Author Topic: Vehicle for a big guy  (Read 15061 times)

Trying to get this right

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Vehicle for a big guy
« on: July 24, 2013, 08:46:02 PM »
Hello!

What vehicle would you recommend for a larger gentleman?  My SO's Sienna and my Altima are just not cutting it, gas-wise.  When they both die, I anticipate us being a one car family- the caveat being he is usually the main driver and being 6' and 280, I want him to be comfortable. 

Affordable, used vehicle suggestions totally welcome.  Please no commentary on weight- I adore my SO, and we are working on being healthy together. 

Thank you, in advance!

worms

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2013, 10:38:09 PM »
Please no commentary on weight
OK! All I can say then is that at 6 foot 2 inch, I can't think of any modern car that is lacking in sufficient driver's seat travel to be comfortable to drive, so height is not a problem.

Hamster

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2013, 10:49:22 PM »
Probably not what you were looking for, but how about a Surly Long Haul Trucker.

See this guy's blog. No disrespect intended. I have mad respect for how the blogger has turned his life around. His new blog format is a bit hard to navigate, but scroll down and you can get a sense of his journey.

girly mustache

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2013, 11:10:32 PM »
You might try a Pontiac Vibe - as I recall they had a fairly spacious interior... On the other hand - the Sienna may be a keeper - they are super reliable and safe - if you're cutting to one car then you may just want to keep this. If it's newer or has a loan - consider selling it for an older model...

englyn

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2013, 11:27:20 PM »
OK! All I can say then is that at 6 foot 2 inch, I can't think of any modern car that is lacking in sufficient driver's seat travel to be comfortable to drive, so height is not a problem.
My 6'1" husband can think of plenty ie any of the small hatchbacks I like. However, he has no trouble with Hyundais and had an Excel for years and now has an i30.

worms

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2013, 12:25:09 AM »
OK! All I can say then is that at 6 foot 2 inch, I can't think of any modern car that is lacking in sufficient driver's seat travel to be comfortable to drive, so height is not a problem.
My 6'1" husband can think of plenty ie any of the small hatchbacks I like. However, he has no trouble with Hyundais and had an Excel for years and now has an i30.

I'm not saying that I haven't used that argument for some of the car choices my spouse would make! ;)

Trying to get this right

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2013, 12:55:42 AM »
Thank you for the replies.  The Sienna is almost paid off and my Altima has been paid off for years.  Both are older model cars and we want to run them into the ground. 

This post was primarily to look for possible models to consider for the future.  We are both tall but the SO has "lots to hug" and this makes getting in and out of smaller cars (even my mid-sized sedan) difficult.  I want to be sure he is comfortable and not squished.  But finding a vehicle that is gas efficient, reasonably priced and comfortable has been challenging. 

captainawesome

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2013, 05:09:08 AM »
Try a scion Xb, or even a Honda fit.  Both pretty spacious inside.  Back when my grandfather was around, he was looking for a car that could fit his 6'7 frame and everything that went with it.  Surprisingly he not only fit in the Xb, but had room to move around in the car. Of course, he was also used to being cramped in cars his whole life (used to drive a VW bug back in the day)

naners

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2013, 05:42:51 AM »
My SO is 6'2''. Not a heavy guy admittedly. We test-drove the Hyundai Accent (not with the intention of buying one new of course!), and he really liked it. 

daverobev

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2013, 06:55:19 AM »
Yup sounds like it's the width that is the problem, not the height. I'm 6' and feel just a touch cramped in our Civic.

Not sure what types of driving the car will end up doing - commuting?

Honda Eleph... um Element - or CRV - manual if possible (I know you can get a manual Elephant).

Any car with a front bench seat - cheap to buy, cheap to insure - I have a Crown Vic and love it, but also Buick Century etc. Older, lower mileage 'senior driven' - why not?! If you're commuting in traffic maybe less good.

Fuel efficiency is NOT everything - IF the car is not driven much. My Crown Vic... well, apart from a crazy short term commute once per week just won't be driven much (and still gets ~8l/100km on the highway... on a clear day without traffic, driving at the speed limits...). I'm not saying buy a truck (but OTOH - depends how much you drive, right? An older, manual trans, 4.2l F150 IF it makes sense...!).

How about a Prius?

mpbaker22

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2013, 07:09:26 AM »
What's wrong with any car but a 'smart' car?

I don't see how room is an issue unless you're specifically looking at cars that don't have room.  I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid and I'm 6'4, 205.

Cinder

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2013, 07:50:32 AM »
Probably not what you were looking for, but how about a Surly Long Haul Trucker.

See this guy's blog. No disrespect intended. I have mad respect for how the blogger has turned his life around. His new blog format is a bit hard to navigate, but scroll down and you can get a sense of his journey.

As a similar thing to the above.... www.gainsthroughloss.com



Back on topic, The best thing that you could do is go to a few used car lots and test drive a couple of cars just to see how they work for him.  Unless someone has a similar build, they may not be able to relate directly to the space requirements that would make it comfortable for him, since most people here have said that height really shouldn't be the issue.  I know that my Prius is surprisingly roomy, but I've never been super big (peaked out at about 5'10", 220, happily down to 155ish via an 8 mile bike ride (each way) to work every day since march)

MissStache

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2013, 09:07:27 AM »
My parents have a friend who is pushing 300 and he drives a Honda Fit!  He's had it for years and loves it. 

mcneally

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2013, 10:36:02 AM »
Penn Jillette is 6'6", not a skinny guy and drives a Mini Cooper.

ketchup

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2013, 11:52:26 AM »
My dad is 6'1 and has found SUVs and minivans to be generally awful in terms of space for him.  When my parents were car shopping around 2003, they test drove a Hyundai Santa Fe and my dad literally could not have his head up straight.  The (awful POS) Saturn Vue they ended up getting gave him a quarter inch of headroom.  It made him sick to drive it due to bad visibility.  Didn't matter, as it was mostly my mom's car at the time, but it was downright terrible for him.  He drives a 1994 Buick Lesabre and loves it.  It's like driving a couch.  He also has no problems at all fitting into smaller cars.  It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the Saturn had less headroom than my tin can of a Chevy Sprint.  I would say try a bunch for yourself; it varies a lot and has almost nothing to do with the size of the car itself.

velocistar237

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #15 on: July 25, 2013, 12:32:24 PM »
If this is for sometime way in the future, your SO can try out cars whenever he has the chance. People love their cars, so asking friends if you can sit in the driver's seat is something a lot of people are happy to oblige. Obviously, it would be faster to go to a dealership, but personally, I don't like going to dealerships, and you don't have a time constraint.

I drive a Mazda 5, and I have my doubts that it would be comfortable for a bigger person. The gas mileage isn't great, either.

TeddyG

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #16 on: July 25, 2013, 12:41:51 PM »
I'm 6'1'' and 275, just got myself a 2008 Toyota Matrix and I fit no problem. Love driving it :)

Zaga

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #17 on: July 25, 2013, 12:48:03 PM »
My DH is 6 foot tall and 300 pounds, and we've been car shopping lately.

In my experience, recently car manufacturers have been making the doorways shorter in sedans.  The same exact car that I have now in a 2004 version and he is comfortable in doesn't fit him in the newer models.  Well, they do IF he can get his head in through the door.  He has back problems and is very inflexible, so any bending of the neck and he just can't get into the car.

So, the cars that we have tried in recent weeks that both he (6'0" and 300 pounds) and I (5'2" and 105 pounds) found comfortable:  Honda Fit, Kia Soul, Scion xB, Nissan Versa hatchback.  We haven't tried everything yet, but the best for comfort of that group was the Scion, though it's not as good on gas as I'd like.  We also liked the Hyandai Accent hatchback, but I didn't like the tiny back window.

We tried many sedans, and there was not a single one made after 2006 that my DH was comfortable in.  It was extremely frustrating, to say the least!  I'm glad that hatchbacks are fairly popular, because they have a higher roofline and allow for better entry for my DH.

bogart

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #18 on: July 25, 2013, 12:52:40 PM »
Around the time you're ready to buy (as new models do become available over time, etc. etc.), I'd recommend going to a Carmax and trying whatever otherwise meets your criteria (gas mileage, type, etc.) and seeing what works (warn the salesperson there what you are trying to figure out, and go at a slowish time if you can).  Carmax is like the Megamall of used cars and you can find pretty much anything mainstream and reasonably modern there. 

I drive an '09 Vibe and my DH (6', 210#) fits in it (OK, not great) as a passenger but can barely drive it at all.  He has weirdly long femurs (yes, really, like if we are sitting him, me, some other random 6' guy on a 3-seat airplane row, DH's knees are invariably crammed tight, tight, tight against the seat in front of him whereas the other guy has plenty of knee room) and can hardly get his legs in place/move them to press the pedals (+ my Vibe is stick, so there's more pedal-pushing to be done).  It's ridiculous.  We known someone who has an '09 Matrix, supposedly the same car, and he fits in there much better (Vibes and Matrices aren't really the same car; they do have the same engine.  And older Vibes are roomier than my '09 is -- year matters.).  So I'm not much help but I empathize with the basic problem, and you just have to shop for what works for you (I am still yelling at my DH for not saying "no" to the Vibe purchase as we keep cars forever, but oh well). 

Spork

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #19 on: July 25, 2013, 01:13:50 PM »
I drive an '09 Vibe and my DH (6', 210#) fits in it (OK, not great) as a passenger but can barely drive it at all.  He has weirdly long femurs (yes, really, like if we are sitting him, me, some other random 6' guy on a 3-seat airplane row, DH's knees are invariably crammed tight, tight, tight against the seat in front of him whereas the other guy has plenty of knee room) and can hardly get his legs in place/move them to press the pedals (+ my Vibe is stick, so there's more pedal-pushing to be done).  It's ridiculous.  We known someone who has an '09 Matrix, supposedly the same car, and he fits in there much better (Vibes and Matrices aren't really the same car; they do have the same engine.  And older Vibes are roomier than my '09 is -- year matters.).  So I'm not much help but I empathize with the basic problem, and you just have to shop for what works for you (I am still yelling at my DH for not saying "no" to the Vibe purchase as we keep cars forever, but oh well).

Interesting... I was wondering why folks were complaining about the Vibe.  I'm 6'2" with oddly long legs and my '05 Matrix is the very first car I've ever driven that didn't require the seat to be all the way back.  I'm surprised they vary so much.

Trying to get this right

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #20 on: July 25, 2013, 01:28:35 PM »
Thank you all for the suggestions!  I greatly appreciate it!

We will probably start our search sometime soon as to not be pressured into getting something if anything were to happen to our current vehicles. 

I'm definitly going to keep my eyes peeled for a great deal on older model cars- they seem to be our best bet- size wise and cost wise. 

You all are seriously awesome.  Thank you for taking the time to give me advice. 

golden1

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2013, 04:19:50 PM »
My DH is 6'3" and we have the same issues.  I think it is a very personal thing and you just have to sit in the cars and try them out.  He can fit in a Honda fit okay, but most other Hondas are really tight or uncomfortable.  The Altima was okay, didn't fit in the sentra.  He could fit in a Corolla but he ended up with the Camry - which had lots of extra head room.

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2013, 05:58:02 PM »
Boeing 747 with spinners

olivia

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2013, 09:15:42 PM »
My DH is 6'3" and we have the same issues.  I think it is a very personal thing and you just have to sit in the cars and try them out.  He can fit in a Honda fit okay, but most other Hondas are really tight or uncomfortable.  The Altima was okay, didn't fit in the sentra.  He could fit in a Corolla but he ended up with the Camry - which had lots of extra head room.

I was going to recommend the Camry.  I had an '07 and it was HUGE inside.  Sold it to my dad who is 6'2" and 190 and he had tons of room.  I think a larger frame would definitely work in a Camry too. 

ritchie70

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #24 on: July 26, 2013, 11:49:00 PM »
My dad is 6'1 and has found SUVs and minivans to be generally awful in terms of space for him.  When my parents were car shopping around 2003, they test drove a Hyundai Santa Fe and my dad literally could not have his head up straight.  The (awful POS) Saturn Vue they ended up getting gave him a quarter inch of headroom.  It made him sick to drive it due to bad visibility.  Didn't matter, as it was mostly my mom's car at the time, but it was downright terrible for him.  He drives a 1994 Buick Lesabre and loves it.  It's like driving a couch.  He also has no problems at all fitting into smaller cars.  It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the Saturn had less headroom than my tin can of a Chevy Sprint.  I would say try a bunch for yourself; it varies a lot and has almost nothing to do with the size of the car itself.

The trucks just look big.

Back when I was a kid, my dad had a bunch of different cars. The one that would fit a tall driver best? MG Midget. That seat went back for miles.

turboseize

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Re: Vehicle for a big guy
« Reply #25 on: July 30, 2013, 09:54:53 AM »
At 1.90m and roughly 100kg I am also slightly larger than average. From my experience, I suggest a Saab, Volvo or an older Mercedes.

 

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