After over 3 years of happy Yetiing I changed 'Heti 1' for 'Heti Too' last month and I'm sure the driver's seat is at a different angle. It slopes up at the front more (SWMBO even agrees). How do I know? 'Cos I've developed a bad pain behind my left knee and up my thigh. :(

I noticed it in the first few days of having Heti Too then we went on a 2 week cruise and the pain went away. We got back last week and within a day of being behind the wheel again the pain returned. And I was only doing short journeys around town. I re-read the old thread on here about uncomfortable seats (from way back in 2010) and have tried all sorts of combination of seat height, position, etc to no avail. In the end I went to a local car accessory shop and bought a wedge shaped cushion to try to 'flatten'the seat.

A pertinent factor may be that I've changed from manual to DSG and haven't got used to not doing anything with my left foot but wherever I rest it I feel the ridge of the seat front edge digging in behind my knee. The cushion has helped a little but is by no means a full cure.

Any thoughts guys 'n gals??

TJK

Could be due to all the money going out of your wallet to pay for it, sitting lower in the seat now

OK off to the corner I go

Have had bizarre phases of uncomfortable seating with both our Yeti's, causing lower back and under thigh pain but only effecting me. Not worked out what's causing it but I think its to do with a combination of seat base angle, squab shape/ size and alignment to the pedals :wonder:

Fabia seating on the other hand I've not had a problem with, nor with the Octavia, although our Golf V did give lower back pain, again me only on long runs.

TP

Sounds like a Sciatic nerve problem? I have had this for years and do some pilates exercise to stretch the compressed muscle that puts pressure on the nerves etc. Also found that removing my wallet from my back pocket can help get a better seating position. But the best relief is adjusting seating position. In order to take the pressure off your Sciatic nerve, I found you must must drive with your thighs parallel to the floor of the car, your hips at the same level as your knees.not easy with the bucket type seats so fold a towel, use a small cushion, or buy a foam wedge to place in the dip of the seat. I have a foam wedge that helps a lot - need to gets a replacement some time soon as mine has been with me a few years.

Not sure on the L&K, but like The Plumber I prefer the stock Fabia seat angle to the stock Yeti seat angle.

Which is why we had to spec the electric seat in ours as it gives far more seating position options and I can't fault it now.

I would advise anyone buying an L&K to add the electric seat, it's not a huge amount compared to the cost of the car and despite the brochure sometimes claiming it's not available, it is.

^ sadly, BossFox, that option was not available when we ordered ours

Drove 200 miles back from the stealers yesterday and was extremely comfortable, got out fresh as a daisy.

I find the L&K seats more comfortable than the ones in my previous Elegance, could be that they are new and not worn and saggy though.

Don't mean to teach granny to suck eggs but have you tried the full range of adjustments? The height adjusting lever tends to change the angle between the seat and the back. You may need to compensate with the seat back adjusting wheel.

I tend to think that from day to day the state of anyone's back may be dependent on what you've been doing exercise-(or not)-wise, what your posture has been like when sitting/lifting/carrying, etc. - in other words, a car seat may feel fine one day and leave you comfortable after a drive of several hours but then the same seat, in the same position, will leave you with a few aches and pains the following day. My experience, anyway.

Andrew, totally agree. My back and other minor issues do depend on how much walking and exercises etc. I've been doing. My Yeti seat is better than many I've had in the past but maybe old age and poor posture at work for many years has taken its toll.

Totally agree, Andrew.

My seat has a different position on the way home from work after a busy shift, than it does going. Having been on my feet for a lot of the day pulling levers I find I have to have it more upright on the way home.

But I always seem to forget to readjust it properly next morning!! :think:

Thanks for at least two who agree! This is one reason why, although I appreciate the greater range of adjustment available on the electric seat, I did not find it worthwhile on my previous monster, since the 'set' positions to which a key press would return it were seldom exactly right from one day to the next. I'm just as happy now with a manually adjustable seat that I can still fiddle with as necessary (and that saved me £500!).

Andrew, interestingly in the past I've used an inversion machine as well as my Pilates machine and the combined use could extend my height by at least 2". This was after a stupid accident that stressed and injured my lower back.

I notice even now that my height will be more in the morning than late at night i.e. the mirror needs to be adjusted.

I've noticed recently that it's the rear view mirror that is the giveaway re the different way you sit in a car at different times - I almost always need to adjust the mirror (even if only minutely) from what had seemed to be the perfect position the previous time I drove the car.

A pertinent factor may be that I've changed from manual to DSG and haven't got used to not doing anything with my left foot but wherever I rest it I feel the ridge of the seat front edge digging in behind my knee. The cushion has helped a little but is by no means a full cure.

 

 

You also don't have to rest your left leg ON the foot rest in a DSG...  I find that angle does tire my foot sometimes.  There is plenty of space to the right of said footrest for your left foot AND you can still 100% use the brake pedal without your left foot getting in the way...

A pertinent factor may be that I've changed from manual to DSG and haven't got used to not doing anything with my left foot but wherever I rest it I feel the ridge of the seat front edge digging in behind my knee. The cushion has helped a little but is by no means a full cure.

 

This means that you are either too high or too far from the rest.  You could try adjusting your seat for your left leg in resting position, but then you may find your right leg becomes uncomfortable then.

I always found the passenger seat felt like the edge was hard under my thigh. With the electric seat you can soften the angle of the front which stops this, must say I'm so glad I got the electric seat in the L&K after a bit of nagging.

Electric seat for me every time.

Never had any back problems driving the Yeti,

I do frequently have to adjust the mirror slightly though. The seat is (obviously) always in the same position.

Thank you for all your (mostly) useful comments!  I've managed some adjustment that has improved it a little and I think the cushion is helping, but I shouldn't need one.

....., must say I'm so glad I got the electric seat in the L&K after a bit of nagging.

 

I would advise anyone buying an L&K to add the electric seat, it's not a huge amount compared to the cost of the car and despite the brochure sometimes claiming it's not available, 

 

I'm really cross about this news!  Well done 'cotswoldlad' & 'BossFox' but I was told categorically that they were not available on the L&K.  Did you have to accept 'standard' electric seats without the fancy white stitching? (I was told that the electric driver's seat and folding front passenger seat weren't available on the L&K due to the very low volume expected  that would need the stitching!)

 

I've spoken to the dealer and he says that the 2013 seats are different from the 2009 seats (in my old Elegance) but could offer no help other than suggesting the the seat front edge will soften with use and reduce the angle naturally!

Edited 2 July, 201313 yr by TJK

The electric seat option was a change from the original order possibilities: my dealer tried to persuade me to have an electric seat, which I had already decided to do without, then phoned me later to say that I couldn't have one anyway, but then phoned again a couple of weeks later to say it was now available on the L&K and could be added to my order if I wanted. I didn't!

I do wish I'd had the option as I believe that fine tuning the seat position is a bonus worth having.

it's the full blown L&k spec white stiching l&K logo 4 memory settings including mirrors and sets memory one with the key too! worth every penny.

it's the full blown L&k spec white stiching l&K logo 4 memory settings including mirrors and sets memory one with the key too! worth every penny.

Four memory settings? One is just a SET button. And any of the three memory settings can be set to either key. Though no point having setting 1 to both keys.

I have had sciatica on and off for about 20 years, my 2012 Yeti Elegance has given me the least grief of all but one of my cars since (and it equals that, a Mondeo Zetec 02 plate in fact one of the reasons I sold my last car was because of the seat after two years and having back and leg pain). It does take me quite a while to adjust the seat to my liking but as I am the only driver that isn't a problem for me. The only issues I have is when the car goes in to the dealers for any reason where the mechanic is either 7 foot tall or requires a booster seat so I have to set it up again to my preference. If I recall correctly there is a thread on here somewhere with advice on seat settings that I found very good. It seemed odd at first but it worked really well for me.