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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To buy a sports car at 5’ tall?

26 replies

Flossyfloof · 20/08/2018 11:12

I need to change my car and really fancy a sports car. I know the driving position will be different from what I’m used to. I have test-driven a Z4 and on an incline just couldn’t see well enough to feel safe. Having said that, the lad who took me out was a bit clueless and I do wonder if the seat was adjusted properly for my height.
Are you little with a sports car? Is this just a pipe dream for me?

OP posts:

araiwa · 20/08/2018 11:22

Find one that is suitable

Theyre not built for tall people- jeremy clarkson literally struggles to get in some

Storminateapot · 20/08/2018 11:25

My Mum had one at 5 foot with no bother. Check if the seats in the car you want are height adjustable. I had an MX5 for a few years and it was an undignified scramble getting in & out at 5' 7 but I could see well once in.

thenightsky · 20/08/2018 11:28

My tiny NDN (4ft 11in) whizzes about in her MG convertible with no trouble.

bellsbuss · 20/08/2018 11:28

You should be able to pump the seat higher

overandunder9 · 20/08/2018 11:28

I’m 5ft and a bit. Had an MX5 with no problem. Try one with parking sensors and a reversing camera to help you get to grips with where the corners are. I won’t buy a car without them.

wijjy · 20/08/2018 11:29

Should be fine. I thought sport's cars were designed for men who under 5" long?

FruitOnAPlatter · 20/08/2018 11:35

yes, just get one with a decent seat so you can pump it up..

I'm 5' and I drive anything from a pickup truck to a fiat 500, to massive barges of Mercedes to a lovely little Toyota sports, to an RX-8, and as long as I can pump the seat up, it's no problem (well, the pickup truck's clutch did give me knee problems.. but I could still do it - I just prefer it now it's an automatic I use)

The only times I have trouble is when I can't get high enough to figure out where my bonnet ends (which is a thing on sportscars) - but if you test drive, and it's a nice modern one, it's going to be fine (and fun)

Original poster

Flossyfloof · 20/08/2018 12:03

Thanks ever so much, I feel a bit more hopeful now!
Any other recommendations? I really don’t like the MX5 with the targa top, so that cuts down my options. Looking at the Z4 or Fiat Spider at the moment. (But open to persuasion 😀)

OP posts:

FluffingtonPost · 20/08/2018 12:08

A sports car is easily do’able at your height....specifically the Z4, maybe not.

I’m 5’ 3” and had a Z4 Roadster for about 6 months before I finally admitted to myself that I didn’t feel safe and got rid of it. My visibility was greatly reduced because the bonnet of those cars is so long. And I felt really low and didn’t like it at all. I was gutted because the car was awesome.

Have a look at Honda S2000’s you can still get really nice used examples out there. I drove one of those after having the Z4 and wished I’d bought one of those instead as everything about them is more compact and they’re great fun to drive

LightDrizzle · 20/08/2018 12:13

I’m under 5ft and found the precursor to the current Z4 like driving with a periscope (husband’s car) and wouldn’t have bought one for myself. I haven’t driven the more recent models.
However I’ve driven the full Porsche range on road and on a racetrack and the Jaguar XJS without any issue.
I’d buy a Porsche Cayman in a heartbeat if DH didn’t already have one and if they cost 30k less
Conversely, I had really bad blind spots due to the front pillars on a dullso Peugeot we hired on holiday recently.
I think I’ll get an MX5 at some point in the future. I want a convertible and I think they are a lot of fun for the price point, without massive on-costs.

HarryDresdensLeatherDuster · 20/08/2018 12:13

A mini cooper s? Sooooo much fun to drive and easy for those of who are vertically challenged!

Racecardriver · 20/08/2018 12:14

911s are tiny. Normal sized people can't fit in them comfortably. God only knows why.

FASH84 · 20/08/2018 12:17

MIL has an MX5 they're built for shorter people, we borrowed it for the day when DHs car was in the specialist garage local to them, rather than us, and he can only drive it with the roof down

LightDrizzle · 20/08/2018 12:18

The Spider looks gorgeous! I don’t know anyone who has one but Parker’s and car mag reviews is usually really helpful.

ReservoirDogs · 20/08/2018 12:38

5ft - uaed to have the MX5 with elextric hardtop. Definitely preferred driving it when roof down.

Have a porsche 911 carrera now and visibility is much better as is everything but so it should be!

wink1970 · 20/08/2018 13:04

I am 5'2" and have an SLK, have also had an MX5, both are/were fine.

Babycham1979 · 20/08/2018 13:52

I've got a Z4 and I love it. You can easily adjust the seat height and rake; your height shouldn't be a problem at all.

mightbemarkedforever · 20/08/2018 13:57

I sit on a pillow to see over the bonnet it's changed my world and now can drive anything

Onlyjoinedtopost · 20/08/2018 13:58

I am 5ft2 and have occasionally driven my partners Chrysler Crossfire. I had the same problem, but then found out the seats do go up/down as well as forward and back which does make a big difference. It’s an amazing car and quite unusual, don’t tend to see many about. The one thing I can’t get on with is the mirrors are fixed in position and only move very slightly which makes it really really hard to get a good view, because of that I don’t drive it as much as it doesn’t feel safe not having a complete view

TweedAddict · 20/08/2018 14:07

Don’t go for the fiat 124, go for the Abarth version instead. Way more cooler. Also you will be able to see in it too as it’s tiny

GrumpyOlderBloke · 20/08/2018 14:21

MX-5 all the way.

All my boys have one and they have to modify the seats to get low enough to see under the windscreen top rail. They are all over 6 feet. Youngest and tallest usually drives with roof down so he can look over the windscreen.

Their aunt (wife's sister) sits in them and her eye line is exactly at mid windscreen level. She doesn't even need the seat fully forwards either.

She is 5 foot and a dog-end. She usually drives a Volvo XC-90 - terrifying badly.

The current Fiat 124 is an MX-5 underneath.

Original poster

Flossyfloof · 20/08/2018 20:12

Thanks so much.
I really don’t like the top on the new MX 5 so it’s a non-starter at the moment.
The reviews for the Fiat constantly and irritatingly refer to it being just like the MX5 - means nothing to me!
I can’t find much info about the Abarth - never even heard of it until earlier today!
I think the SLK is just too big for me.
I looked at a Carrera last week and it was 40,000 - and 10 years old!! It seemed an awful lot for a ten year old car

OP posts:

Booboostwo · 20/08/2018 21:23

My DM is 5 ft barely and had an SLK. She looked really odd driving it becaause the footwell was really deep and in order to reach it she had to slide the seat as far forward and as straight backed as possible. She looked like she was hugging the steering wheel.

eurochick · 20/08/2018 21:47

The Nissan 370Z. I had the 350 and it was a fabulous car. If I didn't have a child now I'd buy the new version.

FuckKnuckle · 20/08/2018 21:51

Daihatsu Copen convertible. Tiny car for tiny people. It suits me perfectly, and while it's not going to break any records it's extremely nippy and great fun to drive. Plus the folding roof

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