10 Best Cars for Big and Tall People

2016 Chevrolet Impala LTZ hero shot ・ Photo by Chevrolet

If you’re looking for some of the most spacious cars on the market, you’ve come to the right spot. Here, we deliberately excluded larger vehicles, like SUVs and crossovers, to truly focus on cars—after all, it should be no surprise that a massive SUV is spacious. There are some surprises, though, amongst midsize and large sedans. We focused on front headroom and legroom to make this list driver-centric. We present them in order of least to most headroom (although we realize that front leg room will be more important to some readers - no worries, we have that info, too). Here are 10 of the best cars for big and tall people, as chosen by Autobytel editors.

2017 Honda Fit

Honda’s subcompact Fit kicks off our list of the best cars for big and tall people. Surprised? Well, so were we, even though the Fit has a reputation for being one of the more comfortable and spacious options in the subcompact class. Though 39.5 inches of headroom might not be terribly impressive in larger vehicles, look at how small the 2017 Fit really is, and this measure seems like much more of an accomplishment. Plus, driver and front passenger get 41.4 inches of leg room, making the 2017 Honda Fit a great option for tall people who want a small urban runabout. Another testament to Honda’s space-managing expertise—the Fit has one of the highest cargo capacities in its class, too.

Photo by Honda

2016 Chevrolet Impala

The Chevy Impala is known as one of the most value-oriented cars in the midsize sedan segment, but did you also know it’s got a spacious front row? The driver and front passenger in the 2016 Impala are treated to 39.9 inches of headroom and a very generous 45.8 inches of front leg room, making this car perfect for big and tall people. The Impala also comes standard with a power adjustable driver’s seat, so you don’t have to stretch your budget to easily find the perfect driving position. Chevrolet doesn’t neglect the back seat passengers, either; there’s plenty of room to stretch out in the Impala’s rear row, and all five seats are comfortable and supportive.

Photo by General Motors

2016 Subaru Legacy

The Subaru Legacy, a midsize sedan, typically lags behind the class leaders in a few important areas such as styling, reliability, and engine performance. However, the Legacy earns a spot on our list of the best cars for big and tall people. The Legacy offers a comfortable interior with supportive seats, and front seat occupants receive plenty of space, too—40 inches of headroom and 42.9 inches of legroom. Those numbers should be enough to put the Legacy on the shortlist of any prospective buyer of above-average height. The Legacy’s also a great commuter car in northern climates, since it comes standard with all-wheel drive—one of the few vehicles in its class with this benefit.

Photo by Subaru

2016 Kia Optima

The Kia Optima has been fully redesigned for the 2016 model year, helping this safe and reliable midsize sedan keep up with the standards of its class. The Optima is known for having lots of intuitive and user-friendly technology features, which is always a strong asset in a car’s favor. But big and tall drivers are probably even more interested to learn that this sedan has a particularly roomy passenger compartment. An Optima driver and the front seat passenger are allotted 40 inches of headroom as well as an impressive 45.5 inches of front leg room, which is one of the most generous measurements on this list. Kia’s interior quality is pretty good, too, making this sedan a comfortable choice.

Photo by Kia

2016 Cadillac CT6

The CT6 is a new addition to the brand’s lineup for 2016, and, like, most Cadillacs, spaciousness and comfort are a reasonable expectation. The CT6 is a large sedan that offers plenty of premium technology and features. For example, leather upholstery comes standard, as well as 14-way power-adjustable front seats, which help increase the comfort of big and tall people. Of course, the Cadillac CT6’s interior proportions are generous, as well: There is 40.1 inches of headroom in front, as well as 42.3 inches of legroom. Cadillac’s combination of power, luxury, and comfort makes the all-new CT6 one of the most well rounded (and most expensive) cars on this list.

Photo by Cadillac

2017 Hyundai Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata is one of those cars that offers a great bang for the buck, and the 2017 model should be seriously considered by big and tall drivers in need of a new midsize sedan. The 2017 Hyundai Sonata offers front row occupants 40.4 inches of headroom and an impressive 45.5 inches of leg room, making it easy for a tall driver to find a comfortable seating position. The Sonata’s often found at the top of various midsize car rankings, thanks in part to its supportive front seats and its generous list of standard features. Power-adjustable (and heated and ventilated) seats are available as options in the Sonata, to help increase driver comfort even more.

Photo by Hyundai

2017 Nissan Versa Note

The 2017 Versa Note shows that Nissan’s really nailed the trick of creating space in a tiny car. The Note is a hatchback version of the Versa (one of the cheapest cars you can buy new in the United States right now) so accomplishing these interior dimensions is really quite a feat. Granted, the Versa Note’s actual cabin quality and materials aren’t the greatest, but with 40.8 inches of front headroom and 41.3 inches of front legroom, it’s still a great choice for big and tall buyers on a budget. (And it’s not just the subcompact Versa Note that we’re impressed with—another small Nissan is soon to come on our list of the best cars for big and tall people.)

Photo by Nissan

2017 Genesis G90

If this model sounds unfamiliar, don’t worry—it’s Hyundai’s new luxury brand, and it’s well worth getting acquainted with if you’re a big or tall driver who has trouble getting comfortable behind the wheel. The brand’s affordable Genesis sedan and coupe were so successful at competing with more traditional luxury cars that Hyundai spun the name off into its own nameplate this year, and the G90 is one of the first vehicles in the lineup. This large Genesis sedan offers plenty of comfort thanks to its upscale build quality, but it also offers drivers 41.1 inches of headroom and 46.3 inches of front legroom, which will make some G90 competitors feel positively cramped by comparison.

Photo by Genesis

2017 Nissan Leaf

Nissan’s little Leaf is known primarily for being one of the most affordable and best selling electric cars in the world. And we all know that efficient cars, for the most part, aren’t very big. However, the Leaf is likely to surprise big and tall drivers with its comfortable proportions. This compact hatchback offers 41.2 inches of headroom (which is the same as the Rolls-Royce Phantom, for those keeping score). The Leaf also manages to carve out 42.1 inches of front leg room. These interior accommodations mean the Leaf—and electric vehicles—are ready for prime time.

Photo by Nissan

2017 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo

This BMW is one of the larger vehicles on our list of the best cars for big and tall people, for sure. It’s also likely to stretch your budget. The 5 Series is a luxury midsize car that’s been available in a few different bodystyles over the years; the Gran Turismo is an odd-looking yet undeniably stylish stretched-out hatchback that offers generous interior dimensions: 41.4 inches of headroom and 40.6 inches of front leg room, to be precise. Buyers get the choice of several high-performance engines, too.

Photo by BMW