E46 3-series legroom?

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Soldato
Joined
24 Oct 2002
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I'm 6' 4" with a lot of my height in my legs and it's been a while since I've been in an E46. Any ideas how the legroom and general 'size' of the front seat compares to a MK2 mondeo (my previous car)?

I've driven a few E46 coupes recently and there's plenty of room there but how does the saloon compare?


I've found a website comparing the E46 to the E39 and going by dimensions on paper there isn't much in it, although obviously the E39 is slightly bigger.
 
best bet is to get in one

Car supermarkets are ideal for this. You can browse and sit in them at your leisure, and crucially hop between brands in the same building

Thats what i do first, then find a shortlist of cars that were nice to sit in, and go drive them and find examples id actually want to buy (as opposed to the overpriced stuff at the car supermarkets :D)
 
Well for the E46 and E39 most of the difference you will feel is in the width, in particular in the back. Either way there will be more than enough room for you in the E46, its just how the passenger behind you will fair, especially if you need to have the seat low and far back.
 
i'm 6'4 and not far shy of 18 stone and ive just moved from a mk2 mondeo so i suppose im qualified to speak on this matter :p

Legroom is more than ample as a driver in the e46, i do have the seat all the way back but there is that much room around the pedals etc for long journeys it's very comfortable. I could still have the seat further forward and indeed have when i had a lanky mate in the back, and that was still comfortable :) Far more so than the mk2 mondeo.
 
Now i'm really puzzled...

I'm 6ft 8 and i can't even get my legs over the steering wheel properly. Is there that big of a difference? the sport ones have much smaller steering wheels maybe?
 
bobert50 said:
Now i'm really puzzled...

I'm 6ft 8 and i can't even get my legs over the steering wheel properly. Is there that big of a difference? the sport ones have much smaller steering wheels maybe?
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you did put the seat at its lowest setting in both ways and put the steering wheel at its highest?
 
you wont have any problems at all, im 6"5 and had an e46 untill 4 months ago. Push the seat right back and pump it down to its lowest setting, job done. Only down side is that there is literally only 4 inches space from the drivers seat to the back seat!:)
 
what stupid variation of an e46 was I in then? :o

I'm not sure exactly how much room there was at the back but it was a LOT..enough to comfortably sit someone 6ft or so i'd have thought which struct me as odd. I'm so sure the seat was as far back/down as it could go, thats just bizarre:(

Was it very comfy then for you at 6ft 5 ? or just about bearable?
 
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yes very comfortable, it was a 2002 316 se with manual seats, ive now got the e90 which i would say has slightly more room, only just though. Pumping the seat down is what makes the extra room, if i remember right i could hardly get into the car without doing this!
 
bobert50 said:
Ah, Is yours electric seats, tom ?
Click to expand...

no, unfortunately not, heated but not electric!

IMG_0939.jpg


See, plenty of room there!
 
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