TECHNOLOGY

Why 2005 Cars were Better 

A while back I got a lift in a new Mini Cooper – in the front passenger seat. And every time the car hit a pothole or speed bump my head hit the roof. Literally! Fortunately, there was no damage to my neck or spine. 

 At 6'2" I had barely 2 " of headroom to start so I should have passed on the lift. 4" inches of headroom is what safety -- and keeping the roof liner grease/sweat-free -- requires.

The Mini is a subcompact so headroom problems for taller people can be expected, but I have found this to be a problem in recent, larger car designs as well -- except for those from Europe. 

Thanks to standard front adjustable bucket seats I, and anyone just over 6'2", can sit in a mid-size or larger front seat, but rear seating is another matter. 

Only 2 non-European vehicles allow this as all other sedans have switched to a sporty, inverted Nike swoosh roof line. The lower rear roof combined with high, fixed row seating makes all but two cars sold in North America Mini Cooper experiences: the decade old C300 full size luxury model from Chrysler and the flat roof Toyota Camry. 

The former can seat 3 taller people in the rear but the Camry only 2 -- as the bench's middle is for some bizarre reason raised higher so my head touches the top. Even the 2016 Chevy Impala and new Buick Lacrosse -- that seem to have minimal swooshing -- are not viable.

The roof liners drop some 2 " in the rear to allow for a sliding optional moon roof window. 

Yes, North Americans are getting taller and even the people in China, but car manufacturers outside Europe have let style replace substance and customer needs. 

Maybe this is part of the reason SUV sales are skyrocketing as these vehicles -- just like mini-vans -- offer plenty of headroom: front and back. 

So, when I finally replace my beloved  2005 GM sedan, I will have to make major compromises: only 2 front seats, reduced trunk space and tiny trunk opening, less roomy interior, no more place for a removable front waste basket (on the hump) -- and no tall passengers in the back. 

So, sorry Michael Jordan and even Alexander Ovechkin, Eli Manning and Maria Sharapova, and all the tall male friends of my daughter. 

You will be safer to walk. 

P.S. While I cannot sit in the rear of a 2016 Honda Accord or Hyundai Sonata, the older, 2005 Accord and Sonata are no problem. 

 Style over substance!!!