For commercial fleet managers with tall drivers, it can be tough to figure out which vehicle will be the most comfortable for them.

While the average U.S. male is roughly 5’7” and the average U.S. female is about 5’3” — according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention — fleet managers must sometimes find vehicles that can accommodate drivers well over 6 ft.

Moving Beyond Comfort: Keeping Safety at the Forefront

Finding vehicles that your drivers fit into well is about more than just comfort; it’s also a matter of safety, says Sue Miller, fleet industry veteran.

Drivers must have optimal control over their vehicles in order to be able to operate them properly. If a driver is too big for their vehicle, they may be more likely to have difficulty operating the vehicle effectively, which can increase the risk of accidents.

“The safety of our drivers was always paramount. That plus the impact to their ergonomics within the vehicle to their health and comfort required us to make concessions,” Miller said of her time working for McDonalds Corp.

Miller had drivers who measured at 6’5”, with one coming in at 6’7”.

“Considering the amount of time they were required to spend on the road, the compact SUV offered as the standard company car, was not optimal for their safety and comfort,” she added.

Add a Vehicle Size Policy

Once you begin to make exceptions for some drivers based on their size, it can be easy for others to ask for a larger vehicle as well. Especially if their company allows them to use their fleet vehicle for personal use and they want more space for their family.

“It can be a slippery slope because once you make one exception, others expect the same for different reasons. For example, I have four kids — or more — and need a larger vehicle,” Miller explained.

Miller recommends developing parameters to manage such situations and sticking to them.

“Having the policy and staying course maintained fairness and consistency,” she said.

A written policy and process is essential, ABM Fleet Senior Manager of Global Fleet David Hayward agreed.

In his experience, requests for larger vehicles have been treated as if they were an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation. Drivers are required to fill out a form and get a sign-off from a doctor or from the company’s internal HR partner.

How Do Popular Fleet Vehicles Measure Up?

Now that we know why it’s important to keep your taller drivers in mind, let’s look at some of the options available.

Automotive Fleet ranked vehicles that are popular among commercial fleets by the amount of head and legroom they have. It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list; we did not include luxury vehicles on this list.

We skipped pickup trucks and large SUVs, because many of the options available to fleet managers are made with optimal cabin space in mind.

We also included electric vehicles (EVs), but did not break them down by vehicle size, since there are not as many options available.

In some cases, one vehicle had more headroom than another, but the other vehicle had more legroom than the first. We ranked these by which vehicles have the most headroom.

Additionally, the legroom measurements are the maximum space that can be achieved, assuming that the front seat is as far back as it can go.

The rankings are for the front seat only. Data comes from 2024 models, unless otherwise noted.

Sedans

*measurement of vehicle with no moonroof, where moonroof is an option, or otherwise specified

Compact SUVs/Crossovers

*measurement of vehicle with no moonroof, where moonroof is an option, or otherwise specified

Mid-Sized SUVs

*measurement of vehicle with no moonroof, where moonroof is an option, or otherwise specified

EVs

*measurement of vehicle with no moonroof, where moonroof is an option, or otherwise specified
**measurement of vehicle with panoramic roof; only data available as of March 2024