Are we sitting comfortably?

[carlo]

Seats are very important to me as I've had back problems ever since I've been driving, pobably accentuated by selling cars when I was younger.

 

One reason I like Peugeots so much is for their seats; the 405s are very good, 305 GTX the best seats I've ever sat in, goes for most 305s and 505s. Strangely the 406 was never as good, cushion too flat with a strange horseshoe shape lip on it.

 

Citroen BX is a strange one, the early and low spec ones had without doubt the worst seats I ever sat in - backache after 5 minutes. If you look at them the backrest is actually concave so it's not surprising there's no lumber support. And yet the later sports seats in BXs were very good, almost too much back support.

 

Agree about most German seats, far too hard for me.

[504GL]

I had a Punto Evo courtesy car on the weekend and the seats were sublime. Supportive and not too hard or soft. Driving position was good too.

 

The 500 has nice seats but they're leather ones which come with bigger and more supportive side bolsters, the standard ones are cack. Drove through Europe in August 2010 for 2000 miles and although I was a little stiff getting out of the car, I didn't have any back ache. Excellent gearshift location helps.

 

Subaru is also quite good, you sit what feels like a metre lower than in the 500. This makes it really odd for me because I drive the 500 most days and the Subaru once or twice a month and it feels really strange then.

 

Best car was my 504 but only because of its Renault seats which were oh so supportive. My dads 504 has peugeot seats which are really flat and offer absolutely no lateral support at all. Still comfy as long as you don't carry any speed through a corner

[scooters]

I agree with DW that the 205 Gti seats are remarkably comfortable provided you don't seperate your gluteous maximus from yur pelvis with the steel bolster bar getting in.

 

306 seats are also pretty decent for a wee car.

 

Renner Scenic - not as bad as you might think and better than the Picasso by a mile

 

oddly enough one of the most comfy I can recall are the seats in a Westfield Sei - really comfortable and I always used to nod off in the passenger seat altough that was probably due to the fumes from the side exit exhaust which is about a foot from you nose!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My E36 is bang on. Comfy seats and an ideal driving position.

 

I find the seats in the Insignia SRi (Sports seats) just right too but the ride is poor. I once rode in a late seventies Mini 1000 from Oxford to the Highlands and didn't find it too bad.

[wuvvum]

oddly enough one of the most comfy I can recall are the seats in a Westfield Sei

Funny you should say that - the most perfect driving position I've ever come across was in a Caterham 21 I sat in at a motor show once. I honestly couldn't think of anything to improve on at all.

[Cavcraft]

The only bad seats in the BX were the mingebag spec ones and even then only because the material was a bit itchy in my experience. Here's another horror though; Fiat Panda (the old ones) Comfort. Comfort my arse, it was like sitting on a breezeblock.

[scooters]

oddly enough one of the most comfy I can recall are the seats in a Westfield Sei

Funny you should say that - the most perfect driving position I've ever come across was in a Caterham 21 I sat in at a motor show once. I honestly couldn't think of anything to improve on at all.

 

 

weird isn't it - feet out in front - 2 inches off the floor but it definately works. We drove all over Europe in the Westie and never a sore arse or bad back - having said that it might be that is only because you have to stop and fill up the tank every 100 miles so your arse never gets numb enough

[jonny69]

Ford Pop, 100E and Anglia all had seats that fitted me like a glove, pedals just at the right length and my hands dropped straight into the right place on the steering wheel. They were designed for British men to drive and no-one else.

 

Renner Scenic - not as bad as you might think and better than the Picasso by a mile

Could never get on with the (mk1) Scenic seats. The slightly offset steering wheel and back support that was too low just didn't mix with me.

[barefoot]

Sports seats in the 944 take some beating

although the ones in the Audi 200T were the best / softest ever.

928 seats in the VW T2 aren't particularly good as the van is sit up & beg & the seats aren't

& the pedals & wheel are slightly offset to the centre & the seats have too much lateral support - no complaints from here to the left though.

I also remember Maxi seats with some fondness.

[ProgRocker]

Any VAG SEAT. For a car actually CALLED SEAT, they are way too hard for me.

 

My old Polo based Ibiza had flat hard seats with bolsters to the sides just like the Cupra seats - or SEATs even. I found them OK.

 

The £250 Mark 5 Escort I had in 2010 had a surprisingly comfortable driver's seat. The Almera is OK if nothing special comfort wise. Like many Jap-derived cars, they seem to have small-ish front seats that probably are more suited to Japanese drivers than Europeans.

 

My parents' 2 Renault Megane Scenics, like most French cars, were very comfortable. As was their 1986 Vauxhall Carlton CDi. Following a sort of French theme, fairly soft and large seats with pleasant velour upholstery. Might still put many modern cars to shame in the comfort stakes.

[peter9000uk]

I have never been able to get a comfortable driving position in anything Italian. Your knees are either around your ears or you need arm extensions, not to mention the wierd offset pedal position a lot have and they're too close together.

 

Comfiest by far was my old (1981) Renault 20TX Auto, the seats were like arms chairs with armrests too! They made you feel so relaxed and not in a hurry to get anywhere, just happy to waft along. My current Laguna Dynamique is quite comfy too, come to think of it I can't recall an uncomfortable Renault.

 

My wife's current E46 BMW is rock hard. It may be OK on a long run but on short journeys I just can't settle in it.

 

Cadillac Seville I smoked around in for a while wasn't too bad either

[Pete-M]

come to think of it I can't recall an uncomfortable Renault.r

 

Clios. Probably the least comfy seats of evah.

[tonedepear]

come to think of it I can't recall an uncomfortable Renault.r

 

Clios. Probably the least comfy seats of evah.

 

+1

[Guest Len H]

Agreed on the awfulness of the weird 'perched' driving position of Mk3 Golfs. The seat on mine is set just right to block out the full beam notifier on the instrument panel with the steering wheel rim. GR1 for night driving.

I wonder if models with height adjustable seats are any better

 

SAAB classic 900 and 9000 seats are the comfiest I've tried.

[chaseracer]

The Blingo's seats are surprisingly comfy for what is essentially a van, and well-tuned to the suspension. Did Berlin-Koblenz in one hit last summer with no ill effects.

 

But Scoots is right about the XM - I really miss the big soft heated electric marshmallows mine had...

[chaseracer]

Years ago, a mate had a W114 Merc 220; slow, but phenomenally comfortable. Previously, he'd had an Esprit Turbo - which was the exact opposite...

[pompei]

Worst by far, 2003 Mondeo - had to get rid after 3 weeks, gave me terrible backache.

Second worst, early 90s Escort, company car, only driveable with home made backrest made of foam and bead cushion.

Third worst, Mrs P's Mazda 3, closely followed by Mazda 6.

 

Best by a country mile, Lexus is200

Joint second best, Saab 9-3 and BX.

Third, Honda CRX

Honourable mentions, Citroens CX and GS

 

I drove to Italy in a 1965 Fiat 500 and expected to be crippled. In the event, it was fine. Brilliant packaging, as Quentin Wilson would probably say.

[eddyramrod]

These are really comfy, if you get one that hasn't been hammered...

And these are actually rather lush!

Nissan Maxima QX. The one I used to drive at work was the 2.0V6 auto, with black leather interior and all the toys.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I have back problems, so any shortcomings in the seats cause me a lot of pain. Overall, I'd say my favourite is the Jaguar XJ6, which has superb seats. I can drive for several hours and not be in much discomfort. I just wish mine had no sunroof as headroom is a problem.

 

I also liked the seats in the Volvo 760 my grandfather had years back. He had a 960 and an 850 too; both were excellent.

 

I have covered a fair distance in various BMWs. I have found them to be OK, particularly the E91, which though hard enough to numb the arse doesn't upset anything back related.

Less good for me was the E36. With or without sports seats more than an hour was painful. I went two hours in one once and had real difficulty getting out of the car. The E46 was definately better, but not great. My brother has an E66. I can't get comfortable in the thing but strangely can sit in it for a long time before I'm crippled.

 

I like the Merc W126, but it has seats like trampolines.

 

The seats in my brother's Mercedes W140 were multi adjustable horrors which was strange given how impressive the rest of it was. His W220 was better - almost acceptable. It was the only thing which had improved.

 

By far the least comfortable car I have had was my Nissan 200SX. I liked so much about it but it could cripple me on a twenty minute run to the shops.

[MK5 Escort]

As for horrible seats, the old shape (2001-2008) Audi A4 was pretty poor. Rock hard seats, not much support in any direction and uncomfortable headrests. I don’t think I ever found a comfortable enough position in one. The outgoing Audi A3 is not much better, either.

 

Indeed, the Golf Mk3’s seats which we had in the CL were almost completely shapeless, thinly padded and the headrests were pretty much useless. In the standard position they’re miles away from your head and click them as far forward as they could go and there were still miles too far back.

 

The current BMW 3 Series (no idea what ‘E’ number) are also very poor in standard form. I had a brief drive in a new 318i SE (57 plate – then new) and my lower back was aching after ten minutes. I found the seats not only very hard, but also very narrow. There’s no way I could drive a distance in one, even if the driving position was decent.

 

As for decent seats, the new/current shape Audi A4 is pretty decent by modern standards. SE seats (in standard cloth, up front, at least) are not hugely supportive but ‘enough’ and have enough give in them for long distance comfort. S-Line models with their side bolsters are near enough perfect for the shape of my backside and have those adjustable flappy bits at the base of the seat. My only gripe with the S-Line seats is that the backrest is a tad too firm for my liking, but still proven to be decent on long journeys. Headrests on both models are also decent. They don’t adjust forward/back but are large, suit my head and for me, I can drive comfortably with my head touching it.

 

I’ve always liked the soft seats in the Peugeot 106. Near enough the only redeeming feature of the whole car, if you ask me…

 

The Renault 11 also had decent seats from what I can remember, although I don't think I ever found quite the right position in it...

 

The £250 Mark 5 Escort I had in 2010 had a surprisingly comfortable driver's seat.

 

+1 Surprisingly comfortable, aren't they? Mine took me all the way to Devon and back three weeks ago and pretty much no aches or pains to speak of. You should try the ones in the late 'Ghia Si' models. Extra padding all round and have those late Sierra-style larger headrests. Sublime! Getting bloody hard to find though, these days. One of few cars I've managed to fall asleep in (as a passenger, of course!).