SE Seats v Elegance Seats

[kprida77]

A few years ago I had a Yeti 1.8 Elegance. I ended up getting rid of it after 6months because a) it drank the fuel and I couldn't get comfortable. I sometimes drive the missus Yeti (1.2 elegance) and I love it, just the seats are a tad too firm for me and my iffy back. Anyone here had an Elegance and and SE? Are the non-leather seats softer? I'm currently in a Volvo which has fantastic seats but I'm getting to the point I need something more pratical and the yeti more or less fits the bill. 

[The Plumber]

Had both, a SE 2009 without lumber and the current 2011 Elegance and found both to not be completely as comfortable as I'd like.

 

Strangely though (again with both) the level of comfort/discomfort is not consistent, with phases of good comfort and noticeable discomfort, which I don't get with our Fabia's (always comfortable).

 

So I've decided to order an Octy III as my next mode of transport, in the hope that offers a more consistent comfortable seat :wonder: Also besides this odd issue with the seating, I'm less than impressed with the redesigned FL look.

 

Would have liked to try a Yeti with the much more adjustable elec seat but finding one with this rather expensive option is rare.

 

 

TP

[Dinski]

Agreed I've had an se and now an elegance, i wouldn't say comfort wise there is anything in it.

Like TP said the lumber support is the only real difference.

[BossFox]

I have an SE and an Elegance (with the electric seat).

 

The SE is no where near as nice, you must spec the lumbar seat.

It gives me a bad back without that so I am not driving it at the moment.

 

I can't believe at £80 people didn't spec the adjustable lumbar support.

 

The electric seat option on the Elegance is very comfortable as it gives you a wider range of movement than the standard Elegance seat.

[7029bob]

I also have a dodgy back due to disc replacements but have found the seats in my previous SE and my present SE+ to be firm supportive and comfortable even on long trips.

The SE+ has lumbar support adjustment but TBO I've found this to be next to useless.

The Yeti is the 1st car I've owned with that bit of extra height and I've found this to be more of a help with my back than the seat posture.

As every back pain sufferer will know its a individual thing and what suits one will be no good for another but in my case the Yeti seats certainly have helped.

[7029bob]

double entry  sorry

[kprida77]

Sounds like the se might give me trouble like the elegance did. Shame, I really fancy a yeti again too. So far a transit van has been the most comfortable to drive, not really suitable as a family wagon though!

[Brijo]

The Yeti SE seats, with the lumbar support option, are the most comfortable that She Who and I have had over many decades of motoring in many different cars.  Even when breaking a long journey, I'm always more than happy to start off again. 

 

But, as 7029bob says, back problems are individual - YMMV

[JCP]

Sounds like the se might give me trouble like the elegance did. Shame, I really fancy a yeti again too. So far a transit van has been the most comfortable to drive, not really suitable as a family wagon though!

A favourite among our local, and well respected, travelling community!

[900000]

As stated many times on here before THE most comfortable seat with the biggest range of adjustment is the electric seat.  As to the lumber? Well I have it on my passenger seat of course and a cruder bit of plastic you can't get.  It's a lever attached to something in the seat that goes forward and then down as you move the lever down.  And that is it.  NO control over how much forward or how much down or out it goes is it moves in that one plane and set height and reach and that's it (just like the seat base's height adjustment angle is fixed). So in my book utterly useless at supporting you at different places.  Again the electric lumber can move up and down and forward and back to any position that you choose. Infinitely more useful.  

[kprida77]

As stated many times on here before THE most comfortable seat with the biggest range of adjustment is the electric seat.  As to the lumber? Well I have it on my passenger seat of course and a cruder bit of plastic you can't get.  It's a lever attached to something in the seat that goes forward and then down as you move the lever down.  And that is it.  NO control over how much forward or how much down or out it goes is it moves in that one plane and set height and reach and that's it (just like the seat base's height adjustment angle is fixed). So in my book utterly useless at supporting you at different places.  Again the electric lumber can move up and down and forward and back to any position that you choose. Infinitely more useful.  

 

I had the electric seat in my old Yeti. Unfortunately I still couldn't get comfortable, which I put down more to the seat firmness having driven the missus Yeti again today. 

[Zib]

Volvos seem to have the best seats going, followed by Mercedes-Benz. Try an XC60. With the discounts available, the price is pretty close to a top spec Yeti.

[Brijo]

When I ordered my SE, the options were 1.. to accept the standard seat (£0 extra), 2.. to go for the lumbar support on driver's and passenger's seats at £100 extra or 3.. to find £850 for an electric seat for the driver. 

 

Crude plastic it might be, but the lumbar support lever shifts some interior component into a position where our backs (note: our backs) are comfortable - certainly £100 more comfortable.  The driver's chair only has to adjust to two bodies - hers and mine.  To move the seat manually three notches forward or backward, and eight pumps up or down (depending on the previous driver and the next) is good exercise for the arms - certainly, to us, worth the saving of £750.  And there's nothing to go wrong, in or out of warranty. 

 

As I said above, the Yeti SE seats, with the lumbar support option, are the most comfortable that we have had.  I'll quite happily accept that Johann, and others, find the electric version better. 

[Llanigraham]

Volvos seem to have the best seats going, followed by Mercedes-Benz. Try an XC60. With the discounts available, the price is pretty close to a top spec Yeti.

 

To YOU, that might be true, but I find my friends Volvo S70 most uncomfortable. The cushion is too long, digs into the back of my knees and seems to stop the circulation unless I keep moving.

[fuzzybunny]

As others have said the elegance electric seat is a very good extra.

Lumbar support goes up down as well as in and out.

It also has a memory linked to the key so my other half can drive without having to fiddle with the seat every time.

[900000]

I thinks it's a miracle they could design the Yeti seats (be they electric, manual and with or without lumbar) to be so comfortable to so many people. Just think of all the body shapes out there they have to design for! So that very, very few people have problems, is a good thing and shows the Yeti has great seats. I think so anyway but that's because it suits my body shape I guess.

[docc]

   To move the seat manually three notches forward or backward, and eight pumps up or down (depending on the previous driver and the next) is good exercise for the arms - certainly, to us, worth the saving of £750.  And there's nothing to go wrong, in or out of warranty. 

Not too sure about that - our Golf is (was) manually adjusted, but now refuses steadfastly to allow any adjustment at all!

[scotchandskoda]

I have the 1.8 SE and I've never had a bad back during a long journey which I suffered with in my previous Audi A4. I think it's pot luck and we all have different physiques and ideas about what is comfortable. It's a shame we can't all try for a week prior to choosing. My 'other half' loves a very upright back - about 90° and she loves the Yetis seats.

I had a week with a newish Merc M class before the Yeti which was very comfortable, nice leather but a bit soft to drive overall and huge. The high driving position suited me and helped me move to the mini SUV Yeti camp. I thought that the legs being less straight to the front was an influence, but that can't be the only thing that helps as a similar week in an Audi Q7 was awful with much twiddling of seat controls and never getting a good setting. I wasn't impressed with the fuel economy either - it should have been called the Q8.

[Ansum]

I did a test drive of a Yeti (with a manual drivers seat) a few days back and I struggled to find a comfortable driving position. I am about 178cm tall and I think the problem for me might be that the steering cannot be adjusted in length as much as I need. With the steering pulled completely out if I adjusted the seat such that my arms were at a comfortable distance from the steering, my legs didnt feel comfortable as they didnt have enough space. On the other hand if I took the seat backwards so that my legs were comfortable, either I had to keep the backrest in quite an upright position so that my arms were at a comfortable distance. This was not too comfortable for my back. On the other hand if I tilted the backrest further back so that my back felt better then my arms had to be kept straighter all the time which was not comfortable for my arms. It seemed as if I could only get two parts of my body (amongst arms, legs and back) to feel comfortable simultaneously and not all three. Wonder if anyone else has also felt this way.

Edited 19 January, 2014 by Ansum

[Brijo]

Not too sure about that - our Golf is (was) manually adjusted, but now refuses steadfastly to allow any adjustment at all!

Just goes to show, doesn't it?! 

[Llanigraham]

Not too sure about that - our Golf is (was) manually adjusted, but now refuses steadfastly to allow any adjustment at all!

 

 

And let me guess; they've never been lubricated in all the time you've had the car!

[docc]

And let me guess; they've never been lubricated in all the time you've had the car!

Indeed so - unless it was dealt with in the very regular servicing it's had from main dealers.  So, no, then.  I wonder how many are ever lubricated?

[Barsteward]

Just goes to show how different we all are, our Yeti has no lumbar support or electric adjustment yet the missus and I have no comfort problems. We are similar heights and the only adjustment we make driver to driver is the forwards/backwards of the seat.

The key I believe is getting it right from the start, the best way I've found is

a) Get the right distance legs to pedals remembering it's not a racing car with straight legs or even approaching straight

set the seat height so you can see out properly

c) adjust the angle of the seat back - again its not a racing car so this might be more upright than expected

d) adjust steering wheel distance and height - elbows bent and can see all of the dashboard dials.

Lastly adjust mirrors, I find that if they're in the correct position I only need to move my eyes not my whole head.

[fastestlouigie]

No problems here with my 6'4" frame in an SE Plus, although a couple of things could be better but the financial authorities are to blame for this. One, I'm in broad agreement with Johann in that I don't think the manual lumbar adjustment makes much difference. And secondly, as my wife is just a smidge over 5', after she's been driving, adjusting the seat is a faff, especially if it's in the garage-I have the seat all the way back and in the lowest position and she has it all the way forward and as high as it goes! The electric seats with memory function would be handy but hey, sometimes you can't have everything!

Edited 19 January, 2014 by fastestlouigie

[Llanigraham]

I wonder how many people have seen this? :

 

https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en/product-areas/aftermarket-seats/company/expertise/ergonomic-comfort.html

 

Clic on the link at the bottom of the page