Maybe OT: Car Complaint - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Big Dave · 11-08-2010, 07:29 PM

Not really looking to replace the Super Duty or Impala SS, but one does like to keep a feel for cars, so I went out looking Saturday.

Has it come to the point where nobody but Mel Gibson buys cars? Every single car I looked at had a seat to top sill dimension so small nobody but a midget could get in and out of them. Even a new Taurus (quite a bit bigger than the old Taurus) was simply impossible to get into without a broken neck or back.

Looks like I'm stuck with the Super Duty.

Truth in posting: I earn my moniker.

jamesqf · 11-09-2010, 11:27 AM

Yoga?

Frank Lee · 11-09-2010, 12:45 PM

I went to the Ford showroom to check out the retro Thunderbird and much to my chagrin noted that it was not possible to put the seat back far enough for comfort. Would it have killed them to make the car a few inches longer/find a few more inches in the existing envelope for seat travel? Who do they think is buying this stuff anyway?

Big Dave · 11-09-2010, 06:48 PM

My point exactly.

A lot of people say "Ditch the pickup and get a midget-mobile."

Sorry. I ain't a midget.

RobertSmalls · 11-09-2010, 07:22 PM

Who is Mel Gibson?

A large part of it is side impact and rollover safety. You'll have larger pillars, and many of them are full of airbags. *shrug*

If you have trouble raising and lowering your center of mass, how about a Matrix or some other tallwagon?

Frank Lee · 11-09-2010, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

My point exactly.

A lot of people say "Ditch the pickup and get a midget-mobile."

Sorry. I ain't a midget.

More often than not there isn't a good correlation between overall vehicle size and interior comfort for big galoots. I can get comfy in a Metro, a Tempo, the old Beetles (LOTS of headroom in those!), etc., and I have been unable to get comfy in some full-size pickups, SUVs, "luxury" cars, etc.

So, no, I don't buy it when someone claims they need an Excursion or some such to be comfortable.

Rokeby · 11-09-2010, 08:27 PM

I had room mate in college who was 6' 8" tall.
He swore that the only car that had enough leg and headroom for him
to be comfortable in was his 911 Porsche...

Go figure!

Later in life, when he had a family/kids, he drove a Volvo wagon.

Thymeclock · 11-09-2010, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I went to the Ford showroom to check out the retro Thunderbird and much to my chagrin noted that it was not possible to put the seat back far enough for comfort. Would it have killed them to make the car a few inches longer/find a few more inches in the existing envelope for seat travel? Who do they think is buying this stuff anyway?

In an attempt to answer your final question: probably short guys who are experiencing a mid-life crisis and can afford to buy the car based on its looks, which they find appealing.

jamesqf · 11-09-2010, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

A lot of people say "Ditch the pickup and get a midget-mobile."

Sorry. I ain't a midget.

As others have suggested, it's not as simple as the size of the car. At 6' and ~200 lbs, I'm hardly a midget, yet have had no problems getting in & out of, and getting comfortable in, a lot of sports cars, but find most of the SUVs & US-sized pickups I've ridden in to be pretty awkward & uncomfortable.

Maybe the yoga has something to do with it. But I think you just have start treating cars like clothes, and keep trying them on until you find one that fits :-)

Schelter · 11-09-2010, 11:49 PM

I'm 6'2" and 220. I work for Enterprise so I am in and out of cars and trucks all day. Getting into most of them is easy. Sitting in some of them is hard (I'm looking at you PT Cruiser and HHR!), but some of the smallest have the most room inside. Getting out of them is the biggest hassle for me but I blame that on my bad L3-L4 disc. Worst car ever to get into/out of? Chevy Monte Carlo....go figure