My company is moving out into the Superboonies, gas is hovering around $3-per, and my Taurus has 95k on it so it’s time I start thinking about a new car (the gap between when I start thinking and when I make a decision will probably put the Taurus at 125k). I’d like something that’ll get me better mileage than the Ford and after decades in competent but boring cars I wouldn’t mind the next one being interesting, though when it’s 20 below competent and interesting makes the best mix. I’m a rotund gent so a Mini is probably right out; even if I could get in and out I’d no doubt provide far more entertainment for passersby than I’d like. I think I’m looking for a two-door because the ping-pong-paddle doors on a PT Cruiser are too small. I have a weakness for VeeDubs and have heard that New Beetles are a good fit for the wider gentleman but am concerned about their reliability in recent years. And, while a Turbo Diesel sounds silly enough to appeal to me, will I be able to get it started in the depths of a Midwestern Winter, assuming this global warming thing is the fad my nation’s president assures me it is?
Any suggestions? Have I missed some models with potential?
As soon as I read the title of the OP, I was thinking of a Bug. A friend of mine, who was about 6"4’, and probably 300 lbs. had a Bug. He said it was surprisingly roomy inside.
I wouldn’t write off the Mini without trying it out - I don’t think the rotundity (rotundness?) will be as much of a problem as you think it might. They’re cunningly-designed to look smaller on the outside than they are on the inside.
Writer Daniel Pinkwater is famously round. He spent a few days in mall parking lots watching people. When he saw big people, he’d make note of what cars they got into. That led him to try out several cars, and he settled on the VW New Beetle.
I’m 6’4", but not especially portly, and I fit just fine in a PT Cruiser. I tried on a Chevy SSR the other day, and it was quite snug against the top of my head. That was disappointing.
I drive a Toyota Echo, whose odd shape gives it more inside room than you’d think. It’s the only car I’ve owned that my father can ride in without looking as if he’s been wedged in with a crowbar.
For the larger-than average person, I recommend the Dodge Neon or the Hyundai Elantra as roomy small cars. The Neon is better on headroom; the seats in the Elantra are wider.
My dad traded in the Crown Victoria he’d always pined for after a few years because he was tired of driving big cars. He bought a Camry after car shopping with me (we got a Corolla) and seems happy with it. It’s not very small, but it does get good mileage. He’s over 6 feet, not thin, and has bad knees.
A Mini-Cooper didn’t even require me to put the seat all the way back. Sure, there was no room for a rear seat passenger behind me, but the ONLY other car I’ve ever driven that had more than enough leg room available was a 1972 Lincoln Town Car.
Ignore the outside dimensions of the car. A lot of big cars are quite small inside and many small cars are quite large inside. Consumer Reports reviews of vehicles will give a general idea of the roominess of a car.
The doors of 2 door models are usually wider than the doors of 4 door models.
I’m 6’4", and I find most modern small cars are fine (I drive a Corolla). The only issue is that I really need to put the seat right back to its maximum length of travel, or if I’m sitting in the back, the person in front will need to move forward. Usually, that is not a problem. I can’t straighten my legs out completely with my legs against the firewall, but I’d never even thought about doing that until a friend asked, “doesn’t that annoy you?” It doesn’t annoy me, just as sleeping in a six foot bed doesn’t bother me because I never lie as straight as a pencil.
My head does not touch the roof of the little Corolla, but it did in the enormous old V8 Ford I used to drive (and that car was the size of a small town). I would wager that, micro-cars and some sports models aside, the average four-cylinder 1.6 - 1.8 litre hatchback from any of the manufacturers, built in the last ten years should be fine. They have done wonderful things with interior space in modern cars.
Another big person checking in. Get a coupe. That’s a 2-door automobile. You won’t have much room for passengers in the back seat, but you’ll fit fine. The best long-distance/ snow car I’ve ever owned was the Pontiac Fiero. Looks tiny, but plenty of room for me at 6’4", 330lbs. When I travel, I rent coupes – I often end up in Mustangs. Plenty of room.
I’m going to give another vote for giving the Mini a chance. My brother is 6’4" and not a little skinny guy. He found my dad’s Mini to be very comfortable and loved driving it, and he’s always complaining about cars being too small. Also, I used to work with a guy with a very tall, generously-built son who bought a Mini because it was so roomy inside.
Try the Suzuki Aerio. Marvellously roomy; wide-opening doors and low sill height make it very easy to get into and out of. Mine is 45000 miles and still going strong.
I’ll second Rocketeer’s suggestion. I’m not tall, but I am pretty wide, and there’s plenty of room in there. And how’s this for 20-below competence: you can get it with AWD.
Of those who have quoted their weight, I think I’m much larger than any who have posted here. I won’t embarass myself by posting my weight, but trust me, I’m a big guy.
I used to have a Plymouth Neon. It was a’98, the last year they made the 2-door model. It had plenty of room for me, and the back seat wasn’t too small either. But it had a really bad head gasket problem that Chrysler wouldn’t admit to and fix.
I finally got rid of the Neon last year, and did a lot of investigating when looking for a new car. Like several others here have mentioned, 4-door cars almost universally are not comfortable for large people to enter and exit. The only cars I ended up considering were 2-door (or 3-door) coupes.
My final decision came down to the Honda Civic and the Saturn Ion. Both were quite roomy, and had pretty good gas mileage. The Honda dealer was willing to dicker on the price. Saturn was not. So I ended up getting the Honda Civic. I think they have a better track-record for reliability too…
Right now, I’m closing in on 25,000 mi and I’m averaging about 38mpg on most fillups.
My 6’5" friend was surprised at how roomy my Beetle is. However, although it started like a champ during the Detroit winters, it didn’t feel as stable as our Subaru Forester and I scraped off the heat/dust/whatever shield on some packed snow, so I don’t know that I would recommend it for a midwestern winter car.
Not all PT Crusiers are the four-door model. Why not get the convertible? You can get a slightly used convertible one for about the same as a new four-door one. I think they look better than the clown-car appearance of the four-door anyway.
My housemate is something like 6’5" and roundly built. He owns a Neon, and was comfortable driving my '95 Civic. However he went to buy a new car and found that the new Neons and Civics don’t fit him. He ended up getting a Scion XB, he said he knew he wanted it when it actually felt comfortable to sit in. And despite it looking like a blocky toaster it apparently gets good gas mileage.
I have no info on how it does below freezing; freezing doesn’t happen here.
