Too tall for a mini?

[anonymous-user]

I'm considering buying an old mini but being 6ft 3 am I too tall?, sounds stupid but all my height is in my legs, and I am yet to drive a car in which I havent had the seat as far back as it will go.

[paintman]

Only way you're going to find out is to sit in one!
I'm 6'4 & my first car - in 1973 - was a Mini Clubman. I also drove a number of friends Minis. No problem at all.

[interloper]

I know of a few people of your height who enjoy squeezing into classic minis. The traditional mini driving position is a bit quirky, sounds obvious but try before you buy! Oh and if you find the steering wheel too horizontal and bus like you can get a lowering kit which drops it down and back towards you, making it more normal to steer (although this may not be possible on the last of the line air bagged models).

[GuitarTech]

Presuming that you're talking about the real mini, and not the BMW mini: I'm 5'10", and always felt that I'd like to've had the seat back a bit further, but everybody's different, your mileage may vary. Best thing is to try one out. I remember back in the seventies, you could buy after-market seat runner extensions to get the seat further back, not sure about nowadays.
You could always take the drivers seat out, and sit on the back seat, like Hightower in Police Academy

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Yah, 6' 2" ex mini owner here - no probs that I can think of, but then at the time I was very young and probably wouldn't have noticed consideratons like 'comfort' and 'ability to do distances without cramp.'

I don't remember any REAL problems with fitting in the car per se - i.e. my knees stopping the steering wheel from moving properly or my head bashing the roof - but then again, back in the day, usually when I got in mine the only consideration was 'driving as fast as humanly possible' and 'racing / trying to beat my mates in other Minis to whatever destination'. Lol!

Might be a bit different these days I guess...

[icepop]

Please let me know when you and the second poster get together and drive through Cumbria. I could sell tickets for that sight )

[anonymous-user]

Looks like a test drive is probably the best option, just didnt want to go to find out ive got no chance

[Rouleur]

If you mean a new MINI then you should be okay. I'm 6'4" and can fit in them quite nicely, although with the seat all the way back it touches the one behind.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

icepop said:

Please let me know when you and the second poster get together and drive through Cumbria. I could sell tickets for that sight )

Eh? Why Cumbria?

Another one for you might be the night when we managed to squeeze 7 of us in another mate's mini - one driving, two in the front passenger seat, and four laying atop one another in the back and drove 20 odd miles to a nightclub in Southampton and then home again at 2am...

Probably back in the day when the Rozzers, after stopping us, might have tutted with a grin and let us on our stupid way rather than now when we all would have got nicked and the driver would have faced fines for dangerous carrying of passengers etc!

But as it was, we all got home safe and as far as I know, are all still alive!

Somehow, you seemed to get away with murder when you were a teen / back in the 80's

[m44kts]

I'm 5' 10" and of, ahem, "ample frame" and I fit no problem, you can get seat extender brackets to move the seats further back, steering column drop brackets for airbag and non airbag cars so plenty of adjustment for you to fit comfortably. Plus the cramped driving position is part of the fun of mini ownership, once you bounce round some twisty b roads, you'll forget all about feeling cramped!

[TomN94]

A few friends of mine have one, one being 6"2/3 and fits into his perfectly fine.

[NadiR]

I was thinking about asking this question as I want to get a classic Mini for my first car. I'm 6"4 and all my height is in my legs like yours. My problem is that I can't fit in the back of normal cars such as Vectras and A4's, but I can fit perfectly in the back of most 3 door hatchbacks such as the Civic and even the VW Fox.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

NadiR said:

I was thinking about asking this question as I want to get a classic Mini for my first car. I'm 6"4 and all my height is in my legs like yours. My problem is that I can't fit in the back of normal cars such as Vectras and A4's, but I can fit perfectly in the back of most 3 door hatchbacks such as the Civic and even the VW Fox.

Well as above, I was ok in mine with my 35" inside leg. But then I also don't recall ever driving to anywhere far away either!