat in front of it. To make it harder, I’m 5’10” and refuse to be relegated to passenger-only status by having the car seat fit only behind me! The only vehicle we tried that gave us the combination of leg- and head-room needed for us to be able to leave the car seat installed in one place and switch drivers easily was the 2017 Toyota Sienna. We tried some ridiculously big vehicles (think Escalade) and they had nothing on the Sienna – they weren’t even suitable for my husband without a car seat installed.
You sound like a good candidate for the ford transit connect wagon 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
If only the S-Max had made it to North America! (presumably that is where you are reading this from?)
I’d agree that the Ford Transit Connect (the smaller version with the windows) may be your best bet if you want a vehicle with a smaller footprint size. Not much engine though, so you’d likely want to see if you’d feel comfortable, say, doing a highway merge.
The vehicle that jumps out at me as an option for you is the Ford Flex. It is big like a truck, but it is spacious and the steering is actually unreasonably good for the size. I believe it may have “memory” positions available for the electronic seating controls as well. I drove one with family visiting for a week and we were all surprised how well it made it through mixed city/country driving. The enter/exit height is less SUV-like as well.
If you are in the country, some of the “old big” AMC’s may be viable, as suggested in a comment here. For more general use, about the Toyota Vans/Minivans you mention… I think they are a lot better than people realize (some models even have a following, search “Jalopnik Previa” for an example.) You may be able to find a good deal on a used one…and given popularity and make, I doubt that future fixes would be very expensive.
I think readers here may know some other options?
As a 6’5″ 250 lb driver w/ size 15 feet, I have been comfortable with the line of Vw/Audi wagons/Hatchbacks, The long flat roof gives me just enough headroom, even with a sunroof & plenty of room for legs & feet. I currently have a 2016 GTI SE which even fits a bike inside , with the front wheel off,when the back seat folded down.
Thanks, everyone.
Fortunately our Sienna will serve us well for awhile. Maybe the Ford Transit Connect will become a little sexier between now and when we next need a new vehicle 🙂 We don’t do a lot of highway driving so we might be okay with its underwhelming engine.
And yes, memory positions for the electronic seating controls would be a huge bonus for tall folks who share a vehicle! I practically disappear into the seat well when I get in after my husband has been driving – not a fun experience at 8+ months pregnant.
I love my 2018 Ford F-150 Sport. I’m 6’5″, 280 pounds. It’s the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever had. The driver seat fits me like a glove.
I have a really long torso, so headroom is often a problem. The key for me is to not have a sunroof. That usually frees up enough space on many models. Considered getting a Lexus at one point, but figured that you couldn’t get one without sunroof. So I called Lexus and asked. They said that if you order a new car from them, you can pick whatever options you want. Maybe that’s true of most carmakers.
Make sure you test drive in the morning when you spine is at its longest. Luxury means squat without ample headroom.
An over 70 y/o male,. I have been looking to find a car that fits me and my arthritic lifestyle. I found the C-M<ax to be quite comfy in so many ways that I think I'll be buying one used, as soon as my lease on the Subaru is up.
I'm curious though, how does your C-Max handle in snow?
Hi Spryguy,
I’m in Canada along Lake Ontario here – the C-Max has been perfectly great in snow. Clearance has been perfectly fine for normal vehicle use. Handling/steering in the C-Max is great to begin with and the car always feels ‘planted’ to me. I drive quite a bit in the countryside in the winter and good visibility, lights, interior defrost/heater, and other features of the car have made it enjoyable.
I switch to Michelin x-Ice i3 tires around late October.. the spring/summer/fall factory tires are perfectly good most of the time but low rolling resistance (hybrid) tires aren’t ideal for winter weather.
Because the roads here are *heavily* salted all winter, I had a Krown anti-rust treatment put on in year 1 – although it can be done in any year. Ford Canada also includes an engine block heater in default options, which I believe you can get added on in the U.S.
We have steep but smooth roads here, so I sometimes use the hill descent or ‘low’ options – no issues there. If I was going through very deeply pitted/rutted dirt roads or very rough terrain I’d probably want the additional ground clearance of a Forester.
Hope that helps!
Yes, great help, Thank You!
Spryguy again, to finish what I was posting, I’m not as tall as most of you gentlemen, but I do have Arthritis in my back, hips, knees and ankles, etc, which affect my driving position and seating preferences. What I was looking for, when I stumbled across this site, was seat bottom extenders that would support longer thighs, especially in the case of many Korean cars.
(6’5″) I tried out about 8-10 mid sized sedans last time I was car shopping. Tried some SUVs like the Pilot as well, but ended up getting a Nissan Frontier in the end. Probably will never get a mid sized car, didn’t fit comfortably in any of the ones I tried.
I am 6’7” and I drive a 2016 Chevrolet Impala LT with no sunroof. The upgraded leather seats are tremendous, with a tilt feature and lumbar adjustment to support my legs and back. Today, when I drive other cars, such as my wife’s VW Golf, my back starts to hurt due to the lack of leg support. The car itself drives and rides great, although the rear visibility in reverse is terrible, which is not unlike other new cars, and requires use of the rear camera. I’d love to find a smaller, more fuel-efficient car, but I’m afraid that I will miss my “Chevillac” (it’s a Chevy but I swear it rides like a Cadillac) and its awesome seats.
When I was younger, I drove Honda Civics because those always had a lot of room, but Honda started making their cars smaller around the early 2000s. It seems now they are back to being roomier, so I may go look at those again for our small car. Thank you for making this website!
We have the Skoda Yeti in Europe. I’m 6’4” and I must have at least 3” spare to to underside of the roofline.
Yeti is a great name for a tall friendly car 🙂
I would be really interested to know the VLH measurement!
I like the latest generation Chevrolet Impala. Sad to hear they are halting production.
You mentioned the Honda Civic. Like you it seemed adequate, but not very roomy. Did you try the pre-2018 Honda Accord?
My wife had a 2006 Accord. I had to cram myself into it. Only drove it into and out of the garage.
Sat in a 2018 Accord in late 2017. The 2006 version had more room.
I’m 6’8″
I’m 6’8″
I recommend:
2014 to 2019 Kia Soul with no sunroof.
2008 to 2010 Infiniti QX56 and its cheaper clone the 2008 to 2015 Nissan Armada.
2009 to 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander (not Outlander Sport).
If you don’t mind going older, Ford Excursion had awesome, awesome leg room.
6’6 here and another vote for the CMAX. I sat in ally he cars at the 2017 LA Auto Show and liked it the best. I’m having some weird startup battery issues with the energi model. So I’d recommend the standard hybrid. A really phenomenal car for tall drivers!
6’5″ Ontarian here, and I own a C-Max (non plug-in) and a Bolt; I’ve had the C-Max for about 5 years, the Bolt for 1.5 years.
Both of these vehicles are an absolute dream to drive, and I highly recommend anyone giving them a test drive. I love the handling of the C-Max, outside of the poor turn radius,
As far as fit, I would give higher marks to the C-Max. It has good seat width, leg room and windshield visibility (at intersection, it’s easy to see the lights without ducking). The back seat is also great for tall people, with plenty of head room. There’s a reason they call this vehicle class “small tall”, colloquially.
As for the Bolt, I didn’t think I would find a hatchback that was more fun to drive than the C-Max–and though they handle differently, they’re both great in different ways–but driving the Bolt for 10 minutes will ruin you for internal combustion engine vehicles. You can probably go to the Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre in North York to give it a whirl. It’s definitely a narrower fit; as someone of size, you will be making generous use of the centre console armrest. The head space in the driver’s space is good, but the one complaint I have about this is that if I drive up to the stop bar at an intersection, I DO have to duck to see the light change; I’ve made it a habit of hanging back a bit to make this less awkward. And you WILL be at the front of the lineup frequently, because this car has unreal and immediately available torque for a vehicle of this type.
Still enjoying the C-Max here. I was kind of split on the Hybrid vs. Plugin model, ultimately I went Hybrid because I wanted the slightly better acceleration (less battery weight) 😉
I do like the Bolt as well! ~ here is hoping that newer vehicles will take advantage of the battery/position to give us all a little more breathing room (and torque).
– Andrew
Very interesting…! I appreciate the spectrum of cars experimented in this effort.
but now I would like a Ford C-Max with a manual transmission (but it won’t happen and
I may consider an used Kia Rondo to have a manual transmission)..
Why won’t it happen??
It won’t happen because manual transmissions will be history in just a few years.
I want to add that I really appreciate this exercise..
I am roughly 6’1/6’2 with a long torso but due to chonic pelvic pain issues, sitting on gel cushions (2 to 3 inches) when driving which makes me a “6’4/6’5” driver. I am having a tough time finding a tall car (prefer cars to SUV’s) with a manual transmission.
Two years ago, I was leaning towards the 2014 Focus but because of driving position and headroom issues, I chose
an Hyundai Accent (with a theoretical headroom of 40 in).
I realize I should have gone through an extensive exercise such as demonstrated here because this Accent has always
been a bit painful on longer drives. I changed cushions over and over but it all comes down to the driving position, the hip-point measure and low vs high seating…
I now think the stated headroom of 40 in of this 2014 Accent is an exageration..
Now thinking about the Fit, Impreza but choices are limited..
FWIW, I had an okay time with the Suburu’s – some of which have a manual option.
I am online always looking for the right tall car too. I came across a way to unbolt the seat to install it farther back. It’s on a site called “extendmyseat.com” the cost is $295.00 but I might give it a try. Adds 4-5 inches in legroom.
As a former Ford dealer employee, I loved reading this! I can’t tell you how many people I’ve turned on to the C-Max based on headroom, leg room, and shoulder space, not to mention the ridiculous value and fuel economy.
At 6’7″ and 240 pounds, I have to agree with a few of the comments regarding the F-150 as a hands-down winner with respect to comfort, though. Not since driving my dad’s conversion vans back in the 90’s have I found anything as comfortable. You can sit without putting the seat on the floor, get good back support, and the seats are wide and deep enough for nearly any height.
Recently, I had a job change which took my commute from 7 miles round trip, to 45+ and I couldn’t justify the 19-20 mpg of my truck anymore. With similar criteria, I went to the used car market and have been happily surprised with my 2017 Volvo S90. Under $30k, plenty of head and leg room front and back, and I’m getting over 38 mpg on my commute.
My wife (6′) drives the Ford Flex and will keep it until it dies! We drove from Wisconsin to Florida with our 2 kids (21 hours straight) without any complaints! For tall families looking for non-minivan options, this is a winner. Sadly, it looks like this is the last year of production (as is the case with a lot of tall-friendly vehicles).
2m Man, lol.
Interesting to hear from a Ford employee. Someone high up at Ford is looking over us: C-max, Transit Connect, Flex, and even old econolines, all with excellent vertical space. Too bad the Flex is also being discontinued though…
I drove the Flex once for a couple of weeks and really liked it too. I was surprised since my first reaction was “this is land-boat”, but it was surprisingly good to get around in.
C-Max still running great btw. Fuel economy reporting at 50.2 MPG average (living near an escarpment area helps.)
I’m 6’3 and all legs. Ford F 150 crew cab hands down. I can sit in the back of kids want shot gun and not be miserable.
2010 Subaru Forester is made for tall (I am 6’5″ with headroom left over) people. Won’t get rid of that one
Those older Foresters seem great. Turbo options too 😉
You must be tall in the torso, because I tried the C-Max and it did not have enough leg room. I am only 6′ 2.5″ with a 34.5″ inseam and 240 lbs. I could not move the seat back far enough to be comfortable and my foot position on the accelerator would give me a leg cramp after 15 minutes of driving. I am happy you found a vehicle that fits you. But my search must continue. As I am tall in the legs, I will have to try out every car for myself because your critiques of these cars have no bearing on how they will fit me. For instance the Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla had enough head room but not enough legroom, but the Toyota Camry did have lots of leg room. So far I have found only 2 or 3 vehicles that have enough leg room. Looking for something with good gas mileage. None of cross-overs or SUV’s have enough leg room. Only the Subaru Outback 2013 or newer can I move the seat back far enough to be comfortable. Do not want a large car or truck that gets less than 25 miles per gallon.
How about Citroen? I am 5’11” and love my Citroen C3, it is the most confortable I found on the small car segment. The head rest sits upright, not forcing my head forward, the seat has lumbar support, and there is plenty of room inside.
Andrew, dude! Thank you so much for your shared experience on shopping for a vehicle. You sir gave me the information needed to quickly find the right vehicle in less than a day of car shopping and I just wanted to say thank you! I ended up in a 2020 Subaru Forrester and love it. It’s not as roomy on my knees as my Nissan Cube was, but it it fits my 6’5” frame pretty much perfectly. I missed having a Jeep GCL for many years and luckily this vehicle appears it will fill the void nicely. From one civilized hill giant to another, many thanks for your insight on this. Also for the good laughs on the ballon situation. LOL Best wishes to you and kind regards.
Bigfooty in TN
Im 6ft female with a medium build, ths and the other article on finding a car for my size was very very helpful i am really appreciative for this website. Ive read and applied other suggestions (diy raised cutting board) but i bought a 2019 crosstrek fit very well. I have plenty of head space. My favorite feature is that im no longer having controlled falls into a regular low sedan. I felt so much more physically confident getting in and out of my car. My joints say thankyou. Leg room is good, but i do notice i have to slightly bend my knee with tennis shoes on. But i highly reccomend going to a dealership to sit in one and definitely take measurements (i took a tape measure) crosstrek was a perfect fit for me.
Glad you found your car. And awesome you built a raised cutting board! In my mind, it’s pretty much an essential thing for all tall people to own 🙂 Thanks for writing in.
What a nice Website!
I am happy that I found smth like this in internet.
I hope you are still happy with C-max! Here, where I live, everybody think that Ford build bad quality cars 🙁
Try the 2020 Ford Explorer. They went back to rear wheel drive this year which gives more legroom up front. I’m 6’5″ and find this vehicle to be one of the most comfortable vehicles I’ve owned. I previously had a 2018 F-150 which was comfortable, but I like the Explorer much better–I don’t need a pick-up! Drives very nice, holds the road well, gets great gas mileage, has plenty of power.
This is a great rundown, in particular with the comments to add experiences of some others with perhaps different body types, except all being fairly tall.
I’m 6 6 and normal built, not a flag post or giant, and with wingspan and height very similar. My issue has generally been legroom rather than being cramped or hitting the ceiling. I really like to have long legroom with comfortable reach of the steering wheel for longer drives. Here are a few specific observations:
Volvo XC60 and xc90 new generation are really great and I have an xc60.
Volkswagen Atlas is very comfortable and is not that expensive in lower trims, though make sure seat can be adjusted appropriately. The affordable Tiguan is also very good, though not as good as the Atlas which is near perfect for its price range.
VW Golf Sportswagen and Altrack are both very good small vehicles, and I’d give the regular Golf a try as well if that type of vehicle fits the bill, I havent tried myself
Subaru Ascemt was a great discovery and fits me really really well.
Mercedes C450 is very good but not great compared to the large SUVs mentioned above, or my previous 2007 BMW 3 series, though that one could use a longer steering wheel column to adjust.
The very large Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisades don’t have much legroom at all – really disappointing. I had high hopes. Similar to the first gen Volvo XC90, you wonder why on earth you can’t adjust the seat more.
December 2021 BUMP for anyone using this page as a reference: As a 6’8″ driver who is all torso, the 2022 Kia Niro almost makes it for me, but not quite. The 2022 Volkswagen Taos without a sunroof is as close to a C-Max replacement as is currently available. Compact enough to fit in a small garage, but still 40.7 inches of headroom, and plenty of legroom.
Here’s to hoping this site can send someone to a car show soon!
Interesting, will have to check that out some time.
Would love to see an update to this article, I think I’ve come back and read this article about 10 different times because there’s so little out there actually written by a real tall reviewer.
For any giants reading this in the future, I’m 6’8 and I’ve tested almost all 2023 non-luxury compact/midsize SUVs and the best I’ve found so far are the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan, Subaru Outback is also quite roomy. Pretty good but not as amazing were CR-V, Santa fe, vw taos, seltos, outlander
This is a great site to find a suitable car. After reading some of the posts I feel short at 6’6″. I have owned an Audi Q5 and now own a 2018 VW Atlas which has more head and legroom than my daughters Suburban. I’m trying to find a decent used car for a house in Florida and 100,000 to 140,000 miles doesn’t scare me. Based on my Atlas research and some pretty bad ratings I’m reluctant to buy a used one as they just brought the model out in 2018, which just so happens to be the worst year with many complaints. I’m thinking of a Toyota, Honda or Kia minivan but I’m open to any suggestions including smaller SUV’s. I have an 06 Honda Pilot which is requiring more repairs and doesn’t really have any legroom. I will read more of the posts and see what happens. Thanks everyone for their comments.