How should I be sitting?
Discussion
RobM77 said:
What a joke that is - a standard sized guy and I can't even sit behind the wheel of some of the most common production cars around.
How strange. I am 5'8", dead on 10st so very similar physique. I can't remember failing to get comfortable in a car. It's a pain to do and no matter how much you fiddle with the position before you start in a new car, it seems to be wrong within 5 mins of setting off. But re-adjust and off you go. Hey ho!Bert
BertBert said:
RobM77 said:
What a joke that is - a standard sized guy and I can't even sit behind the wheel of some of the most common production cars around.
How strange. I am 5'8", dead on 10st so very similar physique. I can't remember failing to get comfortable in a car. It's a pain to do and no matter how much you fiddle with the position before you start in a new car, it seems to be wrong within 5 mins of setting off. But re-adjust and off you go. Hey ho!Bert
RobM77 said:
For everything else I have to pull the seat forward so far to reach the steering wheel comfortably that my legs are bent sharply and my right foot strained back to reach the throttle and brake. If, conversely, I adjust the seat to suit my legs, with most cars I can only just reach the steering wheel, let alone curl my fingers around it and move it. I also find most car seats about a foot too high, so I feel like I'm on a child's toy rather than in a car.
Surely this is why most steering wheels are reach and rake adjustable? The seat height is very subjective from one vehicle to the next. Transit - sit up high, Ibiza - nice and low.
abbotsmike said:
RobM77 said:
For everything else I have to pull the seat forward so far to reach the steering wheel comfortably that my legs are bent sharply and my right foot strained back to reach the throttle and brake. If, conversely, I adjust the seat to suit my legs, with most cars I can only just reach the steering wheel, let alone curl my fingers around it and move it. I also find most car seats about a foot too high, so I feel like I'm on a child's toy rather than in a car.
Surely this is why most steering wheels are reach and rake adjustable? The seat height is very subjective from one vehicle to the next. Transit - sit up high, Ibiza - nice and low.
My comments were all made assuming I'd adjusted the wheel to be as close to me as possible and with a suitable rake.SK425 said:
abbotsmike said:
Surely this is why most steering wheels are reach and rake adjustable?
In my experience, I'd say that some steering wheels are reach adjustable but I'm not sure I'd go as far as most.Although RobM77 sometimes appears to have what may be described as somewhat obsessive-compulsive views he does make a good point in this case.
Personally, I'm 6' on a good day, have relatively short legs (well, short thighs compared with my lower legs) and a longer body.
I sit fairly upright in the driving seat.
This might suggest that I would have to sit fairly far forward, with the wheel pushed close to the dash to allow the correct reach.
The fact is that in most cars I have the steering wheel most (if not all) of the way out from the dash.
If I had longer legs I would probably struggle to achieve my comfortable position.
ps. Going back to earlier posts, my clutch leg is slightly bent with the pedal to the carpet, but the back of my thigh is down on the seat squab in a typical normal car. I couldn't push my foot much further forward. I'd prefer to be able to lower the seat further in most cars.
Personally, I'm 6' on a good day, have relatively short legs (well, short thighs compared with my lower legs) and a longer body.
I sit fairly upright in the driving seat.
This might suggest that I would have to sit fairly far forward, with the wheel pushed close to the dash to allow the correct reach.
The fact is that in most cars I have the steering wheel most (if not all) of the way out from the dash.
If I had longer legs I would probably struggle to achieve my comfortable position.
ps. Going back to earlier posts, my clutch leg is slightly bent with the pedal to the carpet, but the back of my thigh is down on the seat squab in a typical normal car. I couldn't push my foot much further forward. I'd prefer to be able to lower the seat further in most cars.
I can quite believe it. It's strange how things have changed over the years. Somewhere I've got a series of photos of me sat in various cars that I was going to post on PH to prove the point. My Dad at the time had a 1948 MG TC, a 1957 MG TF and a 1972 MGB GT, and I had a 1998 328i Sport Coupé and a 2003 Lotus Elise. When they were all at my parents' house I sat in each in turn, adjusting the seat for a slight bend in the left leg when it was fully down on the clutch, and it was really obvious what was going on - in the 1948 TC the enormous wheel was practically on my chest, and then gradually as the cars got older the wheel got further and further away until you get to the Lotus Elise, in which I'm right on the edge of being able to drive the thing at all, with arms totally locked straight, so unable to turn the slightly raked wheel without leaning forwards. Thankfully the Elise has no airbag, so it's a quick and simple job to swap the steering wheel for a 6 bolt Momo and then buy a spacer; it's what I did with mine and I've transferred the setup to my current 2-Eleven. I also did this with all my racing cars, which obviously had no airbags either.
The annoying thing is all the lovely road cars that I've really liked and wanted to buy, but simply couldn't get comfy in; the list is endless. Some cars I've even had a huge job just fitting behind the wheel well enough to drive at all, so I never got to test drive them - Ferrari 355 and Porsche 996 spring to mind straight away. The Clio V6 I just fit in, but I could barely walk after a 30 minute drive; shame, because I loved the car.
RobM77 said:
I can quite believe it. It's strange how things have changed over the years. Somewhere I've got a series of photos of me sat in various cars that I was going to post on PH to prove the point. My Dad at the time had a 1948 MG TC, a 1957 MG TF and a 1972 MGB GT, and I had a 1998 328i Sport Coupé and a 2003 Lotus Elise. When they were all at my parents' house I sat in each in turn, adjusting the seat for a slight bend in the left leg when it was fully down on the clutch, and it was really obvious what was going on - in the 1948 TC the enormous wheel was practically on my chest, and then gradually as the cars got older the wheel got further and further away until you get to the Lotus Elise, in which I'm right on the edge of being able to drive the thing at all, with arms totally locked straight, so unable to turn the slightly raked wheel without leaning forwards. Thankfully the Elise has no airbag, so it's a quick and simple job to swap the steering wheel for a 6 bolt Momo and then buy a spacer; it's what I did with mine and I've transferred the setup to my current 2-Eleven. I also did this with all my racing cars, which obviously had no airbags either.
The annoying thing is all the lovely road cars that I've really liked and wanted to buy, but simply couldn't get comfy in; the list is endless. Some cars I've even had a huge job just fitting behind the wheel well enough to drive at all, so I never got to test drive them - Ferrari 355 and Porsche 996 spring to mind straight away. The Clio V6 I just fit in, but I could barely walk after a 30 minute drive; shame, because I loved the car.
BertBert said:
My experience couldn't be different. They must design for my physique!
Bert
Yeah I'm the same, I am pretty much 6' tall, and not driven anything particularly exotic, but I've never found a car I couldn't get comfortable in, and a lot of the time I don't spend much time adjusting the seat!Bert
abbotsmike said:
Yeah I'm the same, I am pretty much 6' tall, and not driven anything particularly exotic, but I've never found a car I couldn't get comfortable in, and a lot of the time I don't spend much time adjusting the seat!
Me too - although like MCB I've found myself having the seat back more upright recently. I use the "heel of the hand against the top of the wheel" test myself, and drive at 9 and 3. Is it wrong that I'm imagining RobM77 having the relative arm/leg length of a T-Rex?
Seat should be adjusted so that the entire back is in contact with the seat, and the clutch fully depressed with a slight bend on the knee, then the hands should be able to touch knuckle to knuckle at the 12 o'clock position with a slight bend on the elbow, headrest adjusted so that the centre of the headrest is level with your ear, door mirrors should show the inner 1/3 of vehicle bodywork, outer 2/3's the road behind and the nearside tilted slightly down, interior rear view should be lined up with the top edge of the mirror lined up with the top edge of the rear window, seat height adjustment where fitted should be adjusted so that the entire length of your upper leg remains in contact all the way to the front when on the gas pedal, think thats about it,
Gary
Gary
_Neal_ said:
abbotsmike said:
Yeah I'm the same, I am pretty much 6' tall, and not driven anything particularly exotic, but I've never found a car I couldn't get comfortable in, and a lot of the time I don't spend much time adjusting the seat!
Me too - although like MCB I've found myself having the seat back more upright recently. I use the "heel of the hand against the top of the wheel" test myself, and drive at 9 and 3. Is it wrong that I'm imagining RobM77 having the relative arm/leg length of a T-Rex?
I wear 'long' length trousers and my arms are about average. Yes, I'm at the T-Rex end of the ape index, but nothing unusual. I'm just amazed that car manufacturers don't allow for what must be less than a standard deviation away from the mean leg/arm ratio.LordGrover said:
I'm an odd shape but rarely unable to get comfortable, though sometimes headroom can be in short supply.
I'm only 6'1" but have only 30" inside leg so I'm quite tall sat down IYSWIM.
Wow - we're exact opposites. That's why you fit in modern cars - they're designed for you I'm only 6'1" but have only 30" inside leg so I'm quite tall sat down IYSWIM.
I'm 5'10" and have a 36" inside leg, therefore taking about a 34" trouser length.Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff