Best cars for tall, long-legged, and large people?

From time to time I receive an email asking which cars are most comfortable for someone who is tall, long-legged, large, or all of the above. Problem is, I’m none of the above–at 5-9 and 175 pounds I’m probably very close to the size person cars are designed around. So this isn’t something I can evaluate well during my test drives. Even so, I’ve long noticed that the official interior dimensions provided by manufacturers are at best a loose indicator of how roomy a car actually is. Why? I don’t know, but that’s the way it is. So the specs are nearly useless for answering such questions.

In the end, the best information will come from people who are tall, long-legged, or large and who have paid attention to comfort while shopping for their own cars. If you fit any of these descriptions, please either leave a comment or contact me (see link at the bottom of the page). Whenever possible, be specific about how a particular car excels (headroom, legroom, cabin width, ease of getting in and out, and so forth). I’ll update this blog entry as information comes in.

I strongly encourage people of all shapes and sizes to evaluate roominess and comfort as much as possible before buying a car. Too many people discover that a car is physically uncomfortable for them after buying it–and this is something that the warranty and lemon laws do not cover. In other words, once such a problem occurs, you’re stuck with it as long as you own the car.