Find the Right Subaru Fit For Your Height at Granite Subaru

While finding the right vehicle that perfectly suits your family's needs may be a challenge in itself, for drivers whose heights are well above the nation's average, this can be problematic.

Taller drivers have always been forced to skip some fancy sports cars and compact passenger vehicles thanks to their lanky frames, but this does not necessarily always need to be a deal breaker when shopping for your next versatile Subaru SUV or hatchback.

Stay with us as we help you find the right Subaru fit for your height at Granite Subaru.

What should I look for in a vehicle if I'm really tall?

For taller drivers, finding the right vehicle should also take into consideration the vehicle's ergonomic design and driving comfort, while ensuring full freedom of movement to operate all controls in an emergency.

Driving with your elbow jammed up against the side window is not going to be safe when it's time to do some fancy steering moves in an emergency situation.

Let's share some important considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the right vehicle fit.

Headroom

Shorter drivers may never experience the discomfort of their heads rubbing the headliner, but for tall drivers, this is often a reality. Perhaps now might be a good time to mention that short drivers are in no way immune to, erm, fitment issues. Being short sometimes makes it difficult to reach a vehicle's foot pedals, gear shift, and controls, including the rear-view mirror.

When shopping for a vehicle, taller drivers should prioritize finding one with the recommended minimum 40 inches of front headroom. Headroom is typically measured from the front seat cushion to the headliner.

Buyers should look for models with high rooflines and driver seats that adjust vertically, allowing you to lower the seat to create more headroom. Shorter owners may need driver seats that can get them up higher for better outward vision for safe driving.

Legroom

Being a taller driver means that you've been blessed with long legs or cursed, depending on your outlook on life, and this requires finding a vehicle that offers sufficient legroom to be able to drive without your knees up on the dashboard and in an ergonomic driving position where you have full control of your vehicle.

When viewing and test-driving a prospective vehicle, check that the driver's seat can slide back far enough to accommodate longer legs, leaving at least 42 to 44 inches of space.

Shorter drivers will do well to check that the driver's seat has enough fore/aft movement to allow them to reach all the controls comfortably.

Telescoping Steering Wheel

A telescoping steering wheel is designed to bring the steering wheel to the right ergonomic driving position, preventing both a "locked-elbow" driving position for tall drivers, who have to bend their elbows to fit behind the steering wheel, and an unsafe long-armed seating position for shorter drivers, where they are not in full control of the steering wheel, especially in an emergency situation.

Door Opening Size

This may not be obvious, but for tall drivers, getting in and out of a vehicle without knocking themselves out or dinging their knees every time is a very real problem, so consider a vehicle with wide-opening doors for easy access.

What Subaru models are the right fit for taller drivers?

Subaru's current lineup of vehicles comprises one compact hatchback model, the Subaru Impreza; the RWD Subaru BRZ sports car; the legendary WRX sedan, and, of course, Subaru's well-received and extensive lineup of crossover and SUV models, including gasoline and full electric models.

Let's take a look at their suitability for taller owners.

Subaru Impreza

The Impreza may be Subaru's sole compact hatchback offering, but the right-sized Impreza offers just enough space as long as you are not an NBA player.

Headroom measures 39.8 inches and 38.0 inches with the moonroof, and front legroom is 42.9 inches.

A six-way manually adjustable driver's seat and manually adjustable tilt/telescoping steering column allow the driver to get comfortable seated.

Subaru BRZ

Buyers serious about having fun behind the wheel get ultra-responsive handling, high-performance power, and pure rear-wheel-drive antics with the BRZ, but you gotta be able to fit in the BRZ first. Keeping the BRZ, like most sports cars, nimble and lightweight for the best sporty handling and performance means more compact dimensions all around.

Shorter drivers, no problem, but taller drivers may have some fitment issues as the headroom measures 37.0 inches, while the legroom is generous at 41.5 inches. The BRZ's six-way manually adjustable driver's seat goes a long way to getting comfy, but we highly recommend a test drive with the friendly and experienced sales team at Granite Subaru to see how well the BRZ fits you.

WRX

There's nary a motoring enthusiast who has not heard of Subaru's legendary World Rally Championship exploits with the Subaru WRX and STi models.

The latest WRX compact sports sedan offers buyers rally-inspired performance and style, along with razor-sharp handling, quick response, and plenty of powerful performance.

Taller buyers can still enjoy this vehicle with its 39.8 inches of front headroom, but will have to skip the moonroof, which eats up 1 inch of that space. Ample legroom of over 43 inches is good news for those with long legs.

Subaru crossover/SUV models

Generally speaking, crossover and SUV body styles offer the most interior space for drivers and passengers alike, with most of Subaru's crossover and SUV models providing ample headroom and legroom for taller drivers.

Subaru compact crossover models with headroom of just over 39 inches and 42 inches plus of legroom available include:

• Crosstrek 
• Uncharted premium EV
• Solterra EV

Compact and mid-sized crossover/SUV models are:

• Forester compact SUV
• Outback midsized crossover SUV
• Trailseeker long-range EV mid-size SUV with marginally less headroom at 38.8 inches

The largest Subaru SUV model is the Ascent, providing just the right fit for larger families, with seating for up to seven passengers in its three rows of seats, along with ample space for a larger driver. 

Find your next Subaru at Granite Subaru

Find your right fit Subaru model at the Granite Subaru Dealership.

Our exceptional team is more than happy to help you test fit and test drive all our models and get to experience a hassle-free vehicle shopping experience, be it a new or pre-owned Subaru you are looking to buy.