Driving Position Problems.

[RMS1976]

I am 6'2'' so not especially tall, but I do have long legs! I've had a variety of cars over the years. Mini, Citroen BX, Peugeots 206, 306, 406, Vauxhall Vectra, a Fiesta, and a Skoda Octavia. I have also driven a variety of others cars, including left hand drive hire cars. After driving my Skoda Octavia over 120K miles this year I decided on a change. I got a really nice Mitsubishi Lancer DI-D but despite a good road test after a few days a realised I'd made a mistake. The driving position was too painful after 1/2 on the motorway because I had to sit too close to the pedals to not stretch for the steering wheel. I decided to cut my loses straight away and found a nice Skoda Octavia SE DSG. Sadly it was written off in an accident just ten minutes before I was due to collect it. So I found a Mondeo 1.8 TDCi Zetec 2009. I expected good things from it and it was ok but after a few weeks I realised this cars seat was awful with little cornering support. It was killing my back. So after ten weeks I was desperate to get out of it. I found a SEAT Exeo and it fitted the bill. Nice supportive seats, felt good on the road test. But days later I realised I now had another problem. In this car in traffic the clutch throw is so long that I have to pull the seat in to hold the bite point but that leaves my right leg with pins and needles from being too close to the accelerator. So now I am looking again. So in five months I've spent £10K plus my original Skoda part exchange. Of course I really should have just replaced it for another one in the first place but at the time at £10K-£11K they were too expensive. I asked SEAT about adjusting the pedals the Exeo but they can't. So in five months I've gone from loving driving to hating every moment I am in the car because of the leg pain. Any advice is welcome.

[Conscript]

Would it be possible to modify the pedal of the Exeo to make the clutch easier to use? Perhaps attach some find a way to add thickness to the pedal plate. Or find someone who could fabricate a modified pedal arm.

[sebhaque]

RMS1976 said:

I am 6'2'' so not especially tall

I have no advice to add, just a general angry short bloke comment about being 5'6" and wondering how a six-footer can think they're not tall. bd.

(In all seriousness, I seem to recall Ford C-Maxes being quite good for tall folks. Maybe some of the less vertically challenged can back me up.)

[Dodsy]

Maybe no good but Jag XJ X350 04-09 models have electrically adjustable pedals and steering wheel and if you get the multiway adjustable seat it is the most comfortable place ever. I am 6'2 and love it

[talksthetorque]

one thick shoe, one thin shoe?
save a lot of money being sent on dull cars.
I'm six three and have an exeo but usually do 100+miles at a time, so shoes off and feet under the pedals once the cruise is on.

[RMS1976]

The Mondeo broke down the day after I got it home. It took two weeks for the dealer to replace the injectors. I was lent a C-Max it was a great car but as a 1.0T it only did 35mpg but I agree it was a really comfy car. I would like to own one, but a diesel! Being tall is good in many respects but sitting is rarely one of them!

[mybrainhurts]

talksthetorque said:

so shoes off and feet under the pedals once the cruise is on.

You're going to be popular when you need to brake suddenly.

[Hooli]

Dodsy said:

Maybe no good but Jag XJ X350 04-09 models have electrically adjustable pedals and steering wheel and if you get the multiway adjustable seat it is the most comfortable place ever. I am 6'2 and love it

My XJ40 had loads of legroom too. Generally I'd suggest anything 'old' in the styling. Cars used to be made to sit in, with your legs out - exactly what the OP needs.

[gizlaroc]

Audis are like this.
I bought a pedal set for my last manual Audi and drilled it on with a couple of 3/4" washers underneath so the pedals were the same height and this stopped me getting cramp in my shins.

However, once I stopped getting cramp it made me more aware of how much I hated the car in other areas, so I bought a BMW and Merc auto. Win win all round.

[RMS1976]

I find that interesting cars make the driving position less relevant. The Citroen BX had an awful driving position but compensated by the fact that it was so relaxing to drive, I found the Vauxhall Rascal van the same. Yet cars that should be nice and relaxing to drive based on price like the BMW 3, Audi A4, Merc C etc, are just very uncomfortable to be in, importantly after a few miles.

[gizlaroc]

RMS1976 said:

I find that interesting cars make the driving position less relevant. The Citroen BX had an awful driving position but compensated by the fact that it was so relaxing to drive, I found the Vauxhall Rascal van the same. Yet cars that should be nice and relaxing to drive based on price like the BMW 3, Audi A4, Merc C etc, are just very uncomfortable to be in, importantly after a few miles.

I find BMWs with sport seats very comfy. But going auto rather than manual is the best for comfort.

Often did 15 hour days stopping only for a meeting, and had to be an auto.

[DJP]

Buy an automatic Volvo.

Problem solved.

[PomBstard]

I'm also 6'2" and have 2 Subarus - an 07 Forester and an 05 Legacy wagon. Both v comfy for many miles at a time, and have done a few 2500km round trips in the Forester, last one started with a bad back and didn't get any worse for two days driving. Neither have adjustable rake for the wheel, but both do like a drink...

[HertsBiker]

Hi mate, six one, and exact same probs trying to get comfy. Settled on an auto mondeo. Seat isn't quite wide enough but other than that it's the best car so far. Will try a Volvo one day but liked how much car I got for so little money. Bikes on the other hand are a lot more adjustable. Definitely go auto if you can, it cuts out one of your complaints about clutch pedal distance. I traded an 8 month old Duster for a 6 year mondeo. Got a couple of grand back and a 2 year warranty. To be honest the ford is better in every way apart from newness.

[RE92]

I added a larger clutch stop to my old 3 series to get rid of the excessive clutch travel. Will only work if the biting point is high up though.

I'm 6'3 and fit well in BMW sports seats so that's what I've stuck to. After 3 hours in the 3 series sports seats I would need to re-shuffle but I think the lumbar support option would have helped.
Being wide at the shoulder but lean at the waist is a pain in most seats so the adjustable bolsters on sport seat allow me to get a tight fit.

Never spent a long time in a modern Volvo but I found the seats really comfy for the short durations I was in the car.

[bloodfart]

DJP said:

Buy an automatic Volvo.

Problem solved.

This

[kambites]

I'm only six foot and I have much the same problem in just about all modern cars (including our Octavia). I either have to drive with my knees around my ears (which also means that my ankles are bent back painfully) or be unable to reach the primary controls properly.

The one recent car I've found really comfortable without modification is the SLK; I'm slowly working on modifying my Elise to make it comfortable. Unfortunately, modern cars seem to be designed for people shaped like monkeys.

[DervVW]

I found the alfa worst for this, close peddles, far steering wheel, and and off the side too so you had to be like a gorilla with long arms and twist to the side for the peddles, fine balance between the height of the seat and the distance you move it back.

Current Jetta is probably like your octavia, it has sports seats and really holds you in place, the peddles seem the right distance and the steering wheel is ok too.

Sometimes you just have to really move everything around to find a good spot, especially if the seat moves all over and the steering wheel moves up and down, I have found i'm almost straight legged in the jetta compared to focus perviously where I sat quite high to be over the peddles, that in itself took some adjusting.

[ecsrobin]

I'm 6'3" and I found the biggest back saver is deep sports seats, unfortunatley that's not what I have at the moment in the civic. After an hour my back kills, jumping in friends cars with recaros and similar takes away any pain unless it's a very long journey. So as soon as it's time to change the car that's my first priority from now on.

[RMS1976]

I did have a Ford C-Max for two weeks in February. It was a courtesy car. Very comfortable and enjoyable to drive. It was a 1.0 eco boost so not very economical but a Diesel Auto would be good. I like Volvo cars but they are quite expensive.