Part 2:  Sport Utility Vehicles, CUV’s and Trucks

A word on Trucks…
Before I get started on SUV’s and CUV’s, I want to quickly get trucks out of the way…  Just about any full size truck on the market is going to accomodate a big guy.  Even in regular cab format, the legroom and headroom are more than ample, so I won’t go into specific details of each truck because at that point it truly comes down to individual fit and taste.  In my personal testing, I’ve found that I fit more comfortably in the Dodge Ram 1500 Series and Ford F150 trucks due to seating and leg layout.  In a Chevy 1500 Series truck, the dash is angled differently and causes me to occasionally bang my knees or force an uncomfortable seating position.

In the mid-size truck category, it can be a total crapshoot.  Most mid-size trucks in regular or extended cab format are just too small for big guys, however the Quad-Cab versions of the Nissan Frontier and Dodge Dakota will probably do just fine.  If these are what you want, go out and do some testing on your own…  your models are pretty limited and it won’t take long to weed out the competition.

With these vehicles, it really comes down to individual taste…  Find what you like the best, and narrow down a short list of models by feature.  The new fords have a great side step and rear bed step with handle to help if you have a little bit of trouble reaching your cargo…  The Dodge Ram’s tend to have a higher towing capacity depending on model and the Chevrolet full-size trucks tend to have more overall power than other models.  Once you’ve figured out what you can live with as far as comfort, then narrow down based on available options and needs.

2009 Jeep Commander
The Commander is great…  Size, room, utility…  but comes with a high price tag and low fuel mileage, although owners at the show who were checking out the new model year version stated they had higher than the estimated on the tag, up to 21 and 22MPG over the claimed 18mpg highway.  This vehicle has depreciated like a rock since it was introduced, so be prepared to take a huge loss if you decide to resell within 2-3 years.  My recommendation?  Buy one used and drive it til the wheels fall off…  if you can afford the gas.

2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4DR
The Wrangler is livable, especially if you want the fun factor and utility of the vehicle.  Knees are a bit cramped, but I think I could live with it for long drives.  Wouldn’t recommend getting it in a stick shift as a big guy, could cause issues with knee-to-dash proximity.

2009 Chevy Traverse
This was my favorite CUV, and probably one of my favorites for the show.  Good interior, tons of room, great space for passengers.  A friend who attended the show sat behind me in the Traverse with the driver’s seat in the most comfortable position I could find (and it was pretty darn comfortable) and my partner in crime had more than enough room to be comfortable for a trip.  Combine that with tops-in-class cargo space, 3rd row seating when necessary (probably useless for anyone over 6 feet tall) and a great value for what you are getting when compared to the Honda Pilot or BMW X5.  Fuel mileage (24MPG Highway) is very good for a vehicle of this size and it’s not bad looking either.

2009 BMW X5
Great room!  Notched seats for rear seat passenger’s knees.  Great visibility for stoplights and decent headroom.  Very pricy, though, so keep that under consideration when looking at this vehicle.  If buying new, I’d steer you more towards the Chevy Traverse.

2009 Honda Element
Always a crowd pleaser…  It has miles of front seat headroom, but can tend to leave the long-legged a little lacking for space… but not by much.  This is the only Honda I would want to own for the long haul of 5 years or more.  It’s a great value, reasonably fuel efficient, available with AWD and has tons of cargo and passenger space (although rear seat headroom is limited).  The utility and ability of this vehicle is amazing and at the price point of which it can be had, it is also an excellent value.  The car will retain it’s resale value as well, so it’s a sound investment.

2009 Subaru Tribeca
This vehicle has a beautiful interior look, however in the space department it is only average.  The third row seat is mostly useless, but would be useful in a pinch.  This would probably be an excellent family vehicle, but I’m not sure I’d want to drive it every day as a Big & Tall guy…  It’d probably be OK, but I think I’d find more and more issues with the vehicle on an extended test.

2009 Honda Pilot / Honda Ridgeline
For a normal person, these vehicles would be wonderful.  I had very high hopes, but there’s just simply not enough space for anyone in the category of who would visit this website to be reliably comfortable for any great length of time.  Throw cargo, additional people and pets into the equation and what you’ve got is a very cramped situation.

That wraps up what I wanted to cover for this series, so I’m going to keep it short and sweet.  More news, posts and ideas are coming every day.  If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave a comment here or drop me a line at tim@sizeoflife.com.

Categories: Cars
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