So I have a somewhat unusual dilemma and could use a bit of advice from folks whom know more about cars than I do (which is probably each and every one of you).
Here is the set up. My son turned 16 last summer, and we were super lucky enough to grab him a very nice car, well maintained by a guy who clearly loved the vehicle, for a fantastic price through my wife’s cousin. It’s a Lincoln Continental (I forget the year, 2001 or something) and it’s a magnificent car. Roomy, comfortable, and we could afford to pay cash for it.
However, my son is a huge kid. He’s 6’6" tall and wears a size 16 shoe, for example. It’s like living with a half-orc. My wife noticed while riding with him that when he’s driving his knees press up against the dash even with the seat all the way back. This struck me as being incredibly dangerous? Wouldn’t that be like some sort of wheelchair situation in any sort of front end collision? It worries the shit out of me, to be honest.
So my question is, if we wanted to get him a different car what would be a good, well rated and affordable car that could accommodate a small ogre that isn’t a truck (I suggested we get him a truck and he seems to prefer cars, which is fair as I do as well, but I know a truck would be a lot more comfortable for him, so I’m still trying to get him to at least test drive one) what should we look at first?
My GF drives one of these. I’ve driven it. If your 6’6" son is rubbing knees on that thing, being completely honest here, there aren’t too many options that are bigger. He must really be leggy. Her car is a freaking boat. You could sleep on the front seat (with the armrest up.) It feels like a mile of space between me and the pedals when moved all the way back.
I guess you could look into a larger SUV, but as far as passenger sedans, I’m not sure how well those are going to do. Believe it or not, Korean cars tend to rate well for leg room (Hyundai and Kia.)
Yeah, he is. The worst part is he’s only 16 and the doctor said he’s still growing (he’s going through a growth spurt right now, I’m 99% sure of it, in fact). I was afraid your answer might be what I’d get - he really likes cars and isn’t a “truck” guy but if he wants to be safe and comfortable when driving, he may not have a lot of options.
As a 6’6" guy myself, I can tell you it is tough to find a vehicle where your knees are not rubbing the wheel or dash.
I’ve found that the more “upright” vehicles give less knee-room than something with a lower clearance. By which I mean that trucks, jeeps, and SUVs seem to have less knee-room than sedans or sportscars… even though the former have more interior room overall.
BMWs and Mercedes cars (or all sizes) seem to be engineered for larger men - their seats have a greater sliding-range in my experience. My old 2001 BMW 325, while a small car overall, was very comfortable for me.
Finally, there aren’t too many cars where the engine is in the back any more, but the smaller the engine, the more leg-room you tend to have. The car with the MOST leg-room I’ve ever owned was a 1974 VW Beetle. Today’s electric and hybrid cars may follow the same pattern if you want to look at, say, a Nisson Leaf or Chevy Volt.
This is purely anecdotal, but I know a guy who is 6’3" who drives a Mini, and swears it has plenty of leg room for him. I asked him about it the first time I realized what he drove, and was shocked that he claimed it had more legroom than most other cars he’d ever driven.
I’m 6’4" and I drive a Ford Focus. I don’t have tons of leg room but I’m comfortable and my knees aren’t against the dash. Not sure if this helps in any way. :P
I know this sounds nuts, but try a Scion xB. This might have changed recently, but I know when they came out they had a ton of leg room. I was selling Toyotas at the time and we had a sales guy on staff that was 6’4. I remember him being amazed at how much room there was.
This made me laugh all the harder for how accurate it looks, also this was his favorite movie when he was a kid (and one I didn’t mind having to watch over and over again).
6’5" here, and most of the cars I test drive the number 1 priority, is, can I fit comfortably?
Basically every 4 door sedan is out immediately, the seats won’t go back far enough. 2 door coupes and hatchbacks tend to be ok, as you can slide the seat super far back. Some small SUV’s have the same problem as 4 door sedans. Larger trucks and SUVs are generally good (but that isn’t universal)
Sports cars all tend to be very good for legroom, as they are built for a bit of luxury. Any luxury car is good as well, usually.
And actually, I think that the small SUVs are probably the worst in terms of leg room, like, I couldn’t even drive the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Subaru Forester was a cramp-inducing trip. My Ford Escape is just perfectly sized, but my 6’7" brother can’t drive it.
But it does suck, because most sensible 4 door sedans and small SUVs are cramped in front. And those are generally best value for money in a car.
I’m also 6’6" and currently shopping for a new car, and I can confirm this:
It varies by model, though. I fit with several inches of legroom to spare in the Kia Optima, Soul, and Niro, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq, but could barely squeeze into the Rio, Forte, or Elantra. It would be hard to fit an adult in most of those backseats with the driver’s seat all the way back, though, so keep that in mind if your son often transports passengers.
It sort of depends whether your son has longer legs. I’m 6’4" and I have a longer torso. I drive a Kia Optima and really like it. My brother had longer legs and he always hated my cars car. He typically drove a truck. My nephew who is 6’8" drives a Jeep and seems to like it a lot. My brother-in-law who is 6’6", used to drive a VW beetle. Don’t ask me how he fit into it.
I think it mostly comes down to personal considerations. For example, I always have to have a skylight in my car and I drive with the sliding cover open because the extra couple of inches it gives me helps me feel like I’m not confined
I usually envy tall people, but in this case not so much! I’m fairly short (5’6") so finding leg room isn’t an issue, though getting a good position to work the clutch pedal sometimes is. My wife is shorter, and finding a position that is workable but not unsafe (too close to the wheel) can be iffy sometimes.
I worked with a guy back in the eighties, a dude who was like 6’6" and nearly 300 pounds, a retired Army Command Sergeant Major, who drove of all things a Yugo .He looked like that cartoon still upthread when he was in that car. He claimed it was all he had left after his divorce.
To add insult to injury, he came out of the office one day into the parking garage to find someone had…stolen the entire dashboard…
Old VB Beetles had loads of leg and head room. Head room because of the domed shape, and leg room because there was no engine or transfer case in the hood.
