Cars tall people won't fit in.
Discussion
I'm 6ft 4 and drive a clio which keeps people amused 
I don't actually find it that bad and headroom is just about ok.
As others I don't fit in an MX5 properly as my forehead is level with the top of the windscreen. Annoyingly I don't fit in the back my dads XJ6 either. Had issues getting out of an Elise at the motor show. In fact so did my missus and we were both briefly stuck in the car.
Kayaks are a challenge.
I don't actually find it that bad and headroom is just about ok. As others I don't fit in an MX5 properly as my forehead is level with the top of the windscreen. Annoyingly I don't fit in the back my dads XJ6 either. Had issues getting out of an Elise at the motor show. In fact so did my missus and we were both briefly stuck in the car.
Kayaks are a challenge.
I'm 6"6' and had pretty good fun in an Elise (S1) although as others have said, getting in and out was mildly ungainly.
Since then I've had no trouble with an MGTF, or any number of smallish hatchbacks.
I do love the Cayennes / Range Rovers though, nothing like having more space than you know what to do with.
But generally, I've had no problem with smallish / sports / supercars. Although, having watched a Top Gear re-run last night, I don't think I'd ever be comfortable in a Stratos!
Since then I've had no trouble with an MGTF, or any number of smallish hatchbacks.
I do love the Cayennes / Range Rovers though, nothing like having more space than you know what to do with.
But generally, I've had no problem with smallish / sports / supercars. Although, having watched a Top Gear re-run last night, I don't think I'd ever be comfortable in a Stratos!
johnpeat said:
You'll need more than a change of seats if you're long-in-the-leg.
There's very little room to get your leg between the wheel and the console - you could put a smaller wheel on perhaps - but you'd need MILES of rearwards travel to obvigate that otherwise (like putting the seats in the boot).
Smaller wheel might help your right leg too - which will otherwise be severed by the door handle as it closes. You could remove the door panel and just rig-up a bit of string to open it perhaps?
EVERYONE has to try a car for size because everyone is a different shape and drives in a different position. You also need to check specific cars as interior layouts/seats change by model/age/spec etc. etc.
It's nonsense to say "anyone can drive if they just move the seat and compromise" - there are cars I couldn't drive without taking a sledgehammer to the centre console - ripping out the door panel - pulling the roof-off - drilling bits of the dashboard out and/or sitting in the boot
I've actually been in one before, a 1992 build Eunos with all the bells and whistles and had plenty of room on the standard seats with the standard wheel. More room infact than the Mother's Kia.There's very little room to get your leg between the wheel and the console - you could put a smaller wheel on perhaps - but you'd need MILES of rearwards travel to obvigate that otherwise (like putting the seats in the boot).
Smaller wheel might help your right leg too - which will otherwise be severed by the door handle as it closes. You could remove the door panel and just rig-up a bit of string to open it perhaps?
EVERYONE has to try a car for size because everyone is a different shape and drives in a different position. You also need to check specific cars as interior layouts/seats change by model/age/spec etc. etc.
It's nonsense to say "anyone can drive if they just move the seat and compromise" - there are cars I couldn't drive without taking a sledgehammer to the centre console - ripping out the door panel - pulling the roof-off - drilling bits of the dashboard out and/or sitting in the boot
johnpeat said:
I've said this many times but there are 2 different interiors in Puma and the earlier one is a BIT more tall-people friendly (as the seat moves back a bit further).
I can drive the older cars - it's tight but it works - but the later cars require contortionism and I'd just not bother...
Ahh I see, mine was a W-Reg so probably had the lanky interior!I can drive the older cars - it's tight but it works - but the later cars require contortionism and I'd just not bother...
Quite disappointed to read this, I was hoping for another Puma at some point in my life
Another car tall people may struggle with is a classic Beetle. I have to lift me left leg to change in to fourth!
Also I couldn't physically fit in to the drivers seat of a Reliant Rialto!
I'm 6'5 and don't fit into an S1 Elise, S2, or an Exige - tried them all. My hands catch my knees when turning the wheel which is dangerous IMO and the gear lever wedges under my knee when in 5th or 6th - I forget which.
I used to own a Westy which can be made to fit like a glove - on a standard car the wheel is a little low. On mine I had the column raised and lengthened think race car seating position with wheel close to driver). Westys are a good alternative to an Elise in driver involvement terms.
The westy was replaced by an Evo VIIRS which has bags of room - lots of head room for a helmet - and according to Evo mag is like a 4 door Caterham R500.
I used to own a Westy which can be made to fit like a glove - on a standard car the wheel is a little low. On mine I had the column raised and lengthened think race car seating position with wheel close to driver). Westys are a good alternative to an Elise in driver involvement terms.
The westy was replaced by an Evo VIIRS which has bags of room - lots of head room for a helmet - and according to Evo mag is like a 4 door Caterham R500.
I used to lift alot of weights and was about 20 stone and 6ft tall.
When you are fat you are usually large around the middle but can be quite thin elsewhere.
When you work out you often have very large thighs and very built up upper torso.
The big problems these bring is that your legs, each the size of a slim woman's waist, don't under the steering wheel very well, then your upper body is so big that your shoulder digs into the window or door frame causing you to lean over to the middle of the car which does you in on long journeys.
Everything in this world seems to be designed for short people, very little for the tall unless you have a lot of money to spend. I know i can't afford a Mclaren F1 right now.
The problem is that most cars you fit in comfortably are large and either expensive to buy new or expensive to fuel 2nd hand to keep any kind of reasonable power to weight ratio.
When you are fat you are usually large around the middle but can be quite thin elsewhere.
When you work out you often have very large thighs and very built up upper torso.
The big problems these bring is that your legs, each the size of a slim woman's waist, don't under the steering wheel very well, then your upper body is so big that your shoulder digs into the window or door frame causing you to lean over to the middle of the car which does you in on long journeys.
Everything in this world seems to be designed for short people, very little for the tall unless you have a lot of money to spend. I know i can't afford a Mclaren F1 right now.
The problem is that most cars you fit in comfortably are large and either expensive to buy new or expensive to fuel 2nd hand to keep any kind of reasonable power to weight ratio.
BlueMR2 said:
I used to lift alot of weights and was about 20 stone and 6ft tall.
When you are fat you are usually large around the middle but can be quite thin elsewhere.
When you work out you often have very large thighs and very built up upper torso.
The big problems these bring is that your legs, each the size of a slim woman's waist, don't under the steering wheel very well, then your upper body is so big that your shoulder digs into the window or door frame causing you to lean over to the middle of the car which does you in on long journeys.
Everything in this world seems to be designed for short people, very little for the tall unless you have a lot of money to spend. I know i can't afford a Mclaren F1 right now.
The problem is that most cars you fit in comfortably are large and either expensive to buy new or expensive to fuel 2nd hand to keep any kind of reasonable power to weight ratio.
911......is that you?When you are fat you are usually large around the middle but can be quite thin elsewhere.
When you work out you often have very large thighs and very built up upper torso.
The big problems these bring is that your legs, each the size of a slim woman's waist, don't under the steering wheel very well, then your upper body is so big that your shoulder digs into the window or door frame causing you to lean over to the middle of the car which does you in on long journeys.
Everything in this world seems to be designed for short people, very little for the tall unless you have a lot of money to spend. I know i can't afford a Mclaren F1 right now.
The problem is that most cars you fit in comfortably are large and either expensive to buy new or expensive to fuel 2nd hand to keep any kind of reasonable power to weight ratio.
kwak said:
Is the suzuki cappuccino really that bad? I've been willing to try that out for ages, but now I'm afraid I won't fit.
I remember sitting in one at a motor show when I was about 14 and I struggled with legroom then. I'm only 6ft 1ins as well, hardly a giant! Not like my 6ft 8ins friend who had his Peugeot 106 Rallye converted for him to drive it. Bucket seat in the place where the right rear passenger would put their feet, steering wheel on an extended column, the angle of the pedals altered and a section of the dash cut out so he can put his size 15/16 feet on the pedals!From when I was looking at first cars, I remember the 106/Saxo and Rover 100 were a bit of a squeeze for my long legs. Could never have lived with a car like that daily, for comfort reasons alone, never mind how good the car was.
I borrowed a Fiat 500 the other day, it's not bad from a drivers position POV but the roof is quite low / you sit quite high, so you can drive it with the head poked out the sun-roof. Not sure that was the reason they installed one though.
Newer cars are less roomy than old ones as they have more air bags and whatnot, I used to have a 1989 XR2, it was great, however I'd struggle to fit inside a new one despite them being a bigger car physically.
Newer cars are less roomy than old ones as they have more air bags and whatnot, I used to have a 1989 XR2, it was great, however I'd struggle to fit inside a new one despite them being a bigger car physically.
qube_TA said:
I borrowed a Fiat 500 the other day, it's not bad from a drivers position POV but the roof is quite low / you sit quite high, so you can drive it with the head poked out the sun-roof. Not sure that was the reason they installed one though.
Newer cars are less roomy than old ones as they have more air bags and whatnot, I used to have a 1989 XR2, it was great, however I'd struggle to fit inside a new one despite them being a bigger car physically.
Really? I found the opposite when I sat in a 500 abarth. I was really surprised at how much room there was in it.Newer cars are less roomy than old ones as they have more air bags and whatnot, I used to have a 1989 XR2, it was great, however I'd struggle to fit inside a new one despite them being a bigger car physically.
IainW said:
kwak said:
Is the suzuki cappuccino really that bad? I've been willing to try that out for ages, but now I'm afraid I won't fit.
I remember sitting in one at a motor show when I was about 14 and I struggled with legroom then. I'm only 6ft 1ins as well, hardly a giant! Not like my 6ft 8ins friend who had his Peugeot 106 Rallye converted for him to drive it. Bucket seat in the place where the right rear passenger would put their feet, steering wheel on an extended column, the angle of the pedals altered and a section of the dash cut out so he can put his size 15/16 feet on the pedals!From when I was looking at first cars, I remember the 106/Saxo and Rover 100 were a bit of a squeeze for my long legs. Could never have lived with a car like that daily, for comfort reasons alone, never mind how good the car was.
They're surprisingly roomy.
and Kwak, you're welcome to come sit in mine if you're London based :P
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