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My almost-16-year-old daughter is 4'9". We've started driving in parking lots, and our 2017 Honda CRV has been perfectly fine for her. The seat adjusts to where she needs it, and she is able to see well. No pillows needed, no special adjustments. I don't even think she maxes out the positioning...i.e. she could even be a little shorter and have room to adjust.
Also, we absolutely love the car. Very, very happy with it. Something to consider is the ease of loading things like groceries into the back. The comfortable height makes it very easy...no bending.
I guess the consensus is that you should “try before you buy” - it’ll all come down to you being able to better adjust your seating position to maximize your sight lines and ability to comfortable operate the vehicle.
I'm considering trading in my 2015 Corolla next year. I like the car; it's reliable, decent if unspectacular on gas (30 mpg with mostly local driving), and has some nice amenities (backup camera, sunroof, SiriusXM, and Toyota Entune). So why would I want to get rid of it? Because I cannot see over the dashboard and I cannot see over the headrests.
I am 4'9" tall. This has always been an issue, but I have lost some height and now I'm finding it nearly impossible to park even in a lot, because I can't see the (expletive deleted) lines.
I'm considering a small crossover/SUV like a Kia Soul or Niro, or the Hyundai Kona or similar. I wouldn't mind getting a hybrid, but I'd prefer not to have a plug-in, because I don't have a garage. I'd like something with a higher driving position, but not one where I have to either take a running start or hoist myself into the thing by my arms. Most SUVs are difficult for me to get into and I am no spring chicken at 65.
I don't drive much; maybe 5000-6000 miles a year because I'm retired. But reliability is important.
I'm interested if anyone has a similar issue and what you drive.
I have a 2018 Kia Nero. While it doesn’t have a power seat, it has a lever that you can pull that raises the seat up. And eventually you have to do it again like in a couple of months it’s not a big deal. I have the gas electric hybrid not the plug-in, I get generally 52 miles to a gallon of gas, and my sister is very sick of me telling her how much I love my car. Because I do love my car.
I have been told by someone who drives an automatic all the time, it does drive a little differently. I came off of 30 some years of driving a stick shift. When I purchased the car I asked the guy about that and he said this is the perfect car for you.
I could be wrong because I haven’t done any research, but it appears that the breaking/charging aspect makes the Niro act a little more like a stick shift then an automatic, even though it’s an automatic. When I take my foot off the accelerator, there is a noticeable slowing of the car, just like a stick, and that’s when it begins charging. And when you put your foot on the brake, the charge goes even deeper into the charge section I now find that I brake a longer distance and come to a nice gentle stop.
The women in my family range from 5'0" to 5'2" and they have never had any problems with driving a car, including some pretty big SUVs.
You want problems, go try and ride a motorcycle!
Oh my. If they are between those heights, I guarantee there have been tricky issues. They might not realize them, because they have never been any other height or seen things any other way. One gets used to it. I'm within that range of height. My husband is a foot taller and I can tell that some maneuvers are easier for him.
My son has a Toyota Corolla, and I immediately appreciated the difference in visibility and handling when I drove it.
I used to be 5' 1 1/2" but I think I'm now down to 5' even...maybe.
I drive an Acura TSX with power seat and can just barely see over the steering wheel, with the steering wheel lowered all the way. The car needs to be replaced, and I'm now looking at a Toyota Camry (I had a 1993 and a 1998 version before the Acura) with power seat etc.
My daughter's the same height and she loved her small SUV, partly because she could sit up high. Same for my similarly proportioned friend with her Kia Soul.
While I love the height of an SUV, I prefer the more sports car feel of a sedan.
My husband dries a Ram 1500 truck...I am terrified when I drive it because I cannot see over or around the gigantic mirrors on each side of the truck!
Now, let's talk about seat belts that, even in the lowest setting, will wind up crushing our windpipes in a crash, not to mention the air bags that will snap our necks. The car manufacturers REALLY DO need to make things more adjustable for shorter drivers!
One other thing hackwriter, I don’t know what it was like in 2015 to buy a car but when I bought one a couple years ago, absolutely nobody was pushy when I did three test drives of the Niro, and nobody said anything when I test drove several Toyotas. The age of the pushy salesman appears to be over.
I basically just said I was interested in test driving and would not be purchasing that day everybody just handed over the keys sat with me and we went.
One other thing hackwriter, I don’t know what it was like in 2015 to buy a car but when I bought one a couple years ago, absolutely nobody was pushy when I did three test drives of the Niro, and nobody said anything when I test drove several Toyotas. The age of the pushy salesman appears to be over.
I basically just said I was interested in test driving and would not be purchasing that day everybody just handed over the keys sat with me and we went.
Funny enough, I test drove a few new Hondas in 2015 (on May 26, July 2, October 5, and December 15) and it basically went the same way as you described. I was only 22 at the time as well
Funny enough, I test drove a few new Hondas in 2015 (on May 26, July 2, October 5, and December 15) and it basically went the same way as you described. I was only 22 at the time as well
Before 2018, for me it was 2003, and it was a nightmare. Pushy salesmen, trying to sell me the more expesive one with the Celica engine ( premium gas) then telling me the Toyota Matrix was a high value car going way above sticker.
According to the pushy salesman I got at one place, the Toyota Matrix I wanted was invoiced at like 18,000, and they were going out the door so quickly that they were selling them for 23, so there was a $5000 add-on fee just because they could.
And my favorite one, they aren’t selling blue in California. Blue is not a California color. No one wants it here. Every single damn Matrix I saw except two were blue — there were three blue ones in my neighborhood. There was another one that was yellow, And one that was red.
I finally bought it through one place’s internet salesmen. I got what I wanted for the price I wanted.
When we were searching for options for our 4’11” daughter, the Kia Soul was always on everyone’s list. Bought her one 4 years ago and it has been rock solid reliable and fun to drive with a manual transmission. It will even get to 100 mph....but takes awhile LOL
I wanted a Soul when my family was looking for a second car a few years ago, but my early 20s daughter (who was going to be the main driver) complained that Souls were "middle aged lady cars". As quite a few of my friends have them, I couldn't really argue! Sigh. lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by victimofGM
Not every short person is the same even if their overall height is the same. Some are long in legs and short on torso. This makes it difficult for them to see over the dashboard even with the seat raised to maximum height. Some are long in torso and short on legs. This leads to seats pulled up to the steering wheel to reach the pedals making them dangerously close to the airbags. The overall size of the vehicle doesn’t matter. Some small vehicles aren’t well made for short people while some larger vehicles are fine drivers position for short people.
Yes, this is so true!
I'm 5'2", but have a long torso, so visibility usually isn't the problem, but having to pull the seat close to the steering wheel can be. I could hardly drive my husband's standard transmission Ford Ranger, because the clutch was so far from the seat that I had to jam myself up against the steering wheel to reach it with my short legs.
We just bought a 2020 Hyundai Kona, and with the telescoping steering wheel and height-adjustible seat it's really easy to adjust to fit both my husband and I (he's 6').
Sit on a pillow, catalog, dictionary, lumbar cushion facing downward, or booster seat; I've done it all! They also make specially designed items for short drivers.
In general, because Japanese tend to be smaller than Americans, there's less of a gap to bridge with them. As a bonus, they're good cars. Visit car dealerships and try them all out. Personally, the only one I haven't needed any "assist" at all with has been the Mazda III hatchback I leased as a rental car for a couple of weeks.
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