OT: Leg Room

[William]

Hi folks!

So I've got the week off and I'm hanging with my children. Doing the Tall Ships, picnicking at Beavertail and wandering around Jamestown. When we were getting back in the car over at Fort Weatherall (lower end by Bull Point), I notice that there is literally no room for my daughters legs seated behind me in the Volvo S70. Because of my height, I have to have the seat all the way back, and even then my knees pretty much touch the dash. Both kids take after dad and are big for their age (and they are just going to keep growing). My son can't sit behind me anymore. So, now I'm thinking it's time for something with more room. I don't really want to go the Mini van route but I may have to. I could live with a Eurovan, but last I checked, they don't sell them in the states anymore.

So,

Can anyone recommend some vehicles that have ample amounts of leg room front and back?


Thanks!
William

[Ozz]

I think the minivan route is your best bet...but you might check out the Honda Pilot. Ours is pretty roomy in the back. However, the "third-row" seat is for kids under 10 only.

[davids]

Not me, dude. I'm looking forward to replacing my Acura TL with something a bit smaller. Maybe an Audi A3? Big cars feel so profligate now.

Your fault being so tall...

[Ti Designs]

Your fault being so tall...


Yeh, what he said. You should have had your kids sleep in Tupperware so they don't grow. At this point I would say the minivan option is much better and cleaner than the sawzall.

[TimB]

The Pilot and Odyssey are built on the same platform, and use the same engine.
We opted for the Odyssey over the Pilot because it's roomier. esp with the third row seats up. Our girls are small now, but the amount of 'stuff' just seems to keep increasing.

They both have (forget the acronym) the feature where 3 of the cylinders shut down when demand on the engine is low - cruising or coasting. Don't even notice when they cut out or come back online. Saves several MPGs at highway speeds.

[erikbrooks]

I'm a short leg, tall torso 6 footer, and I have probs finding cars I can see out of without 'roofing out'. My son is 6'2". My wife has really long legs. We got a VW Passat (2002) wagon. I think it's got more rear seat headroom than the sedan. Leg room is good too, tho I'm not sure how it compares to other cars mentioned here.

Also, with the rear seat folded down, I can put a couple of 63cm bikes in the back, with a blanket between them. Probably saves me a few miles/gallon. last weekend I drove to a race with a mtn bike back there, and averaged 32MPG with the 1.8 turbo 4 engine. The drive took longer than I'd allowed. I didn't want to find the campground and set up my tent in the dark, so I drove down a dirt road a bit and slept in the back of the car. Room for a six footer there - I could barely stretch to full length, but I could do it. I slept well, and free. A nice option to have.

VWs aren't as reliable as Asian cars, and I'm not sure I'd buy another for that reason, but the practicality and comfort are very good.

[Kevan]

http://www.mtilimos.com/graphics/atlantastretchhummer4.jpg

[Ahneida Ride]

How bout the Honda elephant ?????

The old BMW 2002 had plenty of room .....

We have the same problem Uncle William .....
We need headroom too !!!!!

I once had the opportunity to drive a race prepared Lotus ...
I could not fit in. I suspect that is why the owner gave me the keys ...

Poor Pete was not so lucky with his M5 .....

Oh yea ..... Kevan ..... better not make fun of Uncle William ...
He just may pay you a visit ....... :D

[Serotta PETE]

I am far from tall but the Honda Pilot has plenty of leg seat room and handles pretty well. It get about 23 miles/gal on the highway and 20 around town.

Bike with the front wheel off fits behind the rear seat and still has room for luggage. The Chrysler and Honda Mini Vans (as well as Sienna) will swallow anything. Problem is that wife says if we got a mini van she would drive my M3 - so we have a pilot!! ;) ;)

[Kevan]

I know I'm a short tall person, but I too cry for more leg room.

Tho...I can't imagine the William family. That's gotta be like a stilts convention going on way up thar.

[KJMUNC]

I'm 6'3 and love our Mazda 5. It's as close to a euro-wagon platform as I've seen in the States and has the great benefit of sliding doors on either side of the car plus a liftgate in the back. The third row seating is pretty much a joke and you lose all your cargo room when they're up, but if you put them down you have decent cargo space with seating for four (2nd row is captain's chairs).

I keep a rack on top and manage 28mph on the highway at around 70mph.

It's definitely not as roomy as a midsize SUV like the Pilot or mini-vans like the Odyssey, but you can get them for less than $20k and can park them just about anywhere due to their small size.

The next step up from there is the MPV, which is a full-on minivan.

[Too Tall]

YourLordHighTitan'issimo - I'm going to make a pea to deal with it. I've had sim. situations and have always come back to two cars...the Volvo or a Benz wagon. Reason is plain as the airbags surrounded by pillars of steel backed up by crush zones ....well you get the drift. Tell them to suck it up...good training for the real world.

[Ginger]

The Mazda 5 is the same platform (volvo) as the Mazda 3 five door (my car) with different gears in the box.

If the Mazda 5 was available when I bought my 3, I'd be driving an "almost" minivan! Whew.




I'm 6'3 and love our Mazda 5. It's as close to a euro-wagon platform as I've seen in the States and has the great benefit of sliding doors on either side of the car plus a liftgate in the back. The third row seating is pretty much a joke and you lose all your cargo room when they're up, but if you put them down you have decent cargo space with seating for four (2nd row is captain's chairs).

I keep a rack on top and manage 28mph on the highway at around 70mph.

It's definitely not as roomy as a midsize SUV like the Pilot or mini-vans like the Odyssey, but you can get them for less than $20k and can park them just about anywhere due to their small size.

The next step up from there is the MPV, which is a full-on minivan.

[1centaur]

The two cars I have been in that elicited a "wow" on rear seat room were a Mercedes sedan and the Toyota Avalon. Model years change things, so YMMV.

[dwightskin]

Check out GM's new "crossovers." The rear seating is great, even in the 3rd row.

All the seats fold down for some flexible storage. Powerful engine.

The Honda Pilot is kind of an Improved 2000 Ford Explorer. The Saturn Outlook is an improved 2006 Honda Pilot.

Of course, none of those minivan/SUV vehicle get very good gas mileage. If mileage is important, almost any mid size or large car will beat them. And probably be much more reliable.

Dwight

[Serotta PETE]

Not a +1

I truly wish that Ford and GM could measure up to Honda. I grew up with Ford and GM products but they really lost their way in quality, longevity, and fun to drive. (excluding the Mustang and Corvette), I do not know if it is still true but the V6 Saturn was using the Honda 6 cylinder.

I truly hope they get it back FOR THEY ARE TRULY CAPABLE, The American worker is second to none but the management and product development need work. (Granted it is getting better lately).

I have nothing against the Explorer or Saturn but for the money I will choose a HONDA product.

Space and miles per gallon are mutually exclusive for most products. Weight is weight.... :D

Check out GM's new "crossovers." The rear seating is great, even in the 3rd row.

All the seats fold down for some flexible storage. Powerful engine.

The Honda Pilot is kind of an Improved 2000 Ford Explorer. The Saturn Outlook is an improved 2006 Honda Pilot.

Of course, none of those minivan/SUV vehicle get very good gas mileage. If mileage is important, almost any mid size or large car will beat them. And probably be much more reliable.

Dwight

[csm]

I am buying a eurovan camper. plenty of leg room in that! and head room!

[William]

YourLordHighTitan'issimo - I'm going to make a pea to deal with it. I've had sim. situations and have always come back to two cars...the Volvo or a Benz wagon. Reason is plain as the airbags surrounded by pillars of steel backed up by crush zones ....well you get the drift. Tell them to suck it up...good training for the real world.

TitanBro, - It's hard to argue with that logic, and it's what I keep coming back to.

TD, thanks for the chuckle. :D :beer:

If they still sold the MV weekender, I would probably grab one.

http://images.forbes.com/images/2003/10/13/camp_420x278.jpg


Thanks for all the options to consider folks. Kevan, only if you'll chip in for the gas. ;)

AR, I like the Elephant. Mrs W. doesn't. :crap:



William

[Kevin]

Audi A8L or a Toyota Sienna.

Kevin

[djg21]

Hi folks!

So I've got the week off and I'm hanging with my children. Doing the Tall Ships, picnicking at Beavertail and wandering around Jamestown. When we were getting back in the car over at Fort Weatherall (lower end by Bull Point), I notice that there is literally no room for my daughters legs seated behind me in the Volvo S70. Because of my height, I have to have the seat all the way back, and even then my knees pretty much touch the dash. Both kids take after dad and are big for their age (and they are just going to keep growing). My son can't sit behind me anymore. So, now I'm thinking it's time for something with more room. I don't really want to go the Mini van route but I may have to. I could live with a Eurovan, but last I checked, they don't sell them in the states anymore.

So,

Can anyone recommend some vehicles that have ample amounts of leg room front and back?


Thanks!
William

I don't know your budget obviously, but you may want to take a look as an Audi A6 Avant wagon. I have an Allroad, which is not made for the time being, and it has more legroom front and rear than any other car I've sat in.

I have your problem too. I had a subaru that I had to have extension bars put in so I could slide the seat back further. Typically, the seat behind me can never be used. In my Audi, my height isn't a problem at all, my seat needn't be set all the way back, and I've sat in the back seat and had room to spare!

[chuckroast]

This is really off the wall but I'll throw it out there. I drive a Mercury Grand Marquis. It's the same as a Ford Crown Vic and is the classic old man's car. Now before you laugh, consider this. It is roomy as it can be, quietly and anonymously fast, reliable (they've been building this same car for 50 years),comfortable and safe. I'll drive mine till it gets to 200K, then sell it to a teenager. You can put a bike in the trunk (front wheel off). Your girls will never lack for leg room but the embarrassment factor might be high. There's a reason they use these cars for Taxis and Cop Cruisers.

PS, they are cheap too.

[soulspinner]

Avalon, Maxima, Bigger Volvos. If you are loaded Mercedes Maybach :p

[rwsaunders]

The third kid knocked us out of the wagon market as our primary vehicle. Eight years and 150,000 miles later, the Odyssey rocks.

[Too Tall]

This is really off the wall but I'll throw it out there. I drive a Mercury Grand Marquis. It's the same as a Ford Crown Vic and is the classic old man's car. Now before you laugh, consider this. It is roomy as it can be, quietly and anonymously fast, reliable (they've been building this same car for 50 years),comfortable and safe. I'll drive mine till it gets to 200K, then sell it to a teenager. You can put a bike in the trunk (front wheel off). Your girls will never lack for leg room but the embarrassment factor might be high. There's a reason they use these cars for Taxis and Cop Cruisers.

PS, they are cheap too.


Me likey...too bad they get as bad mileage as my hot rod :( I've got a "thing" for Checkers with massive big blocks...rrrrr rrrrr. Maybe in another life.

[woolly]

My wife's Nissan Murano has a surprising amount of rear seat room. She loves it, and after 4 years & 60K miles the only problem we've had was a bad battery that needed to be replaced.

[William]

Thanks for the suggestions folks! Much to chomp on for a while. :cool:


This is really off the wall but I'll throw it out there. I drive a Mercury Grand Marquis. It's the same as a Ford Crown Vic and is the classic old man's car. Now before you laugh, consider this. It is roomy as it can be, quietly and anonymously fast, reliable (they've been building this same car for 50 years),comfortable and safe. I'll drive mine till it gets to 200K, then sell it to a teenager. You can put a bike in the trunk (front wheel off). Your girls will never lack for leg room but the embarrassment factor might be high. There's a reason they use these cars for Taxis and Cop Cruisers.

PS, they are cheap too.


Crown Vic??? Nothing says "I don't give a rats a$$ about global worming or gasoline shortages" like a giant big block sedan. Besides, if I go that route I'd have to consider a Mercury Marauder. :D

http://www.alternativeauto.com/images/marauder-05.jpg



William

[stevep]

not to get off the car thing but those beavertail cove beaches are the coolest this side of the costa brava.
get there if you have not been.

[William]

not to get off the car thing but those beavertail cove beaches are the coolest this side of the costa brava.
get there if you have not been.


We spent the whole week there exploring the island. We found a very nice secluded beach that not too many people frequent judging by the unspoiled nature of it. We had it all to ourselves every time we went to it. Down a trail, take on old overgrown off-shoot, climb down the rocks to a small pebble beach that opens up between some big rock formations. Sweet!



William

[tch]

I was just at Beavertail yesterday. My parents lived in Jamestown when they were alive, and I've been visiting there for over 40 years in one circumstance or another...

Anyway, I suggest minivan. We had a Dodge Grand Caravan AWD. It easily took two fully assembled bikes in the back with the 3rd seat out. It had rails for roof rack. Even with the AWD, it got over 19mpg average (LOTS of local trips, not many highway; did 24 mpg on highway alone), and it never needed work. We drove it on several 3,000 mile summer vacations and everyone was comfortable. When it got older (125,000 miles) and the kids mostly left, we got a very lightly-used Audi A6 wagon. Way cooler, and with lots of room in back seat and cargo compartment -- but when we contemplated driving to Minnesota this year, our 18 year-old said "Why didn't we keep the van?"

It didn't drive as nice as the Audi -- but it wasn't terrible and the gas mileage is almost equal and LOTS more room. For plain-and-simple efficiency, I don't think it gets better than a big minivan. You just can't be a car snob (but that's way boring and overdone anyway). And make sure to get the "Grand" size, not the back-seat-up-against-the-liftgate size.

[William]

I was just at Beavertail yesterday. My parents lived in Jamestown when they were alive, and I've been visiting there for over 40 years in one circumstance or another...

Anyway, I suggest minivan. We had a Dodge Grand Caravan AWD. .


We've found that we really like it there. The island just has a comfortable feel that makes it very appealing.

The DGC is a logical choice to consider......I'm just not quite there yet.


Thanks!

William

[William]

Any one ever own a Toyota Forerunner? How was the leg room?




William

[vaxn8r]

William,

It'd be a lot cheaper and easier on the global warming thing to stop feeding them...or better yet have them drink from one of the local streams here in Oregon. Either way is effective but the cool thing about Giardia is you can eat all you want and never worry about weight gain :)

[Ahneida Ride]

http://www.alternativeauto.com/images/marauder-05.jpg

A buddy of mine had one. All souped up with the Police Package ....

He gave me a "demo" ride. Pulled like a train.

[davids]

Big William,

In all seriousness, I'd go with a minivan, almost certainly an Odyssey. We came very close to buying one before my wife decided that she couldn't stand driving it (?!?! - I thought it was men who were supposed to be concerned with image & cars?)

The minivan is almost the ideal package for a vehicle - maximal space for the footprint and volume. Instead, we ended up with a Mercury Sable wagon. It's practical, in a mule-like way, but has nowhere near the space or energy efficiency of a top-rung minivan.

[Ozz]

In all seriousness, I'd go with a minivan, ...
Chili Palmer: What is that?
Rental Car Attendant: It's an Oldsmobile Silhouette.
Chili Palmer: I ordered a Cadillac.
Rental Car Attendant: Oh, well, you got the Cadillac of minivans.