New Job, High Mileage, Advise please!

[surfingobo]

Hi guys

 

I've just started a new job in the last month or two and so far I'm averaging about 500 miles in a week, with the most being 1000 and the least 250.  In this time I've realised that my fab VRS seats are really really really unsupportive, to the point of struggling to bend over properly after i get out of the car.  I believe this is due to the lack of lumbar support (yes I do sit properly, upright, bum back, seatbelt tight on lap etc).  

 

I'm now faced with the choice of give up the fabia, which I love but am loving less due to the back problems or buy a new set of seats out of a golf/alfa/other.  I'm also aware that if I put 20000+ miles on my fab this year it'll take it into the 130-140k miles mark at which point the bottom seems to drop out of the price a little which would be less than ideal if I can get a lot more for it by selling it right now.

 

Another thing to note is I'm running AP shocks and springs although I don't think these present a massive difference in comfort to a standard car.

 

Am I best changing to an Audi A4/other comfy estate or do you guys reckon I can make this car comfy enough?  Decisions decisions :(

[Sxfash]

Ye get some comfy seats like you say Audi a4 there comfy enough

[Sam84]

Could just change the seats instead of getting a new car?

[Oli3000]

If you change car and stick 20k on it it will lose value. You will probably lose less by sticking with your Fabia - a known entity. We currently do 21k a year and just opted to maintain the Fabia until it became financially not viable to do so. So far nothing's broken and all that's cost money was the Cambelt coming around quicker!

[sepulchrave]

The most comfortable seats I've sat in which were fitted to an affordable car were in a Saab, something like a 9-3 turbo diesel would suit very nicely.

[surfingobo]

Yeah was considering the saab but the mpg didn't look too hot!  And they look very dated imo!

[sepulchrave]

Yeah was considering the saab but the mpg didn't look too hot!  And they look very dated imo!

 

51mpg for the 120PS 9-3 vs. 53mpg for the 130PS VRS is neither here nor there surely, and the estates look like estates ffs.

[Skoda_Saint]

As others have indicated new seats could be a worthwhile investment. I would go for known over unknown, least with the Fabia you know what you're dealing with. What has been done to it, the things that are not quite right.. with a new car you have none of that... unless you know the owner well.

[vindaloo]

<cough>

 

Might be something to try.

 

http://www.backsupport.co.uk/driving/category.php

 

J.

[mobz]

Personally I'd get a new car, that sort of mileage, worth investing it a nice all round car, not just seats but build quality etc. Fabia is great, but that sort of mileage, you'd probably want more of an all rounder. I think we can all agree the interior in a Fabia isn't all that ;-)

Budget could be a issue, as like for like with the Fabia will be tough

[Guest BigJase88]

Sell the fabia

Not a nice place to be doing mega miles.

Big volvo cruiser or something and then something fun for the weekend

[vRSAnt]

I disagree, sorry.

Thats only 50 miles each way a day, thats what cranked the high miles up on mine. That is nothing miles wise. I didn't even change seats on mine and it was not a problem.

 

( not that it did any harm to car either, car is sweet. since I changed to do less miles its this crap local mileage that both the car, and me, hate only 20 miles round trip per day !).

 

I got recaros and the sum cost couldn't have been more than £100ish, a bit of conversion work too but nothing too taxing and help is at hand if necessary. Then lumbar support adjustable at your mercy. Recaro ain't the only option though (should have bought Pulses whilst had a chance, though he might have more)

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/319878-passat-cc-leather-seats-for-mk1-fabia/

 

You might want to keep to standard suspension for comfort though (even on lowered springs its a compromise on comfort)

[vRSAnt]

Surfingobo, I will happily meet you somewhere if you want to have a go sitting in the Recaros to see if this is your route ?

 

You would need these: (just an example, those are a bit tatty). Bear in mind if you convert you are wise, like I did to make the passenger the drivers seat and vice versa! Presto a nearly unused drivers seat lol)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mk3-Golf-Colour-Concept-Leather-Seats-For-Mk2-Golf-/281408437114?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item41853ffb7a

 

Then keep out for some dirt cheap/ spoiled basic seats as you basically only need the frames to fit yours, then you can pair these donors, with your fabia framework - like I said plenty of advice at hand how you can do that (its more or less DIY)

 

Alternatively, do these offer lumbar also?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fabia-Vrs-Mk2-Seats-Black-And-Red-/331280379921?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4d21d97011

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/skoda-fabia-vrs-leather-seats-/181472016831?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a409339bf

[aixlad]

I did a 140 mile round trip commute in mine for 7 months, never missed a beat, fabulous mpg, and it certainly kept up with almost everything on the motorway, but it was very tiring due to the cabin noise and budget seats.

[surfingobo]

Thanks for all the replies!  Dominorising - Thank you for the offer, I may well take you up on that if I decide to keep it!  The problem is not doing 50 miles a day, the problem is a few days at 50 miles then a 300 mile round trip atleast once a week!  I'm still in two minds, I agree with all of you who are saying keep it... I love it!  It's so much fun!  I also agree with those of you saying it's not the nicest place to site on a long journey because it just isn't and it's becoming less and less so the further I drive it!  I think I'm going to go and test drive a load of cars over the next couple of weeks, if I find a car I like as much as the fabia that ticks all my other boxes then I'll go for that, if not I'll have to change the seats.

[PoloGTimposter]

I do approximately 500 miles a week sometimes more sometimes a little less and last year I bought an Audi a4 avant with the same trusty pd130 engine in and let the wife drive the polo.

Now don't get me wrong the Audi is a great refined comfy car and can swallow up the miles no problem, however the fuel economy compared to the polo was crap. Didn't seem to matter how you drove it couldn't get it past 52mpg compared to easily getting 60mpg from the polo.

I also found the Audi quite boring after a wile, now it might be just me but at the end of stint on the motorway I sometimes like to blast up the slip road and fly round some round a bouts and the polo was just to much better at that.

So after 9 moths I swapped with the wife and have been back in the Polo ever since and wouldn't change it for anything.

[Dazza95]

I did a 140 mile round trip commute in mine for 7 months, never missed a beat, fabulous mpg, and it certainly kept up with almost everything on the motorway, but it was very tiring due to the cabin noise and budget seats.

 

I've been doing a few longer trips recently and definitely agree that the cabin noise gets a bit tiring although I still love driving it. A lot of the time I'm sat in traffic sampling the delights only the M6 has to offer on a Friday evening  

[Dudeoli]

I was doing 400 miles a week commuting in mine for about 20 months (and I'm on fk coil overs) plus I would drive from gloucester to London/Southampton and back every couple of weeks or so. Not long before I stopped I trapped a nerve in my back and I swear doing all those miles with such cheap seats hasn't helped. I would recommend a cushion/new seats. And whatever you do don't get adjustable coilovers, you will destroy the comfort!

[OldJackyBoy]

I don't think the suspension helps either mine seems to be really bouncy don't know if that's just mine but combined with the cheap seats I can see how you got a trapped nerve, I've just upgraded to alfa leathers in mine and seems to be better already time will tell anyway I do a 2 and half hour drive at the start off the week to work and then the same at the end off the week home and after a hour I find my self shuffling about as my backs playing me up!

[alex_e3]

At the end of the day, the Fabia was not designed as a motorway car. It was meant to be a little nippy city car! I think you need to decide what is more important to you - either a comfortable motorway cruise once a week, or a half comfortable but more fun commute on the other days. You can't have both!

 

I very VERY nearly just sold my Fabia and I was going for a Golf GTi Ed30 Mk5, which was in part due to the comfort levels on my daily commute. Since then I've seen sense and I'm sticking with the Fabia. However, I've removed the cheap nasty coilovers and will soon invest in some much more upmarket kit which is a good compromise between handling and comfort. I will be getting cruise control retro-fitted soon, along with an armrest from the Golf. I find that the lack of an armrest makes a big difference.

 

I'm also just in the process of changing the seats! I found the standard seats very unsupportive, and the lack of lumbar adjustment is not good for someone who's had spinal surgery twice!! So I went for a set of Audi A1 S-Line half leathers. Both front seats have both height and lumbar adjustment, and the seats are much more 'huggy' than the standard ones. They are infinitely more comfortable than the standard seats, and I know they're going to make a difference on my commute

 

By what you're saying about genuinely loving the little Fabia, I think that you'll love a motorway type car at first, but would quickly tire of how boring it is at everything else...  Unless you can afford a M5 or RS4!?!!

[Blanco]

I drive 30-35k per year. I changed my seats to the ibiza sport seats. More comfortable and way more supportive. Think im selling them though.

[Paul007]

How about a diesel Octy vRS - I'm doing 250 miles a week and the sports seats are excellent - the sports suspension is the problem but I don't want it too soft as I want to know what's going on underneath me.

[Huskoda]

I sold my Octavia because the seats aren't very good and have me back pain.

If you're already having aches and pains then the answer is a different car. The Fabia just isn't a good car to spent that much time in, as you are aware regarding the seats, but also the noise.

When looking for a new car, be sure to make sure the pedal position is good, as it's something frequently overlooked. For that, Audis aren't the best. Cruise control I would say is a must.

While yes, you will be changing to a car with potential unknown problems, don't underestimate the health problems you can develop if you're in a car that makes you ache.

[surfingobo]

I'm 21 and fairly sporty, I don't expect to be getting back pains already!  I'm going to test drive an E46 330D Sport, seems like a good compromise between economy, performance, comfort etc but we shall see.  Otherwise I still don't really know what I want.

[surfingobo]

Also, thanks all for bearing with me, I realise it must be frustrating as I truly don't know what I want but if it makes you all feel better I'm frustrated with myself for being so indecisive!