Will the Model 3 be better built for taller people?

[aesculus]

Great I'm 6'5''

Add this to the size 15 US shoes, 36 inseam and sleeve lengths, extra long shirt tails, too short T-Shirts and a host of other Tall People issues. And don't get me started on how they expect you to sit in an airplane seat that was designed for the average height of a 1950's person (that was about 5' 8") and they have even shortened it from there.

We feel your pain.:crying:

 

[Az_Rael]

Add this to the size 15 US shoes, 36 inseam and sleeve lengths, extra long shirt tails, too short T-Shirts and a host of other Tall People issues. And don't get me started on how they expect you to sit in an airplane seat that was designed for the average height of a 1950's person (that was about 5' 8") and they have even shortened it from there.

We feel your pain.:crying:

LOL, those of us at the opposite end of the spectrum have similar issues. I am 5'2" (tallest girl in my family!) so I get to deal with sitting too close to steering wheels (within the airbag danger zone), not being able to see over dashboards in cars without seat height adjustments, and my ever favorite: seat belt neck rash.

But at least you tall people are around to get things off the top shelves for us at the grocery store. :biggrin:

 

[1208]

This is a HUGE concern for me too. I'm 6'5'' with 34 inch inseams (longer torso). I test drove a Model S about two month ago and left impressed but concerned for space. I drove one without the sun roof. Yesterday I went back to Tesla and sat in one with a sun roof. I can fit but it is far from ideal. I plan on putting $1000 down on the 31st. If I don't get info on space for taller people I will have to get a refund and wait. I really want to get this car. It really sucks to be very excited but have major uncertainty.

Have you tried sitting in the X yet?

This is what I'm afraid of. I have seen a lot of comparisons to the BMW 3 series and have seen that it accommodates taller people.

BMW is German and they are on average almost 2" taller than the people of the USA aka Lilliput. Elon should start designing and manufacturing in the Netherlands.
Below is table for the males but females are similarly ranked.

 

[chance1117]

Have you tried sitting in the X yet?

I haven't sat in a X. I did see one for the first time this weekend at Tesla but they were customer. Sitting in one wasn't an option. Personally I'm not generally a fan of SUV. This probably won't go over well here but I'm a proud mini van owner. It can tow 3500lb, seat 7 and the seats fold into the floor for a huge weather tight cargo area.

BMW is German and they are on average almost 2" taller than the people of the USA aka Lilliput. Elon should start designing and manufacturing in the Netherlands.
Below is table for the males but females are similarly ranked.

I didn't know this. I happen to be 50% German so I guess that makes sense. Elon obviously needs to think of the Netherlands when designing the 3.

 

[Bokonon]

LOL, those of us at the opposite end of the spectrum have similar issues. I am 5'2" (tallest girl in my family!) so I get to deal with sitting too close to steering wheels (within the airbag danger zone), not being able to see over dashboards in cars without seat height adjustments, and my ever favorite: seat belt neck rash.

But at least you tall people are around to get things off the top shelves for us at the grocery store. :biggrin:

You've pretty much described the two key components of my evening routine:
(1) Channel my inner Gumbi, squeeze into my (5'2") wife's Subaru without disturbing her seating configuration, and back it into our driveway, elbowing my ribcage the whole way.
(2) Enter the house, immediately get asked to retrieve something off a shelf.

 

[jaguar36]

I'm 6'2" I looked at the BMW 3 series forum and found this same discussion. People between 6' and 6'4" seem be able to make it work with the 3 series. I think it will all depend on how well the seat adjusts.

I'm 6'5" and I fit in the 3-series without a problem. Very comfortable in it in fact.

I also fit in the Model S just fine. No complaints at all. (this is with the Pano roof). One of the things I love about the car is in fact how well I fit and how much room there is behind the drivers seat when I'm in for the kids in the back.

Incidentally I don't fit at all in some other cars that some other tall people seem to be happy in, like the Honda Odyssey and the Chevy Suburban.

 

[Red Sage]

I'm 6'-1" tall, with a 36" inseam, and about a 76" wingspan. So, long legs and arms, with a comparatively 'short' torso. I always slide the driver's seat all the way back, in any vehicle, so that my arms and legs are as straight as possible. Headroom is rarely an issue, except I do have to make sure to bend at the waist and knees to not bang my head while entering or exiting modern cars and trucks. I have a buddy who, at 6'-3" sits in a car the opposite manner that I do, with his legs crouched, and knees bent behind the steering wheel, like a preying mantis.

I believe the problem you are experiencing is not so much with the height of Tesla Motors' cars, so much as it is the height of the floor. A traditional motor vehicle has only a bit of carpet, padding, glue and sheet metal underfoot. A Tesla has a 4" thick aluminum box under the entire passenger compartment. That can make a significant difference in perceived interior comfort.

 

[chance1117]

I'm 6'-1" tall, with a 36" inseam, and about a 76" wingspan. So, long legs and arms, with a comparatively 'short' torso. I always slide the driver's seat all the way back, in any vehicle, so that my arms and legs are as straight as possible. Headroom is rarely an issue, except I do have to make sure to bend at the waist and knees to not bang my head while entering or exiting modern cars and trucks. I have a buddy who, at 6'-3" sits in a car the opposite manner that I do, with his legs crouched, and knees bent behind the steering wheel, like a preying mantis.

I believe the problem you are experiencing is not so much with the height of Tesla Motors' cars, so much as it is the height of the floor. A traditional motor vehicle has only a bit of carpet, padding, glue and sheet metal underfoot. A Tesla has a 4" thick aluminum box under the entire passenger compartment. That can make a significant difference in perceived interior comfort.

I'm 6'5'' I wear jeans with 34-36 inseams. That would mean my torso is 4-6'' longer than yours. I just don't fit well in a lot of vehicles comfortably unfortunately.I'm over the 99% in height. I can't really blame Tesla for not accommodating less than 1% of the their potential customers.

 

[Red Sage]

I do believe that Tesla Motors' Head Designer, Franz Von Holzhausen is very close to your height. I would love it if the Model ≡ were designed to accommodate five passengers of his build in comfort. I think it could be done if the wheelbase on the car is longer than a BMW 3-Series -- even if overall length were about the same. Those who prefer a rail & rod perfectly vertical seating position would still be disappointed though... They would have to get used to a low-rider/street racer seating position instead.

 

[Model 3]

Elon obviously needs to think of the Netherlands when designing the 3.

And Norway!

 

[spentan]

Hold the phone, I'm 6ft9in and 420lbs, and I fit into the S fine. Getting in and out is a bit difficult, but as long as the seat is all the way back and leaning back a little, I'm fine (with the pano roof of course).

I test drove an X the other day, it is great, I fit fine also, much more legroom, and its much easier to get in and out of. I did find I could stretch up and touch the headliner with the back of my head, but that won't bother me, as I'm usually relaxing in my car, not stretching

 

[b.noing]

I find that the most important thing for tall comfort is the steering wheel reach (which has no impact on aero dynamics!) If the reach is generous, like it is in the Tesla, Volvo and some Mercedes, I can tilt the seat back to compensate for low headroom and still reach the steering wheel.

I'm 6-4 and am totally comfortable in the S with the Pano roof. I did have to remove some of the stuffing in the lower part of the head rest because it poked my upper spine.

 

[wdolson]

The Model S is tight for people with long torsos, but it's pretty decent for long legs. I'm 6'2" with a 37 inch inseam. I broke my tailbone as a child and if I can't get the seat right I get shocking pains going down my legs on long trips (it isn't bad on short trips, just being in one position with pressure on that area for long periods). I've sat in two Model Ss with pano roofs and one without. I have good headroom in all of them, though the pano roof had a couple of extra inches of height. The driver's seat actually goes back a little too far for me, but I also like running the seat height up as high as I can. The Model X is probably much better for people with long torsos.

Everything in engineering is a tradeoff. Tesla put the battery pack under the floor which is a great spot for stability and cargo space, but it does cut down the height of the passenger cabin a bit. Tesla could have made the entire car a bit taller, but it would have resulted in a higher profile and more drag.

 

[wdolson]

I find that the most important thing for tall comfort is the steering wheel reach (which has no impact on aero dynamics!) If the reach is generous, like it is in the Tesla, Volvo and some Mercedes, I can tilt the seat back to compensate for low headroom and still reach the steering wheel.

I'm 6-4 and am totally comfortable in the S with the Pano roof. I did have to remove some of the stuffing in the lower part of the head rest because it poked my upper spine.

That's a big problem for me too. My arms end up killing me on long road trips because I have to hang them in space for so long. I did like how much the Model S steering wheel telescopes. It's better than most cars I've driven. Of course autopilot will help on long trips too.

 

[chance1117]

I just thought of one way the Model 3 could add some headroom. Manual adjusting seats! Some might not be a fan but without the need of a motor manual seats can sit a little lower (as far as I know). At the 35k starting price I wouldn't be surprised if electric seats are standard. I have no issue with manual seat adjustments and if it gets me a few more inches I would call manual seats a feature.

 

[tga]

I'm 6'1" w/ a 32" inseam. I have been known to attack the butt cushions of car seats with an electric carving knife to remove foam and increase headroom (after temporarily removing the upholstery, of course).

The seats in my 911 are bolted right to the floor without sliders in order to maximize headroom with a helmet while at the track.

 

[David99]

car designers don't live in a local bubble. Just because BMW is a German company doesn't mean they only look at the average German male. Obviously Tesla being based in the US didn't design their cars based on the much smaller US average. Overall car size says nothing about how well it works for a tall driver. I sat very comfortable in a Smart car for 4 years and I'm 6-4 (192 cm). I could not get a comfortable seat in a KIA Sedona which is obviously a much larger car. Same with some upper class cars about 15 years ago. BMW 7 and Mercedes S class didn't fit me well, but the Audi A8 was perfect.
The Model S definitely kept large people in mind. I'm confident the 3 will be similar.

 

[1208]

Cars I can't get into without hitting my head let alone sit in without breaking my neck are Nissan and Mazda, both Japanese.

When testing the car design they get their workforce and designers to sit in it. They will try to accommodate themselves to fit in it comfortably. Obviously if they are on average a certain height it will be reflected in the design.:smile:

 

[wdolson]

car designers don't live in a local bubble. Just because BMW is a German company doesn't mean they only look at the average German male. Obviously Tesla being based in the US didn't design their cars based on the much smaller US average. Overall car size says nothing about how well it works for a tall driver. I sat very comfortable in a Smart car for 4 years and I'm 6-4 (192 cm). I could not get a comfortable seat in a KIA Sedona which is obviously a much larger car. Same with some upper class cars about 15 years ago. BMW 7 and Mercedes S class didn't fit me well, but the Audi A8 was perfect.
The Model S definitely kept large people in mind. I'm confident the 3 will be similar.

Different ethnic groups have different average heights. The tallest in the world are northern Europeans and some African groups. The average heights for northern European countries is very high because of the population is almost all northern European genetics linked with a high calorie diet. The Dutch are the tallest because they were ahead of other Europeans in diet. I have a map in a book somewhere that illustrated how diets in Europe declined during WW II. It showed the calories per day in each country from 1938 to 1944. The Netherlands were way ahead of the rest of Europe in 1938, though their caloric intake was one of the lowest in Europe by 1944.

The average heights for African American men and men of northern European descent in the US is right on par with northern Europe, but the US has more of an ethnic mix with a lot of ethnicities that tend to average smaller stature like Mediterraneans, people from Asia, and people with a lot of Central American native ancestry (Hispanics). My SO's mother was Mediterranean and her father was from Mexico (almost half Aztec the other half Basque). Her height and body shape are so close to the American average just about everything comes in her size with no modification. I have gone through hell to find clothes that fit my entire life. I have PTSD about clothes shopping.

When I started car shopping, sitting in a car and seeing if I could get the seat to a comfortable position was issue #1. If that didn't work, the car was scratched without further consideration. Some full sized cars didn't make the cut. Fortunately the Model S was one of only two cars I looked at that the seat would go back just a tad more than was comfortable for me.

 

[Transepoch]

I think the proportions of the Model 3 will be different than the S. It may outwardly look similar, but I expect it will be narrower and taller than the S.

I'm hoping that is the case. At least as long as I don't start worrying that it becomes so narrow that the wingspan is clipped and elbows are smashed into the doors.

My plans are to stay as far from the 3's backseat as possible. It took a few days for the pain in my hips to subside after trying them out in the S.