I've long thought the Scout, or the 4x4, was going to be the perfect car for me. I went down to a dealership today and had a look at the Scout in the flesh and take it for a test drive.

For the money I was very impressed with everything except one thing - the seats. I found that they were far longer than almost any car I have driven and the front edge seems to rise up a bit. As a result the edge of the seat (squab) rubbed against the back of my knee when I depressed the clutch. After about 10 minutes of driving I could already feel this was a showstopper for buying this car as my skin would be rubbed raw in no time. Such a shame as I loved everything else.

I did try every combination I could in adjusting the seat to stop this rubbing but without success. Lowering or raising the seat did not seem to much alter the angle of the seat.

Although I'm short (5' 7") I'm not that short and I can easily see how many people around my height or shorter would be uncomfortable in these seats.

Has anyone else noticed this problem and have you been able to adjust the seat so that you could reduce or eliminate the rubbing to the back of the knee? Do you think newer models next year might have different seats?

Barring that what are the alternatives in the market to an Octavia Scout or 4x4 that don't break the bank?

Cheers,

Tony

I am quiet short and also have short legs (29 inside leg), and find that although the seat base is quiet long it is possible to get a comfy seating position. It took me several weeks of fiddling, but I did get there in the end.

If the back of the knee is on the seat, then the seat maybe too high, too far back or a combination of the 2.

By adjusting both the seat height, back/forward motion and also the steering wheel height/reach it should be possible to get a good position.

Being 6'5" I find the seats perfect, but that's just the point, how can one seat (even with adjustment) fit everyone! I struggle to get clothing to fit most of the time. It may be possible to swap the seats out of another VW group car but dealers aren't interested in such modification and its not what you want to have to do with a new car.

I'm 6'1" but have short legs for my height, not really had a problem with any car seats.

As above, you should be able to find a comfortable position

I fit the same mould as yourself and Mannyo and have no problems, in my 4x4. Spent about 15 mins at delivery, adjusting the various options, and now coult it a one of the most comfortable cars I have ever driven. Given that my driving career covers over 40 years, including time in the Trade, that's not bad!!

I'm 6 3 so am encouraged by this comment. Am considering a Scout for my next car and have found several cars in the past with seat squabs that are too short for my long legs.

I do think you've made the right decision though - there's nothing worse than not being able to get comfortable in a car. I find I cant get comfortable in my vRS no matter how much I fiddle with the set-up - v. frustrating. Sharing the car with my wife means I have to change every adjustment everytime I get back into it after she's been in it. Typically she moves everything even for short journeys!! Perhaps she finds she can't get comfortable either - must ask her!

Anyone else find it difficult to get a good seating position in their MK2 vRS?

Not had a problem with the vRS seats, found them very comfy

Sharing the car with my wife means I have to change every adjustment everytime I get back into it after she's been in it. Typically she moves everything even for short journeys!!

Sounds like you'd love the memory electric seats.

I'm 5 5 and don't have a problem with back of my knee rubbing on seat. as previously stated just goota play about with settings.

Is DSG an option (you won't have to move your left leg then) ?

i dont think dsg is yet build on scout...i maybe wrong though...

Aren't leather seats an option in which case they may be different?

Tiger22,

I'm 5'6" and I find my current seat position almost perfect (and believe me, I'm FUSSY)

It's taken me about 3 months of fiddling about to get it right, but it's there now. The problem I had was I found I liked to have a high riding position (which is ironic, because I've come from an MX-5!), but as the seat lifts up with adjustment, it tends to tilt forward, so as I got the height right, the seat was tilting forward just a degree or two, which was noticeable over a 40 mile commute, by too much weight towards the back of my ar*e, rather than an even spread.

Just a notch or two down and a bit of extra fiddling elsewhere, now it's great.

I think if you had enough time with it, you'd get it right eventually!

have leather seats with alcatera and height adjustment and lumbar - seats not electric ,have had no problem to find a good driving position-i don't consider the cushion size to be any different than a golf or audi.

however traditionally i think japanese and italian cars have shorter cushions

driver comfort is a key issue for a new car-somthing many people over look in favour of looks and 0-60

I'm still fiddling with the works Mondy that I've had since December.

Up, no down, no back. Still not quite right even now.

i must admit wasnt to sure of the seat when i first got it compared to my astra, but now when i try vauxhalls their seats feel wrong to me. btw im about 5'6 and have 32 leg

The front seats in my Oct 2 Elegance 1.9tdi (56) are much too long and rubs the back of my left knee just as you are experiencing, its very badly designed !

I have my seat on maximum height with a cushion to sit on, and find this extra height helpful.

Previous car was a mk 1 oct, with seats just perfect.

Hope this helps.

Cruiser.

well, i'm 6'3 and my wife is 5'5 and we can both find comfy positions. i tend to have the seat 4 ratchets lower on the height adjustment and about 2 inches from fully back. slightly further forward than i was in the superb, and means my knees are away from the raised edges of the squab...... took a while though.

I'm 5'6" and have short legs. Have the Elegance & the seats are fine with no leg rubbing issues.

You could put one of those back pillows in - that would push you forward a bit.

I have my seat at the lowest setting, backrest upright, steering wheel quite low & pulled towards me. Seems to work fine. I spend almost 2 hours a day in the car commuting.

Tony

To an extent I do share your misgivings about the seats in the Scout . I am 5ft 9ins and am forever adjusting the seat . Your answer , sadly , maybe to buy a french car which for most people have impossibly short seat sqabs .

My main grouse , as I have complained before , is the useless adjustment mechanism for the lumbar support , which has a major design flaw - a result of RHD compromise . I have already had a new frame fitted with the same flaw built in and that has also failed . I have had to " bodge " repair it ( the car is 9months old ) as described in this forum , with the express approval of the garage because , other than replacing it , they had no answers .

It is a silly thing really , and annoying because the Mk I car had the best adjustment of any car I have ever owned , but I can see me selling this car earlier than I had anticipated because of this one essential point . Many other people appear to have no problems with the seats .

NB I am only 11stone and having kayaked for over 30 years , have a pretty good back for my age .

It is literally a case of " horses " for courses I'm afraid !

I think Saab's 9-5 has the best seats going in the car world today (but for how much longer!). The only part of that car well thought out....

james.

Does anybody else find that seat adjustment varies almost with the weather? I find the vRS generally fairly comfy, but do sometimes find that on a particular day I like it a touch more upright, or a click further back.

I'm 6'0" with 32" inside leg and fairly broad across the shoulders but narrow at the waist/hips and find the seats just about perfect, but because I have fairly long legs I do have to sit reasonably far back and then pull the wheel out towards me. This has the added bonus that the wheel is sufficiently far out to alow me to have my left elbow on the jumbo box (with the armrest pulled forward) and my left hand on the bottom of the wheel - very comfy for cruising!

Are the seats in the different Octy models different shapes, or just covered in different cloths?

PS - what is with the lumbar support wheel on the vRS seats - it seems to have about 15 turns of travel for about 2mm of movement in the seat back?!

Does anybody else find that seat adjustment varies almost with the weather? I find the vRS generally fairly comfy, but do sometimes find that on a particular day I like it a touch more upright, or a click further back.

My guess is that it actually varies depending upon what you happen to be wearing - which in turn depends upon the weather...

Further to my previous message, I had my drivers seat Replaced as the lumber support failed to work, and the new one is no better. Skoda has lost the plot ?

I'm 5' 3" and my Octavia vRS seats are the most comfortable I've ever had. I could sleep in them. Playing with the setting is the answer, usually over a fairly long trip.