The Best Cars for Petite Women
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Readers had an interesting discussion a while ago about the best cars for petite women. I haven't seen the topic in too many other places, so I thought I'd round up the comments for posterity… Readers who are petite, what are your thoughts on the best cars for petite women? Do you have opinions on which cars are definitely NOT the best for petite women?
In the past, we've talked about whether lawyers need a “nice” car and shared tips for women on buying a car… but not this!
Here's the reader's question:
I’m short and now that I’m shopping for a car, realizing that not all cars or trim levels let you adjust the drivers seat up (so I can see above the dash). I also like a window to come down past my shoulder so I can see out easily on each side. Oddly, SUVs can be better or things like a Kia Soul. I didn’t plan on this being such a big deal but “vehicles for short people’ isn’t something that I am able to figure out on my own other than by losing weekend time to going into a dealership and sitting in a car at a time. If you are 5-4 or shorter and like how a cabin “fits” you, can you reply with exactly what you have? I have felt like bringing a booster seat with me (I’m 5-2).
Why Petite Women Have Problem Finding Cars
As the original commenter noted, petite women can have problems with sightlines. Another commenter agreed:
As someone who is also 5’2″, I find the bigger problem is not seat height, but the fact that you have to sit so close to the wheel that the sightlines in the car are way off. The pillars have gotten so much thicker on cars now that it’s quite hard to see. When I sit where my 6′ husband sits, I can see reasonably well (though even he complains about it sometimes), but when I sit where I have to sit to comfortably reach the steering wheel and pedals, my vision is pretty obstructed. I had this issue on pretty much every car we tried last time we shopped for cars, so it wasn’t model specific.
Commenters noted that some brands have steering wheels that telescope out toward the driver more than others, such as the Mazda 6 and the BMW __ . (But note that according to an IIHS study, if this feature puts you closer to the airbag, you may be at a greater risk in crashes.)
General Tips on How to Find Cars If You're Petite
Commenters generally extolled the value of going to CarMax, with one reader noting, “I find that visiting a CarMax is a great way to check out a bunch of cars at once without dealing with salesmen (it’s easy to just walk past the sign-in kiosk and out to the lot), even if you don’t intend to buy there.”
The Best Cars for Petite Women
The biggest points of agreement were that Subarus are great cars for petite women, and VWs are horrible for tall people, so must be good for short people. We'll round up everything that was mentioned…
Audi (A3, Q5 SUV): “I’m your size and had the same issue. I’ve been happy with my Audis. I had an A3 that I loved, and now I’m driving a Q5 SUV and it fits me well, too.”
BMW 3 series: “I’m 5’2” and my BMW 3 series is a great fit for me.”
Buick Encore GX: “I like my Buick Encore GX. My parents have one too and my mother likes driving it. She’s 5’2, I am a bit taller. Also the only option to service locally in a small town…”
Ford
Ford Escape: “Can confirm that my 5’1″ mom really loves her Escape. She didn’t do well with the Subaru Outback because it sits much lower to the ground.”
Ford Expedition: “I have a Ford Expedition and the major reason I chose that over a suburban was that I preferred the fit of the cabin, specifically including the visibility. I’m 5’3.”
Ford Focus: “My 5’3” daughter loves the fit of her Ford Focus while I feel like my head is going to hit the roof even though I’m only a couple inches taller.”
Honda Passport: I’m 5’2″ and love my Honda Passport. My BFF is 4’9″ and drove a CRV for a long time.”
Subaru
Readers noted that the Subaru line is marketed heavily towards women — and the average woman is 5’4″.
Subaru Outback: “My very petite friend drives a Subaru Outback and loves it. I had to move her car the other day, and I could barely squeeze my 5’7″ self into the driver’s seat with her settings, so maybe give one of those a look if you haven’t already?” Another reader agreed: “5’3″ and very happy in an Outback.” (This gets another vote from me — I'm 5'4″ and have been comfortable in a Subaru Outback also!)
Subaru Crosstrek: “One of my friends is 4’11″ and drives a Subaru Crosstrek.” Another reader agreed: “I’m 5’1″ and drive a Crosstrek. My 6′ husband also thinks it is comfortable. Seat and steering wheel are both adjustable.”
Subaru Forester: “I am 5 feet even and drive a Subaru Forester and love it.” Another reader agreed: “Subaru Forester. I’m 5’2″ and drive a 2016 Forester. Not sure about newer models, but my 2016 has fantastic visibility.”
Toyota
Toyota Corolla: “5’2″ and love my Toyota Corolla. Mine is a 2011 but I don’t think the proportions have changed much in the model years since then. The seat adjusts forward and back and up and down. I don’t feel like I’m too close to the steering wheel when the seat is adjusted so I can reach the pedals.”
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: “I’m 5’3″ and we have a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (one car shared with my 6′ husband). Lots of ways to adjust the seat, and my visibility is SO much better than in our previous Honda sedan.”
Toyota Prius: “I’m 5’0″ and I like my small version Prius.”
VWs in general: “We test drove the VW Passat station wagon and our heads touched the ceiling so maybe VW in general.” Another tall commenter agreed that she and her tall husband ruled out VWs. “Also agree. I’m 5’4″ with a short torso and love the visibility in my Tiguan. The loaner Jetta I used waiting for my car to arrive was too short for my 6′ son (hitting his head on the ceiling). The Tiguan has a little more head clearance for him, but not much.”
Further reading:
- The Best Cars for Short People [US News]
- Differences in Vehicle Registrations [TrueCar]
- New Data Expands on Why Women Have a Greater Risk of Injury in Car Crashes [Consumer Reports]
- Fasten Your Seatbelts: A Female Car Crash Test Dummy Represents Average Women For The First Time In 60+ Years [Forbes]
5’4” with both a Subaru Outback and Audi Q4! I have great sightlines in both – my Subaru is too old to have any of the fancy safety functions so that was very important (not that I don’t still always look in the Audi).
I (5’3″) have found that all the Mazda models are pretty good. I’m currently driving a Mazda 3, and the only problem is if my husband is in the passenger seat and has moved it forward (he doesn’t like to sit too far “behind” me when I’m driving) then he will block my view in some cases.
Came here to say this! I am 4’11” and married to someone over 6 feet, we do have two cars but need to be safe driving each other’s cars too. I’ve had a Mazda CX 7 and I now have a CX 9 (I’m a mom to tall kids and haul stuff for work so I need the passenger leg room and cargo space, but plan to downgrade to a smaller SUV once I am past this phase) and they are fantastic. They are also among the most reasonable cars I’ve ever owned. Their seats adjust so well that you don’t have to move the steering wheel closer to you, which is very dangerous if you are short, and they also have adequate side-curtain air bags which is another feature many petite women forget to look at. Their cars also sit low to the ground, even the SUVs, so you never have that problem of having to step up into them. Can’t recommend enough.
Yes! Came here to comment on Mazdas and glad I’m at the “piling on” stage. I’m 4’11” and on my second CX5. It’s so easy to drive and it doesn’t hurt my back or hips from having to sit funky because the seat depth is off. I had a Subaru Crosstrek between the CX5s and it was fine but not great.
The CX5 is low that I can get in butt first in a pencil skirt but high enough and with enough power that I have never had a problem in snow and I’m in lake effect area.
Right! Mazda Miata is as petite as can be, and a fun car too.
I have not yet tried Mazda Miata, but that is my dream car! I definitely want to buy it someday
I’m 5’ 4” and found the sightlines in the Mazda CX-5 a total non-starter for me. Specifically checking over the shoulders/thru rear passenger windows when switching lanes or merging on to the highway was actively unsafe. That said, my 6’ husband also didn’t think the visibility was great in that scenario so maybe not just a height issue. It was bad enough that we immediately ruled out the car.
I agree with the comment about the Audi A3. I’m 5’5″ and there are definitely adjustments that could be made for someone several inches shorter.
My 2017 F150 has adjustable pedals and it is a gamechanger!! I’m 5’0” and hate being close to the steering wheel, so I love being able to bring the pedals to me instead of moving my seat closer to the wheel. More models should have this feature!
Just adding that the Subaru Impreza (hatchback/5-door) has a nearly identical cabin to the Crosstrek. It just sits right inches closer to the ground. But driver’s seat is very adjustable and sight lines are great. (Both the Crosstrek and Impreza are very loud though. My household has one of each and they let in a lot of road noise – clearly a result of design and material decisions).
I’m 5’0″ and absolutely LOVE my Land Rover Discovery Sport. It’s a smaller SUV than any Range Rover models, and the various seat and steering wheel adjustments work well for me. It also has a camera rearview mirror option (which I think a lot of car models have nowadays), and I find that helps with sightline issues too.
Great discussion topic!