Why Are Tall Seating Positions Preferred?
If you've never driven an SUV before and are used to only the standard seating heights you find in passenger cars, it may seem odd to find tall seating positions listed as a plus in vehicle descriptions. Obviously you're going to sit up higher in larger vehicles, but wouldn't that make it harder to get into the vehicle? If you're looking at a description for a subcompact crossover, no. In fact, a tall seating position has to do with where the seat is placed in the vehicle, not how tall the vehicle is, and it really is an advantage.
See More of the Corners
It's no secret that front-seat visibility in cars has changed. In older cars, the proper seating position enabled you to see the corners of the car in front, so you could turn without crashing the car into anything. Now a lot of passenger cars have front hoods that slope down enough to hide the front corners. You kind of have to guess and learn other markers to judge where the corners of your bumpers are, especially if you have a short torso (tall people have an easier time of this, of course). Taller seat positions make it easier to judge car corner position. Even if you can't see the exact corners of the bumpers themselves, it's easier to see more of the hood, allowing you to maneuver the car through tight spots more easily.
Better View When Other SUVs Are Around You
Have you ever felt boxed in while driving a passenger car surrounded by SUVs and minivans? A tall seating position reduces that feeling. In a subcompact crossover, your vehicle might not be as tall externally as an SUV. But if the seat is placed up higher than in a subcompact passenger car, the other vehicles around you are not going to seem like walls surrounding you.
Easier Exits
Large SUVs and pickups can make getting in and out of the vehicle kind of difficult, especially for shorter people. In subcompact crossovers, however, the seat position is similar to that of passenger cars but placed just a bit higher. It's like the difference between sitting in a chair that has your knees bent at 90 degrees and a chair that has you sit lower so that your knees are bent even more sharply. That taller chair will be easier to stand up from. In a vehicle, a tall seat position means you can get in and out without feeling like you're rising from a sunken seat.
Try out a few subcompact crossovers, like a Ford EcoSport, to see what the seating position feels like to you. You'll find that it really is a benefit.