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Original poster

First car for very tall new driver

33 replies

Pleasedontdothat · 28/10/2025 14:23

DS (25) has just passed his driving test and I’d like to help him get his first car. I can’t insure him on my Touareg as it would be ludicrously expensive and he simply doesn’t fit in his sister’s mini (we’ve tried..).

He is exceptionally tall and thin - just over 6’7” with very long legs. He’s autistic and has been struggling with his mental health for several years so passing his test is a massive confidence boost. He’s currently doing an access to higher education course but would like to go to university after that. Because of his difficulties it will need to be somewhere he can commute to from home (we live in an area with minimal public transport) so being able to drive is very important to him.

Any ideas as to what models/makes might work for him? He’s got about £4k in savings and I can top that up a bit plus cover his insurance for the first year.

OP posts:
Fffreeeeezing · 28/10/2025 17:09

I met a bloke once who was 7ft 6ish (can't remember precisely) but he drove an older golf so that would work. I believe he had to take the stoppers off the chair rail so that the seat could go further back (it was touching the back seat). I also used to work with someone who was 6ft6 and I'm pretty sure he drove a golf too!

FrostAtMidnight · 28/10/2025 17:11

DH is 6’5” and manages ok in DS’s Skoda Fabia. Good car for a new driver and reasonable insurance. Think he’ll need to try them out though as might be longer legs/body.

Arlanymor · 28/10/2025 17:19

My friend is the same height and drives a Dacia Duster - I've just had a quick google to check prices, this one is ten years old but low mileage - good first car: https://www.cazoo.co.uk/cars-for-sale/76259420/ or this one, even better but a bit more expensive: https://www.cazoo.co.uk/cars-for-sale/76269585/

So lovely that you are helping your son out, I really hope that this helps his confidence.

wantmorenow · 28/10/2025 17:23

My DS3 is the only car that my 6'4" husband can't drive with the seat fully back. The 1.6 diesel is still considered cool enough to drive by teens and has zero road tax.

Pattygonia · 28/10/2025 17:24

My son is 6 ft 8 and cars that work for us are
vW Golf
Nissan Leaf
Mercedes A class (a really old one that used to belong to my uncle!)
Ford Kuga
Nissan Quashi
(those last two are bigger family cars - he also fits as a passenger in his girlfriend’s VW polo - don’t know if he could drive it. Key thing is not to get a model with a sunroof (so with the Kuga, he only fits in basic models - the top of the range ones have sun roof which loses a big of headroom

Iheartmysmart · 28/10/2025 17:32

I used to work with someone who was 6ft 7” tall and he drove a VW Golf. I offered to pick him up from the train station once and had to put the roof of my Smart Fortwo down to fit him in!

snoopyfanaccountant · 28/10/2025 20:02

One of my friends is 6'4" and he used to drive a Skoda Octavia.

Vitriolinsanity · 28/10/2025 21:29

DS is 6,5 and drives a Golf.

Original poster
Pleasedontdothat · 28/10/2025 21:49

Thank you - he has driven a golf (with the seat back as far as it could go) so that’s definitely on the shortlist. The Dacia Duster looks interesting too.

OP posts:
Notmyreality · 28/10/2025 21:50

Double decker

Original poster
Pleasedontdothat · 29/10/2025 06:43

@Notmyreality why, just why? Every single time he goes out of the house he has to put up with some ‘joker’ asking him what the weather's like up there, you’re really tall, people looking and pointing at him. He gets it - he knows he’s tall, he knows he looks different - he’s autistic, he has marfans syndrome so his arms, legs, fingers are disproportionately long. He really doesn’t need people making unfunny jokes all the time.

OP posts:
mumonthehill · 29/10/2025 06:46

Ds has a skoda estate and it is really roomy. He is 6ft5 and with the back seats down he can sleep in the boot! He finds it very comfortable to drive.

SodaPopEarWorm · 29/10/2025 07:28

Dh is not quite as tall as that but had a Skoda Fabia for years which is basically a VW Polo but usually cheaper. Car buying has always been difficult due to his height but he also drove my Hyundai ix20, again another cheaper brand but both reliable, good cars.

SoftLass · 29/10/2025 07:32

My DS is 6'5" and drives a 10 year old Fiesta. Insurance is around £1000 for a black box policy - he's 17 though so might be cheaper for your son as he's older.
noone can sit in the back behind the drivers side but apart from that it works really well.

Bitzee · 29/10/2025 07:36

My nephew is 6ft5 and has a mini countryman (mum’s old car)

trinibrit · 29/10/2025 08:04

My brother is 6’5” and has a Honda Civic with a bucket seat which he swears by. He says to not only consider the space for legs to get into the car but also the windshield, as some have either a black frosting line on the top of the glass to minimise sun glare or the roof comes down further which hits just at the line of vision if you are long in the body. He finds that his Honda civic has better vision for him because of the style of the front windshield.

SprayWhiteDung · 29/10/2025 08:12

What car did he learn in? Was it with an instructor - and did he manage OK in it?

Presumably a driving instructor would choose a model that doesn't cost a fortune to insure for new/provisional drivers?!

SprayWhiteDung · 29/10/2025 08:16

trinibrit · 29/10/2025 08:04

My brother is 6’5” and has a Honda Civic with a bucket seat which he swears by. He says to not only consider the space for legs to get into the car but also the windshield, as some have either a black frosting line on the top of the glass to minimise sun glare or the roof comes down further which hits just at the line of vision if you are long in the body. He finds that his Honda civic has better vision for him because of the style of the front windshield.

Also the flip-down sun visors in some smaller models of car.

Maybe if you're very, very tall, they wouldn't ever help you anyway, and you'd just use the roofline of the car; but if you're on the taller side of average, you can find that not using the visor means you have the sun in in your eyes and can't see with it up, but using it at any angle down means you still can't see unless you kind of scoop your neck uncomfortably downwards to see under it!

batterypark · 29/10/2025 08:26

OP, following as also mother of a 6’7 son who is just starting to learn to drive. It’s not easy for these very tall young men and he also gets asked 100 times a day how tall he is. ♥️

Original poster
Pleasedontdothat · 29/10/2025 12:28

@SprayWhiteDung he learned in a Peugeot 2008 which he just about fitted in with the seat pushed as far back as it would go (he couldn’t remember what it was so had to check with his instructor!) I think most of the models are in a slightly higher insurance group though

OP posts:
Original poster
Pleasedontdothat · 29/10/2025 12:29

Good points about visibility too, thanks

OP posts:
TheDenimPoet · 29/10/2025 12:42

My brother is taller than your DS and has drive Ford Fiestas since he passed his test. He's never had a problem, and travels a huge amount for work.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 29/10/2025 12:47

Renault Kangoo (1.5l diesel) car, not van. Dh is a big built 6ft 4in & drove it comfortably. Plenty of headroom. It was very economical too.

Original poster
Pleasedontdothat · 29/10/2025 14:08

TheDenimPoet · 29/10/2025 12:42

My brother is taller than your DS and has drive Ford Fiestas since he passed his test. He's never had a problem, and travels a huge amount for work.

I think it’s the leg length which is the main problem - his torso isn’t particularly long so when he’s sitting down he looks tall but not that tall.

OP posts:
CoffeeBeansGalore · 29/10/2025 20:42

Ds has a 34in inside leg & drives a mini cooper clubman - more room than a standard mini.

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