The tool deliberately separates physical clearance from everyday usability and separates the garage entrance from the space inside.
Entrance width clearance = clear garage-door opening width − vehicle width at the mirrors used for entry. If “fold mirrors” is selected, the calculator uses the entered/published folded-mirror width. It does not substitute body width for a missing mirror measurement.
Height clearance = clear opening height − vehicle height − any extra roof height you enter for bars, a roof box or another accessory.
Usable width = internal garage width − left obstruction − right obstruction. Parked side clearance is then (usable width − vehicle body width) ÷ 2. This assumes the vehicle is centred. It is a static space calculation, not a prediction of door-swing geometry.
Usable depth = internal garage depth − front obstruction − rear obstruction. Total front/rear clearance = usable depth − vehicle length. The calculator does not assume how that spare space is split between the front and rear.
| Check | Very tight below | Comfortable from |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance width, total | 80 mm | 180 mm |
| Entrance height | 40 mm | 90 mm |
| Parked side space, each side | 180 mm | 350 mm |
| Front + rear space, total | 250 mm | 550 mm |
These bands are deliberately conservative usability flags, not engineering standards. “Comfortable” means the arithmetic margin is less obviously constrained; it does not guarantee steering clearance, door access or safe manoeuvring.
The main fit result continues to assume the vehicle is centred. The optional parking-position planner deliberately reallocates the available side space instead: driver-side body clearance = usable internal width − vehicle body width − chosen passenger-side gap. This is useful when you intentionally park closer to one side of the garage. The result is body-to-obstruction space only and does not estimate the opening angle of a particular door or the space a person needs to get in or out.
Detailed vehicle pages translate the published usability bands into optional garage-planning targets. Where the relevant vehicle dimension is supported, the guide uses: comfortable door-opening target = mirror width + 180 mm; comfortable opening-height target = vehicle height + 90 mm; comfortable internal-width target = body width + 700 mm (350 mm each side when centred); and comfortable internal-depth target = vehicle length + 550 mm.
These are transparent arithmetic planning targets derived from this site's conservative usability bands. They are not building regulations, structural specifications, minimum construction standards or a guarantee that the vehicle can be manoeuvred into the space.
The garage-based vehicle finder does not invent missing mirror dimensions. A confirmed dimensional match requires supported vehicle length, body width, height and mirror-to-mirror width, with those known dimensions passing the entered garage checks. A possible match — mirror width needs confirmation may pass the supported length, body-width and height checks but has no supported mirror-to-mirror figure, so entrance width remains unverified. Possible matches are never presented as confirmed fits.
The top-down result scales the vehicle body length and width against the usable internal garage dimensions after entered obstructions. The separate entrance graphic scales the selected mirror width against the measured door opening. The visuals are illustrative and do not reproduce the actual vehicle outline, steering path or garage shape.
The database contains 276 UK-relevant vehicle references. Manufacturer sources are preferred for selected vehicles. Broader model coverage can use an independent dimensional reference. Where a reliable mirror-to-mirror or folded-mirror figure is not available, the field is left blank for manual entry rather than inferred from body width.
Model year, trim, wheels, roof rails, mirrors and accessories can change dimensions. Every close result should therefore be checked against the exact vehicle specification and a fresh physical measurement.