Suitable Cars for Very Tall Person (193cm) and Baby Capsules for Twins

Slopshua on 11/11/2020 - 14:18
Last edited 11/11/2020 - 20:25 by 1 other user

Hi OzB friends,

My wife and I have some friends that are having twins! Very exciting stuff.. as such they are in the market for a new car and their current vehicle will no longer serve their needs.

Easy enough you say.. plenty of cars out there that will happily accommodate a family with two adults and two younglings. However, one of the adults is 6'4"(193cm)!

Been to couple of stealerships this morning trying to find a mid sized SUV that ticks all the boxes but when you fit a baby capsule into the back seat of such a car and adjust the driver's seat position for a person who's quite tall we've found several cars in this category wanting.

Anyone out there come across a similar issue that can recommend a car that might work?

RAV4 is out… No leg room for driver
Entire Volvo range is out… See above
VW Tiguan… Just acceptable but not ideal
Honda CRV… The best so far

Our friends aren't necessarily set on a SUV however they are conscious of their environmental footprint and so look favourably upon low fuel consumption. Budget ideally around $50k max and willing to look second hand or new.

Thanks in advance

Automotive

Comments

  • chickenchipsgravy on 11/11/2020 - 14:25
    +1

    you'll have to be a little more accommodating, any vehicle with a rear facing capsule/seat will have extremely limited recline for the seat in front.

  • npc on 11/11/2020 - 14:25
    +8

    Skoda Superb.

    • PronounceIt on 11/11/2020 - 17:31

      As a tall person in a tall family - can confirm

    • FocusRider on 14/11/2020 - 12:54
      +1

      Yep currently have one as a hire car double the amount of leg room in the backseats compared to my Golf wagon. Would definitely consider switching over when my partner and I have kids.

  • Quantumcat on 11/11/2020 - 14:31
    +1

    Have the tall person drive, as the capsule should be behind the passenger's seat (so the driver can see the baby by looking in the rear view mirror). You're only limited by the shorter person.

    • Slopshua on 11/11/2020 - 14:50
      +4

      Yes but with twins there will be a capsule behind both front seats

      • Quantumcat on 11/11/2020 - 18:32
        +1

        Oh oops. That will teach me to read the post properly!

  • bobbified on 11/11/2020 - 14:35
    +8

    However, one of the adults is 6'4"(193cm)!

    Surely one of those vehicles you've listed has a sunroof option! 😜

    • whooah1979 on 11/11/2020 - 14:42

      Driving with body parts sticking out is unlawfully.

      • pegaxs on 11/11/2020 - 14:47

        Yep, recently found that out the hard way…

        • bobbified on 11/11/2020 - 14:48
          +5

          c'mon man… you're meant to zip your pants up before you get into the car!

  • apsilon on 11/11/2020 - 14:41
    +2

    Look away from SUVs, they usually have less interior space than sedans/wagons. Unfortunately not a lot of choice in full size sedans either these days. Camry, Liberty (being run out IIRC), Mazda 6 and Optima are about the only ones that immediately come to mind but I haven't been in any of them so can't say for certain there'll be enough leg/head room.

  • spackbace on 11/11/2020 - 14:43
    +6

    Hybrid Camry

    I'm 6'3

    Why can't the capsule go in the middle, or to the side that the tall person isn't in front of?

    At the end of the day though, any discussion isn't directly with the person who's actually buying the car and we're going through an intermediary. Unless they join this discussion, it's pointless

    • pegaxs on 11/11/2020 - 14:46
      +5

      any discussion isn't directly with the person who's actually buying the car

      pffft, this is OzBargain… everything is "my friend…"

      • spackbace on 11/11/2020 - 14:48

        this is OzBargain

        I wish it was Sparta

        • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2020 - 23:49

          Sounds like a line from a movie.

          "Pffft. This is Sparta."

    • Belgarath on 11/11/2020 - 14:47

      6'7 here and I drove one for work. Fitted great with room in the back

    • The GM on 11/11/2020 - 15:54
      -1

      Lol - I'm 6'7" and can easily drive my RAV4 with a 6'4" brother behind me. When I have kids, I'm confident a baby capsule will fit behind me, comfortably. Unless OP lost the genetics lottery and has the longest legs in human history, the Toytota or Volvo products should be more than capable.

      • pharkurnell on 11/11/2020 - 16:23
        +1

        I'm 6'7" and can easily drive my RAV4 with a 6'4" brother behind me.
        Where do you put your brothers legs? In the back or roofrack?

        We tried one when missus was shoppin for cars.. (not sure if its still same model) and son was cramped in the back.

      • spackbace on 11/11/2020 - 16:39
        +2

        I'm not a fan of the RAV4 driving position, prefer the Camry's

        • The GM on 12/11/2020 - 08:28

          I do have to squeeze my left leg under the break/ next to the dead pedal to get in/ out, but after that, it's not too bad. At the end of the day, I have lived my entire life not being able to fit in cars/ planes/ trains properly so just deal with it.

      • Zachary on 12/11/2020 - 14:53

        im 7 foot 5, and i drive a p50.

  • pegaxs on 11/11/2020 - 14:45

    Im nudging 6'3" and have the Mitsubishi Outlander as a work car and there is plenty of leg room in that for me and plenty of head room as well for my over inflated sense of self worth… errr… head.

  • Simoneee on 11/11/2020 - 14:46

    You could take a look at the Mazda CX-9 or Honda Odyssey

  • Seraphin7 on 11/11/2020 - 14:49
    +1

    I'm 6'4" and drive a Volvo V90. We don't have the baby capsule any more, but I do have an upright kid's seat behind me and have no problem. I actually drive with the seat slightly forward of the most backed up position anyway.

    • Slopshua on 11/11/2020 - 14:56

      I should clarify that none of the Volvo SUV's had enough room but we didn't try their station wagons.

      • GG57 on 11/11/2020 - 15:12
        +1

        Isn't that indicative, that not many SUVs actually provide much space?
        For these needs, a sedan or station-wagon may be better for that family.

    • Quantumcat on 11/11/2020 - 18:33
      +1

      Rear facing seats and capsules take up a bit more length space than forward facing car seats

  • Muzeeb on 11/11/2020 - 14:56
    +3

    EF Falcon wagon on gas.

    Should be a few with <400,000 kms on carsales

    Room for parents, babies, pram, a full Costco shop and a MIL if it has the optional roof rack.

    • Slopshua on 11/11/2020 - 15:16

      Now there's a real car

    • Euphemistic on 11/11/2020 - 15:22

      I thought AU was the vehicle of choice.

  • isthatallyougot on 11/11/2020 - 14:58

    Nissan pathfinder. Its a great 7 seater which you would most likely need with having two baby seats. The legspace is amazing for all three rows. It has the most spacious third row seats which I could sit in comfortably.

  • bolt on 11/11/2020 - 15:01

    Tried any of the Mazda SUVs? CX-5, CX-7, CX-9, etc. There's also the Mazda 6 wagon…

  • Mechz on 11/11/2020 - 15:02
    -1

    Chevy Silverado.

  • John Kimble on 11/11/2020 - 15:03

    So they've actually gone to dealerships with a capsule and installed it in all these demo cars to test out if he/she fits? Pretty good effort, most people don't.

    • Slopshua on 11/11/2020 - 15:06

      Yes.. lucky they have been too. I was a little astounded when even the XC90 couldn't accommodate the capsule with drives seat all the way back.

  • modsec802 on 11/11/2020 - 15:19
    +2

    I'm 6'5" and have a VW Golf Highline wagon with pano sunroof and 3 kids in back. Plenty of room. But it's not an SUV :P

    • Banana on 11/11/2020 - 15:35

      Any body parts hanging out of the car?

      • Iam12 on 11/11/2020 - 17:03
        +5

        Just his massive plums for having the audacity to buy a reasonable & cheap family wagon instead of a V8 Land Cruiser like all the other ballers with 3 kids

    • whitelie on 14/11/2020 - 23:25

      Any rear facing?
      I'm really tempted to go the R wagon but don't think 2 rear facing seats will leave much room in the front….or enough room between them for a teenager?

  • CheapandUsed on 11/11/2020 - 15:28
    +3

    Might as well go for an Odyssey or Carnival.

    Plenty of space for tall people, plus 2xrear facing capsules, plus a boot that is more likely to fit the required baby stuff whenever you go out for an afternoon e.g. dual pram and a bit of shopping.

  • carlJack on 11/11/2020 - 15:44

    Go for the wagons. Skoda Octavia, Superb or VW passat.

  • plmko on 11/11/2020 - 16:23

    Ford Escape

  • pharkurnell on 11/11/2020 - 16:24
    -1

    Y62 Patrol.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/11/2020 - 10:51

      They said good on fuel, not good at consuming fuel.

  • Halo375 on 11/11/2020 - 20:05
    +4

    Perhaps they should be looking for a smaller baby capsule than looking for a bigger car? The kids don’t stay rear facing for that long either so choosing a $50k car based on that requirement is a bit silly in my view. Perhaps they should start trying some people movers like the Kia Carnival? Always gets good reviews.

    • lew380 on 12/11/2020 - 10:34
      +1

      That's a great point, I'm sure slimline car seats exist for those on a space restriction.

  • JustAC00K on 12/11/2020 - 08:14
    +1

    Kia Sorento. I'm 6'5" and my kids are now 3 and 5, so we've always had baby capsules and kids seats. It has a third row for when they're a bit older and you have more children or friends in the car.
    All of the new SUVs with a sunroof that I tried actually have less headroom, as the sunroof takes more space in the roof.

  • Lurk Hartog on 12/11/2020 - 08:59
    +2

    Do you find something comical about my appearance when I am driving my automobile?
    Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?

  • Waltervp on 12/11/2020 - 09:03
    +1

    Not an SUV, but for shits and giggles go to Ford and just sit in the last model Mondeo hatch. The diesel is ridiculously economical (5.4/100k?), the front and rear seats are cavernous and drivers seat always moves back automatically (in the Titanium model anyways) so that even if a midget drove last a tall person can still get in. Mega space in this car.

    And just to surprise yourself have a seat in one of the old New Beetles, it is the easiest car to get into for seriously obese people despite what it looks like. Tons of head space, door opens really wide, seat goes back long way… seriously, have a go! Would be a great second car both partners can drive, though the back seat is tiny when that is folded down it offers significant and surprising capacity for shopping and with seat up may just fit two baby seats at a pinch…

    • GG57 on 12/11/2020 - 10:21

      Re the Ford drivers seat automation - does that happen every time the door is open, or what is the trigger?
      I had a Citroen years ago with a similar feature and it drove me crazy waiting for it every time when I jumped out quickly to open a gate or whatever.

      • Waltervp on 13/11/2020 - 08:57

        Yes, I find it a bit annoying too. When you south ignition off it moves your seat back for easy exit… little annoying, but fortunately I have my seat a little way back anyways.

  • Brucey210 on 12/11/2020 - 09:17

    I just placed an order for a ssangyong Rexton ELX model. Made in south Korea like Hyundai or kia. Around the $45k mark. I'm 193cm but fit comfortably. The top tier ultimate comes with a sun roof but I found it lowered the overall height of the roof so didn't get it.

    I mainly got it for the 3.5 tonne towing but it's also a 7 seater so plenty of room for kids and capsules for you.

  • OzHunterNSW on 12/11/2020 - 10:14

    Good work… keep researching

  • lew380 on 12/11/2020 - 10:30
    -1

    As a 6'6" dad, I drive a 2018 Nissan xtrail, a lot of headroom, to me that's the biggest concern, not safe if I can't see most of the road in about 80% of those small fake 4wd soccer mum cars. My other driver is an 07 Ford focus, also really good headroom.

    That being said, we only have 1 kid who takes up the middle seat of the back row, we are about to spawn a second child in a month and I'll see how the leg room suffers with dual child seats in the back row! I'm hopeful!

  • [Deactivated] on 12/11/2020 - 10:52
    +2

    Subaru Outback.

    Top trims are super well-equipped. I'm only 6'0 but there's loads of room more than I need with enough room behind too, plus still some boot space - unlike regular SUVs.

    Wagons 4eva.

  • shakman on 12/11/2020 - 11:32

    Maybe a Mitsubishi Outlander or a Mazda 6 (Sedan or Wagon)?

    I am 6 foot, I have had both and they both have plenty of legroom and the width for twin baby seats

  • GG57 on 12/11/2020 - 11:53

    We used to have a Ford Laser TX3 (2-door). We seemed to manage ok.

  • Boogerman on 12/11/2020 - 12:01

    Tesla Model X. Hold it for 20 years & you save money

  • Slippage on 12/11/2020 - 12:58
    +2

    I'm 195cm and have twins, So I can give you actual recommendations.

    Prior to birth, we took the car seats/capsules and pram around the dealerships and essentially said "shows us a car this fits into and we'll buy it". after dealing with many cocky salesmen and women, we ended up buying a Ford Territory Diesel (SZ). The reason it worked is the middle row is on rails, so when slid back, there is enough room for the capsule and a tall driver. We then had a 3rd and luckily for us, it was one of the only cars which could fit 3 car seats next to each other, in the same row. well below $50k budget and very good on fuel also. Highly recommend.

    However in saying that, we now own a van and wish we had of done it sooner. Nissan Elgrand E52 ~25,000
    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/?&q=(And.Service.Carsales..(C.Make.Nissan..(C.Model.Elgrand..(Or.Series.E52..Series.PE52..Series.PNE52..Series.TE52.))))

  • LFO on 12/11/2020 - 13:42

    Have you considered the unthinkable?:

    A luxury van

  • rt1111 on 12/11/2020 - 13:56

    I am 193cm, no twins though.
    2 kids, had a capsule in the back for the younger, Subaru Forester has bags of room for us.

  • Noblejoker on 12/11/2020 - 18:58

    I am 196cm and have had similar discussions here over the years
    My 2 sons are now both taller than me - so ream leg room is at a premium
    By far the largest 2nd row space we have seen is in a Toyota Kluger
    What it lacks in style, up to date features etc it makes up for in leg room
    Apart from being a bit thirsty I have no complaints - just be sure not to get the base model
    Prior to that we had a 5 seat Mits Outlander which was a very good car for the price
    Rear legroom was adequate and more than enough for 2 x baby capsules
    Outlander much more bang for buck and good engine too

    As the driver I find the most important thing is driver seat comfort and driver position
    The front 'A' pillar in many cars can impede vision
    I find the Mazda SUV almost undriveable given the thick pillars and the sensor box behind the rear view mirror which takes up eyeline for a tall driver
    The Skoda superbs get rave reviews and I would try one if going for a wagon
    I test drove a Skoda Yeti which was an excellent medium size car but it is square and ugly
    Make a good around town car though

    Best bet if you don't mind the quite large size and last gen tech is a Kluger
    There is a reason you see so many of them in the school drop off zone

    • Noblejoker on 14/11/2020 - 10:33

      So we just neg now but don't comment as to why? Hmm

  • [Deactivated] on 14/11/2020 - 23:21

    Audi Q7.

  • justaperson on 16/11/2020 - 22:08

    Honda Odyssey would be the go in this case. The rear-most seats fold flat into the floor and the second row captains chairs can slide almost all the way to the back of the car, giving you more than ample space even with the front seats all the way back. I don't know why nobody including the Honda salesman that you looked at the CR-V with suggested this.

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