Car to fit tall man and short wife

IA Roy · Dec 9, 2014

I am 6'-3" and the wife is about 5". As the years go by, we seem to need a vehicle that "fits" us better than what we used to settle for. She drives an Escort station wagon which she loves. I don't fit very well in it. Also it has so much road and wind noise that I have to pretend to hear what she says when we go together in it. I drive a Lumina sedan and it fits me pretty good. Could use a little more leg and head room though. The seat does not fit her as the horizontal distance on the seat is longer than from her back to the back of her knees. She also has trouble seeing around the headrest. I know we are not the only couple that could be having this problem.
Her car is acting up now as per the previous post and mine is running pretty good, but rusting apart. Any ideas for something that might have enough adjustability to fit us both?

fixerupper · Dec 9, 2014

Get a car with an electric seat. I'm 6'2 and Marilyn is 5'3. She insists we have an electric seat whenever we get a different family car or van. She can boost the seat up high so she can see out. If I get n the van after she has driven it I can't get my head and legs in the door till I lower the seat and slide it back. My Colorado does not have an electric seat and it sits the driver down low so she has to sit on a pillow when she drives it. Some brands of cars, mainly GM sit the driver down in a hole so it's tough for a short person. Mini vans tend to sit the driver higher. I'm more familiar with Toyota and Chrysler vans and both of them get the driver where she can see fairly well with an electric seat. Best thing to do is test drive or at least test sit in different cars.

oldtanker · Dec 9, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:40:33 12/09/14)
Get a car with an electric seat. I'm 6'2 and Marilyn is 5'3. She insists we have an electric seat whenever we get a different family car or van. She can boost the seat up high so she can see out. If I get n the van after she has driven it I can't get my head and legs in the door till I lower the seat and slide it back. My Colorado does not have an electric seat and it sits the driver down low so she has to sit on a pillow when she drives it. Some brands of cars, mainly GM sit the driver down in a hole so it's tough for a short person. Mini vans tend to sit the driver higher. I'm more familiar with Toyota and Chrysler vans and both of them get the driver where she can see fairly well with an electric seat. Best thing to do is test drive or at least test sit in different cars.

Yup. Electric seats do the trick. I'm 6'5" and the wife is 5'3". If it doesn't have electric seats we don't buy it.

Rick

Janicholson · Dec 9, 2014

The site below lists cars with memory drivers seat allowing near automated (or automated seat positioning. Seems a good solution. Jim
One site

Dick2 · Dec 10, 2014

My wife and I had the same problem, until we bought a new Camry. So much leg room for me that I have to move the power seat forward just a bit; yet the power seat will adjust to my wife's short build also.

super99 · Dec 10, 2014

Wife and I are in the same boat. We have had good luck with Camry and a 2008 Impala. Electric seats are a must have. Chris

John M · Dec 10, 2014

I don't see how these 6ft + guys are getting into a Camry. Im 6'2" and was very uncomfortable just getting into the thing. Wife thought she wanted one too until we actually looked at one. She drives a Buick Lacrosse for work and seems fine in it, I can drive it and ride in it as long as no one else is in the back seat, and I can let the seat as far back as I can. Same thing with our old Uplander. We now have a 2012 Buick Enclave. This thing has to be the most comfortable thing Ive ever been in. The seats go up and down, and adjust perfect for me and her. We drove a Chevy Traverse and it was the same way, very comfortable for both of us.

unclemerle · Dec 10, 2014

We have a 2010 Enclave and is a nice vehicle. However, after about 60 miles my hip starts to hurt. 6'2" here.

showcrop · Dec 10, 2014

Class eight trucks have air seats that go very high and very far forward and back. And then the petercar drivers and wanna bees sit on the floor any way so there is plenty of room for a tall guy, and I have seen plenty of very small ladies driving big trucks.

8)

W_B · Dec 10, 2014

(quoted from post at 12:42:40 12/10/14) I don't see how these 6ft + guys are getting into a Camry. Im 6'2" and was very uncomfortable just getting into the thing.

A Camry? Try a Corolla. I'm 6'2" and pushing 280 lbs and I can fit nicely into either. But, I prefer the higher seating position and easier in and out of the SUVs/crossovers and vans. We rented an Impala for a vacation vehicle and there was plenty of room but the seating was so low I ended up with a hurting back getting in and out of it. Currently driving a Subaru Forester and no problems with it. Wife is 5'6" and with an electric seat she has no issues.

Might look for something where the pedals move back and forth, she loves that in our Expedition, don't have to jam right up against the steering wheel to reach the peddles. Doesn't seem like a good idea to sit so close to the wheel should the air bag deploy and the best driving position is with arms more extended rather than scrunched up anyway.

Mike M · Dec 10, 2014

Nissan Cube. Plenty of head room easy in and out.30-32 MPG. Father in law had to borrow ours when his health was failing. Driver seat goes way up for short people too.
Honda CRV are pretty nice too.
Try a Honda Fit. More room than a Civic and you don't have to duck to get out of it.

NoBite · Dec 10, 2014

My wife likes to drive something with a little better (higher) road view. She likes her Toyota Highlander, but really prefers the Honda Pilot that she had previously. Both of them have the seat that raises up in addition to going back and forth. I didn't realize the seat did that and the first time I tried to drive the car I scraped my head on the ceiling! Trial and error found the adjustor lever.

oj · Dec 10, 2014

some of the ford vehicles have electrically shiftable pedals as well, that helps for some people...

hadley · Dec 10, 2014

Go to the used lot and trade in the wife for a newer model!

buickanddeere · Dec 10, 2014

It really doesn't matter . Mrs B&D is 6ft 1in and she still leaves the seat and mirrors in an unusable position .
She has a terrain SLT with the electric seats. Even the 6ft 5in boy has head room.

Texasmark1 · Dec 10, 2014

I'm 6'5 250# and she is 5'2. Silverado 1500 crew works just fine.

merlynr · Dec 10, 2014

(quoted from post at 05:49:51 12/10/14) Nissan Cube. Plenty of head room easy in and out.30-32 MPG. Father in law had to borrow ours when his health was failing. Driver seat goes way up for short people too.
Honda CRV are pretty nice too.
Try a Honda Fit. More room than a Civic and you don't have to duck to get out of it.

One of our kids has a Honda Fit, but her husband can't drive it too long because his knee hits something on the dash that sticks out(He's about 6' 1").
Wife loves the Ford Edge with electric and heated seats. It has memory button for 2nd driver,but when I try to use it after setting there is one function or another that doesn't get in the correct position.

Tom OConnor · Dec 10, 2014

Hadley,

I don't think that is going to work very well. Neighbor told me that
if you think the corn market is down you should see what used
wives are going for. He said his came fully equipped. Fully clothed,
fully jeweled, two kids and a dog and cost him a half of a million
just to get rid of her. I suggested that he take her to Africa and sell
her on the white slave market but he said he sure could not offer
any warranty as he knew she had some defects that would surface
sooner or later and the man would want his money back. Truthfully the man had plenty of defects of his own and I think that was the real problem.

Fordfarmer · Dec 10, 2014

I'll second that. I'm 6'1" and my wife is 5'2". The electric seats and pedals in her Taurus let either of us drive it comfortably, with adjustment to spare.

Jim in Ma. · Dec 10, 2014

My wife is just under 5' tall and hatted to ride in my pickup even with the added step to get in.
My red neck fix was to keep a boat cushion in there for her to sit on. The Grand kids also like it. When not in use it lives behind the seat.

howdy1960 · Dec 10, 2014

Don't trade HER in as she already has YOU trained.
A newer model would just want/have to retrain you LMAO

Adirondack case guy · Dec 10, 2014

How about a Mini Cooper with a sun roof and a motor cycle helmet for those not so perfect weather days, when you are in it? "wink"
Loren

Maxgussam · Dec 10, 2014

(quoted from post at 07:38:32 12/10/14) I'll second that. I'm 6'1" and my wife is 5'2". The electric seats and pedals in her Taurus let either of us drive it comfortably, with adjustment to spare.

I don't see the need for the electric seats.
I am 6'4", and my wife is 4'11".
I just push the seat all the way back, and she just slams it all the way forward, no precision adjustments needed.

01gentdc · Dec 10, 2014

that's Funny Loren ,,, I sugest Crown Vics or lincolns ,,, they get 20 plus locaLY and 25 plus on the open road,, safer than anything else metioned , roomy and MOST OF ALL Simple and Dependable

DaninKansas · Dec 10, 2014

Sell them both and get a newer (2006+) Impala with electric seats. You can adjust the ride height (low for you - high for your wife). Basically a new and improved version of your Lumina. We have people in our office drive the same car - from the college girl intern (5') to the company president (6'2").

Straw Boss · Dec 10, 2014

My wife is 5'2" with big b@@bs. Used to be, by the time she moves the seat forward enough to reach pedals, her chest was in the wheel with no room to maneuver. Our Ford vehicles with electric pedals solved that problem for her and is a MUST for any vehicle we shop for now. She pushes the #1 button as she gets in and the seat and pedals automatically move up to her settings. I push #2 and the pedals drop down and the seat moves back to my settings. She actually enjoys driving now and I don't hit my head getting in any more.

Car to fit tall man and short wife

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