Dear GM: More Room Please!

[Rob052067]

No, I don't need room for 7-9 adults. I just want more room for one adult: me. GM vehicles need more driver space for the big and tall man. More leg room, more knee room, more hip room, and more shoulder room. The driver's seats never seem to travel far enough backwards to give us tall guys comfortable leg and knee room. The center consoles on too many of today's vehicles are too wide and encroach on knee room. And, the door handles (window control consoles) are made often too wide as they also encroach on hip and knee room.

Examples: I have a 2004 Yukon with the 60/40 bench seat. There's plenty of leg, knee, hip, and shoulder room. But, sadly, the new Yukon (Tahoe) doesn't offer a bench seat option, and the center console combined with wider door handles have taken away a big portion of the driver's space (hip, leg, and knee room). It's like sitting in a mid-size car. And, even though the new trucks (Sliverado/Sierra) offer bench seats, the new storage console/armrest is wider than before, which takes away hip and knee room.

I've tried on several current GM models and found shortages of leg and knee room in nearly all of them. One would think that bigger cars like the Impala and Lucerne would have sufficient room, but you'd be wrong (damn center consoles). Most of the times, the problem would be solved easily with a seat that traveled farther back.

Hopefully, the Acadia and Outlook are a step in the right direction and not a fluke. I actually appear to have sufficient leg and knee room in those vehicles, although I've only taken short test drives so it remains to be seen if they'll be comfortable on long trips.

[FStephenMasek]

The Ford Five Hundred / Mercury Montego / 2008 Taurus / 2008 Sable have an especially wide and boxy console combined with a non-telescoping steering column. Have you ever tried to drive on of them. I am only 6'1" and it doesn't work for me. The Chrysler 300 / Dodge Magnum / Dodge Charger with the low roof with the thick roof and door edges seems designed for shorter drivers.

[ronald mcretard]

GM, like all companies, designs to what the majority of people will be comfortable with. It's unfortunate for very tall people, very short people, very fat people, etc. but they can't make 5 variations of the same car to make everyone happy.

I do agree they could probably do more to make seats, steering wheels, mirrors and other things more adjustable.

At least you could probably beat me in basketball, so it all evens out in the end.

[t-rex]

I'm glad I'm only 5'5"

[Rob052067]

Originally Posted by FStephenMasek

The Ford Five Hundred / Mercury Montego / 2008 Taurus / 2008 Sable have an especially wide and boxy console combined with a non-telescoping steering column. Have you ever tried to drive on of them. I am only 6'1" and it doesn't work for me. The Chrysler 300 / Dodge Magnum / Dodge Charger with the low roof with the thick roof and door edges seems designed for shorter drivers.

My mom has a Ford Freestyle (ie: Five Hundred Wagon). I have no room in the driver's seat cuz of that darn console. In the passenger seat, me knees pretty much meet the dash. Ironically, I have good leg room in the back seats.

I've ridden in the Chrysler 300, and definitely hate the low roof line for getting in and out. No head room and also tight on legroom.

Originally Posted by ronald mcretard

GM, like all companies, designs to what the majority of people will be comfortable with. It's unfortunate for very tall people, very short people, very fat people, etc. but they can't make 5 variations of the same car to make everyone happy. I do agree they could probably do more to make seats, steering wheels, mirrors and other things more adjustable.

It's definitely an issue with all manufacturers, not just GM. Especially the Korean makes. I have a friend who's an interior deisgn engineer at GM, and he once told me they design for the '85th-percentile' (ie: 85% of people can find a comfortable seating positon.).

I expect smaller and mid-size vehicles to be short on room, but full size cars and trucks should be designed to fit everyone, regardless of height or weight. I don't think a full size truck should have a 'cockpit' designed to fit only the average sized driver.

It seems to me to be an easy fix to have longer seat travel, coupled with tilt/telescope steering wheels, adjustable pedals, and narrower consoles (center and door). The seats are usually plenty wide, though sometimes not deep enough for long trips. Sometimes all of these things are fine, but the center-dash (ie: control cluster) is designed to be closer to the driver which in reality means it sticks out into knee space.

It's why I don't go to dealers and ask for test drives, but I first ask to 'try on' the vehicle to see if it fits me. It can be the greatest driving vehicle ever made, but if it doesn't fit, it doesn't get driven and it certainly doesn't get purchased.

[drew630]

Originally Posted by Rob052067

Examples: I have a 2004 Yukon with the 60/40 bench seat. There's plenty of leg, knee, hip, and shoulder room. But, sadly, the new Yukon (Tahoe) doesn't offer a bench seat option, and the center console combined with wider door handles have taken away a big portion of the driver's space (hip, leg, and knee room). It's like sitting in a mid-size car. And, even though the new trucks (Sliverado/Sierra) offer bench seats, the new storage console/armrest is wider than before, which takes away hip and knee room.

Actually, GM does offer a front bench seat in the new Tahoe/Yukon. Look at this one I found on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevr...97207QQrdZ1#lg

Granted they are probably really hard to find, but they are out there.

[CRBoyd91]

Don't all of the LS Tahoes and Suburbans come standard with bench seats? Anyway, how tall are you? If it is really that hard for you, I feel sorry for you. I hope the Acadia works so you can stay with GM.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by FStephenMasek

The Ford Five Hundred / Mercury Montego / 2008 Taurus / 2008 Sable have an especially wide and boxy console combined with a non-telescoping steering column.

How funny. I'm 6'3" and I enjoyed sitting in the driver's seat of a Montego.

[mbukukanyau]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

How funny. I'm 6'3" and I enjoyed sitting in the driver's seat of a Montego.

Mge, you are a tall man

[Rob052067]

Originally Posted by drew630

Actually, GM does offer a front bench seat in the new Tahoe/Yukon.

Thanks for the info. That must be a new option that wasn't available when they originally went on sale in early 2006 (the last time I looked at them). At the time, the captains chairs were standard and there was no option for the split-bench. (I just confirmed on GMC's website that the base Yukon SLE model with the base 3SA package does now come with front split bench standard - but only that model and pkg. All other configurations are buckets only. Same goes for base Tahoe LS. They must have added the bench seats when the new trucks went on sale, sorta like the 4.8L V8 was not originally available yet when the new SUV's first went on sale.)

Originally Posted by CRBoyd91

Don't all of the LS Tahoes and Suburbans come standard with bench seats? Anyway, how tall are you? If it is really that hard for you, I feel sorry for you. I hope the Acadia works so you can stay with GM.

I'm about 6'5" and 300#. I think if I was short and fat or tall and skinny, there'd be fewer problems finding the right fit, but being both tall and fat is a double whammy as far as finding comfortable vehicles go.

[84jeepjohn]

Originally Posted by Rob052067

Thanks for the info. That must be a new option that wasn't available when they originally went on sale in early 2006 (the last time I looked at them). At the time, the captains chairs were standard and there was no option for the split-bench.

not for the LS. It's always been like that. NOW not many get ordered so that's probably why you've never seen one.
I got a Burb brochure right after they came out and that was in there.

[rd66]

My problem is in the Silvy actually... with headroom. I'm 6'3" and my buddy is also 6'3". I'm all torso, 17"neck 37"sleeves, Large/tall, but 32/33" inseam. My buddy has very long legs, shorter torso. As mentioned before, vehicles are built for the avgerage person. Even with the 'dug out' headliner, there's not enough headroom, especially in the backseat. The rear headrest... forget about it, between my shoulder blades. Even though we're the same height, the truck sets up better for him.

[Chaz_23]

On a different but related note, Americans need to cut their meal portions in 3. And stop the silly protein supplement insanity already.

[FStephenMasek]

Originally Posted by Rob052067

My mom has a Ford Freestyle (ie: Five Hundred Wagon). I have no room in the driver's seat cuz of that darn console.

The sedan is worse. I can actually sit comfortably in the Freestyle / Taurus-X.

[FamilyTruckster]

It isn't only GM, it's every car manufacturer.