I am 6’1" and 295 pounds and would like to know how to find a fuel efficient vehicle that would be easy to get into and out of.
Honda Fit, Scion xB, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, there are a number of tall vehicles with decent economy. You’ll need to try them out.
VW New Beetle. Take a test drive. Daniel Pinkwater, another large man, claims to have owned one. See him here:
They’re ‘squashing’ the New Beetle for 2012, so it may not be as roomy…
300 pounds…How about a Harley Hog with a suspension upgrade…You don’t have to get in and out, you just step off…
"They’re ‘squashing’ the New Beetle for 2012, so it may not be as roomy… "
And that’s a great reason to visit the dealer to check one out. If Jmmemm wants a used car, the 2011 and earlier may work. It’s still important to get in and drive around. Apparent similarities may not translate into a good fit.
1st gen Toyota Matrix
Bus
Ford does a good job accommodating it’s passengers. I would recommend a Taurus or a Fusion. I think you won’t be satisfied with a compact.
The Camry hybrid is pretty roomy and fuel efficient.
I would look at the Nissan Altima and Hyundai Elantra and Sonata. They are reasonably roomy and fuel efficient by my standards. (Not sure what your benchmark is.)
Also, look closely at the differences in mileage between compacts and so called mid size cars like the Altima and Sonata. Often times the differences are not as great you might think. My 2001, 3400 pound V6 Lumina is practically a full size car, and I get 21/32 mpg. I keep a light foot on the gas and the engine feels to me like it is operating effortlessly most of the time, especially effortlessly at highway speeds. Plus it has big, wide comfortable seats and a heavy, solid ride that I like. They stopped making the Lumina in 2001, but if you don’t mind an older car, the Lumina and its sister, the Buick Century, offer wide comfortable seats and what I consider good-enough mileage. They also tend to be good values on the used car market because they are not nearly as in demand as the much more popular Asian sedans.