Looking for headroom, legroom, fuel economy and reliability in a new car. I am 6’7" and do ok, a bit cramped, in my 1994 Ford Escort wagon. Getting 36-38 mpg/highway w/77,000 miles. A few years ago, I found more room inside a Neon than a large Mercedes. Any current suggestions? Thanks, Palmer
A few years ago, Click & Clack recommended the VW New Beetle for someone of your height, and they stated that it was one of the roomiest cars on the market–at least for the front seat passengers. It is also a fairly economical car. The reliability of that model is a whole different issue, but if you are looking for headroom and legroom, you might want to try on a New Beetle for size.
A radio columnist on NPR wrote a story on this subject. He said that he is also tall and quite heavy, yet the New Beetle worked well for him. Check it out.
I have a NB and yes it has lots of room. Of course you should always try it out for yourself first and if you have any kids that you expect to go in the back seat they had better not be big. That back seat is for pigmies only.
Take a look at a Crown Vic if you want something a little larger.
The Mercury Grand Marquis is certainly big enough. I know a 6’7" guy who really likes his car. They say the Toyota Avalon is a big cer, but I don’t think it’s that big. Six way power seats make a car seem even bigger.
Don’t limit yourself to any brand, and don’t be afraid to go into the dealerships asking if you could just sit in some of the cars and see how comfortable they are for you. It IS weird finding out that a car you think is roomy feels horribly cramped, yet a smaller version feels a lot more roomy. Take for instance the BMW 3 and 5 series, I sat in the 3 series sedan and it felt more cramped than my 2 door civic, the 5 series felt about like my civic does, yet the z4(their 2-seat roadster) felt more roomy than the 3 series did, AND was easier getting into because of the position of the b-pillar for the sedans made it feel like a contortionist act getting in.