Like Tall Mama from 2010 discussions, my entire family of 5 is over 6 foot. My husband is the tallest at 6’9". We need leg room in front AND in back, plus headroom. We also live in So. Cal., so good fuel economy is important with all the driving we do. We take road trips, so need room for luggage. What do you recommend for three long-legged teens in back, and 6’9" in front?
Take a look at the Chevrolet Equinox. The rear seat slides back for added leg room. I don’t know if it will fit your husband in front, though. A quick trip to a dealer will show if he fits or not.
Sounds like a minivan. Three large teens in a single row on a long trip sounds very uncomfortable.
I agree with texases; minivan. You might look at the Mazda 5, it’s a bit smaller than other minivans, but gets pretty good MPGs(~30 highway)
Three big teens across and two rows of adequate legroom requires something big, especially if you’re doing longer drives. A minivan could do it, though in most the second seat isn’t very wide (to allow access to the third), or it is a pair of separate seats. About the smallest vehicle that would do would be a midsized crossover. The Subaru Forester has uncommonly good headroom. Other attractive choices are the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX9. The Ford Flex might interest you, too. It’s longer, but sits lower, more like a car. None is exactly great for gas mileage, but they’re way more efficient than the big station wagons of the past.
The seating arrangement in my 2011 Toyota Sienna may work for you. The center seat will hold two comfortably. There is a seat in the middle of the center seat that folds down, but it is only acceptable for a child (actually, I have a passenger that is about 5’ 2" tall–another horn player who likes to ride in this seat, but only because she is seated between two men). The rear seat also has leg room and it is divided so that either 2/3 can be folded into the floor or the other 1/3 can be folded into the floor or the whole third seat can be folded into the floor. If you fold 2/3 section into the floor, you have enough seats for everybody. I have had 5 adult passengers, a tuba, two French horns, a bass clarinet and a trumpet in the Sienna for our 25 mile round trip to our Thursday band rehearsals. My gasoline mileage is 15.5-18 around town and 23-26 on the highway.