Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by dammage79

What about Cadillac? They're made for Americans. Landing one of the few Blackwings would be killer.

Aren't they just RWD? I honestly haven't looked at Cadillacs, but I really don't like them. Maybe they fit, but still not what I'm after. You're not crazy, though. Maybe I'll stop at Cadillac on my way home just to make sure I've explored all options.

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm 6'4" and proportioned in just the perfect way to make a lot of this a challenge. A lot of people my height (I have three friends I can think of off the top of my head) just say fata it and drive trucks. That's great if you are satisfied with driving a truck every day, which I'm not. I love ripping around in cars. I actually even own an F-150 that I'm very comfortable in, but I just find driving it to be so boring that it strips all the joy out of driving.

I am picturing a human version of a T-Rex right now, all legs and no arms. Need room so you aren't banging your knees on the steering column or lower dash but don't have the reach to get to the steering wheel. I must admit I always thought the problem would be head clearance.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Leondros

I am picturing a human version of a T-Rex right now, all legs and no arms. Need room so you aren't banging your knees on the steering column or lower dash but don't have the reach to get to the steering wheel. I must admit I always thought the problem would be head clearance.

Well head clearance is a part of it. Tall people have to recline the seatback a fair amount to give themselves head room, but then that takes your upper body further away from the wheel. So you're right, but the headroom thing creates the reach thing.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Well head clearance is a part of it. Tall people have to recline the seatback a fair amount to give themselves head room, but then that takes your upper body further away from the wheel. So you're right, but the headroom thing creates the reach thing.

If there is a sunroof, forget it. They just ruin head clearance. I can’t sit upright in a Dodge Ram unless the driver seat is fully powered and I slam it to the ground… I’m also 6’4”.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

If there is a sunroof, forget it. They just ruin head clearance. I can’t sit upright in a Dodge Ram unless the driver seat is fully powered and I slam it to the ground… I’m also 6’4”.

Yep, sunroofs are the worst. In the S3, however, the sunroof slides up and over the roof instead of into an envelop between the roof and the headliner so it doesn't affect head room. Otherwise I'm 100% with you. It's one of the things I love about my daughter's Sportwagen. I'm super comfortable in it and there's no sunroof.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yep, sunroofs are the worst. In the S3, however, the sunroof slides up and over the roof instead of into an envelop between the roof and the headliner so it doesn't affect head room. Otherwise I'm 100% with you. It's one of the things I love about my daughter's Sportwagen. I'm super comfortable in it and there's no sunroof.

You know what doesn’t really fit in that though? A rear facing car seat… my passenger seat leg room no longer exists.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

You know what doesn’t really fit in that though? A rear facing car seat… my passenger seat leg room no longer exists.

Haha, I remember those days. #minivanlife solved that one, but even my Sienna wasn't great for me, but at that stage I was definitely not my own priority so I sucked it up.

I did come close to buying these one time: https://extendmyseat.com/ to give me more range to bring my seat back further, but that just exacerbates the problem of the steering wheel being too far away.

I also had a custom thigh extension made at an upholstery shop one time since seat bottoms aren't long enough for tall people. I see you can get something that is designed to help with that on Amazon now.

[PepsiFree]

I think short people don’t understand that vehicle fit doesn’t just scale up the bigger you go. Like sure, if you’re a little guy you can fit in everything, but when you’re tall there are cars that work and cars that don’t, SUVs that works and ones that don’t, trucks that etc etc.

Definitely jealous of little guys that when it comes to vehicle choice.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I'm only 5'11 and even I have issues in some vehicles. Ashasx is coming off a bit of a prick in this thread

[Ashasx]

hahahaha I am the prick

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I'm only 5'11 and even I have issues in some vehicles. Ashasx is coming off a bit of a prick in this thread

Like most other guys that are 5'11", I'm 6 feet tall and generally find driver seat comfort OK, even if it compromises space in the back seat behind me... that's where I find the issue usually is.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by you&me

Like most other guys that are 5'11", I'm 6 feet tall and generally find driver seat comfort OK, even if it compromises space in the back seat behind me... that's where I find the issue usually is.

Here's a question for you: do you typically max out the telescopic wheel toward you?

[Dion]

I'm 5'6" and still find there are some vehicles, like cars that I find to be uncomfortable to sit in. I was once given a POS Ford Focus to drive while my Escape was in the shop and it had no head room.

[Ashasx]

you gotta lower the seat Dion. Under no circumstance should a 5'6" person have headroom problems in a Focus

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

you gotta lower the seat Dion. Under no circumstance should a 5'6" person have headroom problems in a Focus

Maybe he was wearing his pointy elf hat?

[Ashasx]

I suppose he could be all torso too

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

you gotta lower the seat Dion. Under no circumstance should a 5'6" person have headroom problems in a Focus

I did

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Sliver

But it's a fact. I literally just sat in them all. Why would I make that up? I know and you don't.

I don't know? Because I've sat in those cars as well, and what you're saying makes no sense.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't know? Because I've sat in those cars as well, and what you're saying makes no sense.

How could it not make sense? I know I'm not a Pulitzer Award-winning writer, but I also know I explained well enough that a picture of the issues was painted. It makes perfect sense because it's a crystal clear telling of basic reality.

[Bill Bumface]

Back to the original question, I'm personally biased toward the smaller versions of everything (to a point... every manufacturer has a line where suddenly its more econobox than sports sedan/coupe).

I find smaller lighter cars always just inherently more fun to drive than their bigger counterparts, even if there is a bit of a power delta.

I'm also taller than you are, and stopped at the S4 instead of the S3. Part of that is size, and part is I prefer the dynamics you get with a the AWD systems that come with longitudinal setups rather than transverse. The Golf R/S3 always felt a little too much like FWD cars to me, but I suspect they've made massive strides there with the recent iterations of their AWD setups.

I look at the RS3 and really wonder if that's something I should be attempting to squeeze into one day, because that thing must be a blast.