Hey all. I'm looking to buy a new Accent, likely a manual hatchback. I've searched around on the net and on these forums, but still have some leftover questions I'm not finding answers for. Hopefully you guys can help me out.
Basically, I'm very tall, about 6'7". I'm considering the Accent because I've heard it has very good headroom for a compact. I have yet to sit in one, but it has very similar dimensions to the Mitsubishi Lancer, which I have tried out. The Lancer had enough headroom, but the legroom was bearable, at best. That said, I understand that the measurements you find online are from floor to ceiling, not seat to ceiling, so who knows.
My question is, how hard and expensive is it to move the seat rails back? Are there any safety concerns with doing this (airbags, seatbelt)? How far back could you move it? In all cars I've tried my knees are jammed up to either side of the wheel. That's part of why I've never bothered owning a car before. I could easily move the seat back 6" and comfortably reach the pedals, maybe more. Assuming this is feasible, that could fix the legroom problem, but if it turns out the headroom isn't good, is there any way to lower the seat or should I start looking at other cars?
I'd rather have a mechanic do it for me, as I have no experience with cars pretty much. I am a very hands-on guy and I plan to start modding and getting to know whatever vehicle I end up buying, but I'm not going to do something that involves structural work and safety issues on my first day. I plan to up the audio system and replace the radio with a custom in-dash computer (I'm a computer tech by trade) before I even start looking at the mechanical aspects of the car.
Basically, I'm very tall, about 6'7". I'm considering the Accent because I've heard it has very good headroom for a compact. I have yet to sit in one, but it has very similar dimensions to the Mitsubishi Lancer, which I have tried out. The Lancer had enough headroom, but the legroom was bearable, at best. That said, I understand that the measurements you find online are from floor to ceiling, not seat to ceiling, so who knows.
My question is, how hard and expensive is it to move the seat rails back? Are there any safety concerns with doing this (airbags, seatbelt)? How far back could you move it? In all cars I've tried my knees are jammed up to either side of the wheel. That's part of why I've never bothered owning a car before. I could easily move the seat back 6" and comfortably reach the pedals, maybe more. Assuming this is feasible, that could fix the legroom problem, but if it turns out the headroom isn't good, is there any way to lower the seat or should I start looking at other cars?
I'd rather have a mechanic do it for me, as I have no experience with cars pretty much. I am a very hands-on guy and I plan to start modding and getting to know whatever vehicle I end up buying, but I'm not going to do something that involves structural work and safety issues on my first day. I plan to up the audio system and replace the radio with a custom in-dash computer (I'm a computer tech by trade) before I even start looking at the mechanical aspects of the car.
