Tall driver, sick driver, green driver: what car should we buy?
July 2, 2015 4:38 AM   Subscribe

After ten years it's time to retire my Ford F150 King Cab pickup. I'd like to buy something more environmentally kind. Complications: sharing this vehicle between myself and my 6'2" (still growing?) teen driver. AND need to accommodate my chronic illness. Energy(and time) nearly sapped. What should I testdrive? Special snowflake details inside.

We need to be able to carry things like camping gear, work tools, or my lever harp, while providing leg room for both tall driver and back-seat passengers (multiple tall friends). I prefer to drive a taller vehicle, having spent two decades in them. Taller vehicles also make navigating South Florida's hurricane-season flooded roads less risky. I'm no longer doing lots of gardening/landscaping, so a truck isn't necessary any more. I'd like to spend no more than $25 K, but could go to $35K for the right vehicle. $40K could potentially happen, although I'd not admit that within hearing distance of a dealership.

We have been able to eliminate several smaller SUVs and crossovers just by sitting in them. (Mazda seat designers-what were you thinking?) (We have also eliminated Honda's equivalent). (Husband has also taken an oath to Never Give Ford Another Dollar due to customer service issues, so that eliminates a lot of possibilites right there.)

The Chevy Equinox (thanks old Askme on tall drivers!) fit our criteria very well. EXCEPT... One of the issues with my body (I have systemic lupus) is that the vibrations while driving a vehicle can cause discomfort in my hands and body. Discomfort leads to pain...pain leads to inflammation...inflammation leads to the dark side. I spend a LOT of time driving. And recovering after driving. The Equinox's regular performance, while not having horrible vibration, was immediately noticeable to me. I could feel it through the steering wheel strongly, and then through the seat. I can imagine myself finding reasons to avoid attending events because of how wearing driving this vehicle will be for me. This is obviously counterproductive.

I tried a test-drive on the Chevy Traverse, and the difference in distress level to my body was immediately noticeable. I was much more comfortable. I could feel my body relaxing, rather than tensing. The ride was much smoother, fewer vibrations. The same distance drive in both vehicles felt much shorter in the Traverse. But ... I really don't NEED that much carrying capacity. And I'd prefer not to be burning that much fossil fuel to haul around empty space.

Is a vehicle that will meet my needs as well as my sense of social responsibility some kind of unicorn? Do I need to rethink the tall vehicle concept and learn to drive a car again? (Would that even be a smoother ride in my price level? Husband says the difference in ride smoothness is largely due to the weight of the vehicle.) (Would a couple 6' plus teens even be able to ride comfortably in the back?) Going for a test drive is a major challenge to my energy levels, stress levels, and my calendar, so I'd like to do as few as possible. Your suggestions greatly appreciated!
posted by theplotchickens to Shopping (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Look at the GMC Terrain it's a higher end Equinox with less road noise and fell or the Acadia (same thing).
posted by saradarlin at 4:47 AM on July 2, 2015


I would suggest the Subaru Outback or Forrester. They are Colorado's 1st and 3rd most popular cars (The F150 holds 2nd place).
posted by nickggully at 5:56 AM on July 2, 2015


Go test drive a Toyota Tacoma and a 4runner. The T4R will have a better ride, but cost a bit more. The Taco comes in a 4door configuration, but even then rides somewhat like a truck. The seats that are on the higher end trims of both are amazingly comfortable to me - and I'm 6'4". Comfort is highly individualized, so YMMV.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 6:20 AM on July 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


My short list for cars that fit my 6'5" self was Subaru Impreza and Forester, Honda Pilot and Element, Scion XB, Nissan Cube, and Toyota Matrix. All except the Matrix were acceptable for head and leg room. I ended up with the Element and love it, though the MPG ranges 20-25 and they stopped being made in 2011. Seats 4 with adequate legroom for talls in the back, and rear seats fold up/can be removed for transporting stuff. I would strongly consider a post 2012 Subaru Forester or Impreza with a hatchback for the 35+ mpg. If you end up going the car route, Honda Fit and Prius both were spacious. Car shopping is a chore - good luck!
posted by enfa at 6:54 AM on July 2, 2015


On any car, would installing after-market shocks help with vibration? The Prius might be okay for the tall one, and great on vibration. I generally prefer taller vehicles, but hybrids, esp. the Prius, are really quiet and feel smother. Maybe the weight of the storage battery dampens vibration? Also, when camping, you can use the storage (as opposed to starting) battery to power stuff.
posted by theora55 at 8:02 AM on July 2, 2015


We have driven and bought a lot of cars in the last year - A. LOT. OF. CARS. Hubby is 6' 3", longer in the torso than in the leg (so his head usually hits the roof of most cars), and has back problems. He was driving an F150. We have similar cargo carrying needs to yours. We do not however have the need to deal with driving through flooded areas.

We just bought a Toyota Sienna, and it has been the most comfy car in terms of cargo space and headroom for hubby. It drives pretty much like my Camry, so even though it looks big on first glance, I adapted to driving it in less than a week. We were thinking about getting an after-market rearview camera, but decided pretty quickly that it wasn't necessary.
posted by vignettist at 8:10 AM on July 2, 2015


I know you'd prefer taller, but a luxury "boat" car fits everything else. I used to drive a Lincoln Town Car that had seemingly infinite internal space with the smoothest ride ever.

So maybe a used luxury vehicle of some sort would be your best bet?
posted by flimflam at 10:32 AM on July 2, 2015


I'm a short person, but my tall friends really appreciated when I had to junk my old Del Sol and switched to an 2008 Subaru Outback.

It's a very smooth ride, although I hate the CVT. The stock engine is a little underpowered for the weight of the vehicle, but I think that there's a V6 variant. It's not a super-tall car, but it has AWD, decent clearance, and is extraordinarily stable - be it high winds or bad pavement.
posted by porpoise at 12:24 PM on July 2, 2015


My 6'3" partner loves my Prius. It's very roomy for the size class, although you might not want to put a tall passenger behind a tall driver since putting the front seat back cuts into rear legroom. The drive is very smooth. However, it does sit really low to the ground so I don't know how it would handle flooding.
posted by serelliya at 12:44 PM on July 2, 2015


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