I've been test driving the vRS and a Focus ST this week, and I've found exactly the same problem with the seats in the vRS.

After about half an hour, I get a really bad pain the my right thigh where the plastic is pressing against my leg. I spoke with my chiropractor about this (I'm still having treatment for a back problem that resulted from a car accident), and he reckons that the pain is being caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve.

His advice was to stay away.... :-(

Conversely, the Recaros in the Focus are absolutely spot on.

It's left me with a serious dilemma, as I can't afford the Focus (company car tax is too much), and the vRS would probably leave me crippled on a long journey. The seats in my Superb are fine, though.

I'd go for the leather in the L+K, but I'm not convinced that these would be any better. Surely, Skoda must know that this is a problem, or are people just putting up with it?

Bagpuss.

In answer to the original question, I find I have enough room to get a signature on mine!!

With regard to the seat comfort I tried a Foucs ST and agree that the seats were excellent. However I have done a three and half hour stint in the VRS without any real problem and the most I did in the ST was about 2 hours. Ideally I'd put Recarro's in the VRS purely because they 'hold' you more than those fitted.

I am thinking about buying an Octavia Elegence and the seats have driven me nuts. I find them terrible which is such a shame.

I would really like the car but.. after 30 mins I wanted to get out. I looked at the Passat seat. It is superb so I thought of a change, until told the price

I am thinking about buying an Octavia Elegence and the seats have driven me nuts. I find them terrible which is such a shame.

I would really like the car but.. after 30 mins I wanted to get out. I looked at the Passat seat. It is superb so I thought of a change, until told the price

Hi,

No. But was told it might work. Today I sat in a SK Superb. These seats were fine, but the dealer advised that the Superb is wider than the Octavia so will advise tomorrow if anything can be done. They are £1500 each ! Ouch !

Maybe they can do a squab/frame change. Seems a real shame about the Octavia seats though. I am amazed they have allowed this state of affairs to go unnoticed.

There is no state of affairs. It's a matter of opinion. I find the seats considerably more comfortable than those in an Audi A4.

I think that there definitely is a problem with the design of the seats in the Octavia, particularly the vRS. I think it largely depends on how big your thighs are. Certainly, the padding on the sides of the seat cushion is very thin, and it allows the underlying structure of the seat to apply pressure to the sciatic nerve.

This isn't going to affect everyone, as we are all built differently, but I'm certain that VAG are aware of the problem with this seat design. I used to have a TT, and the seats in it gave me the same problems as the vRS ones. The new TT seats are completely different, and were very comfortable for me.

Sadly, a new TT is neither practical or affordable for me, but other cars similar to the Octavia in the VAG range also have much more comfortable seats. I've just driven a Passat with sports seats, and they were brilliant.

As I spend about 3 hours a day driving to work and back, I really need to know that I'm going to be comfortable. Sadly, the Octavia doesn't look like it can provide that comfort :(

Bagpuss.

Completely agree, there is an issue. It's down to individual shape & posture. I've had Golfs, Passats and Audi A4s which have all been very comfortable to drive. Not so the new Octavia which is why I don't drive one. Shame because otherwise it's a fine car, but being uncomfortable may compromise my health and ultimately my safety.

Just for interest Auto Express have a Vrs on long term test and I can't find any reference to lack of comfort, and they have done 30,000 miles in ten months.

As I said peviously I haven't had any discomfort so far and that's from someone who has had sciatic problems and at 6ft 2in currently weighs an overweight 19+ stones. I guess it's down to that old personal preference thing again, vive la difference.

Just found this quote from the Auto Express report:

' Seats: The vRS seats both look stylish and offer good lateral support. Yet it's on long trips where you really notice how comfortable they are - ideal considering the miles I cover.

A guess one solution might be to look at fitting something like Recaro sports seats. These would fit the image of a vRS, there are a number of different Recaros to choose from and should you decide to sell the car later you could offer both the Recaros and the originals. Could be worth a search on the internet to see what's available and to check where you can see or even sit in the seat before buying.

I have been using a Recaro Style (leather) for the last six and a half years & 120,000 plus miles in an Omega and currently Fabia and it really is a most excellent seat. I find the Fabia seats, both standard and vRS, too soft and lacking in lumber support, so I was aprehensive of the Octavia vRS seats prior to a test drive. Now driven twice for around an hour each time. Just to mention I'm 6'3 and 16+ stone.

I must say that they, the vRS seats (sorry but I've not tried a standard seat), are excellent and not far short of the Recaro. They have a good range of adjustment, great lateral support and a high backrest with the headrest in the right position (my Recaro is a bit short here). Yes, they are firm but so is my Recaro. I'm therefore confident that in the long term I will get on fine in the vRS (car now on order).

However just covering my options to see if I could transfer my Recaro (again) into the Octavia, I rang Recaro and they do a subframe for the Octavia II for around £120 and any one of their approved dealers ought to be able to fit it for around £50 (doesn't take long when you know what you are doing).

Recaro seats are some of the BEST and for anyone interested the 'Style' which is not racy/max power looking starts at around £650 plus fitting depending on cloth/leather etc. Certainly, this is a more viable option than an alternative OE seat AND when you sell the car, just put the original seat back in, get a new subframe and install your Recaro in your new car.

An excellent post Bahnstormer. I would certainly consider this if I were buying an Octavia with my own money. I didn't check the costs on this option because my car is a company vehicle and I have to obtain permission for any non-factory options from the contract hire firm as they legally own the car. In the case of replacing seats they said "no", but don't let this put others off - you may find that different contract hire firms have varying attitudes to this.

I guess the only other factor to consider is the availability and deployment of side airbags. I wouldn't want to sacrifice any safety features, my own spec for the vRS TDi would have included active head restraints and curtain airbags amongst others. Comfort and safety are important to me as I drive over 40,000 miles per annum.

I have been using a Recaro Style (leather) for the last six and a half years & 120,000 plus miles in an Omega and currently Fabia and it really is a most excellent seat. I find the Fabia seats, both standard and vRS, too soft and lacking in lumber support, so I was aprehensive of the Octavia vRS seats prior to a test drive. Now driven twice for around an hour each time. Just to mention I'm 6'3 and 16+ stone.

I must say that they, the vRS seats (sorry but I've not tried a standard seat), are excellent and not far short of the Recaro. They have a good range of adjustment, great lateral support and a high backrest with the headrest in the right position (my Recaro is a bit short here). Yes, they are firm but so is my Recaro. I'm therefore confident that in the long term I will get on fine in the vRS (car now on order).

However just covering my options to see if I could transfer my Recaro (again) into the Octavia, I rang Recaro and they do a subframe for the Octavia II for around

Cheers mate - this is really useful info and I have been checking out the recaro site and trying to find dealers near London.

When you said you called Recaro to ask about a subframe for the Octy II, which number did you call? Not the one in Germany listed on their website?

Also, do the Style seats have electic tilt and height adjustment and if so is it combined? One of the problems with the VRS seats I find is that if I have them high enough, the seat pad tilts further fwd when pulling on the lever. This leaves my thighs unsupported and just feels uncomfortable.

Many thanks

Olly

Hi Olly,

Yeah, Recaro's website shows the seats off really well but isn't good in letting you know who to get in touch with. I finished up getting Recaro's number through Yell.com!

Recaro (UK) Ltd Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1NP Tel: 01926 484111

If you call them they ought to be able to put you in contact with a local dealer.

Yes; the 'Style' seat has a combined height/tilt electric adjustment on the squab; as it lowers for the final 1/3rd of the adjustment the squab tilts/drops more at the back. You do have the benefit that the sqaub is a touch deeper than the sqaub on the vRS seat and it has an under thigh section about 6" long that you can adjust to get under thigh support nearer to the back of your knee.

Recaro were very helpful when I bought my Lancer Evo 6.

I really didn't get on with the standard Recaros in the Evo (mine had race buckets as it was an RS model). I gave Recaro a call, and then popped down to Honiley for a fitting. It's amazing how many factors you need to consider when trying to find the right seat.

Needless to say, they identified the right seat for me (a Recaro Expert, if memory serves), and Mitsubishi fitted them.

I have to say it was the most comfortable car seat I've ever sat in. Sadly, I simply couldn't afford to run the Evo once our little one arrived.

Still, I've also decided to take the plunge, and ordered a vRS, so I may need to look at a Recaro if I have problems with the standard seats.

Bagpuss.

Hi,

I raised a question earlier about seat comfort in the Octavia. In pursuit of facts I have been back to the Skoda dealer and VW and measured the seats.

Apart from this specific issue, it is quite well known that VWGolf/SkodaOct seats are somewhat below standard for cars with quality pretensions. It's been like this for years, with VAG carefully ignoring any criticism.

Anyone doing high mileages in these vehicles, who also have access to quality cars, cannot fail to notice this. The seats vary slightly depending brand and model, but are of a similar pattern. You don't mention which exact models you measured.

The main issues are:

1) Top of seat backs tend to have a protruding lateral bar that irritates shoulders, and tends to make your spine curve.

2) The seat backs seem mounted slightly too high relative to your back, or to the seat squab - the curves are in the wrong place. You notice this as the seats sag over time. I'm 5'11" so I'm relatively short these days, but surely not unrepresentative.

3) Versions with 'sports seats' don't have an adjustment for the height or length of the front part of the squab, and these often dig into your thighs unless you raise the seat higher than you like.

4) I'm not sure that raw measurements tell you a lot about how well a seat fits across your beam. A lot depends on the bolstering - were you trying "sports" seats?

Steve

Apart from this specific issue, it is quite well known that VWGolf/SkodaOct seats are somewhat below standard for cars with quality pretensions. It's been like this for years, with VAG carefully ignoring any criticism.

Steve

Source?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I chose the Octavia because of how comfortable the seat was and it hasn't disappointed (600 miles a week). This is simply a matter of personal taste. There is not a fundamental problem with the seat.

This is simply a matter of personal taste. There is not a fundamental problem with the seat.

I agree.