Octavia 3 & back pain

[kallekilponen]

Unfortunately we all different and no one seat will suit everyone's back, I have heard Volvo seats are very good. How many of us take a car for a 5 hour test drive to make sure it's ok before buying.

I have the full adjustable electric seats on my Volvo and they're ok, but the lumbar support isn't quite strong enough even at the maximum setting. The fixed headrest is also a compromise that means it's pretty much useless except for safety purposes. And don't get me started on leather as a seat material...

[AllanDJ]

The cloth VRS seats option that jthyssen mentions are not I think available in the UK for some strange reason but seat comfort is very individual related to quite a few factors and the one size fits all approach that manufacturers are pretty much forced to take kind of works for most but not all of us, I do like the idea from the Vauxhall Insignia of being able to slightly extend the seat area, that could make quite a difference for someone with longer legs like myself. Another car that I remember having very comfortable seats was my grandfathers old Vauxhall Cavalier from 1982, hideously orange for some strange reason, not an obvious match for a silver car but I guess Vauxhall must have had their reasons! But no matter what strange colour they were the seats were very comfortable for me at least.

[pipsyp]

The cloth VRS seats option that jthyssen mentions are not I think available in the UK for some strange reason but seat comfort is very individual related to quite a few factors and the one size fits all approach that manufacturers are pretty much forced to take kind of works for most but not all of us, I do like the idea from the Vauxhall Insignia of being able to slightly extend the seat area, that could make quite a difference for someone with longer legs like myself. Another car that I remember having very comfortable seats was my grandfathers old Vauxhall Cavalier from 1982, hideously orange for some strange reason, not an obvious match for a silver car but I guess Vauxhall must have had their reasons! But no matter what strange colour they were the seats were very comfortable for me at least.

Its very annoying...had the sport seat option been available in the UK id have gone for it just for the additional support. SUK definitely keep missing a trick where option availability is concerned. Its a bit like not being able to have the 3 spoke wheel on an Elegance without DSG, though this has somewhat been sorted with the intro of the supersport wheel.

Also hear you on the Cavalier....my Grandad had a white Cavalier L hatch of that era with the orange tweed trim.....not sure why but I have memories of the trim being super itchy! Seats otherwise comfy though...I'm sure back in the day Recaro used to make alot of the OEM GM seats.

[cnc]

 

Unfortunately we all different and no one seat will suit everyone's back, I have heard Volvo seats are very good. How many of us take a car for a 5 hour test drive to make sure it's ok before buying.

I was lucky enough to have an Octavia on loan for a weeks test drive, then a Superb for another weeks test drive before deciding on the Superb. I cover a lot of miles for work so it was vital I found the car seat comfortable. It's a company car so SUK bend over backwards for company buyers as many sales depend upon it so a week long test drive is usual in these cases. I put about 3k miles on the two cars in 10 days of driving.

 

Last year I was in France and needed to hire a car, I prefer auto and all they had left was a Volvo V60 D4 auto so I took it. I have never considered a Volvo before but for me the comfort was fantastic, so much so I might look at one when my car is due to be replaced.

[bongobob]

I traded in my mk2 fl vrs for a volvo a few months ago. I was suffering with a really bad lower back injury and found that I could no longer get comfortable in my Skoda. Test drove a few other cars and it was pretty much the comfort of the volvo seats that swayed it for me. I remember coming back from the test drive and realising that my back hadn't been hurting.... I do miss the skoda tho, particularly the performance and the way it gripped the road, but the volvo is much much quieter and far more comfortable.

As an aside, how does the refinement/noise in the mk3 compare to the mk2?

[susi]

I ordered my Elegance with (cloth) vRS seats. I find them very comfortable, and have done several 1000km trips without any problems at all. In fact, I would rate the seats as among the best I have ever had. 

 

FWIW, I am 5'11" and 165lbs. 

 

This is useful info

 

I found the Mk2 seat awfully unfortable, especially on the lower back. It felt like you were sitting "on it" rather than "in it". The Mk3 seats seem much more supportive. They're not perfect but they are definitely better. I'm 190cm and 87Kg.

[The Plumber]

Just picked up on this thread; my Octy III experience lasted 6 months due to the cars poor seating and offset positioning to both steering and foot pedals (manual RHD). In my case though it was causing inflammation in the right hip and knee joints to the extent I was having difficulty walking in the end, so I followed the doc's advice and got rid of the car.

 

Tried a number of other brands including Volvo, however I ended up with a Spaceback with the sport seat option, as it has a very similar driving position (albeit the seat is set a little lower) to our Fabia II. Also the Spaceback has more room for your feet, as you can comfortably rest both either side of the foot pedals in cruise, something impossible in the much wider Octy III :wonder:

 

Shame I liked the Octy and obviously I lost money on such a short ownership experience but it was just no good for me and I'm now more than happy in the Spaceback.

 

 

 

TP

[fabdavrav]

I fine my MK7 golf estate GT with sports seats very comfy...........way more room in footwell than my MKI Fabia!

 

 

P.S. I used a CG-Lock device in my Fabia to stop my hips rotating forward which leads to slouching...very good device, not had to use it in the Golf so far! Also I have four worn lower discs & occasional sciatica!............

[philwoodphoto]

I've not experienced any back pain in my O3 yet but only done one longish trip. Cruise helps by letting you move your legs around a bit. I also always take a break after a max of 2 hours anyway. Previous 2 audis have never been a problem either, std and sport seats.

I've had a few Vauxhall hire cars ranging from basic corsas to top line insignias and I initially found them very uncomfortable, regularly getting numb right leg. My usual habit is to get in a car a drop it to its lowest point as I'm 6'3", this was the problem with the Vauxhall seats they were actually too low - raised them up a bit and no dead legs anymore. Still don't like them though. Found Ford seats ok but prefer vag seats. But as already said, each person is different.

[sjrainsford]

I'm very unhappy with mine, for a number of reasons - but the biggest one for me is back/ shoulder pain.  It's a company car and I do some big runs in it and if it was my own car I'd have already got rid.  I've tried so many different seating positions and now give up.  That combined with the poor noise control and poor infotainment all add up!  I'm about 5'10" and 11 Stone.

For me I'm at the point where I'm considering visiting a doctor as another 2 years with this car is really going to hurt.

[lostp]

Bizarrely, my left foot repeatedly started going numb on a long drive from Surrey to Scotland and back. Maybe it was this offset mentioned earlier in the thread? Never had an issue for shorter journeys though.

[doctored]

I bought this car as my Mercedes had massively offset pedals and was pretty uncomfortable.  I've found this car fine so far though  

[langers2k]

I got back pain in my mk2 fl, I cured it with careful adjustment of the lumbar but it took quite a few journeys to get it right.

[guitarman001]

Another thread confirming something else I'm experiencing. Never had a sore back in my life but been having one last few weeks. Not sure if it's the seats or suspension or whatever but this plus the cabin boom are ruining it for me. Agree on ford seats being good. Was just in partners fiesta and suspension was way better and seats more comfy.

[gm73]

I use my new 1.6 SE as a taxi and my neck is killing me as much as I hated my previous taxi - Citroen Berlingo - the driving position was pretty comfy.

[Croat]

Nope no problems. Actual seats are really good! Even on long trips. Very comfortable! Did you adjust the lumbar support?

[randomskodaperson2]

I had the leather seats in the mk3 vRS and my back was perfect. Although after a long journey my legs were a little stiff. My wife's Volvo xc60 seta are in a different league though.

 

My car has now gone but tempted with the Skoda superb, Kodiaq or Ateca.   Strange not seeing my car in the drive. Probably sitting waiting for auction now on it's own :-(

[Ferdinand01]

I have dynamic sport package in O3.

Seats are wonderful.

[guitarman001]

Is there lumbar support adjustment on petrol Octavia elegance seats?

[Auric Goldfinger]

The Leather/Eletric seats in my 230 are excellent. You can adjust the front on the seat base to give extra support.

 

Very comfortable indeed.........

 

[guitarman001]

I'm not sure I have that adjustment. Where is the control for that?

[Auric Goldfinger]

30 minutes ago, guitarman001 said:

I'm not sure I have that adjustment. Where is the control for that?

 

The switch that lowers/raises the seat base, if you push it up the front of the seat base goes up, if you push the front part down the front of the seat base lowers

[guitarman001]

Oh!!! I tried that but felt the seat was getting a bit too high

[Auric Goldfinger]

When I my seat up I lowered it as far as it would go and adjusted it accordingly. It took a bit of doing but I got the seat just right.

 

You can do minute adjustments with eletric seats, far better than manual seats.

Edited 8 April, 2017 by Auric Goldfinger

[SteveC]

I've had 2 Octavia Elegances and had back pain in both, so was nervous about a VRS, but had no problems. Much more comfortable than the standard seats.