My dog doesn't buy SUVs

[Rene_Fonck]

Is the 2014 BMW X5 the best SUV or wagon for tall drivers?

Yes!

I'm 6'8", 300lbs (former rugby player; second row/lock) and I've owned several 5ers, an e36 M3 and a Porsche 951 (aka 1988 944 Turbo S). For the e36 and the 951, I had to modify the seat rails and put in Sparco or Recaro racing seats to get enough legroom (and headroom in some cases for my track cars).

My daily driver is currently an M Sports package 2010 e61 wagon which I barely fit in and my weekend driver is a Chevy Silverado 2500 3/4 ton diesel 4x4.

I've test driven the SUV's and wagons from nearly every European car manufacturer (except Fiat and Range Rover) over the last 6 months (eg Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Volvo), and the BMW X5 F15 is without a doubt the best choice for tall drivers.

The prior generation e70 was not nearly as roomy in the front seats as the current generation F15. Second best in my experience is the Porsche Cayenne, and then it drops off significantly from there to sedans and trucks.

P.S. I've never understood why all the press and auto OEMs talk about second row legroom so much, and rarely talk about driver legroom, when most of the economic decision makers (aka buyers) of cars are the driver. There is no single system of truth for driver legroom, but there are plenty of resources for figuring out how various cars fare in trunk and storage room department. But my dog doesn't buy cars. :-)

[originalgoods13]

Booking the vehicle for a test drive is your best option. Try one with or without the Panoramic Roof option.

[Rene_Fonck]

In the US, you cannot buy a 2014 X5 without the panoramic roof. No "delete" option available in the US. But it doesn't matter -- head room on the F15 is great!