C5 Comfortable for a Big Man?

[SJC5]

I'm a big man. 6'2" tall and about 320 lbs. I want to buy a C5 but wondering if I would be comfortable in one. I currently drive a 2002 Chrysler 300M Special and wanted a vette to play in. I've checked the factory specifications for the interior and the C5 would be about 8" shorter in height, 3" less in shoulder room and hip room. Leg room is about the same. I could find one at a dealer and jump inside for a fit check but I'm also wondering if other big men drive vettes. Any opinions/suggestions?

 

[gmjunkie]

Corvette Driver's come inALL shape's and sizes!! I have personaly have owned a C1,C2,C3,C4,C5, and a C5 is a Large car comp. to all Gen Before it!! junk!!

 

[SANOLS1]

I guess the most limiting factor is your trunk height. I'm 6'4" 260 and I fit just fine but I have seen people the same height as me who have shorter legs and a taller trunk. They opt for the vert. The best way to tell is to go find one a take it for a spin. Good luck.

 

[DRTH VTR]

I guess the most limiting factor is your trunk height. I'm 6'4" 260 and I fit just fine but I have seen people the same height as me who have shorter legs and a taller trunk. They opt for the vert. The best way to tell is to go find one a take it for a spin. Good luck.

SANOLS1 is absolutely right. I am 6'2" and 280#. I fit just fine; I once weighed closer to 330# and fit fine. One of the Corvette dignitaries, Joe Spielman (?) was about 6'5" and fit. I had an acquantance who is 6'5" and he did NOT fit due to his long trunk. You will just have to try it and see.

 

[jimmie jam]

time for a spin!

i'm 6'3' but only weigh 190. have 2 c5's (verts). my problem has allways been leg room because i'm all legs. i'm here to tell you that leg room in a c5 is not really the issue. as said before this is a BIG car. just get in one and see about the girth fit. i personally like a snug fit because it is a sports car. if i want to "boat" i do it in my caddy and avalanche because any size person can swim in these rides!

good luck! hope you like the fit because you'll LOVE the ride!

J.Jam

 

[SJC5]

Thanks for the replies. The C5 sounds like it's easier to get in and out of for big guys than the other generations. I now feel more comfortable jumping in one and taking it out for a test drive and not being embarassed if I get wedged in. An A4 will probably have more room for my big shoes than the MN6 also. Any difference in engress & egress and headroom between the vert, coupe or FRC?

 

[DRTH VTR]

The C5 has the transmission in back, so the footwells are HUGE. My size 13's can run the pedals just fine. The headroom and access to the FRC and the coupe are the same. I cannot say on the convertible.

 

[Bill Heygster]

Thanks for the replies. The C5 sounds like it's easier to get in and out of for big guys than the other generations. I now feel more comfortable jumping in one and taking it out for a test drive and not being embarassed if I get wedged in. An A4 will probably have more room for my big shoes than the MN6 also. Any difference in engress & egress and headroom between the vert, coupe or FRC?

Don't fret about getting in and out. It's once you're in that counts. You should fit just fine. I've seen some very large dudes pop out of C-5s and always with a big smile. The joy of driving one of these cars far outweighs any negatives

 

[Stumbo]

You'll have to put the seat all the way back to get the seat belt on, then move the seat forward, if necessary. The seatbelt latch does not slide so it may take a bit of effort to get it in the lock.

Also, be careful not to hit the speaker grill with your knees or feet because it dents easily. I find that pivoting in the seat upon egress makes it a bit easier. The doors have to be all the way open to exit. Make sure there's enough room between you and the next car in your garage or out in a parking lot.

Once you get the sequence down, it's no problem. Have fun!

 

[Barry Hanna]

6'5", 250, no problem.

 

[Nevets2004]

Please give the C5 a nice long test drive before buying. My 17 year old son is 6'4" and weighs 305. He absolutely loves Corvettes. But unfortunately he is quite uncomfortable sitting in the passenger side and sadly would rather take long drives in my wife's Windstar.

Even if you're comfy behind the wheel, there is the weight consideration. I'm not exactly sure why Corvettes are built this way and maybe c4c5 specialist or some other Vette guru can explain this but the total cargo weight including passengers for my '04 is only 399 lbs. The lable is on the inside of the driver side door. On pages 4-35 through 4-38 in the manual ( I have a PDF copy if you need one) it mentions that if you over load the vehicles GVWR or GAWR parts on the car could break and will not be covered by the warranty. I'm a little annoyed at my dealer for not mentioning this since he's met my family and we're not small people.

Anyway, don't be frightened away, my son and I have done several long trips without any problems and I don't regret getting my dream car at all.

Corvettes are the coolest cars on the road.

 

[Truck Guy]

6'6" / 325 here and I'm very comfortable in my C5.

It was the only 2 seater that I've ever had this much room.

 

[BigMike5]

One other thing

If you do get one, and you are located in a place that gets cold winters, you can get a seat belt extender from your local dealer that will let you buckle the seat belt without jamming away with the tang trying to get it into the buckle along side the tranny tunnel. I had a heck of a time with a big winter coat til I contacted the dealer. The extender was free, no charge, but they don't advertise it. I had heard about it on a web site and found that it was true. They had two sizes- 9" and I think the other was 16". They sent me the 9" in about a week and it works great. You can just take it out in the summer. You may want to consider it.

 

[SJC5]

Thanks for all the great replies. Everyone of them are very useful and I appreciate you guys taking the time to post replies. I'm learning a lot here and I'm trying to be a sponge soaking up more and more knowledge for you experts. The C5 is definitely the super sports car I want. Just waiting for the right one (and my wife's approval) to snag one.

 

[DRTH VTR]

SJC5
Have you checked out the Tech Center?
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/tech/
It has a lot of useful information. Using the seach function on the forums can also be helpful. Welcome to the CAC!

 

[atmmac]

It emntions the seatbelt extender in the owners manual...You shouldnt have any trouble fitting into the C5.... Even the m6 will give you no problems...

 

[SJC5]

C5 Prices Going Up?

Now since I fit in a C5 nicely, I've been watching for 2004 C5 prices and I've noticed just this past week they're going up. They also seem to be moving off the lots faster too. There were several 04 C5s ranging from $35K to $40K. Now they start at $38K to $43K. I live in Washington State. Is this a trend everywhere else?

 

[hzl6cm]

One other thing to consider is that most coupes and convertibles come with a telescoping steering wheel but it is not available on the Z06. One thing that is available is the easy exit/entry function which puts the seat all of the way back when entering and exiting the cars. That is available on the Z06s and I imagine the others with power seats - it is a programable function that is input via the buttons on the right side of the intstrument panel.

Kevin

 

[SJC5]

The Big Man is Comfortable in his C5

Just wanted to let everyone know that I finally bought my C5 yesterday. Last day of the month and the sales manager asked "what would it take for me to buy the 2004 Torch Red A4?" They needed to post the sale badly for February. I think I got a steal of a deal!

2004 Torch Red with Red Leather Interior.
Automatic
Dual Roof Option
12 disc CD Changer
Polished Alum Wheels
Memory Package, HUD, etc...
9808 original miles
Ex-GM Executive Car
$34,500

We are feeling it and loving it. Man o man!!!

 

[MsSchroder]

Awesome! Congratulations. It sounds like a great car.