I was in a similar spot recently helping my sister upgrade her car—she also had an older model and wanted the newer safety tech without giving up comfort.
We checked out the RAV4, and it really impressed us with all the built-in safety features and a high seat position that made it easy on the back for longer drives.
The Subaru Forester is another fantastic choice, with tons of safety tech and great visibility, plus it has a bit more headroom, which you might find helpful being 6’5”.
I have a 2015 Forester. Very reliable and AWD, lots of headroom. Downside: noisy, not cushy, phone pairing sucks.
Take a look at vehicle height and how easy it will be to get the boat onto the roof if you are going to use it move boats.
I see the latest small suvs, notice the fin antenna sticking up in the back and wonder how one goes about back loading a kayak over/around that fin?
My 2019 Forester got 44 mpg driving from Virginia to NJ.
When it happens, our next car will most likely be a Forester.
I always load kayaks on the driver’s side, if I’m only carrying one. Having the boat weight near the towers on one side is a bit stronger, but that’s not the main reason. If it’s near the side of the car, it’s easier to fasten the straps – also, if you need to pull over to check straps, you can do it quickly without having to walk around the car. My last car (Mini) had a little antenna sticking straight up in the back about 8 inches tall, but it never got near the stern of the kayaks, whether carrying one or two.
Consider a used Lexus SUV. They last and the maintenance is very simple.
A friend leased a Lincoln SUV and loved it. When the lease ended he could have bought it but thought they wanted too much.
Now he drives a Hyundai suv. So far it’s been fine.
We ended up going for a RAV4, but we had to search around a bit to find the exact one she wanted. If you’re looking further afield, a1autotransport. com could help with shipping, making it easier to explore all your options without worrying about the drive back.