Car Width Explained: Body Width, Mirrors-Folded & Mirrors-Out (With Real Examples)

Car width sounds simple, and you might be wondering why we’ve written an entire guide on it, but it’s one of the most misunderstood (and most poorly explained) car dimensions. Manufacturers often list only body width, which looks tidy on a brochure, but is almost useless when parking, squeezing past traffic, or checking if a car will actually fit in your garage.

To get a real idea of the cars size, you need to consider three widths:

1. Body width (not including mirrors)
2. Mirrors-folded width
3. Mirrors-out width

Get them wrong, and you could scrape a mirror, fail to fit through a gate, or discover your new car doesn't actually clear your garage opening.

This guide breaks down all three widths in plain English, featuring the Tesla Model Y (2020), Cybertruck (2023), Honda CR-V (2022) and Ford Puma (2024) to show what each number actually means for that car, and so you know how to apply it to yours.

Let’s decode car width properly, starting with the version every manufacturer puts on the spec sheet.

1) Body Width — the clean number you see on brochures

This is the width of the car without mirrors. Manufacturers use it because it makes the car sound slimmer than it really is.

What body width is useful for

• Comparing the general size or shape of two cars
• Getting an idea of cabin room
• Understanding how “chunky” a car looks head-on

What body width won’t tell you

• Whether it fits in your garage
• Whether you’ll scrape the mirrors in narrow streets
• Whether you’ll have room to open the doors in a tight parking bay

Here’s some examples of varying-width cars:

• Compact body width: Ford Puma: 180 cm (71.1 in)
• Mid-sized family SUV: Honda CR-V: 187 cm (73.5 in)
• Fairly wide: Tesla Model Y: 192 cm (75.6 in)
• Massive: Tesla Cybertruck: 203.2 cm (80.0 in)

These numbers don’t look dramatically different — only 20–25 cm (8–10 in) from smallest to largest. But if you look at the Puma head on with the Cybertruck (click ‘Front view’), you’ll see what a difference those cm’s make.

However, body width isn’t what determines how a car behaves in the real world. The real differences appear when you add the mirrors.

2) Mirrors-Folded Width — the number that saves your paintwork

This is the width of the car with mirrors folded in. For many people, it’s the single most important width a car has. It’s the measurement you use in every tight moment, think tight apartment parking, supermarket spaces with two large SUVs beside you and older garages.

Here’s some examples of how mirrors do (or don’t) affect car width:

• No width increase with mirrors: The Ford Puma. 180.5 cm → still 180.5 cm when folded (71.1 in → 71.1 in) Very city-friendly.
• Big difference: The Ford Escape / Kuga. 188.2 cm → 200 cm, adding 11.8 cm (4.6 in) to the width.
• Huge increase: The Tesla Cybertruck, it adds a whopping 13.5 cm (5.3 in) to the width taking it to 241.3 cm (95 in), just by adding folded mirrors. Even folded, it’s wider than many cars with their mirrors out.

You’ll use mirrors-folded width when you’re parking or parked up, not driving.

3) Mirrors-Out Width — the measurement you actually feel when driving

Mirrors-out width is the car's true width on the road. This is the number that decides how confident you feel when you pass a cyclist, squeeze down a narrow lane, or try not to skim a wall.

Mirrors-out width is the widest number your car has. Showing all three widths together, here’s how wing mirror width can transform a seemingly small car into one that takes up the entire lane.

Small car, small wingspan: Ford Puma

• Body: 180.5 cm (71.1 in)
• Mirrors-folded: 180.5 cm (71.1 in)
• Mirrors-out: 193 cm (75.9 in)
• Increase from body to mirrors-out: +12.5 cm (5 in)

The Puma is a great example of a car whose mirrors barely add to its width. It’s a small, very manageable increase at only 2.5 inches each side, meaning the car is great on narrow streets, and you’ll rarely need to fold your mirrors in.

Medium SUV, big jump: Honda CR-V (PHEV)

• Body: 186.6 cm (73.5 in)
• Mirrors-folded: 194.2 cm (76.5 in)
• Mirrors-out: 215.3 cm (84.8 in)
• Increase from body to mirrors-out: +28.7 cm (11.3 in)

The CR-V is the perfect example of a car that looks reasonably slim on paper, but becomes much wider once you add the mirrors. That +28.7 cm jump means the car grows by more than 5.5 inches per side, which is why it can suddenly feel wide in European multi-storey car parks or older residential streets.

Big SUV doing big-SUV things: Tesla Model X

• Body: 199.9 cm (78.7 in)
• Mirrors-folded: 207 cm (81.5 in)
• Mirrors-out: 227.1 cm (89.4 in)
• Increase from body to mirrors-out: +27.2 cm (10.7 in)

The Model X already starts wide, but the mirrors push it into “this actually feels huge” territory. It’s one of the widest passenger vehicles on sale with mirrors out. You’ll be very aware of its width when driving the Model X, especially when you’re passing parked cars or cycling lanes.

The absurd example: Tesla Cybertruck

• Body: 203.2 cm (80.0 in)
• Mirrors-folded: 220 cm (86.6 in)
• Mirrors-out: 241.3 cm (95.0 in)
• Increase from body to mirrors-out: +38.1 cm (15 in)

The mirrors add a full 7.5 inches per side, making it wider than many global parking bays. Even folded, it’s famous for being wider than some cars with mirrors out (look at it vs the VW Golf - click ‘Front view’).

The Cybertruck is the clearest example of why body width is misleading:

• On a spec sheet, 203 cm (86.6 in) seems big but plausible.
• On the road, 241 cm (95.0 in) feels like a different category of vehicle entirely.

Which Width Matters When? (Cheat Sheet)

Now that you’ve seen how different each width can be, here’s how to use them:

Body width

Use it for understanding the visual footprint of a car. Good for comparisons. Not good for knowing if it’ll fit into your garage.

Mirrors-folded width

This is the measurement you’ll use when parking or squeezing through tight spaces. It tells you whether your car will fit through a gated entrance, a driveway lined with walls or hedges, or your garage.

It’s the “I really don’t want to scrape anything” width.

Mirrors-out width

This is your actual driving width — the one that affects confidence on narrow roads, passing cyclists safely and squeezing past parked cars.

Most test drives don’t show you this, as they’ll take you on big, open roads. Living with the car does, so remember to take it into consideration.

FAQs

What’s the difference between body width and mirrors width?

Body width is the metal shell only. Mirrors-folded and mirrors-out widths include the sticking-out mirrors — the parts that actually hit things.

Which width number should I use to check garage fit?

Always mirrors-folded width. Body width will mislead you.

Which width affects how confident a car feels on the road?

Mirrors-out width. It’s your true driving width.

Why do manufacturers usually only list body width?

Because it makes the car look smaller and cleaner on paper. Mirrors add bulk — sometimes a lot.

Do electric cars tend to be wider?

Many are. With no engine up front, designers often widen the cabin.

How wide is “too wide” for a UK / European parking bay?

A typical bay is 240 cm (94.5 in). Your parking width is the mirrors-folded width — that’s the number that decides whether you squeeze in comfortably or climb out through the boot.

General guide:

• Under 2.0 m (78.7 in) folded → relaxed
• 2.0–2.1 m (78.7–82.7 in) folded → normal modern car
• 2.1–2.2 m (82.7–86.6 in) folded → tight
• Above 2.2 m (86.6 in) folded → you might be climbing through the boot

Why is the Cybertruck so extreme?

Because even folded, it’s wider than many cars with mirrors out. It’s designed for huge US roads, not historic European streets.