Used tall car for tall driver

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 21 Jul 2014 20:15
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272

Hi,

Many thanks in advance for any help. My wife and I would like a "high up" car for good visibility and safety fr a baby on the way. My priorities are comfort and space and I'd like an "upright" driving position as since touring in a Toyota Coaster mobile home I've discovered this to be much more comfortable and better for my back than the "legs out in front" position in most cars. I'm 6'6" tall unfortunately which has lead to problems as even large SUV/Crossovers don't seem that much bigger inside than smaller models (the car grows but not the space for the driver).

We didn't initially fancy an MPV but I sat in a Ford S-Max yesterday and it did seem more roomy and comfortable and the visibility was a lot better than the Cross/SUVs we tried (Mazda CX-5, Qashqai, VW Touareg, Ford Kuga etc). Is this the best of the MPV bunch for comfort and space? what else should I be looking at?

Are there any manufacturers in particular that are designed for larger drivers or have a reputation to have sufficient adjustment to accommodate larger drivers that I should try?

Specifically I'd like a longer seat base so that my legs are supported under my thighs behind my knees and a seat that can go further back and high up without hitting my head (so that my legs are not forced to bend at the knee so much that my thighs raise off the seat and more weight is forced onto my sitting bones which becomes uncomfortable quite quickly). I also need plenty of headroom and a steering wheel which goes forward and back aswell as up and down. I'm open to spending on an aftermarket seat or "seat base leg supporting extender cushion" if such a thing exists?!

I was hoping to spend about £7k max on a used car about 2010?

Thanks!

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Mon 21 Jul 2014 20:38
Used tall car for tall driver - daveyK_UK

For £7k you will easily get one of the latest shape Van based MPV's.

The best is the Citroen Berlingo Multispace / Peugeot Partner Tepee (exact same vehicle, but with a different badge)

The Fiat Doblo is ok but not as refined as the Multispace/Tepee

There is also the Renault Kangoo, but they stopped importing it a while ago and the rear leg room is poor compared to the others

There is the VW caddy, but dont be tempted by the VW badge, the caddy is not that reliable.

The beauty of these type of cars is the head room, massive boot, high up position, good visability, cheap parts, low insurance group.

the downside is the aerodynamics affect the MPV economy wise compared to a normal hatchback/saloon (for example the berlingo 1.6 diesel we use to average around 49mpg in a mix of town/motorway, but the same engine in the C3 does 60mpg combined), some people think they are ugly.

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Mon 21 Jul 2014 22:19
Used tall car for tall driver - Ethan Edwards

Previous model Nissan Note. Plenty of room for my 6ft 4 inches in fact you could even wear a tall hat if you like. Plenty of examples, cheap to buy run and insure, reliable.

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 02:11
Used tall car for tall driver - daveyK_UK

Note is a good choice.

You get good visability, but you dont get the high up driving position.

,

The local dealer is lending us a new shape Note for 2 days next week, i think he wants some business. Back in March I wasnt permitted anything more than the standard test drive.

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 12:18
Used tall car for tall driver - 72 dudes

I would also look at a Mercedes Benz B Class. Amazing amount of space inside given the overall length.

£7k won't get you a 2010 model, but plenty of older well looked after examples out there. The seat bases tilt at the front as well as back/forward/up/down, so getting a good driving position should be achievable.

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 14:58
Used tall car for tall driver - Gibbo_Wirral

I'm 6 foot 4 and found the Peugeot 307 and 407 good cars for leg and headroom.

Obviously the 307 has been replaced with the 308 now, which I'm not a big fan of because of its "bugs", but I think the 407 went on for some years so you can pick up a fairly new one.

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 17:00
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272

Hi, thanks but these are normal low "feet out in front" cars which we're not considering.

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 17:15
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272

Hi, sorry but B class gets bad reviews (well average but you don't want to pay merc prices for average do you?!). Also, even if it is years old and affordable, prices for parts and repair will still be excessive. Thanks for the idea though!

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Tue 22 Jul 2014 17:05
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272

Thanks! I will look into these....but suspect wife may say NO WAY when she sees them :-D

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 19:24
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272
Update: I tried the berlingo's (along with other citroens, even the grand picasso) and they do not accommodate long legs. They are noticeably worse than other makes for this as I tried Honda, Hyundai, VW, Skoda, Mazda, Ford, Volvo too. So I'm still hunting, still got to try Renault ( probably Scenic) BMW and Merc but I probably can't afford the last two. Best so far has been Ford S-max. I was blown away by the space and visibility of an MPV compared to the SUV/Crossover styles I had been trying. Shame as they don't look as cool!
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Tue 22 Jul 2014 22:49
Used tall car for tall driver - Avant

"Hi, thanks but these are normal low "feet out in front" cars which we're not considering."

Not sure which post you were replying to there. Which cars do you define as 'feet out in front'?

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 19:19
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272
Hi, I was replying to gibbo_wirral's post about the peugeot's. "Feet out in front" is self explanatory? If (as in most standard cars) the seat is too close to the floor you drive in a position with your legs stretched out forward rather than downwards.
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Sat 26 Jul 2014 23:57
Used tall car for tall driver - Happy Blue!

If you like the S-Max, buy one. I love mine (despite being only 5'7") and it is a great pleasure to get back into it after driving most other cars.

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Sun 27 Jul 2014 12:13
Used tall car for tall driver - dddd272
I just wanted to be sure there wasn't a better choice out there. The smax is confusing as it gets top or near top on several review sites for mpvs but on (I think) whatcar even though it gets 4stars in general and gets top spot in their mpv table when you look at the actual model reviews below in the summary section a lot of them get much lower reviews eg 2 stars. I think i need a petrol due to dpf (and possible dmf?) problems with modern diesels and I think some reviews are for the diesel models/engines. Shame as i would have gone diesel for better mpg/torque/reliability as a lot of these engines get better reviews than the petrol versions but these problems make modern diesels seem like a nightmare.

Also it gets low marks for reliability in jd driver power surveys and HJ's "% mot pass" section which is a bit off-putting.
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Fri 27 Apr 2018 22:28
Used tall car for tall driver - Loub
I know this is a really old thread but just wondering if you went for the ford s-Max in the end?? I bought a 2008 Citroen C4 Grannd Picasso 8months ago and it was great for space and comfort (I am 5’11 with long legs. However, after 6months it has become unreliable and with 3 kids I need a reliable car over space. Looking at Toyota verso for reliability but worried it’s too small. Is the Ford s-max reliable as sounds like it could have the space we need. An automatic would also be preferable but not a semi-automatic like the C4 as I am not keen. Like you I am after petrol and not diesel. Many thanks....
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Fri 27 Apr 2018 23:18
Used tall car for tall driver - Avant

We haven't heard from him (I assume it's a 'him' at 6'6"....) since 2014 so we shall never know. But an S-Max or a Galaxy (or SEAT Alhambra) would have been the sensible choice for his needs.

The only problem is that most of these were diesels - but look at Cars for Sale on this site or Autotrader and see what petrol ones are available.

Edited by Avant on 28/04/2018 at 12:53

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Sat 28 Apr 2018 08:23
Used tall car for tall driver - badbusdriver

It would have been much more sensible to start a new thread than resurrect a long dead one. But in order for anyone to provide any meaningful suggestions you need to tell us what your budget is and as much information as possible regarding the cars use. Such as expected annual mileage, type of journeys, amount and type (children or adults) of passengers, dog etc.

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Sat 28 Apr 2018 15:08
Used tall car for tall driver - corax

This thread reminds me of the dilemma facing people who want a large MPV but that will also be reliable as it get older with the Toyota Previa now gone and no replacement. Mazda 5, Toyota Verso too small. I think the Hyundai i800 is discontinued.

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Sat 28 Apr 2018 15:27
Used tall car for tall driver - badbusdriver

If you are so inclined, there are plenty of large petrol powered (or hybrid) Japanese import MPV's to be had. They are not especially good value to buy, but that needs to be weighed against the reliability assuming you intend to keep the car long term.

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Sat 28 Apr 2018 20:56
Used tall car for tall driver - daveyK_UK
What problems did you have with your C4 grand Picasso?
I’ve heard very mixed reviews about them, seem to be some common faults on the pre facelift model. Post facelift model to young to draw the same conclusion but so far so good.
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