NYCFoodSnob

I'm posting on behalf of a friend (David) who must rent a car in Italy on a budget. David is a former manual transmission owner. David is very concerned that he won't fit into any of the compact/economy cars available in Italy. David stands 6' 4" tall (1930 mm) but due to some physical restrictions, he requires specific interior headroom and legroom measurements in order to safely operate a car.

For the head, anything between 39-40 inches (990 mm - 1016 mm) will work as long as the door opening is generous at the top and the driver seat sits low enough that he won't hit his head as he enters the car.

For the legs, 42 inches (1930 mm) is ideal to prevent his right knee from hitting the steering column as he uses the clutch.

I don't rent manual and/or this class of car so I need to hear from a tall man who understands the issues. Is there anybody out there who can help me with recommendations?

Thank you in advance.

Aramis

Most cars have drivers seats that can accommodate a tall man. It's the rear seat passengers that suffer more. That being said, there will be some cars he wont fit in.

For comfort, you can always check the dimensions of the cars, online, that are listed in the class that he wants to rent. There really is no other way except to take your chances since rental companies only guarantee a car class, not a specific car.

As a final resort he could complaint when he gets there that he ahs a physical condition and needs a certain size of car.

6'5"

cherrybomb

The husband and I are tall - he is 6'3 and I am 6' in heels and I always wear heels. We have no trouble with compact cars. As mentioned above the seats are adjustable.

Without knowing what his special circumstances/needs are, it is hard to make a real reccomendation that will for sure work other than suggesting he rent a car at home for a day and try out the compact to see if it works. It wouldn't hurt.

greg

The headroom is a tough one. I have the same problem. Unlike the leg room, cars have either little or no satisfactory headroom adjustment capabilities. I go with a backup plan in my pocket.

Cowboy1968

Aramis explained the problem: No matter if he finds out at home that he will fit into a Ford Focus but not into a VW Golf, that knowledge is of no use since the rental car is not required and will not have a certain make available.

If the station he plans to rent from is a big one, he could explain his issue at the counter and ask they would let him "test" another make if the one pre-assigned does not fit.
But if the choice is limited, he may have to upgrade to a bigger car class - and I doubt that the rental car company will necessarily do that for free.

NYCFoodSnob

I have over thirty years of travel experience. I'm fully aware of the limitations. Knowledge provides an opportunity to react smartly when a dilemma presents itself. Some people prepare, others don't. My hope is to hear from more people like Greg, who truly understand the issue.

<i><font color=#777777>"Most cars have drivers seats that can accommodate a tall man."</font></i>

Seat adjustment is NOT the issue. David has a list of American rental cars that he cannot drive because he can't enter and exit the driver's seat safely. The list is large and it includes many medium to full-size vehicles. I'm 6" tall and I cannot fit through the doorway of a Ford Escape Hybrid NYC taxi without banging my head. If one stops, I've learned to flag them away.

It's not a question of whether the front seat is adjustable. Btw, who doesn't know that? The safety dilemma is getting in and out of the car without incurring neck strain. The car needed is for a single driver. The back seats are irrelevant. However, David cannot drive the car if the front seat requires too much recline. Therefore, the roof has to be high enough and the seat needs to sit nearer the floor. Too bad Auto Europe doesn't have a forum.

We're working on a Plan B. There's no rush. I have the local numbers for several rental locations. I would like to put forth a choice (if one exists). Upgrading is not a safety net because a larger, more expensive car does not guarantee the driver's door opening will fulfill the required measurements. I'm plan to cull a list of medium size cars as well. These measurements aren't easy to find for all car models and it's impossible to know how reliable they are by viewing a diagram.

I need to hear from tall men who own or have experience driving the Fiat Punto, Fiat Bravo, Ford Focus Wagon, or the Peugeot 207. Thank you.

Pvoyageuse

"I have the local numbers for several rental locations."

Don't give them measurements in mms as you did in your first post. Either in meters as in 1.93m or else in cms. Millimiters make no sense to Europeans in this particular instance.

Hal8999

I'm 6'2" and rented a Fiat Punto last year. I understand the headroom problems because of the way my body is proportioned I almost always find it lacking.

I didn't have any problems but I seriously doubt that there was an extra two inches of headroom available. As for inclining the head while entering/exiting, I have to do that in nearly every car so I assume I had to that on the Punto as well.

Aramis

Okay - snob - you're on your own now.

You go knock yourself out on this one

hetismij

Ok, I've suggested it before and I'll suggest it again - a Renault Kangoo, or Citroen Berlingo. Lots of headroom since they are based on a small commercial vehicle, and leg room too. Easy to get in and out of too for the same reason. You sit up higher too, and have a better over all view. European car rental companies often have these in their own special rental group, and they are not hugely expensive to rent.

Have you ever seen BBC's Top Gear programme with Jeremy Clarkson - he is 6'6 inches tall so if you see him in a car it gives you a good idea of what it would be like for your friend.

Lots of Dutch people are very tall, and they all manage to drive European cars safely. Not the smallest models maybe, but most are suitable for tall people. Our friend is 2 metres tall and he can drive pretty much any car in the range you mention, though he personally drives a Berlingo.

hetismij

I meant to add that my sons who are both 1m 90 tall can comfortably drive an old model Ford Ka, which is a tiny car.

nukesafe

I agree with you Aramis, the Snob needs an attitude adjustment if he/sh expects people to put themselves out by posting suggestions. I had what I thought would be valuable information, but if I risk getting snapped at like that --- forget about it.

cherrybomb

You can't fit into the new cabs? Yeah, they are a pain to get into as are the SUVs I sometimes get when using car service. But I can get in and I certainly wouldn't waste time waving them off.

Anyhoo, you laid out the issue more specifically. Good luck.

NYCFoodSnob

Good grief. Where on earth was the snap? You want to talk about rude and having attitude? If you don't have an answer to my question or even something smart to add to the discussion, then don't assume if you post worthless blabber it will go unchallenged. Fodor's is famous for people who just like to hear themselves talk. Fodor's is also famous for smart, generous, detail-oriented travelers who know how to how to find difficult information. The latter are the people I respect.

Thank you, Hal8999.

hetismij, I've never seen the program. I'll take a look. I will also check out those two cars. Thank you.

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#777777>"Don't give them measurements in mms"</font></i>

I'm using http://www.whatcar.com/ that another Fodorite was so gracious to offer. It's a British site and I copy and past the mm measurements and then convert them to inches. However, certain makes and models don't offer headroom and legroom measurements. I wish someobody could tell me what unit of measurement is being used in the car graphic. I'm hoping if the research goes well enough I won't have to mention numbers to a rental agent at all.

<i><font color=#777777>"You can't fit into the new (NYC) cabs?"</font></i>

Of course I can "fit" but pretending to be sausage meat as I enter is not my idea of fun and nor is it ladylike. I've learned to scope out the Crown Vics. Boy do I miss the Checker's.

janisj

NYFSnob -- it makes absolutely no difference what you think of the comments so far, and it makes no difference if you DO find a car that meets those specific requirements. No rental agency will guarantee a specific model. Even IF an agency offers the one or two models that might work, they have many other cars in their fleets. So the odds are most likely your friend will not receive the specific model he wants.

Maybe you'd do better to advise your friend to use the trains instead of snapping at those who've tried to help you . . .

Aramis

And what are you famous for, my gracious friendÉ

You either gave yourself that name or someone else did and you just `love it!` so you decided to keep it.

nytraveler

You can look at some of the cars the rental agencies are offering then go to the car company web site to get specs. I would imagine that the chance of an economy care fitting those specs if slim to none.

My beau is 6'3" and I'm 5'9" and we always rent a midsize or larger to have something comfortable enough for several hours driving.

And don;t forget that the same car size in europe will be small than the size in the US (what we call midsize like an Accord or similar - they usually call full size).

Also - remember there is no guarantee of any specific car - you need to check the smallest car they have in each category - since that is what he may end up with.

NYCFoodSnob

<i>"There's no guarantee! There's no guarantee! There's no guarantee!"</i> Good grief. Would the cynics begone from this thread, please. And the snob haters can find an available stall in the Lounge, thank you. I'm looking for a few, good, tall men with experience (what else is new).

I have negotiated specific automatics in Italy before and I know how to do it. That's why I keep the local numbers. So please don't tell me what can and can't be done. Of course, there is no 100% guarantee, with anything, but I know how to narrow the field, work the deal, and keep a few options open. I simply need more information (on the cheaper cars) before I set out to put my plan in place.

<i><font color=#777777>"You can look at some of the cars the rental agencies are offering then go to the car company web site to get specs."</font></i>

Sounds logical, doesn't it? Been there, done that. Not all manufacturers offer headroom and legroom measurements. The length and width of a car doesn't tell me what I need to know.

<i><font color=#777777>"we always rent a midsize or larger to have something comfortable enough for several hours driving."</font></i>

Long drives are not required. But short ones in and out of the car are. If David doesn't get lucky with a rental, he will not take the job. He will not take the job if the rental expense exceeds the work budget. Someone else who fits in the small cars will take the job.

As I said earlier, midsize and larger cars don't guarantee spacious headroom or easy head clearance but I will investigate those choices, too. I remember shopping with my dad for SUVs and I was startled by how small the entry space was on a few models. A friend owns a Hummer and I have to duck my head significantly to clear the top edge of the doorway. For tall people, everything depends on the design of the car and how low the seat sits. If you're not tall, you can't possibly understand.

Aramis

Somehow I knew from your first post.....