What is a car show like for a tall car enthusiast?

"Van Man, rocks the Man Van" (jacoboconnell)
01/31/2016 at 11:54 • Filed to: Philly Auto Show

I’m sure most of us have seen the video of Mr. Regular’s experience at the 2015 Philly Auto Show. Well, I’m going to assume Mr. Regular is about average height. I, on the other hand, am not. In fact, I’m 6'8". Fitting in cars is often tough for me, so I have to go to car show like the one in Philadelphia not only out of obligation as an enthusiast but also to see what the heck I actually do fit in.

Now, I must qualify all of this. Despite my height, the way I sit in most cars and my relative flexibility allows me to fit in a lot of cars people my height shouldn’t fit in. Some people 6'4" (like my dad) don’t fit in cars that I’m supremely comfortable in.

This year at the auto show, I decided to write down and rate every single car I sat in for tall person comfort. In the end, I sat in 62 different cars over about 4 hours, and I rated them on a scale of 1-3, with 1 being terrible, 2 being average, and 3 being very good. I’ll break these down by brand, which is in the order I walked around.

Also, all of these pictures were taken by my iPotato so they’re not great. I mention this because there are many, many pictures.

DUB SHOW

Ok, you can’t actually sit in any of the DUB Show cars, but you wouldn’t want to. It’s basically a mini-SEMA, filled with loud rap music and overly modified cars of all sorts. I only took pictures of the ones that didn’t make my eyes bleed.

That NASCAR race game is there every year, so I’ve won it more times than I can count. There was a long line this time so I didn’t even bother.

BMW

BMW brought out a lot of cars and really impressed me. I was pretty suprised by the M2's presence, but it was still awesome.

The 7 series was an easy 3/3 on my tall person fit scale. A lot of room and such a nice interior.

The 6 series has crazy good legroom.

MINI

So much tall people space in the Cooper. I still can’t believe how far back the seats go.

VOLVO

The only Volvo I sat in was the XC90, which got a 2/3 because it had good, but not great, front seat room. A big second row though. The Polestar was another surprise and the S90 is really good looking.

AUDI

Audi always seems to be one of those brands where I end up spending a good half hour trying their cars because a) they bring so many and b) a lot of them are very tall people friendly.

Very nice interior in the Q7 with good space as well. I’d say the first and second rows had more room than the XC90.

The A4 also had a surprising amount of legroom.

The TT wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

For some reason, I feel like coupes and convertibles always have the most legroom of any cars I try. The S5 is no exception.

CADILLAC

The only Caddy I sat in was a Escalade, which was huge as expected. However I got pictures of the CT6, CTS-V, ATS-V, and XT5. All very good looking cars.

LINCOLN

The new Continental is extremely good looking. I didn’t sit in any cars though.

MAZDA

The new Miata is TINY. Probably the worst car I sat in for interior space.

FIAT-CHRYSLER

I’m going to group all FCA cars together because they were all next to each other. Also, THEY ALL HAD THE FREAKING POWER SEAT FUSES PULLED. Why!? FCA does this every year.

Alfa’s lineup isgorgeous. Especially the Giulia.

Not that bad in person actually.

Camp Jeep is an event Jeep puts on every year inside the PA Convention Center. Basically, you get to ride in a new Jeep through an “off-road” obstacle course. I would’ve done it but the line is really long every year.

CHEVROLET

The Silverado was probably the roomiest vehicle I sat in. 3/3.

The Colorado was better than I remembered from last year.

The Camaro and Corvette were mobbed so pictures were tough.

The Camaro SS was the first car I sat in all day the had a proper transmission. The thing I said about the legroom in coupes holds true here. Also, the visibility was nowhere near as bad as anyone says.

SCION

Meh.

TOYOTA

Toyota brought out a ton of vehicles like always. I was really only interested in the SUVs so I didn’t even bother with the Camry and Corolla.

Tundras were very close to the Silverado in interior space.

I was disappointed in the Tacoma because it didn’t have a seat-height adjuster. For someone my height, that’s a total deal breaker.

*flamesuit on*

I don’t hate the looks of the new Prius and interior room was generous.

Toyota also had a neat distracted driving simulator.

VOLKSWAGEN

The Touareg had good space and a nice interior. The Golf Sportwagen also had a surprising amount of space. VW brought out Tanner Foust’s Beetle rally car as well.

FORD

Raptor! Focus RS! Some neat stuff from Ford. The F-150 was spacious as always. Besides that, all the cool stuff was locked.

SUBARU

The only Subie I sat in was the Forester. Lots of space as always. I did take a picture of the BRZ Performance Concept STI or whatever it’s called.

HONDA

The new Civic and Accord are pretty nice. The Ridgeline looks good. My mom already picked out her next car in the Pilot.

NISSAN

Nissan honestly didn’t have a ton of interesting stuff besides the Titan. Unfortunately, there’s wasn’t as much space as the MASSIVE step into the cab would suggest.

GT-R to keep you awake.

The Maxima has a fairly spacious and comfortable interior.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER

These were also right next to each other, so I’ll group JLR together like I did FCA. Acronyms ahoy!

I didn’t take pictures of any Land Rovers, but I can tell you the Disco Sport has a crappy interior and very little space, while the Range Rover was very nice inside.

My mom was actually a big fan of the F-Pace, which surprised me.

WOW WOW WOW WOW

The interior wasn’t half bad either.

PORSCHE

Porsche stole the show in my opinion. They had a 919 Hybrid, a 911 GT3 RS, a Cayman GT4, a Boxster Spyder, a Cayenne GTS, a Macan Turbo, and a brand new 991.2 Targa. Very few were unlocked, but I found the Macan to have good interior space. And getting pictures of the Porsches was nearly impossible because of all the people there.

BUICK

The new LaCrosse looks very sharp. The only Buick I sat in was the Cascada. Remember what I said about coupes and convertibles and their legroom? That holds true with the Cascada. A lot of room in a pretty small car.

EXOTICS

There are many exotics that come to the Philly Auto Show, none of which you can sit in.

The 570S looks very good in the flesh.

MERCEDES AND LEXUS

MB and Lexus get their own hall every year since they’re “special” brands. Both brought out a lot of cars this year, but none of them really had an exceptional amount of space besides the GL and S class. Excuse the bad pictures because the lighting in that hall was awful.

The Lexus RX interior is super nice.

I still love the GL, even though it’s interior is showing age. The GLS should be a welcome improvement.

So pretty.

I don’t hate the GLE coupe.

The new Smart wasn’t bad looking and interior space wasn’t the worst either.

GLC interior is superb. New MBs really are great inside.

What did I learn?

- tilting and telescoping steering wheels are amazing

- I will never be able to realize my dream of driving a Miata.

- there are a lot of coupes that I fit well in

- I’m still surprised at the amount of cars I’m fairly comfortable in despite my size

- B pillars are annoying

- I got a great reminder of why I love cars so much

What was my favorite car?

The best car for me when it came to fit was probably the new Silverado, followed by the Toyota Tundra in a close second. If anyone ever wonders why I like trucks, this is why.

However, my favorite car there wasn’t a pickup. It was the car with this interior:

Yep, the new Chevy Camaro. The fact that I fit as comfortably as I did in a 455 hp V8 muscle car with a 6 speed manual blew my mind. The visibility and ergonomics were actually pretty good as well. Very impressed, Chevy.

The Philly Auto Show is great. It’s not the most interesting car show out there, but it lets a tall car guy like me see what he fits in and likes. Getting to sit in as many cars as I did in a short time frame is a lot of fun. Until next year, Philly.

DISCUSSION (38)

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:05

You’re 13 and 6'8 WTBBQ!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn
01/31/2016 at 12:11

14 now.

shop-teacher > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:13

I do the same interior room testing at auto shows, only for me the issue is width instead of height. The biggest surprise for me was how roomy and comfortable the BMW i3 is. I was also shocks by how narrow and cramped the giant Jag XJ is.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > shop-teacher
01/31/2016 at 12:15

I’m skinny, so width isn’t a huge issue for me. I found the i3 to be OK last year, and I didn’t sit in an XJ. However, I didn't find the Ford Expedition to be all that great despite how comfy the F-150 is.

MLGCarGuy > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:25

For some reason the M2 just doesn’t look aggressive in white.

You should go to the LA Auto Show one day, they have a lot more cars and most are unlocked.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:27

I wanted to go this year, but couldn't find time in my schedule. Thanks for the pics, it’s just like being there but without the crowds.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > MLGCarGuy
01/31/2016 at 12:27

Yeah the white doesn’t do the M2 any favors. The blue in Detroit was better.

LA is a bit far (3,000 miles or so) but I'm hoping to go to NYIAS this year.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
01/31/2016 at 12:28

So many people yesterday. It was tough to get pictures of anything without people in the way. You've still got a week to go though! It ends the 7th.

MLGCarGuy > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:28

NYIAS is in April, right?

traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:29

You’re 14 and 6'8 WTBBQ!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > MLGCarGuy
01/31/2016 at 12:29

Late March- early April I believe. Right during my spring break though.

Under_Score > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:32

Thank you for making this! I’m pretty tall as well (6'4", 6'5"), and I’m suddenly not fitting in some cars. That moment when most crossovers (even large ones) have smaller backseats than my mom’s snug RAV4.

Did the Maxima have the panoramic sunroof? I sat in a Platinum at the dealership back in July, and my head touched the roof. My torso isn’t even that long.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Under_Score
01/31/2016 at 12:35

It looked loaded, so I think so. Legroom in the Maxima was pretty good, headroom was average.

Hot Takes Salesman > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:48

Jeez I’m 6'1" and 14 and I thought that was ridiculous

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Hot Takes Salesman
01/31/2016 at 12:49

The struggle is real.

WhiskeyGolf > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:50

Cool recap. I’m “only” 6'4" but a lot of my height is in my torso so even if there’s enough legroom, I usually have to drop the seat to the floor. The result is that the Golf I drive now actually has the most space of any car I drive or sit in regularly.

Scary__goongala! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:50

Do the cars that manufacturers bring to these actually get sold somewhere along the way? If not, I don’t get why they won’t let people get into the nicer stuff. I realize they don’t want little kids breaking shot but still. What does it matter if the car is never sold

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Scary__goongala!
01/31/2016 at 12:51

From what I've gathered, they either sell them at auction or to employees for cheap after a year of auto show. However, they have people constantly walking around to clean the cars.

Scary__goongala! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 12:53

I haven’t been to one of these types of shows in a wile so I wasn’t sure what the SOP was. That makes sense though.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > WhiskeyGolf
01/31/2016 at 12:53

The Golf SW had a lot of headroom. I’m more even between torso and legs, with a slight bias towards legs. Like I said, I’m pretty flexible so I fit in a lot of stuff really well.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 13:40

Well the fuse thing is normal, I do various booths for car shows, mainly Jag/Land, Lexus and Hyundai. The cars are all wired up with a box under the car, we hook them up to external power. I can’t tell you why they pull the fuses, but they are not a normal car. I had a lot of trouble getting under the Jaaaaags to hook it up, very low. My tall friend has trouble getting in my 71 Z, the seat goes back pretty far but the roof is low no matter what you do. Even my W123 Merc is pretty tight vertically.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
01/31/2016 at 13:43

I just thinks it’s silly because I can’t sit in the car comfortably and then the company loses customers.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 13:48

Who knows, maybe kids just mess with them. I think if they have it on display they should commit the car to showing all its functions.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
01/31/2016 at 13:52

Agree.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 14:03

Ha. I know that Lexus platform well, I built it, oh that hanging sign too. Annoying angles abound! Did they use our cool glowing counters?? Best part. There are bigger configurations for them, SF gets a large info center that is the same design, all the panels are numbered because none are the same!!! But even so the platform is so much better than turntables. I DD a Honda CRV, Honda makes great stuff to use and abuse, pretty hard to beat for something like that, I’m sure the Toyota is just as good. Moms and wives tastes are sometimes hard to gauge, my wife just loves the egg shaped Lexus suv, but the other day she saw a Karmann Ghia and said she wanted that. The Prius is looking like their hydrogen car design language, I was at the Toyota Megaweb in Tokyo in May and all their stuff is looking like that. I am 5'9" so I fits all the racecarzzzz!!!

Kinja'd!!!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
01/31/2016 at 14:12

Yeah I like the platform better than the turntables too. The turntables are soooo slow so you end up standing there like an idiot for 5 minutes trying to get a picture of a new Chrysler minivan or something. My uncle spent also spent a good amount of time looking at the Lexus NX as well since his wife likes it. Like I said, I don’t hate the new Prius’s looks either.

DasWauto > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 14:13

I play this game too, except I try to fit myself in all the backseats. Headroom is usually an issue in all but the largest luxury sedans. Crossovers, SUV and hatchbacks are usually fine though.

TwoAngryCarbs > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 14:18

It’s pretty funny you mentioned your dad, because I’m 6'9" and usually I can comfortably fit into pretty much anything. On the other hand, my dad who is noticeably shorter than me has trouble getting into smaller cars. It’s pretty sad to admit that I might not fit into a Miata though :(

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > DasWauto
01/31/2016 at 14:22

The Q7 and XC90 both had gargantuan rear seats. Extremely comfortable too. The S class and 7 series go without mentioning, of course.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > TwoAngryCarbs
01/31/2016 at 14:25

It’s funny, because my uncle is 6'7" and fits into a lot of cars similar to myself, while my dad can’t fit into some of the cars we like. It’s even funnier listening to people 6' complain about not fitting into cars and thinking “You think you have it bad?” when I fit fine into the cars they complain about. It all has to do with seating position though. I recline a lot, so that lets me fit well in sporty cars.

DasWauto > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 14:33

It’s always fun to try to sit in the backseats of small cars. The FR-S and Scion IQ are always hilarious.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > DasWauto
01/31/2016 at 14:46

I would do it, but I value my ability to walk.

DasWauto > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 14:55

Haha, its not that bad. Usually have to sit sideways in those though.

Tapas > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
01/31/2016 at 19:45

Are you kidding me! I just read the comments that you are 14 and 6'8"!!!!!!!!!! You are a full foot taller than I am.

And I liked the pictures. The view is better from up there lol

DirtyBird > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
02/01/2016 at 09:10

having the rev match paddle on the same side as the shifter has to be a pain

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > DirtyBird
02/01/2016 at 09:16

I didn't even think of that, but I bet there's another Rev Match paddle on the other side. Or you could manually rev match.

DirtyBird > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
02/01/2016 at 09:28

after a quick google search it looks like one side turns on the active rev matching and the other side turns it off

pjhusa > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
02/03/2016 at 20:52