I'm 6'5" and i fit perfectly in my 2012 e. i also had a 2008 e which was a little tighter.

 

Maybe K-A you need to take a page from the tall Miata owners playbook (I also own a Miata). Have the seat modified. It may require some lose of adjustability and plushness but can provide the additional inches of headroom you need. I'm sure that's what the Kobie's, Shaq's, Lebron's of the world do.

 

Interestingly enough the Mustang has great headroom, coupled with usually no moonroof. American cars usually have the most generous headroom even when on smaller/sleeker cars. What M-B is really bad at is allowing headroom on sleek cars, even when said cars are very large, if you compare them with most other car manufacturers.

 

Friend of mine is 6'8 and fits quite happily in my E...

 

K-A - your future is in a Benz SUV.

 

That is the LAST thing I want to hear! Lol. I'm not a big fan of M-B SUV's. Though the new GL looks pretty good (hate the previous one). Either way, not my bag. Maybe if a bunch of children drop on my lap.

 

Trade for a GL.

 

Took a ride in it today and modified the seat back a bit. As long as I'm not sitting insanely straight and upright, it's all good. Not perfect, but probably is actually the most generous headroom of any car with a moonroof that I've driven lately, now that I think about it (which isn't saying a whole lot, but it's something).

 

If you think it's hard to fit in the E, wait until you try to enter a 911. It's not easy but once you are in they are great.

It's doubtful you will fit in the sport seat because it is very tight fitting. Finally, if you have any fillings in your teeth the car will shake them loose.


PS Don't travel too far out of the city. There is no spare tire and no room for one, nor are the tires run flat. The 911 is not a car, it is a toy.

 

K-A you always bring up interesting topics to the forum, and I am always entertained. The 212 forum seems to be the most active forum and your contributions are appreciated

 

I think he's one of the assests and prominents to the forums too

 

smart has excellent headroom!

 

Why, thank you gentlemen very much. Life isn't worth living if one's endeavors aren't entertained/ing.

Fortunately my knees and back aren't bad enough at this point in my life, so entry/exit so far isn't an issue for me (so many other things are, so I plan to remain as ignorant to it as possible at this point in my life, lol). Yeah, everybody keeps saying "How can you fit in a 911?" including the salesman who was watching me check out the new 991.... Oddly enough, headroom is so roomy when I'm in there, more-so than my big E.

That salesman who had just bought a 991 CS was also saying how ALREADY the car is rattling due to the sporty suspension not adapting well to our horrid roads out here. The same roads that have me complaining about even an E-Classes absorbing qualities. Reminded me as to why I didn't want a Sports Car in this city

About the Sports Seat, if it's a "narrow" issue, that one is okay, 'cause I'm skinny (and tall ).

 

So basically this is what my life's come to.... "cool cars aren't made for you.... the lamer the car, the better fit for your seemingly distinct build".

Nice.

 

Had an older first generation CLS 63 as a courtesy car this week, now that one has little headroom compared to our W212 E. The rear headroom for any CLS is simply pathetic. Side note, strangely don't find the naturally aspirated V8 faster than the 2012 550 4matic. Maybe it's the lack of noise in the E, the AMG makes all the noise seems to require so much effort to speed.

The 997 had been my daily for years but I must say, I enjoy the smooth ride of the E very much. When driving the 997, I put on noise isolation headphones custom made by my audiologist, easier to put on and off than the deep seated ear canal ones, and can enjoy my music peacefully with most of the tire and engine noise blocked off.

Just need to keep an extra eye for emergency vehicles..

 

Damn! The 997 is that noisy, huh?! I agree, especially with where I live, the reason I keep choosing luxury (cars) over sport (cars) is because the money is much better spend there. I always joke with my friend who has a GTR that I get my money's worth so much more than he does.... my car is a 268 HP V6, hardly meant for the track, therefore, it shines best in traffic. My car performs as intended in congested city traffic. He on the other hand, is always complaining that he can never take his car over 60 around where he lives, and basically sits in a cheap Nissan (interior) that's too unrefined for his tastes during 80% of his commute (traffic). Not to mention, how painful it is to have that beast and never be able to unleash the beast ("the car hates to be driven slow").

The previous CLS has the same headroom as the new one, so I see what you mean there. No M-B salesman believed me when I said that I can't fit in a CLS.... until they watched me try and couldn't believe how uncomfortable I was.

 

The CLS is the example of how form doesn't follow function. The turbo is supposed to be quieter as the two turbos should be muffling the engine/exhaust noise compared to the naturally aspirated setups but still too much for my taste.

Finally got a ride in the GTR, great car but the interior is a little week and the car is huge, reminds me of the size of the E39 5 series.

For daily driving, it's hard to beat our comfortable E. The brake hold is just so convenient for the city.

 

So I've adjusted my backrest some, and it's pretty much JUST barely enough to be truly comfortable. Still, I've recently gotten really bitter towards M-B with their lacking headroom. The fact that a well sized, "Family Sedan" E-Class that's a 3-Box shape, has BARELY enough headroom for me, is just not cool. Again, I'm not Yao Ming for f's sake!

I checked out a CL, which I've been interested in getting into once I'm out of the E (decided I'll be returning it after the Lease, residual is just too artificially high to consider buying this one out). I was literally depressed after realizing it has the EXACT same cramped headroom as the CLS. Such a huge car, all this room, yet my head couldn't fit in it. A long torso'd 6'4 guy like myself looks at a CL and says "that's the Coupe I should fit in"..... wrong.

I test drove a new 991 Carrera yesterday. WOW was it fun. Petee, you are spot on, it felt like a toy to me, like a go-cart, after being used to what I'm used to. That rear engine wail behind you is an experience. I'm not used to such a small size, so that's a bit of an issue to me, in terms of feeling a little "unsafe" or vulnerable, but that's part of the package. Get this, the 911 has more headroom than my E-Class!

I then went to BMW. The F10 5-Series does have comparable headroom to my W212. However, incredibly, the 6 Gran Coupe AND the 6 Coupe, two cars that are lower AND sleeker than the CLS (who can't fit my tall head in), have more headroom than even my E-Class.

So let's get this straight: Mercedes' Conservative, functional Sedan has less headroom than BMW's swoopy and ultra low-slung Coupe and 4-Door Coupe (granted the seating position is much sportier, so they engineer it so instead of "sitting up" like in an E-Class, you're almost "lying backwards" in the 6's), while M-B's own big Coupe and 4-Door Coupe, have the worst headroom of any car I've sat in. And, to ice the cake, Porsche's little 911 has the most headroom of all.

It's really pi$$ed me off, enough so that I think I've made the decision to stop supporting M-B going forward, after buying 4 cars from them during my pretty young life thus far. Chances are, if all goes as planned, BMW or Porsche will be getting my money next time.

 

I am 6'0 and I fit very fine in a W212. Looking into a 2010 hopefully soon. If you think the E is small you should drive a W204/W203... That will drive you nuts!

 

So disloyal, so fickle.

Looks like 220S was wrong with his 'cheerleader' jibes.

Are you seriously going to quit the brand you wax lyrical about every day?

 

Damn! I can't even imagine it being that much worse.

It's just really gotten under my skin, this whole ordeal. I asked my GF the other night how close my head is to the roof of my E, AFTER putting my seatback so far back, and she said "your head is literally rubbing the top of the roof".

Here's the thing: If I'm gonna have cramped headroom, I want at least a low slung "Coupe" type of car. A stately Luxo Sedan should give even a taller guy like me more headroom. My old Chevy Malibu was even lower slung than my E, AND had massive front headroom (though no moonfroof, which could be the big factor).

A 6-Series I can live with having comparable headroom to my E, because at least that's a Sports Car. Fact is, it seems to have even more than the E, though due to a driving position forcing me to "lie back" a lot.

It's just got me really upset at M-B. The CL was the real kicker. I felt like I got slapped in the face after sitting in that gigantic car, no excuse for such cramped headroom when everyone else gets better out of even lower, sportier, and smaller cars (hello, 911 Porsche!).

Aside from the E, or SUV's (which I want no part of), the only M-B's that fit me going forward that I would consider are the new SL or next generation S-Class. Both too expensive, and in the S's case, way too much size, and for their prices, I have better more "formed for me" alternatives from other manufacturers I'd think. Sad really.

 

Lol. Yes, he's always been wrong about that.

Check out my post above. Unless something changes, what else can I get from M-B? They leave me with no options, and I've already exercized the E. BMW and Porsche has low slung, sexy cars that can fit my head in it!

The CL like I said was the real kicker. I started to consider getting one, got excited about it even, and when I sat in it, felt literally offended. I wouldn't have thought twice such a huge car would limit my headroom.

I love M-B, but it's as if they're making it so that I can't support them much longer.... unless I move to an SL or S (explained that above as well).

We'll see. I still have some time left with this E of which I am very fond of, unless I get out of it early (not likely, but I get weird when my eyes start to wander)

Edit: To add fuel to the fire, this E which I've documented has been an "on and off" case of the rattles, is back to "on". The whole dash area seems to have loosened up and makes very fickle, creaking, snapping. crackling, popping noises when I hit rough patches now. Also, a rear creak/groan/rattle has popped back up (they come, then they go, it's weird). When it rains, it pours, eh?

 

maybe you just need a chevy volt! LOL....

 

.... True that.... I've been looking for a well functioning vomit bag to have around.

 

K-A, I love reading your posts! You use the automotive boards to justify whatever you're feeling at the time. hahahahahaha