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I'm trying to find a used car for my mom and I keep running into the same problem which is extremely frustrating. The dashboard seems to be higher in newer and/orJapanese cars and it's difficult to see above it. My mom is about 5'3" and I'm just a smidge shorter. Her current car is a Ford Contour (4-door sedan) from the late '90s and we have no problems seeing above the dashboard. We rented/leased a 2012 Mazda6 for two days while her car was in the shop a few weeks ago. We both had problems seeing over the dashboard and for me, I felt it was a driving hazard. We tried adjusting the seat, but it didn't help much. I was practically sitting on top the steering wheel and I still couldn't see above the dashboard, I could've used a booster seat.
I've noticed in recent years, that many women drivers of small cars/sedans drive with their chin tilted up as if they're having difficulties seeing over the dashboard. Now I know why - they probably can't see.
What's the deal with these dashboards being so high? Is this a new trend in newer cars or is it something common in foreign made cars? I'm assuming most men haven't even noticed this since most men are over 5'7" and the high dashboard wouldn't affect their vision.
I'm looking at pictures of a 2011 Honda Civic and it's dashboard looks higher than the Mazda. What's worse is that the seats are angled in such a way that it's almost as if you're reclining in them. What I mean is that I'd like my car seat (the part my butt actually sits on) to be level like a kitchen chair, but instead the back of the seat is angled down while the front is angled up. For someone short, that's a problem. Has anyone here had problems like this?
There may be other reasons but the beltline in general on newer cars has risen due to pedestrian and crash safety requirements. Raising the beltline necessitates that the dash is higher as well.
I'm only 5'2" and drive a '08 Chevy Cobalt. The driver's seat is adjustable (up/down) so I just raise mine up so I can see and minimize my blindspots. My issue is with the forward tilted (non adjustable) headrests. They make for a miserable drive.
My wife drives a 2007 Chrysler Sebring and she's 4'11". First car she's come across that allows her to reach the pedals, see over the dashboard, and not have the steering wheel in the chest.
Try a Prius. Because of the design of the instrument panel, the dash right in front of the driver is pretty low. Although I'm not that short I drive an older Honda product, and every rental I get into generally feels so confining in comparison. The Prius I just drove was pretty good, and in that 2013 model I found no huge drawback in how it drove compared to a regular car. Just does it with better mpg.
A good height adjustment can help some. A lot of cars have basic height adjustment, but many of them do not work that great, tilting the seat in funny ways and such. I drove a VW Jetta a while back that I found generally good and comfortable. If you can get a power seat, that can help in that department. I had a Chevy Cruze a while back too, that was not bad either in terms of seeing out.
My wife is 5' 2" and drives a Buick Park Ave. She adjusts the seat up to it's highest point and then sits on a stadium seat for an additional inch or 2. She has no problem seeing all around the vehicle.
Can't say I've noticed dashboards getting any higher.
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What's with the high dashboards?
