We tried to fit four adults into one for the monthly " class of "58" lunch reunion

No one was completely comfortable.
I am 6'4" and was driving.
Bonnie is 5'1".

Norma is 5'10" and buck is 6' even.

In looking for a vehicle with a lower ingress and egress with more leg room, I am finding nothing.


In a nation with this many elderly , one would think there would be at least one option

Most all vehicles are.

Next time you see a car commercial on TV, etc... look how small the actors are (to make the vehicle look as if it has more room).

There is nothing wrong with that. Simply selling their merchandise to the best demographic available.

Seems that the reason that trucks sell so many units is that it is the only remaining vehicle some can still fit in.

If it has Stow-n-go seating, it is going to require a higher floor either way. I think some of the front wheel drive vans (Transit?) will have the lowest floor of most any ride that isn't a sedan.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:

Seems that the reason that trucks sell so many units is that it is the only remaining vehicle some can still fit in.

I am 6'3" with very long legs (36" inseam), and I have limited mobility. I have found a few vehicles that I can sit in comfortably, but it's a bit of a struggle to get in and out of them.

The easiest vehicles for me to get in and out of, are full-size pick-ups, like F-150.

quote:

Dodge mini vans are for kids, ( and tiny adults)

I bought my wife a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan mini van way back in 1997. We had 3 young kids in the house. It was a great people mover, with plenty of room for kids, carpools, and long trips with room behind the 3rd row of seats. That 3rd row was the only one that wasn't comfortable for adults.

I think they are smaller now...

The first test of any new vehicle I am interested in is how comfortable it is to actually drive.
I am 6/4 and 240. Many vehicles just dont work for me.

My 6'9" (that he'll admit to) son feels your pain. No car he's tried has ever really been comfortable. An electric seat that can be tilted enormously is an absolute must-have.

I think an early 70's El Dorado two-door would work, but I don't see any on the lots around here.

I agree with a V-Tail that a full-sized pickup is probably in the son's future. He's sneaking up on 40, and his knees are giving him sass.

quote:

I think an early 70's El Dorado two-door would work, but I don't see any on the lots around here.

Preferably, a convertible...

So I guess that the cars are the same dimensions that they were in 1970, but the average adult has gotten larger .

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
...the average adult has gotten larger

Very possibly.

That said, car dimensions might have shrunk, for weight/air drag/MPG advantages.

I’m 6’3”, old and stove up, I don’t think I have ever had anything better for comfort and ease of entry and egress than a 80’s model (square body) 2wd Suburban.

My buddy in college had a 70's El Dorado like the one pictured above. It was a land yacht. Truly large.
They don't make them like that anymore.

The same people that determine how many people a vehicle will seat, also come up with the capacities for gun safes.

To be fair, if Americans keep getting bigger, we'll need cattle cars to haul around multiple adults.

Ford Flex [no longer made] has pretty good room in all 3 rows.
I'm 6'0" & fit in the 3rd row. Ingress/egress isn't the easiest, but it works in a pinch.

Also, my wife's friend's Chrysler Pacifica was pretty roomy. I was in the 2nd row & had no complaints.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5, March 24, 2025 12:47 PM

Model X Tesla and the Escalade are the most comfortable for me. (Smashed up, 6’4”, 36” inseam.)

People must have been about the size of an average 11-12-year-old in the 1910s and 20s. All of my brother's antiques (notably the 1929 Model A pickup, 1912 Model T, 1927 Dodge Bros. truck) from that era are cramped. When we (average-sized adults) sit in or drive them, our knees are splayed out and the steering wheels are nearly touching our chests.

I'm leasing a 2024 Mazda CX-90. Wanted to see how a bigger 3-row SUV would work for our family (7 and 4.5 year old grandkids) compared with my wife's Odyssey.
After a year and a half, I've decided my wife is absolutely right. The third row on an Odyssey is much easier for adults to get into, and more comfortable, than the three-row SUV.
Also: if you use the vehicle as two-seater, the Odyssey has vastly more space behind the second row than the CX-90. The Odyssey is more car-like to drive; has plenty of pep; but its gas mileage (20 mpg or so) is definitely less than the Mazda which is a PHEV; it gets 25 mpg generally, 30 mpg on interstates.
Another bonus of the minivan: its lower ride height makes it much easier to get in and out.

Bottom line: the wife wins; I'll ditch the CX-90, and when we need a new vehicle it will probably be another used Odyssey.

Just another four inches of leg room in the front and four in the back and life would be great.

I'm 6 foot and love driving my wife's Honda Odyssey. It doesn't even feel like you're driving a van, more like a big car and it's easy to get in and out of.

Frind of mine kas a Kia Carnival. Loads of room in it! But lots and lots of electronics to go haywire. The owners manual has the same pages as War and Peace!