Cars tall people won't fit in.
Discussion
SirBlade said:
I sat in a Formula Vee ten years ago. Both feet were depressing the pedals fully.
It was a tight fit, so tight, I couldn't get out.
I struggled for a while and a crowd of people began to gather, in my desire to get out, I cracked my sternum. Sore for weeks.
How the hell did you manage that? Did you have a panic attack or something?It was a tight fit, so tight, I couldn't get out.
I struggled for a while and a crowd of people began to gather, in my desire to get out, I cracked my sternum. Sore for weeks.
Single seater type things too!
Not a real car, but the only remotely single seater type thing I've ever sat in is the full cockpit tub type simulators at Puretech Racing near Gatwick airport. If you're tall you'd better be flexible. Getting in is fine, and room when driving is ample, but I can only barely get out of them! It's not anything like lack of upper body strength , it's surprisingly length of shins - short people are able to half pull themselves out by their arms, and then get feet up by their arse to push out the rest of the way. With my leg length, I can't get my feet up until my arse is higher than the steering wheel, which necessitates a kind of ungraceful pulling up/swivelling/crawling/falling over sort of motion
Not a real car, but the only remotely single seater type thing I've ever sat in is the full cockpit tub type simulators at Puretech Racing near Gatwick airport. If you're tall you'd better be flexible. Getting in is fine, and room when driving is ample, but I can only barely get out of them! It's not anything like lack of upper body strength , it's surprisingly length of shins - short people are able to half pull themselves out by their arms, and then get feet up by their arse to push out the rest of the way. With my leg length, I can't get my feet up until my arse is higher than the steering wheel, which necessitates a kind of ungraceful pulling up/swivelling/crawling/falling over sort of motion
Tried sitting in a Renault Sport Twingo today at Silverstone. Struggled to get in, seat pushed all the way back and I couldn't find a height adjust, the steering wheel was on my legs. The Clio was a perfect fit and the Megane was one of those pain in the arse cars where the steering wheel is too far away but the pedals are too close.
I am 6,2 and found my Porsche Boxster uncomfortable for anything more than an hour or so, I could not seem to get myself far enough from the steering wheel, not sure what I was doing wrong as I have heard of taller people than me driving these ok, maybe my arms and legs are too long..
Height isn't enough info - it's all about your proportions...
I'm 6'5" and my problems mostly stem from legroom rather than headroom but other people will suffer the opposite ofc.
BMW Z3s and Mazda MX5s (Mk1 and Mk2 - not tried a Mk3) are impossible for me to get into - no way could I use the clutch once in a Z3 and in the Mk1 Mazda, closing the door would chop my right leg off at the knee! Griffith is the same and the Cerbera I drove had been modified for a taller driver (or so I was told) and it was STILL a tight fit!
Fixed-back seats are a nightmare-and-a-half too - at a trackday I was put into a 968CS and encouraged to do 2 laps of Silverstone. It was terrifying, my knees were clamped onto the sides of the wheel and I was driving using the top 25% only - feeding like a MADman.
It's not just 2 seaters either, cars with limited/no steering wheel rake adjustment are a pain too. I remember, years ago, being left stranded because someone swapped hirecars with me and the one they left was a Xantia and I couldn't physically get into the thing. Before that it was a Montego which (due to a shelf under the dash) was undriveable.
Small cars are obviously a bigger problem but super-basic older cars tend to be less troublesome. I can drive an original Mini and the later Cinquecento just fine because there's nothing in the way (I just have to fold-up) - but Lupos and 106s are so cramped that I'd really struggle to find a driving position I could use, without being VERY uncomfortable. I seriously could drive those from the BACK seat
The best cars for taller people? Mercs and Saabs. For some reason they've always been the cars with the most rearwards seat travel (and in the case of the Saab - the best seats too!!) I owned a 98 Vectra as a shed until last year tho and I could drive without using the full rearward seat travel which was great (and the seats are lovely and comfy!!)
p.s. I have to forego anything like heel-and-toe etc. because there's just no way for my leg to bend around the wheel - and I doubt there's a fix to that outside of a touring car with the seat moved WAY back
I'm 6'5" and my problems mostly stem from legroom rather than headroom but other people will suffer the opposite ofc.
BMW Z3s and Mazda MX5s (Mk1 and Mk2 - not tried a Mk3) are impossible for me to get into - no way could I use the clutch once in a Z3 and in the Mk1 Mazda, closing the door would chop my right leg off at the knee! Griffith is the same and the Cerbera I drove had been modified for a taller driver (or so I was told) and it was STILL a tight fit!
Fixed-back seats are a nightmare-and-a-half too - at a trackday I was put into a 968CS and encouraged to do 2 laps of Silverstone. It was terrifying, my knees were clamped onto the sides of the wheel and I was driving using the top 25% only - feeding like a MADman.
It's not just 2 seaters either, cars with limited/no steering wheel rake adjustment are a pain too. I remember, years ago, being left stranded because someone swapped hirecars with me and the one they left was a Xantia and I couldn't physically get into the thing. Before that it was a Montego which (due to a shelf under the dash) was undriveable.
Small cars are obviously a bigger problem but super-basic older cars tend to be less troublesome. I can drive an original Mini and the later Cinquecento just fine because there's nothing in the way (I just have to fold-up) - but Lupos and 106s are so cramped that I'd really struggle to find a driving position I could use, without being VERY uncomfortable. I seriously could drive those from the BACK seat
The best cars for taller people? Mercs and Saabs. For some reason they've always been the cars with the most rearwards seat travel (and in the case of the Saab - the best seats too!!) I owned a 98 Vectra as a shed until last year tho and I could drive without using the full rearward seat travel which was great (and the seats are lovely and comfy!!)
p.s. I have to forego anything like heel-and-toe etc. because there's just no way for my leg to bend around the wheel - and I doubt there's a fix to that outside of a touring car with the seat moved WAY back
thecremeegg said:
I'm 6ft5 and I drive a MK1 MX-5 and its fine, only an issue on long journeys but I think new seats would solve that. I cant fit in a hyundai coupe!
Shoop da Woop, glad to hear that, I am also 6ft5 and at some point want a Mk1 MX5. Glad to know I will fit, (even better with Elise seats I imagine.)
At a slim 5 foot 8 I have no real problem with fitting any car. However both my father (Similar size) and I have very straight armed driving positions which has led to interesting revelations, such as the current BMW Z4 to find that to be comfortable we had the seat only 2 inches from its maximum extension, that doesn't give those of larger sizes much option 
. Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.
. Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.I'm 6'6". Shopping for my first car 6 years ago, I just wanted a small hatchback that was cheap to run and insure. I sat in a lot of cars, the only comfortable cars were a 206 and a Fabia (which I bought). Here's some that tried and failed to fit me, from memory. To be fair most of them were just not quite there though... Ka (curving roof so straight ahead view was the sunvisor), Punto (needed shorter legs and longer arms), a couple of Citroens (C1 and C2 or C2 and C3, i think) Polo, Micra. Since then I've sat in a Fiat 500 with a glass roof and my head was just nudging against the trim for the proper roof that's in line with the b pillar. Had a few looks and comments since having Smarts, best one was "I didn't expect you to get out of that!" 
Slight tangent, despite most cars being on the snug side from a height POV, there seems to be a tendency to have the pedal area as small as possible, never enough room to rest my left-leg to the side of the clutch, or there's that silly footrest there that is too high and narrow to use. French and German cars seem to be the most guilty of this. My feet are a size 14 and quite wide, some cars are difficult to drive as there's just nowhere to put your feet.
I find driving barefoot helps as it makes my feet a little smaller so I can fit, also stops me scuffing my shoes.
I find driving barefoot helps as it makes my feet a little smaller so I can fit, also stops me scuffing my shoes.
FRA53R said:
At a slim 5 foot 8 I have no real problem with fitting any car. However both my father (Similar size) and I have very straight armed driving positions which has led to interesting revelations, such as the current BMW Z4 to find that to be comfortable we had the seat only 2 inches from its maximum extension, that doesn't give those of larger sizes much option . Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.
Oi, shorty, get off this thread. 6'2+ only......... Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.
OdramaSwimLaden said:
FRA53R said:
At a slim 5 foot 8 I have no real problem with fitting any car. However both my father (Similar size) and I have very straight armed driving positions which has led to interesting revelations, such as the current BMW Z4 to find that to be comfortable we had the seat only 2 inches from its maximum extension, that doesn't give those of larger sizes much option . Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.
Oi, shorty, get off this thread. 6'2+ only......... Saying that it really is down to how you learn to drive and how you like to drive. I have a friend who's 5'11 and about 19 stone. He drove an S2000 and loved it but made very minimal mention to size and space. I'd say the one car that almost no man can fit into is the Suzuki Cappuccino.
king hell, PH is the land of giants!!!!From a short, but fit any car, 5' 8".
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