Too Tall?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sounds_great @ Jul 6 2006, 06:49 PM) [snapback]282247[/snapback]</div>

Hi Tim,
I'm 6'4" 218lbs. Bought an '06 Prius yesterday after renting an '05 to see if it fitme.
Yes, it has tons of headroom for me. Sightlines are excellent. Seat goes back far enough, and even with it back all the way, the back seat has tons of legroom. I wish the steering wheel telescoped out about 2-3 inches, but it only tilts up & down. It still is quite comfortable.
Roger

 

I'm shorter than you, but the seats are a common problem.

You really need to test drive one, or, even better, rent one. Some people, regardless of height, have no problems, while others are in pain after a short while.

 

I'm 6'6" and I am on my 2nd Prius. I do not have a problem in mine. On long trips I might find it a bit chalenging to move around when I want to "stretch" a bit while I am driving. Otherwise life is great. You might adjust the seat to tilt a bit back, but everything else is OK.

Go ahead and take the plunge!!!!

SPLASH!

 

My husband is 6'4" and he finds my Prius moderately comfortable. He thinks the front seat lacks thigh support, and so he actually finds the back seat more comfortable. There's plenty of head room for him in both the front and the back though.

 

I agree with Doc Fusco--leg length is the important factor. My inseam is 33" and, like the good doctor, I must also use a wedge under my right leg during longish drives. If the Prius' hatchback design is of no consequence, you night check the Camry and especially the Honda hybrids while you are at it. Why do I recommend Honda? Because it seems that Toyota won't deal with the Prius seating poblems unless/until they affects sales!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sounds_great @ Jul 6 2006, 06:49 PM) [snapback]282247[/snapback]</div>

My 6'6" brother in law drove my Prius for the first time today. He wears a 36 inseam pant and he was very uncomfortable with the legs against the dash. Headroom was ok, but seat was the problem.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenlynmc @ Jul 10 2006, 01:03 AM) [snapback]283678[/snapback]</div>

I'm 6'6", 280lb (38" inseam) and have owned a 2005 Prius for one year (almost 10k miles).... It's a little tight but not enough to complain about. I've driven 3 times to a destination 4.5 hours away and 2 times to 6 hours away but don't think it's too uncomfortable, sort of like flying a small plane -if you enjoy it, you can put up with more. I love my Prius and don't have any regrets other than not getting leather seats and I also wish I had the new light green or red instead of my blue. My wife drives a Subaru Legacy and I'm anticipating she'll replace it with a Prius soon.

 

I know in the Boston area, you can have the rearward travel of the drivers seat extended about 3" by a firm called "New England Wheels of Billerica". I am going to have my Prius modified the day I pick it up. They say it cost about $300.00 and takes about 3 hours to do. They specialize in special needs modifications to cars and modify cars for the Celtics players, etc. I'm sure you could find a similar business in your area. There is no need to be uncomfortable in your car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sounds_great @ Jul 6 2006, 03:49 PM) [snapback]282247[/snapback]</div>

Here is part of my post from a different topic on things that I wish I could change about my Prius:

http://priuschat.com/What-I-hate-about-my-Prius-t21801.html

“Not enough leg room.
At 6'1†I am very rarely the tallest person in the room. Yet if I were taller, I would probably have to find a different car. With the steering wheel tilted all the way up, I have to turn my right leg sideways to get it past the steering wheel. Doing this repeatedly over the last 2 years has caused me some mild knee and hip pain (at the 'young' age of 36). Just a inch or two more room forward of the petals would be very helpful to us over 72†folk.

“Rear View mirror blocks forward view.
Again related to my height. The rear view mirror sits directly in my line-of-sight. To see more than slightly to my right I must duck, stoop, slouch, or lean forward. This is a big pain at 4-way stops.â€


I am a few inches shorter than you, but my legs are disproportionately long (that helps when you are a runner). The above points are what I would consider minor nuisances, not enough to keep me away from this great car.

BTW, 6'6†and 185lbs? What do you lash yourself onto in a stiff breeze?

Good luck with the license and getting your Prius.

 

Have the dealer modify the seats and move them back to the maximum distance. Toyota has included longer rails under the seats to allow for this modification.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Jul 10 2006, 08:17 AM) [snapback]283825[/snapback]</div>

Good to know.

Thanks.

 

I'm terribly disappointed.

Just test drove my first Prius yesterday. I'm 6'3", 218lbs. I felt confined in the Prius. With the seat pushed back to the maximum position, I had maybe 1.5" to 2" of clearance between my knees and the dashboard. With the seatback in the position the salesman left it, my rather short hair was brushing the ceiling. I had to tilt the seat backward, but then I felt like I was reaching for the steering wheel (which doesn't telescope, darn you Toyota!). The roofline out the front window seemed rather low to me, as if only 3/4s of the world existed, and the rearview mirror was smack in the middle of my field of vision. When I'd turn the wheel, my hands would brush and catch on my knees/thighs.

Now I just read about the seat-rail adjustment that may allow the seats to move back further. However, I felt so confined and restricted in the Prius that taking a longish trip might prove very uncomfortable indeed. With so few choices in seating positions, I fear becoming uncomfortable and having no way to shift or change positions to relieve it.

I was seriously ready to take the plunge, and now I've all but talked myself out of it.

Very unhappy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sounds_great @ Jul 6 2006, 04:39 PM) [snapback]282265[/snapback]</div>

Wow. I'm onlhy 6' 0" (just call me "shorty') but in both of my last two cars (Ford Probe, Lexus IS300) I had to tilt the seat back more than I wanted to keep my head from rubbing the healiner. The first thing i noticed when I got into the Prius was the headroom. I agree that telescoping wheels are nice, but while I don't have an extreme inseam problem, I do have 37" ape arms. I have driven every car I've ever owned with the seat full back and have never had problems reaching the wheel. BTW I rented a prius for a day before buying it and it really helped me. In my case the only thing I was allowed to do otherwise was sit in one. So I was pretty sure I fit, but going from the IS300 to the Prius I knew was going to be significantly different performance. Getting to drive it around for a day was what I needed to be sure of my choice.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Jul 10 2006, 11:17 AM) [snapback]283825[/snapback]</div>

I think this is probably not true. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to move my seats back further. At 6'1", I like to have my legs as straight as possible when driving. I don't like constant bent knees, which was required in the Prius.

I looked closely at the seat rails. There appears to be a movable stop but it can't be moved. I forget the exact reason since it's been over a year now. But I had a number of experts and retrofitters look at it too. They agreed. Instead, I took the car to a company that retrofits cars for basketball players. They welded steel onto the front of the seat rails and reattaached the mounting pedestals three inches forward from the original position. The range of movement is the same, but it's shifted back three inches. I love it. The car feels way more comfortable. Even with the seat three inches back from the OEM back position there is still plenty of legroom in the back seat. And my 5'2" girlfriend has no trouble reaching the pedals when the seat is all the way up.

 

I'm 6'6" 225lbs and I am totally comfortable in my 06. Headroom is much better than most cars and legroom is fine, though I have learned to avoid bashing the shifter knob which is easy to do.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kestrel @ Jul 6 2006, 05:06 PM) [snapback]282278[/snapback]</div>

How does he reach the steering wheel from the back seat?

I agree, the thigh support just isn't there for me. I'm 6" over 230 :angry: . On anything over two hours, sometimes less, my right thigh is in pain. I was literally in agony on a LA-Vegas trip recently. I have a bad back, but so far, nothing worse on that from the Prius. I'm a 500 mile a week commuter, but usually less than an hour at a stint. Both of my Subarus are better in thigh support. Maybe the new Tuner version will come with sportier (more supportive) seats.

 

Off-topic, but if you're planning on a Winter Purchase, you better get on the list NOW!!!