Tallest SUV?!

ThisIsWeird

In my quest for max headroom and seating height, I'm trying to find out if some SUVs are noticeably taller than others.

Current car is a C4 Picasso (2015), and most competitors are within a gnat's crochet of the same height, with usually only a couple of cms either way - nothing literally stands out.

Any ideas?

Annoyingly, the Mokka appears to be one of the tallest out there, but the car as a whole is more compact than the C4 - it's in the lower size segment. I might be able to cope with that, but would rather not.

The standard-bearer - the Qashqai - is weird when you see it, sometimes looking big, and other times looking quite squat - is it a colour thing? In any case I don't think it's any taller than the C4, and generally looks more closeting inside.

Soooo many SUVs, but do any stand out - up - a bit more? Honda CR-V? Mazda CX5?

What's the tallest SUV?! Is there a hidden gem out there in the height stakes? :-)

DullGreyGuy

I'm confused... are you wanting the highest gap between the seat at the lowest and the vehicle ceiling? Highest roofline even if the seat is only for a dwarf? An SUV isnt about headroom so would you want a non-SUV if it added 20cm of headroom?

[Deleted User]

Get a car with a sunroof.

ThisIsWeird

DullGreyGuy said:

I'm confused... are you wanting the highest gap between the seat at the lowest and the vehicle ceiling? Highest roofline even if the seat is only for a dwarf? An SUV isnt about headroom so would you want a non-SUV if it added 20cm of headroom?

Looking for highest seating position coupled with adequate headroom. A van, essentially. But not an actual van :-)

The off-the-ground part also helps - I just like stepping in to a car, and not falling down into a seat. I rarely sit in 'cars' these days, and whenever I get a lift in one, I just cannot believe how low to the ground they are. Just horrible.

I drive a minibus regularly, and its greeaatt! When I go back to my C4, I usually check to see the tyres haven't been deflated. Obviously a 'van' ain't going to be as comfy and quiet for longer trips - or are they?!

The C4 is actually perfectly ok, but I keep trying to crank the seat up higher - disappointing when I find - once again - it's at 'max'.

What should I be looking for?! A small van?!

junglist_matty

A bit of a strange post.... Obviously the more expensive SUVs are bigger, i.e. x7, GLS, range rover vogue, etc. So depends on budget because in terms of ride height they're much of a muchness.

The GLS is about as close as it comes, successfully translating much of Mercedes’ flagship luxury model into a vast SUV body. The GLS is ideal for people who think bigger is better – it’s the largest SUV on sale in the UK today.

boingy

ThisIsWeird said:
. Obviously a 'van' ain't going to be as comfy and quiet for longer trips - or are they?!

Actually, yes, modern transit-type vans are surprisingly refined, comfortable to drive on long journeys and will happily cruise all day long at 90 on motorways, not that you should do that, of course.  Ford, Merc, VW - all are really good. Of course, your neighbours might downgrade their opinion of you!

ThisIsWeird

junglist_matty said:

A bit of a strange post.... Obviously the more expensive SUVs are bigger, i.e. x7, GLS, range rover vogue, etc. So depends on budget because in terms of ride height they're much of a muchness.

The GLS is about as close as it comes, successfully translating much of Mercedes’ flagship luxury model into a vast SUV body. The GLS is ideal for people who think bigger is better – it’s the largest SUV on sale in the UK today.

Yeah, fair point - for the sorts of ranges I'm looking at, there's unlikely to be much variation.

I'm looking in the C4/Qashqai size and budget. It just struck me that many of the makes initially look quite large, and then I park beside them and there's nest-to-now't to choose between them.

Just wondering if I've missed anything, because the Mokka - a size-range smaller - is taller than both. Vaux's new Grandlander seems lower, tho'.

I sat in a Duster, and it was just like a car with my head scrapping the roof, although the whole vehicle was further off the ground. I tried the earlier model 2008 and my head hit the top door frame on the way in.

Nothing taller?

ThisIsWeird

boingy said:

ThisIsWeird said:
. Obviously a 'van' ain't going to be as comfy and quiet for longer trips - or are they?!

Actually, yes, modern transit-type vans are surprisingly refined, comfortable to drive on long journeys and will happily cruise all day long at 90 on motorways, not that you should do that, of course.  Ford, Merc, VW - all are really good. Of course, your neighbours might downgrade their opinion of you!

Yes. Even the old 2008 'bus I often drive is enjoyable, and I imagine new versions will be great. I'd love that height, but the other dims - like width - would be too excessive for day-to-day parking, for example.

Seriously don't care what my 'ole of a neighb thinks...

Herzlos

The Citroen Berlingo is basically a small van - I'm 6ft and have to step up into it and there's a huge amount of headroom albeit if your head was at the roof line you wouldn't be able to see out the window.


Are you wanting the height to be for visibility, or mobility?

Lots of the premium SUVs are huge but will also have pretty poor visibililty.

You're probably best going to a few larger car supermarkets and walking around to see what's there.

ThisIsWeird

Herzlos said:

The Citroen Berlingo is basically a small van - I'm 6ft and have to step up into it and there's a huge amount of headroom albeit if your head was at the roof line you wouldn't be able to see out the window.


Are you wanting the height to be for visibility, or mobility?

Lots of the premium SUVs are huge but will also have pretty poor visibililty.

You're probably best going to a few larger car supermarkets and walking around to see what's there.

Visibility, and just the feeling :-) Mind you, don't really like the struggle of getting out of cars any more.

The Berlingo is a good all-rounder, and the modern variant decent-looking too. Earlier models just a bit too van-like.

Ectophile

There are plenty of minibus versions of vans around, covering all the van sizes.  For example Ford's Tourneo range are really only posh Transit minibuses.  But all the major van manufacturers do passenger versions.

If you go too tall, you may find yourself unable to get into any car parks.  Most have height limits of 2.1m or sometimes even less.