Are the vRS seats doing anyone else's back in?

[sniperpenguin]

Ive had the vRS (non-DSG) now for just hitting two years, done 30K miles (mostly motorway) and I'm starting to develop some lower back issues (siatica related, with pain in my left leg etc. Im seeing a physio to control it etc

 

Now Im not blaming the car for this exclusively, but with the PCP coming to a close next year I'm having to think long and hard about whether or not it will do further damage to keep driving it, or instead look for a car with better seats / lumber support etc.

 

Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Does anyone have any experience on the standard seats etc? I'm also looking whether not DSG will be necessary next time around.

[JamesVRSmk3]

I've had a bad lower back for years but haven't found the VRS seats making it worse in any way. If anything I have found them to be one of the most comfortable I've had.

[Auric Goldfinger]

I think one of the problems with the Octavia seats is that the seat base isn't long enough. I sometimes suffer from back ache on long journeys. The seat base could do with being about 6 to 8 inches longer to give more support on the legs. Or even a base like some BMW's offer wher the seat front also is moveable up or down and extends.

Edited 4 January, 2016 by Auric Goldfinger

[philbes]

A number of my previous cars had driver's seats on which the front could be raised and lowered independently of the rear.  That extra adjustment allowing the angle of the seat base to be changed did make the seat more comfortable.  I also owned a 2002 Audi A4 fitted with the spots seat in which the lumber support (electric) was adjustable up and down as well as the usual in and out - that also made the seat more comfortable.  That seat also had an extendable section to provide adjustable support to the thighs just behind the knees.

 

However, I do find the MkII FL vRS seat adequate and causing me no problems even when driving more than 400 miles in a day on French motorways and main roads.  The seat is now suffering from the well documented fault of the outer upper bolster collapsing inwards - as this moves the side airbag shield I consider this a safety issue as well as a comfort/trim problem, but Skoda don't agree.

[pipsyp]

Bet the vRS seats are alot better than those fitted to the Elegance. I noticed quite a deterioration in my posture (which wasnt great anyway) after 18 months/27k miles or so in that car.

Very little support of any kind other than a bit of lumbar which is poor at best. One of the weakest points of the car I think.

I now have a Mk7 GTD as my daily drive and the seats are by stark contrast worlds better. Like most VAG cars with manual seats could probably benefit from thigh lift support....four way pneumatic lumbar would be good too but no major complaints.

[MoggyTech]

Opposite effect here, I find the VRS seats are the most comfortable I've ever sat in.

[msrbelfast]

I find them, vRS seats, comfortable. Mine have lumbar support. Seat base is quite short... But so am I

[SurreyJohn]

A friend of mine had a similar problem,  got someone in to check their posture in the seat, and it turned out they had never set the steering position properly before adjusting the seat.

Apparently you should adjust the steering (rake and reach) so you are comfortable using the pedals without straining legs, and lower back, and only then set up the seat.

 

He also had a problem with his left clutch only, and was close to changing to an automatic, but once he had steering rake set properly the problem went as the wrong setting was causing some sort of twisting strain to fully depress pedal easily

 

Hope this helps.

Edited 4 January, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[neiln]

I'd had some back ache that I thought may be related to the seats, I've moved the seat forward now which although lifting my thighs off front of the seat seems to have helped, I guess I was straining to reach the pedals a little before.   Have you tried adjusting the seat again? A position that initially feels less comfy may just be 'odd' to you and better in the longer term perhaps.

[BigLee]

I could do with them sliding back a touch more and having the whole seat tilt as well, looks like the electric seats possibly have more adjustment. Can anyone confirm?

[decuk]

No problem with mk3 Vrs, often think how good they are on long trips. However the Mk3 L&K used to cause under leg pain until I angled the seat to bring the front base higher than the rear. But these we're electric so fully variable.The mk2 seats were noticeably shorter and narrower than the Astra I had previously. Best seats ever were Leather in a Rover 825. Bet if I tried the same now though, I'd hate them.

[EoinM]

One of the reasons I sold my MK2 VRS was the seats became unbearable. Early days with the MK3 but I have no complaints yet.

[sniperpenguin]

A friend of mine had a similar problem,  got someone in to check their posture in the seat, and it turned out they had never set the steering position properly before adjusting the seat.

Apparently you should adjust the steering (rake and reach) so you are comfortable using the pedals without straining legs, and lower back, and only then set up the seat.

 

He also had a problem with his left clutch only, and was close to changing to an automatic, but once he had steering rake set properly the problem went as the wrong setting was causing some sort of twisting strain to fully depress pedal easily

 

Hope this helps.

 

Who did he get to check their posture?

[MRJSVRS]

One of the most comfortable seats I've sat in and I've sat it plenty. I do suffer from back problems due to my occupation but I find the vrs seat coupled with the heated seat is amazing

[SurreyJohn]

Who did he get to check their posture?

Just checked, she says it was a company car, (wasn't a Vrs, it was a Volvo) and was someone from the company's occupational health, they normally check desk chairs for posture, to avoid repetitive strain, but also looked at cars on request to ensure weren't over-stretching, their company did it for any employee as it was part of a health package to minimise sick days, so she says was free to her.

I see since I posted first time, someone else has mentioned about avoiding stretching for clutch, so moving seat forward a bit might be answer, then adjust steering rake and seat height. Shouldn't be having to stretch toes to press clutch fully.

Edited 4 January, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[Mallettsmallett]

The one think I instantly noticed when I first sat in was that my right leg was pushed up against the right bolster. Then I looked at the pedals and compared to my prev cars, the pedals appear to be offset to the right by quite a margi(you can see that the clutch is almost aligned with the centre of the seat) I do get leg cramp quite often. It's not my posture, its the limitation of the seat that the pedals force your right leg into if you tend to angle your right knee offset to the driver door when resting on the accellerator pedal.

Edited 4 January, 2016 by Mallettsmallett

[MrAdamwood]

Just checked, she says it was a company car, (wasn't a Vrs, it was a Volvo) and was someone from the company's occupational health, they normally check desk chairs for posture, to avoid repetitive strain, but also looked at cars on request to ensure weren't over-stretching, their company did it for any employee as it was part of a health package to minimise sick days, so she says was free to her.

I see since I posted first time, someone else has mentioned about avoiding stretching for clutch, so moving seat forward a bit might be answer, then adjust steering rake and seat height. Shouldn't be having to stretch toes to press clutch fully.

I can't believe people actually set their driving positions so that they have to stretch for the clutch??? How can they drive safe if they cannot reach all the controls fully!

It's not good for the car either because if you don't fully depress the clutch it doesn't fully disengage drive.

Surely common sense says that you adjust your seat to operate the peddles fully and comfortably and the adjust the steering wheel? Where do theses people learn to drive!

[Mence]

I have had decades of lower back issues and I have to say the vRS is very comfortable and doesn't cause any issues whatsoever.

My longest single run without stopping was only about four hours but even then, all was good.

[73henny]

Ive had the vRS (non-DSG) now for just hitting two years, done 30K miles (mostly motorway) and I'm starting to develop some lower back issues (siatica related, with pain in my left leg etc. Im seeing a physio to control it etc

 

Now Im not blaming the car for this exclusively, but with the PCP coming to a close next year I'm having to think long and hard about whether or not it will do further damage to keep driving it, or instead look for a car with better seats / lumber support etc.

 

Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Does anyone have any experience on the standard seats etc? I'm also looking whether not DSG will be necessary next time around.

 

Its the primary reason I no longer have my vRS. I'd thought my pain was from my dodgy 7 handicap golf swing, but ironically it was the car's unreliability that highlighted the problem to me (2 break-downs in its first 6 months). Whilst driving the loan Elegance they gave me while my car was repaired, my lower back pain disappeared. 15 mins after getting my car back, the pain had returned. The seat base only lowering at the back means your knees are raised, and then your weight is all on your backside. Its then exacerbated by the overly firm suspension.

 

In the 12k miles I've covered since in my 3 series - no back pain. No coincidence. 

[philbes]

Before buying my vRS I drove both manual and DSG versions. I found that the DSG version was much more comfortable as I could have the seat a little further back when the need to fully depress a clutch pedal was absent. The offset pedals were also then less noticeable.

But as I said in post #4 I would still like a more adjustable (up/down as well as in/out) lumber support and an extendable section at the front of the seat squab to give the option of more lower thigh support.

[WesternDuke]

One of the most comfortable seats I've sat in and I've sat it plenty. I do suffer from back problems due to my occupation but I find the vrs seat coupled with the heated seat is amazing

 

I couldn't agree more!

[skyjawa]

Recaro's in the Focus ST were the most comfy seats I've ever known.  The ones in my 3 series are pretty good too, but they are electric with lumbar.

 

You sure its the seat causing it and not hard sport suspension, you wouldn't be the first I've heard of to complain of back pain from a MK3 vRS......

Edited 5 January, 2016 by skyjawa

[gullyg]

I find the seats really comfy except the base is too short as others have noted.

The other issue I'd mention is an issue I seem to have with all VAG cars I've driven is I never seem to be able to get the seat and steering wheel column in a position where my legs are correct for the pedals, my arms for the wheel and my legs aren't knocking into the steering column.

Still it's a million times better than the mk1 Fabia vrs! Edinburgh to the Isle of Wight with only a couple of stops was easily doable where as Edinburgh to Cardiff in the Fabia almost killed me.

Edited 5 January, 2016 by gullyg

[cheezemonkhai]

I found the audi sports seats with 4 way lumber adjust to be massively more comfortable than the VRS seats.

The adjustable length and the ability to put the lumber where you need it (At a high cost I'll add) made a huge difference.