Author Topic: Long legs & torso- What to drive?  (Read 2507 times)

Edge of Reason

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Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« on: January 01, 2019, 08:55:59 AM »
Anyone out there with long legs and could help me choose a car? We will have 2 new drivers in the house in the next year or so. Until now we have managed with 1 car all our lives but with 2 kids going to part-time work & and university and 2 parents off to work (with different schedules) we now need a second car to get through these busy years before they move out.

We drive cars until they are no longer economical to fix. We had a 2 door Neon for 10 years. It was cheap, fun to drive (stick shift), but hard on the hips and ridiculous to load with 2 kids in car seats. Upgraded to a Corolla which lasted us another 11 years (we live in an area where cars rust out). Very reliable & we drove that thing like a truck too and got our money's worth. My husband had to lean the front seat back so he could see out the windshield. It was really hard on my hips after a long drive. Recently we got a Forester. We live in an area that rarely gets plowed out after storms so the AWD and higher chassis was a must (our Corolla couldn't manage it). I really like how this handles and my hips love the legroom & stadium style seating in the front and back.

So now I have 3 lanky drivers and am looking for a car that can handle us all...along with some bad weather (snow). My son's legs are 36" inseam and my husband is tall (6' 2") but mostly all torso. I have a 34" inseam with long arms but a shorter than average torso. My daughter is proportional and 5' 3".

We will all pile into the Forester when the weather is really bad but there may be a time or two when schedules can't match up and need to go out in this second car in inclement weather.  Looked at the Honda Fit (hard to get used here) and would like some other options...thoughts?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 09:01:53 AM by Edge of Reason »

Turkey Leg

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2019, 12:18:17 PM »
We have a Mazda CX-5. It can hold two people with 36" inseams, two with 34" inseams, and a car seat. It also has an AWD option for the snow. (The car seat makes it a tight fit with the four adults, but it's definitely doable.)

Spruit

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2019, 02:55:24 PM »
Well, my BF who's 187cm (6'1") with relatively long legs did not fit comfortably in the Honda Fit. Too bad really, it's a nice car otherwise.

LifePhaseTwo

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2019, 04:32:09 PM »
I and my 36” inseam legs were always comfy in my Honda Civic.

ETBen

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2019, 07:17:26 PM »
I drove a Prius (2nd gen) and was comfortable. 6’ tall 35” inseam.

Goldielocks

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2019, 09:01:34 PM »
We are a family that typically drives with the driver's seat fully back and completely understand the aggravation of not seing out of the windshield because it starts too low.

Looking for a new to us 2nd car, we test drove a Fiat 500e.  Wow.  Tons of headroom.  It;s the largest car inside for a small car that we have tried.  DH with his bad back can get in and out.  Tons of front seat room.  BUT don't put grown teenagers in the back for more than 20 minutes, because no room, especially with the front seats pushed back.  This is really a 2 person car for us, plus a third person to / from school.

Other cars that work for leg / torso room:
Jeep Grand cherokee
Toyota highlander (we have a 2006 and bought for full rear plus front leg room for very long drives 16 hr+)
Mazda 3 -- good room for driver, but you need to bend down a bit to get in, not great for DH's bad back, but very comfy once in.
We test drove a couple of subaru's and they are fine.   and then a mercedes luxury car that was lovely but a ridiculous car for people that use gravel roads on longer drives...

oh, and many many cars do not fit me if they have a sunroof, but without a sunroof the extra 1.5" helps a lot.  I am tall body and it is awkward to have to watch how I style my hair or I don't fit into many cars with sunroofs.

reeshau

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2019, 09:21:52 PM »
@Goldielocks  you stole my crazy example!  I am 6'8", 38 in. inseam.  I could not believe I fit into a Fiat 500, but I do.  With the seat all the way back, there was literally 3" of legroom for the backseat--it was a shelf.  But, as a two-seater it was possible.

OP, you talk a lot about being hard on the hips.  I wonder if you need more seat elevation, rather than simply legroom.  Any truck or SUV will sit you higher from the cabin floor than a car.  Also, you may opt for a power seat with height adjustment, too.

I drove a 2011 Chevy Malibu as a daily commuter for 7 years. (sold it when moving overseas)  I had no problem with passengers in the back, either, although I never took my brothers (similar size) around.  Prior to that, I drove a Chevy Trailblazer.  My wife still loves the Trailblazer.

ToTheMoon

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2019, 09:33:11 PM »
If the Forester will be the go-to for family road trips, how important is it to you that this secondary vehicle is also large enough to be comfortable for all of you? 

If it is going to have only one or two people in it 95 percent of the time, shouldn't fuel efficiency and snow capability be more important than extra leg room in the back?


trollwithamustache

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2019, 07:57:58 AM »
The Mini is like a Porsche in that its quite long under the steering wheel so actually very comfortable for tall people. It is priced unlike the Porsche.

For new drivers, it may be a bit peppy.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2019, 08:19:25 AM »
The Mini is like a Porsche in that its quite long under the steering wheel so actually very comfortable for tall people. It is priced unlike the Porsche.

For new drivers, it may be a bit peppy.

Maybe the new minis are better, but the classic one, while my legs fit, I had barely any head room- I couldn't check over my shoulder without brushing my forehead against the headliner. And I'm only 5'9", with most in my legs and a relatively short torso.

@Goldielocks  you stole my crazy example!  I am 6'8", 38 in. inseam.  I could not believe I fit into a Fiat 500, but I do.  With the seat all the way back, there was literally 3" of legroom for the backseat--it was a shelf.  But, as a two-seater it was possible.

OP, you talk a lot about being hard on the hips.  I wonder if you need more seat elevation, rather than simply legroom.  Any truck or SUV will sit you higher from the cabin floor than a car.  Also, you may opt for a power seat with height adjustment, too.

I drove a 2011 Chevy Malibu as a daily commuter for 7 years. (sold it when moving overseas)  I had no problem with passengers in the back, either, although I never took my brothers (similar size) around.  Prior to that, I drove a Chevy Trailblazer.  My wife still loves the Trailblazer.

I think @reeshau is on to something here. But you can get the same more upright sit with a small crossover, rather than going fully into truck and SUV territory. Also, my little spot of unsolicited healthcare advice: considering doing the research yourself or looking into PT for hip strength and mobility work. It's really common for women to have a deficit there, especially after having children (because of the relaxin hormone). Working on strength, mobility, and stability through your hips won't only make you more comfortable, it'll reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis and make you more stable and less likely to experience a fall in old age.

Lanthiriel

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Re: Long legs & torso- What to drive?
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2019, 11:34:34 AM »
I drive a Honda Fit and my 6' 2" husband feels squished in it. He drives a 2015 Prius V and loves it. Tons of room in the back seat and in the way back. His seats are bigger than mine too, which may help you with the hip issues.