Best cars for tall people

As you may have noticed when parking up at the supermarket or navigating a 1960s multi-storey, cars have steadily become larger over recent years. In a world where a Volkswagen Polo is bigger than the Volkswagen Golf of 20 years ago, it’s no surprise that car interior space has generally grown in line with exterior dimensions. However, the potential for extra passenger space has been limited somewhat by a similarly steady increase in on-board safety kit and ever-tightening crash test standards. 

Dashboards, seats and interior trim have grown to accept increasing numbers of airbags, while doors and pillars have become thicker to incorporate better crash structures. It’s all great news for crash safety, but less than ideal for taller people and their knees, elbows and heads.

With this in mind, we’ve examined the market to find ten of the very best cars for taller people. Our list was formed using official manufacturers’ figures for rear-seat headroom, an area increasingly neglected as modern designs aim to maximise aerodynamic efficiency (and showroom appeal) with rakish rooflines. Our expert road testers have also taken their own measurements on many of these cars. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the cars to make the list were SUVs, with many electric cars also making the cut thanks to the flexibility offered by their flat-floor designs.

Best cars for tall people

• Volkswagen ID.Buzz
• Skoda Kodiaq
• Kia EV9
• Land Rover Discovery
• Skoda Superb
• BMW iX
• Mercedes EQS
• Mercedes EQE SUV
• Audi Q8 e-tron
• Volvo XC90

Volkswagen ID.Buzz

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It’s possibly a bit of a cheat to include a ‘van with windows’ in this list of cars, but the Volkswagen ID.Buzz remains such a spacious, flexible family car that it’s hard to ignore. The good news for tall people is that the ID.Buzz’s boxy dimensions and flat floor have allowed Volkswagen to maximise interior space; rear headroom measures in at 1,044mm (measured on an angle from floor to roof) even with a sunroof fitted.

Knee room in the middle row is great, while entry and egress is made easier for those with longer limbs by the automatic sliding doors. Few electric cars offer so much practicality – it’s an expensive option, but worth the outlay if space is important. 

Skoda Kodiaq

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A stalwart of the range, the Skoda Kodiaq is the biggest non-electric SUV from the Czech manufacturer and has an interior to match. It’s a hugely practical family SUV available with either five or seven seats; in both versions the middle row boasts enough head- and kneeroom for those over six feet tall, although some rivals offer more space across the rear bench for three adults.

Overall, the Skoda offers a great combination of driver, passenger and boot space (especially in five-seat guise) and remains one to beat – as evidenced by its Best Large SUV title at the 2024 Auto Express New Car Awards. 

Kia EV9

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One of the more recent additions to Kia’s impressive electric car lineup also happens to be the biggest. The EV9 measures in at over five metres long, almost two metres wide and a shade under 1.8 metres tall; paired with its flat floor, the result inside is huge leg- and head-room for front and middle-row occupants. Third-row passengers don’t fare quite as well (although headroom remains good), but the middle row can slide forward to allow for more knee space.

It’s worth noting that Kia offers the EV9 with an optional six-seat layout, complete with a pair of captain’s chairs in place of the three-seat middle row bench.

Land Rover Discovery

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While slightly overshadowed by its Defender sibling, the Land Rover Discovery remains the consummate family SUV for those who value space, practicality and refinement. Taller people are well catered for here, both in the front seats and middle row; the latter can slide as required, and even in its furthest-forward position offers acres of legroom. 

Just like older Discovery models, the latest iteration incorporates a stepped roofline and ‘stadium seating’ for the middle row – the result is high-set passenger seats with headroom to match. And when not carrying tall people around the Discovery comes ready for the worst an IKEA trip can throw at it, with just under 2,000 litres of load space with all seats folded.

Skoda Superb

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The Skoda Superb is a large family car for those who don’t want an SUV and as such doesn’t have many direct rivals. Rear-seat passengers get the best deal here, with legroom to rival a Mercedes S-Class luxury saloon and great headroom considering the car’s relatively low roofline in this company.

A six-foot passenger can happily sit behind a driver of the same size, with space under the seat ahead for feet despite the low-set rear bench compared to many SUVs. The latest version of the Superb also has improved front-seat space thanks in part to the relocation of the gear selector to a column stalk. 

BMW iX

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Introduced in 2023, the BMW iX is the German manufacturer’s flagship electric car and is also one of the biggest SUVs in its range, measuring in slightly larger than the X5. Its interior is among the most stylish in this group but that doesn’t seem to impact on available space, with acres of room available for taller people in both rows.

As with the other electric SUVs in this list there’s no transmission tunnel to worry about, which means those with longer legs can more easily spread out to get comfy in the rear seats. Headroom is excellent, too. 

Mercedes EQS SUV

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Not to be confused with the swoopy EQS saloon, the Mercedes EQS SUV is one of the Stuttgart brand’s answers to the BMW above and, as such, is a seriously spacious electric car. 

A large centre console means front seat occupants don’t have quite as much room to stretch out (relatively speaking), but the rear bench boasts impressive legroom, and both rows offer plenty of headroom for taller people.

Mercedes offers a seven-seat option on the EQS SUV; needless to say, the rearmost row isn’t really suitable for larger people and is instead best used for shorter journeys or kids.

Mercedes EQE SUV

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A step down the rather large Mercedes electric car ladder brings you to this, the EQE SUV – another rival for the BMW iX and other large, luxurious electric SUVs. Much more practical than its saloon equivalent, the EQE SUV is smaller than the EQS above but still a large, spacious car. 

As with the EQS SUV, the main appeal here for taller people comes in the middle row, where the flat floor and high roof combine to provide ample space for adults of all sizes. It’s a wide space back there too, so you’ll happily fit three adults side-by-side if required.

Audi Q8 e-tron

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The successor to the Audi e-tron – one of the first large premium electric SUVs – the Q8 e-tron remains the biggest electric offering from the German manufacturer. Its considerable size means a big interior, which itself is beautifully finished and very spacious both front and rear. Taller people will do best to pick the standard Q8 e-tron rather than its Sportback sister car, whose rakish roofline is 14mm lower. 

We tested the Q8 e-tron against its Genesis GV70 Electrified rival and measured head room in each; the Audi trumps the Genesis with 998mm of headroom (measured from seat base to headliner) versus 960mm. There’s also more elbow room and legroom, too.

Volvo XC90

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Volvo has a well-earned reputation for making spacious, practical cars and the XC90 is no exception. There’s excellent head and legroom in all but the rearmost seats of this large family SUV; the middle row can be pushed forward to free up space for passengers in the back, but even then there’s plenty of space for taller people. 

Much of that space comes from the fact the XC90 is a large car, measuring in at just under five metres long and a shade over two metres wide. Its boxy proportions almost certainly help here, too.  

Despite the arrival of the new electric EX90, Volvo has just updated the XC90 to sell alongside it. The big seven-seat SUV remains a fantastic option despite its near 10-year stint in Volvo’s range.

How to buy the best car for tall people

While on-paper measurements and top 10 lists such as this can help to whittle down your car-buying longlist, there’s no substitute for visiting your local dealership and testing out cars for yourself. 

This is especially pertinent for taller people; if you have longer than average legs or arms – or perhaps wider shoulders or hips – sitting in a car before you buy is essential. 

Don’t be afraid to fiddle with seat and wheel controls to see if you can find the perfect driving position, and if you need to carry tall family members too, see if you can fit yourself in the rear seat behind the driver’s seat when your preferred driving position is selected. It’s a test we regularly carry out during our own testing and a great measure for everyday practicality. 

If you need a car’s middle row to accommodate two or more larger people, bring them along to the showroom and test out the middle bench for size. If the middle row slides, have a go setting this and see how it might affect boot space or legroom. 

Finally, once you’re comfortable, take a test drive. You’ll quickly come to appreciate any blind spots caused or exacerbated by a taller driving position, and you’ll get a feel for how your legs and feet feel in the footwell when operating the pedals. 

Try a few cars with this focus on comfort and you’ll soon find the model that’s perfect for you, regardless of your height or size.

SUVs are great if you're on the taller side! Click here to discover the very best SUVs currently on the market...