One simple fix for taller people that I wish car manufacturers would/could do.
Posted by blue92lx@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 78 comments
Being 6'3", I'd love it i i could move the wheel back another 3-4 inches. I don't know if it's a limitation in telescoping wheels and having it all fit properly, but whenever I put myself into what I call the "proper sport driving position", my legs are jammed up into the foot well. To be honest, that's basically my full time position in any sports car/sports sedan because it's just too weird to have my arms stretched out at length. It feels so unstable once you get used to driving closer to the wheel. But if the wheel could just come back another few inches it would be such a massive improvement to driving comfort.
Dan_TheGreat@reddit
6’8
Until I built a sim rig I never had my legs under a steering wheel. It’s such a nice way to drive.
Just need like an extra 6 inches in the pedal box and I’d be peachy.
nmcg1634@reddit
See I’m the opposite. I want to be as far away from the wheel as possible.
QLDZDR@reddit
Car manufacturers use ergonomics in their design to cater for the largest statistically significant sample.
Long arms are usually accompanied by long legs so it works out...... but they haven't adjusted their data for BUTTS.
Big butts create a seating position that is like a thin person sitting on a pillow and also a pillow behind.
Your issue is different to that, you just need a steering wheel boss kit.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
To be fair to manufacturers, i don't think they're catering to people that sit close to the wheel because really only enthusiasts drive that way. But if you're selling a sports car or sports sedan it might be worth considering.
Big butts though, I can't deny. That might be a unique issue to figure out.
FentmaxxerActual@reddit
I'm 6'8 and damn do I feel that lol, half the time my arms are basically fully extended to reach the wheel and it's incredibly awkward for any sort of fun driving.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Im sorry lol. Yeah even at 6'3" I feel like I'm at the line of having too much legs and knees under the wheel, your height must be undoable to get a good position.
No-Stick8191@reddit
And I'll add that in cars with four doors, the B-Pillar is in the way of comfortable ingress and egress.
FentmaxxerActual@reddit
Agreed, and for me it also improves visibility a ton having the B pillar all the way behind my head vs right in my face.
Also always wondered what the side airbag would do to my head if it went off 4" from my ear...
InfinitePossibility8@reddit
That’s why every car I get is a two door.
halotechnology@reddit
And this is why I love my Camaro B pillers doesn't exist for me being also 6'3" compared to the old cobalt
TunakTun633@reddit
That’s why I drive coupes.
bigloser42@reddit
Removing the b-pillar means you need to add significant bulk to the A & C pillar plus the roof itself to survive rollovers. Which is the exact spot you don’t want to add weight to a car with any sporting intent.
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
I don't think they're inferring that the B-pillar should be removed entirely, but simply moved back, increasing the front door size and thus improving ingress and egress.
bigloser42@reddit
They you start hampering the ingress/egress for the rear passengers. You can’t just arbitrarily move the B pillar back. If it’s that big of a problem, you’d need a longer car to deal with it. Or a 2+2 coupe without back doors, as those tend to push the B pillar back to maximize ingress& egress to the back seats and have a much longer front door.
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
True, but I think some cars could afford to lose some rear door space in order to gain some better front seat ingress/egress. The one car that comes to mind for me is the Crown Signia. I checked one out at an auto show a little over a year ago, and I was amazed with how poor the ingress and egress was for the driver's seat, and I'm just a hair over 5'9". It also doesn't help that the roofline has a rather aggressive angle to it, which forces you to tilt your head more than normal, otherwise you're going to bump against it. So I think moving the B-pillar back an inch or two would make getting in and out of the front seats that much easier, all the while not impeding too much on the rear seats.
jesusrambo@reddit
That’s a car that’s optimized for the passengers, not the drivers
The comfiest seat in a Rolls is not the drivers seat, for example
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
Well that's silly, being as how the Crown Signia is a family vehicle, and not a Rolls.
anonynown@reddit
Right. Family vehicle. Meaning passenger comfort is a big factor, right?
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
Yes, but at the expense of sacrificing driver comfort? That makes no sense. Both can be had equally.
anonynown@reddit
Equally. Those doors look pretty equal sized to me.
And leg room?
Front Leg Room: 42.1 in. Rear Leg Room: 37.1 in.
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
We're not talking about legroom. That's not an issue, and has nothing to do with ingress and egress.
While the front and rear doors look pretty equally sized, that doesn't mean the front seat occupants have as easy of a time getting in and out as the rear passengers. If you look at the picture I linked above in this thread, you can see how close your head is to the roofline when getting into the front seat, due to the very aggressive angle the windshield has. There's very little horizontal roofline in the front doors. You can easily wack your head on the roofline. I did so when checking out the car at the auto show. Increasing the length of the front doors by moving the B-pillar rearward a little bit would make the ingress and egress easier.
The_Commandant@reddit
And just to clarify, it's specifically optimized for getting a car seat in and out. Small rear door openings are a hindrance for people, but can be a physical impossibility for car seats.
No-Stick8191@reddit
It's called a coupe
TheB1ackAdderr@reddit
More cars should be like the Veloster with one big drivers door and two passenger side doors.
sasu-k@reddit
Looks are subjective but I think that looks goofy
Trevski@reddit
You can’t see it though. It’s goofy in theory but in practice you’re looking at the car one side at a time.
Spicywolff@reddit
For me, I wish a steering wheel could extend out more. If you have longer legs, you gotta scoot back a bit as the pedals are not adjustable in most cars. But that leaves you reaching for the steering wheel, which is bad for your shoulder and back posture.
On the Miata ND, super Miata sells an extension which helps you get in perfect. But the third signals are a little further away from your fingers.
TrainWreck131@reddit
This is my issue in my 86 as a 6’4 driver. My legs in a comfortable position has my arms too stretched out because the wheel doesn’t come out enough. Causes me to find a middle ground that makes me hunch badly.
Spicywolff@reddit
Is there any aftermarket solution for 86? we have this and works well. 86 being such a popular platform there’s gotta be something for it.
BigAngryPolarBear@reddit
Yeah 949 makes one for the 86 too. I’m planning on buying one because I have the same issue lol
AWD_OWNZ_U@reddit
I’ve got one I’m not using anymore if you want a heavily discounted one.
Spicywolff@reddit
That’s good news. It sucks we have to do this in the first place, but it is what it is.
Yotsubato@reddit
I mean there’s the problem. Small vehicles are not friendly for tall people.
Go for a longer more roomy sports car like a hellcat instead
T-Baaller@reddit
The Mini cooper F56+ is pretty tall-friendly, it's the americans in are really fucking bad at being efficient with space.
Yotsubato@reddit
The 86 is a Japanese car
T-Baaller@reddit
It's also not terrible for my 6'4" ass. I fit in it and can operate its controls better than most I can in GM trucks or alpha platform stuff.
first line is parroting the assumption that small vehicle = fits small person, is wrong.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Yeah that's what I'm referring to. I either have to move my seat back and my arms are stretched out, which puts me in a bad position for aggressive driving but my legs are more comfortable, or I have to move the seat closer where I like my arms to be and I'm closer to the wheel, but then my legs are jammed up under the wheel. At this point I've been driving for so long with my legs jammed up that I'm just used to it, I can't stand how it feels to have my arms stretched out while driving. It almost feels unsafe now. In my wife's Volvo I'll move the seat back to be more comfortable just because the wheel is so easy and light to move, plus I'm not going to be ripping it around any corners, but her SUV is the only vehicle I drive like that.
Spicywolff@reddit
Yeah, I’d rather have my legs jammed up than my arms stretching. With limited legroom I kind of bow out my legs so that way it’s still comfortable. Albeit at not optimal.
There was a Ford expedition. I drove once that had adjustable pedal box and that made a world difference for me.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Adjustable pedal boxes would be awesome. The only car I've ever had a really hard time with was a Fiat Abarth that I was working on for my sister, the wheel didn't even have the option to telescope out, it was only up and down. I really had to compromise with that one.
Panda_Panda69@reddit
Also, I’ll chip in. For shorter ppl, my god plssss give us a way to put the seat more forward, the steering wheel too, and maybe even extend the pedals! ~sincerely, tall gal who’s a friend of many shorter individuals
I_like_cake_7@reddit
Yeah, the opposite is also true. There are a lot of cars out there that were not designed to accommodate short drivers at all.
JizzyMcKnobGobbler@reddit
Nah, there's a million things a short person can do and nothing a tall person can do. You can buy seat cushions (butt and back) to adjust your height and distance to controls. You can get blocks for the pedals if your legs don't reach. Seat bottom too long? Pull back the seat cover and cut some foam out with a bread knife...10 minute modification.
There's nothing a tall driver can do to move steering columns, seat brackets, ceiling height, and pedal boxes.
It's like people who are always cold - just put on a sweater and your problem is solved. Hot people can only take off so many clothes until they're naked. Short people can easily solve the problem of an uncomfortable car. Tall people cannot.
I_like_cake_7@reddit
I disagree. Short drivers have to sit closer to the steering wheel and airbag to the point that it’s actually dangerous. Their fatality rates in accidents are also higher than taller drivers.
And I’m 6’5”. I know what it’s like to be a tall driver.
Both things can be true.
pvera@reddit
In the Miata world that used to be called a foam-ectomy.
csimonson@reddit
this is a problem in most cars I have driven and I am only 5'6
I think the only cars I didn't feel like that in were an NB Miata and an FD RX-7
hatsoff22u@reddit
I’m 6’2”. This is the reason I’m holding on to my GTI. The seat goes so far back that my feet don’t reach the pedals so that’s not a problem but the steering column extends just enough that it all feels natural. I’ve test driven other cars where there was enough legroom but I had to reach for the steering wheel and that was a deal breaker for me.
HomemadeBananas@reddit
I am 6’3” and I push the steering wheel in so my arms are just slightly bent. Am I doing it wrong? I don’t like being very close to the steering wheel. I don’t have particularly long arms, just normal for my height, if I were a basketball player they’d be considered on the shorter side.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Adding to what u/I_like_cake_7 said, another metric you can use is can you turn the wheel over 180 degrees with your hands at 3 and 9 o'clock without your shoulders leaving the seat. There are a few ways to measure if you're in the correct seating position, and then you have to adjust from there for comfort. You can also change seating angles so the back of the seat is a little more back but then you move the seat a little forward to keep your arms the same distance. Maybe move the wheel up and down a little to get a good position there where your hand is close to your neck/chin at the top of the wheel, but then this depends on the ergonomics of the car and everything else.
My main two though are the wrist on top of the wheel, then I turn the wheel 180 degrees to see if I can do it comfortably without my shoulders leaving the seat. Then I start moving everything around from there.
I_like_cake_7@reddit
The rule of thumb I’ve always heard when it comes to a proper driving position is that if you fully extend your arm without leaning forward, the top of the steering wheel should meet at your wrist.
ZannX@reddit
I feel like it's mostly an issue for short armed people. I'm average height/build, but my arms are short relative to legs, and this is my main issue is most cars.
nova46@reddit
It is. I have long legs and short arms and I struggle with the seating position in my GTI. My Camaro is way more comfortable although the steering wheel is too big.
wiscotangofoxtreat@reddit
I wouldn't say so as someone as tall as OP with a much longer wingspan its still annoying
cat_prophecy@reddit
I'm 5'6" but I have pretty long arms for my body size. I feel like I can't get the wheel far enough away.
If it's comfortable for my arms, then my legs don't reach the pedals easily. And vice versa.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Also a good point as far as different body shapes and sizes. Tall people = long legs, but in your situation you don't even need to be over 6ft tall to have the same issues.
DrZedex@reddit
I'm much short but still have that problem. I always pull the wheel full towards me in every car I've had.
I think most people can't have it closer because their fat belly rubs on the wheel when they do? Or at least that's what I've noticed from causal observation.
No-Stick8191@reddit
Same. Some car manufacturers get. Most don't.
seswaroto@reddit
Which ones do get it? My only sports car experience is a 2017 M240i, and it doesn't even come far enough back for my 6'1" self.
GotLost@reddit
Porsche absolutely gets it. I am 6'2" with a 34.5" inseam and 75" arms, and they adjust wonderfully. Not many other sports cars fit, I loved my 997.
The longer door cards in the M4 are quite nice vs the M3.
I don't fit at all in a Miata. The brz/86 twins are good, S2000 I fit better than a miata but not great. No chance in an rx8. The new supra is miserable despite being so cool.
Corvettes are a weird one. I currently own a C6 and I fit well enough, but I can't see stoplights without ducking.
There are definitely options for taller people. The 2+2 cars have more room.
OllieFromCairo@reddit
There are entire car companies I can't drive. Toyota is one--I've never sat in a Toyota that had good sight lines at my height.
Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit
I think it's done on purpose, they want the air bag far away.
squarebody8675@reddit
Oh you poor thing, it must be so hard being 6’3” 😢 yes I’m 5’9”
Ok_Two_2604@reddit
Seats that go down without the front edge staying high. Rear usually can be dropped far but the front is pointed up.
Bassracerx@reddit
Im 100% in agreement with you but it must be some safety thing because you know someone would drive with the steering wheel all the way out and the seat all the way forward and get themselves exploded by the airbag in a crash.
Maybe the steering wheel could be electronic snd automatically move in when the seat moves forward to keep someone from doing this?
cilantno@reddit
Out of curiosity, do you drive an auto or manual?
I noticed when I drive an auto owned by an auto-only driver they have their seat position wayyy too far back to effectively reach the pedals (similar heights). They basically are toeing the pedals and often very reclined.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
I drive an auto now, looking at getting a manual. But the seat being way too far back I think is just how people drive to be honest. My brother in law is a couple inches shorter than me and I put him in my seating position and it was like completely foreign feeling to him and too weird to leave it that way.
cilantno@reddit
I’d be interested to see what you’d say after you get a manual and drive it for a while!
You must be close to the pedals to get full clutch travel, and obviously that’s not needed for auto driving. Might change your view on this, or you might already be there!
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Yeah I grew up on manuals so it wasn't an issue on my test drives. It was basically the same seating position as my G70 with the auto with my legs jammed up under the wheel lol. I'm just used to it now though so it doesn't really feel weird to have my legs that way and the seat close to the wheel. I was test driving a CT4 Blackwing and Camaro 2SS 1LE, but were awesome. I've never been so deadlocked on a decision before, but I think I'm 55% on the CT4 and going that way.
Threewisemonkey@reddit
Mercedes have had telescoping steering wheels for decades
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
All cars have telescoping wheels, that's not the problem. The problem is that the need to come back another few inches past what they currently do.
DALESR4EVER124@reddit
As someone who is also 6'3, I rarely find vehicles that are uncomfortable to drive. I even fit in the GR86 fairly comfortably. Maybe your arms are longer than mine, which would be understandable.
Backseats are a different story. I always get a kick out of opening the rear doors of a new Tacoma. Who is supposed to fit back there? Only kids under 6, lol?
costafilh0@reddit
The world is made for average people, not for giants or whales.
At 6'4 myself, it is not easy to get comfortable in this world made for mids.
TheAntiAirGuy@reddit
Never had this as an issue
As a 6'4" person I usually have the seats all the way back and then even have to move the steering wheel forward a bit so my arms aren't too stretched out
But what definitely happens is that they don't go higher, in quite a few cars, especially Asian, like Toyota, Lexus or BYD I have my knees constantly hitting it
One-Butterscotch4332@reddit
Fr. I'm 5'11" and my wheel is always all the way out, idk how I'd do it if I was taller
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Luckily most sports cars/sports sedans have enough room under the wheel to do it. I have a G70 right now and my knees aren't in the way. Just test drove a CT4 Blackwing and Camaro 2SS 1LE and those were fine too. Actually I think the Camaro might've been the most comfortable seating position I've ever been in because the buckets seats are soooooo low. I've never been able to sit as low in any car than I did in the Camaro I loved it.
As a side bonus though, at least in my G70, when I'm ripping around mountain roads my knees are in a good spot to hold me in the seat properly, so maybe that's a good thing? lol
orangebikini@reddit
I'm around the same height as you, few cm taller, and also like to drive with the steering wheel close. Maybe an 80 degree bend in my elbows. Which for me also means that my legs get jammed up. I'd also be interested in if there is a limitation in telescoping steering columns that makes it more difficult to make them telescope further. Or maybe it's just not worth it for the vehicle manufacturers.
I own one Group N rally car and the driving position in that is so beautiful. With an aftermarket rally wheel and boss there is so much you can do to bring the steering wheel further into your lap. Only minus of course that all of it, steering wheel, pedals, the seat, is fixed to my measurements.
blue92lx@reddit (OP)
Man I love looking at built race cars and the steering columns. I go to the Daytona 24 every year and it's so crazy looking at how far back the seat is and how long the steering column is. I just want to take one of the steering columns and put it in my daily and move my seat back to the middle of the car lol.
MissSeductive22@reddit
The struggle is real. Being tall in a sports car usually means choosing between having your knees hit the steering column or having to reach for the wheel like you're trying to grab a passing bus. A few extra inches of telescope would save so many lower backs from the 'hunch' of shame.
CelebrationOk5922@reddit
real 💀