3 ms·

Visibility has really taken a nosedive. Over the last few years I've daily driven a 1962 Studebaker and a 1986 Ford Crown Victoria and both of them had incredib

by jff 11y ago

Visibility has really taken a nosedive. Over the last few years I've daily driven a 1962 Studebaker and a 1986 Ford Crown Victoria and both of them had incredible visibility compared to almost any car on the road today. Parallel parking was incredibly easy in the Studebaker especially, because you could actually see the back end of the car out the (massive) rear window.

Aloha 11y ago
Window size has been noticeably reduced because of rollover safety requirements, and better aerodynamics. I have a 2011 Crown Victoria - which compared to a 2011 Charger is night and day difference.
- madengr 11y ago
  I assume that's why, at 6'5", I can't see out the damn windshield anymore. I'm looking straight into the visor,and rear view mirrors keep getting lower. It's all really frustrating.
  - bkjelden 11y ago
    Another issue is that sweeping, curvy rooflines are in style right now. I'm 6'2" and I find that in a lot of newer cars I can barely fit in the drivers seat. If you're looking at midsize sedans, FWIW, I found the Honda Accord and the Subaru Legacy to have the best headroom.
    - Someone1234 11y ago
      Agreed on the Legacy and Accord. It should be noted however that there are two kinds of tall people: Those who are tall in the torso and those who are tall in the legs (and both). People should figure out which one they are when looking at vehicles. A vehicle with a lot of headroom won't do you any good if it is all in your legs. As a resource for finding a vehicle which fits you... Go to edmunds.com (or Google site:edmunds.com [vehicle] [year]), find the vehicle you're interested in, click "Features & Specs" then scroll down to "Interior Measurements." Of particular interest are "FRONT HEAD ROOM" and "FRONT LEG ROOM." I recommend edmunds simply because they list these in one consistent easy to find format. A lot of vehicle manufacturers don't list these metrics at all on the specs page, you have to dive in a brochure to find it.
  - roflchoppa 11y ago
    You gotta lay back super far, that's my secret. I was driving a e30 m3 the other day and was amazed on how much view the driver gets, it's like being in a fish bowl.
    - madengr 11y ago
      Yes, lay back. When I rent at the airport, I always try to get a VW Bug as they have decent visibility. VW has seats that adjust pretty low, then push it all the way back, and I'm good. That's fine if it were just me, but my kids could never fit behind me. Used to have a VW Corrado when I was young and single, and that was a good car for tall people, as long as you didn't need the back seat. Next vehicle will be either a Tesla Model 3 (assuming they well be roomier with lack of engine) or a Mercedes Sprinter van. The later has good visibility and I can sit straight, which is good as my back is giving me trouble; I hate stooping to wiggle into cars.
      - blakeyrat 11y ago
        Out of curiosity, did you ever try a PT Cruiser? Of course now that they're out of production, it's kind of moot, but I've heard a lot of good things about the way their seating is designed by my 6'3"+ tall friends.
      - roflchoppa 11y ago
        I'm constantly looking for a clean Corrado, really want a v6 model. That and more 204z's. Yeah One day I put 2x2 together and realized German cars tend to have good head space, although if I flipped my buddies Miata over I'd loose all my hair....
        madengr 11y ago
        I had a '94 (last year in the US). Had it up to 130 MPH with 4 people in it and the sunroof open, and it was silent. Man I loved that car. Now I'm married with 2 kids and drive a minivan. At least I sold it to another enthusiast.
  - Sanddancer 11y ago
    Try a Kia Soul. My housemate's 6'6", and they got a Soul because it was one of the few cars that they can actually see out of.
- mturmon 11y ago
  Quite true. Also, crammed into those A, B, and C pillars, and the trims above them, can be air bags. This also increases the cross section.
jweir 11y ago
This has also increased pedestrian accidents. With the increased width of the frame pedestrians are obscured when making left hand turns. 'Why Left Turns Are So Deadly' http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/ http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/ > "When we compare the data, we find that drivers could see more outside their vehicles in the 1980s than they can now," Dr. Matthew Reed, a research professor with the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, said.

by jff 11y ago

Aloha 11y ago

Window size has been noticeably reduced because of rollover safety requirements, and better aerodynamics. I have a 2011 Crown Victoria - which compared to a 2011 Charger is night and day difference.

madengr 11y ago
I assume that's why, at 6'5", I can't see out the damn windshield anymore. I'm looking straight into the visor,and rear view mirrors keep getting lower. It's all really frustrating.
- bkjelden 11y ago
  Another issue is that sweeping, curvy rooflines are in style right now. I'm 6'2" and I find that in a lot of newer cars I can barely fit in the drivers seat. If you're looking at midsize sedans, FWIW, I found the Honda Accord and the Subaru Legacy to have the best headroom.
  - Someone1234 11y ago
    Agreed on the Legacy and Accord. It should be noted however that there are two kinds of tall people: Those who are tall in the torso and those who are tall in the legs (and both). People should figure out which one they are when looking at vehicles. A vehicle with a lot of headroom won't do you any good if it is all in your legs. As a resource for finding a vehicle which fits you... Go to edmunds.com (or Google site:edmunds.com [vehicle] [year]), find the vehicle you're interested in, click "Features & Specs" then scroll down to "Interior Measurements." Of particular interest are "FRONT HEAD ROOM" and "FRONT LEG ROOM." I recommend edmunds simply because they list these in one consistent easy to find format. A lot of vehicle manufacturers don't list these metrics at all on the specs page, you have to dive in a brochure to find it.
- roflchoppa 11y ago
  You gotta lay back super far, that's my secret. I was driving a e30 m3 the other day and was amazed on how much view the driver gets, it's like being in a fish bowl.
  - madengr 11y ago
    Yes, lay back. When I rent at the airport, I always try to get a VW Bug as they have decent visibility. VW has seats that adjust pretty low, then push it all the way back, and I'm good. That's fine if it were just me, but my kids could never fit behind me. Used to have a VW Corrado when I was young and single, and that was a good car for tall people, as long as you didn't need the back seat. Next vehicle will be either a Tesla Model 3 (assuming they well be roomier with lack of engine) or a Mercedes Sprinter van. The later has good visibility and I can sit straight, which is good as my back is giving me trouble; I hate stooping to wiggle into cars.
    - blakeyrat 11y ago
      Out of curiosity, did you ever try a PT Cruiser? Of course now that they're out of production, it's kind of moot, but I've heard a lot of good things about the way their seating is designed by my 6'3"+ tall friends.
    - roflchoppa 11y ago
      I'm constantly looking for a clean Corrado, really want a v6 model. That and more 204z's. Yeah One day I put 2x2 together and realized German cars tend to have good head space, although if I flipped my buddies Miata over I'd loose all my hair....
      - madengr 11y ago
        I had a '94 (last year in the US). Had it up to 130 MPH with 4 people in it and the sunroof open, and it was silent. Man I loved that car. Now I'm married with 2 kids and drive a minivan. At least I sold it to another enthusiast.
- Sanddancer 11y ago
  Try a Kia Soul. My housemate's 6'6", and they got a Soul because it was one of the few cars that they can actually see out of.
mturmon 11y ago
Quite true. Also, crammed into those A, B, and C pillars, and the trims above them, can be air bags. This also increases the cross section.

jweir 11y ago

This has also increased pedestrian accidents. With the increased width of the frame pedestrians are obscured when making left hand turns. 'Why Left Turns Are So Deadly' http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/ http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/ > "When we compare the data, we find that drivers could see more outside their vehicles in the 1980s than they can now," Dr. Matthew Reed, a research professor with the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, said.