Driving Position Ergonomics - Anyone ever noticed??

[cptsideways]

I did some work recently where the ergonomics of cars & their driving positions was highlighted. Now I've often noticed things are'nt quite right in certain cars but I really can't believe what you can buy currently today

Astonishingly one of the UK's most popular cars is truly horrific & there's a luxury German brand thats almost as bad on some of their models

So

Part 1) Do you think your car is egomically correct?

Part 2) Have you ever had a look in detail?

Part 3) Report you findings, I think you may be surprised!



What I'm referring to is the driving position in relation to your body centre line, steering wheel offset, and importantly steering angle relative to straight ahead & finally pedal offset.


Here's an image of what to look at, to help along the way, placing a ruler or similar across the wheel helps highlight the wheel angle



If you can name the either of the two worst cars above you win a *

[jsg612]

My day-to-day new shape Clio is absolutely spot on with driving position. However, my BMW is miles out in terms of alignment and angle of the drivers seat. Feels as though I'm sitting in sideways.

[Cobra Andy]

pretty much any Vauxhall, the Vectra was particularly known for very poor ergonomics, most back specialists had the letters already typed, I know of several company cars being returned following that one....

[twazzock]

I occasionally feel like I'm sitting wonky in my Mk4 Fiesta. Even a 2-hour drive has me feeling pretty achey afterwards.

I'll take a stab at the two mentioned in the OP, based on the clues alone: Ford Focus and BMW 1 Series?

[topless_mx5]

As someone has mentioned, Vauxhalls are awful for this. The steering wheel is miles to the left.

My MX5 is almost spot on but if anything even that is slightly to the left.

How hard can it be to get the steering wheel in line with the seat?...

[busta]

I never could work out why I couldn't ever sit square in my focus. Think this explains it.

Regards body centre line, my 106 fails dismally on that! Standard, the steering wheel and pedals are offset to the left about 3 inches. I've moved my seat over a bit but it's still over an inch offset.

I'll measure up my Volvo 940 when I get a minute although I have a sneaky suspicion those Swedes might have got things pretty bang-on. It's not like they where short of space to make room for things!

[mybrainhurts]

I once hired a car overseas....

I could hardly reach the steering wheel, far too much to the left...

And the passenger had to work the pedals...

Utterly insane...

[LeoSayer]

The current Audi A4 is pretty poor for this. My 993 is also awful with the pedals way offset to the left.

[Fire99]

I'm gonna put 50p on the current BMW 3 Series. The E36 and previous had a great driving position but later ones just don't feel quite right to me.

[mrdelmonti]

The 206 I had was horrible, the pedals were offset meaning my back was constantly twisted ever so slightly.

[maniac0796]

BMW E90 3 series IIRC have the pedals miles to the right. Might be to do with the transmission tunnel.

My Primera is pretty straight. Only thing is that the headrests are a bit low, and don't tilt forward.

[Zod]

I hired an Alfa Brera. With the seat set so that my leg still had a slight bend with the clutch fully depressed, it was impossible to bring the steering wheel close enough to rest my wrist on the top with my shoulders touching the seat back. I have long arms. It has a crap driving position.

[TheEnd]

BMWs have this, the transmission tunnel forces your arse to one side, and the impact protection and heavy sills moves the pedals inwards.

They then start getting pretty close to the transmission tunnel again.

[badboyburt]

my works diesel 2007 Pug 407 Saloon has the same position as your diagram, shame my Co are not interested in driving ergonomics as they would understand why my back is in such a mess driving 1800 miles a week !!!!!

[busta]

mybrainhurts said:

I once hired a car overseas....

I could hardly reach the steering wheel, far too much to the left...

And the passenger had to work the pedals...

Utterly insane...

[barmonkey]

Dad's Scenic has a pretty ridiculous pedal arrangement - the clutch is too far over to the right and the pedals are too close together generally.

It contributes to what is already a crap driving experience.

[Ozzie Osmond]

In mid-engined cars the front wheels generally intrude into the driver's footwell which results in pedals offset towards the centre of the car.

Lots of cars engineered primarily for the continent (left hand drive) end up with a compromised pedal layout when built RHD. You need somewhere to "rest" your clutch foot but don't need anywhere to rest your throttle & brake foot!

[mondeoman]

Fiat

[Mars]

This is my pet hate in cars, and I find it quite amazing that they can get it so wrong today.

The following cars that have been through my possession are spot-on:

Scooby Legacy
Merc ML
Caterham
Cerbera
... and a Citroen XM pool car was fantastically comfy.


But various other cars I've owned and borrowed were horribly offset, including:

Vecras
Renault Megan
Citroen CX (although the seat was really comfy)
Ford Orion
BMW 3-series
Toyota Avensis

[RobM77]

I have terrible trouble fitting in any car built after about 1980. If I set the seat so my legs have a slight bend then I can't even touch the steering wheel, let alone drive! The current Merc SLK is pretty much the only car that isn't a compromise for me. Any car built pre 1980 is fine though! Strange.