Yahoo Autos Consumer Reports' Best Cars For Tall People (Plus 3 Of My Own Recommendations)
For those who don’t know, I stand at a 99.9th percentile height of 6’8” tall. For a pair of long pants to fit me properly, they need a 40-inch inseam, so I’m all legs with more of an average sized torso. Cars aren’t designed to comfortably fit people of my height. I just can’t fold my legs into a reasonable driving position behind the wheel of a Mazda Miata, but at least I’m not missing out on the purest driving experience of any modern car or anything. Oh wait, yes I am.
I did my research on good cars for tall people before buying my own car, but since every human is differently proportioned with some requiring more head room than leg room and others requiring more leg room than head room, there’s no universal answer. Consumer Reports uses actual data to provide unbiased info for car buyers, and I recently came across itslist of theBest Cars and SUVs for Tall People, which was chosen by compiling measurements with input from real tall people and Consumer Reports Recommended models
When measuring a car’s front leg room, Consumer Reports measures the maximum distance from the heel of the tester’s accelerator foot to the base of the seatback. When measuring head room, Consumer Reports measures the clearance above a 5’9” tester’s head. When measuring shoulder room, CR measures from door panel to door panel across the front passenger’s seating position.
Personally, I tend to encounter challenges when squeezing behind the wheel of cars that don’t have adequate knee room to allow my stretched shins and yard-long femurs to find a happy resting place between the wheel and center console. This is the problem I encounter in Miatas; my right knee is wedged between the steering wheel and the transmission tunnel, inhibiting me from safely steering. Consumer Reports claims the ND Miata has 41 inches of front leg room, which is hardly less than the measurement for my Mini, and yet I fit great into my car and I don’t fit in a Miata.
For any other giants out there looking for a capacious car that accommodates your freakish frame (you’re not actually freakish, you’re perfect just the way you are), make sure you test drive a car before you commit to it since data doesn’t always translate into reality. But before then take a read through this list of Consumer Reports’ recommendations — I also included a few vehicles that have personally impressed me with their commodious interiors.
Best Compact Car For Tall Drivers: Kia Soul
Front leg room: 42.5 inches
Front head room: 6 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 54.5 inches
Best Luxury Compact Car For Tall Drivers: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
Front leg room: 41.5 inches
Front head room: 3.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 55 inches
Best Midsize Car For Tall Drivers: Subaru Legacy
Front leg room: 42.5 inches
Front head room: 6.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 57.5 inches
Best Midsize Luxury Car For Tall Drivers: Audi A6
Front leg room: 43 inches
Front head room: 4.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 57 inches
Best Large Luxury Car For Tall Drivers: Audi A8
Front leg room: 43 inches
Front head room: 5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 58.5
Best Minivan For Tall Drivers: Honda Odyssey
Front leg room: 41 inches
Front head room: 5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 61.5
Best Compact SUV For Tall Drivers: Subaru Forester
Front leg room: 43 inches
Front head room: 5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 57 inches
Best Luxury Compact SUV For Tall Drivers: Audi Q3
Front leg room: 42 inches
Front head room: 4.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 57 inches
Best Midsize Two-Row SUV For Tall Drivers: Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Front leg room: 42.5 inches
Front head room: 5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 61 inches
Best Midsize Three-Row SUV For Tall Drivers: Honda Pilot
Front leg room: 43.5 inches
Front head room: 4 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 61.5 inches
Best Luxury Midsize SUV For Tall Drivers: Porsche Cayenne
Front leg room: 42.5 inches
Front head room: 4.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 59 inches
Best Large Luxury SUV For Tall Drivers: Audi Q7
Front leg room: 42 inches
Front head room: 4.5 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
Front shoulder room: 59 inches
Logan’s Pick: Mini Cooper 5-Door
CR’s front leg room measurement of a 3-door Cooper: 42.5 inches
CR’s front head room measurement: 3 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
CR’s front shoulder room measurement: 50.5 inches
I can stretch my legs out straight when in the driver’s seat of my Mini, a feat that I’ve only replicated in a W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a Chevrolet Silverado. Head room is a bit tight with the panoramic glass roof, but for my short torso that’s totally fine. If you’re saddled with a truly long torso, either avoid the sunroof option or look elsewhere. For folks with long legs, the Mini is the right car for you, with lots of adjustability in the steering wheel, a gauge cluster that adjusts with the steering wheel, and front seats that slide so far back, you’re basically in the back seat.
Logan’s Pick: Lotus Emira
Interior dimensions: N/A
The Emira was designed to comfortably fit a 6’4” driver wearing a helmet, and it fits my 6’8” frame quite comfortably, which is a feat for any mid-engine two-seat sports car. Folks with truly long torsos might not fit great, but if you’re long legged, then an Emira is a great option for you.
Logan’s Pick: Chevrolet Silverado
CR’s front leg room measurement: 43.5 inches
CR’s front head room measurement: 8 inches above a 5’9” person’s head
CR’s front shoulder room measurement: 64.5 inches
When I drove a Silverado with Chevrolet so I could experience towing with Super Cruise, I was shocked by the room up front. I could freely manspread while wearing a Doug Dimmadome 100-gallon hat and still fit in the driver’s seat comfortably.
