I have just taken delivery of a new lease car to use for the next five years. It’s a standard astra but at the time of test driving I thought the standard seats were a little flat, like a folding beach chair. I have paid for the “comfort pack 1” ( sounds grand) and the seat includes powered lumbar support adjustment and the ability to adjust the lip of the seat cushion, along with the standard height, tilt and front/back.

I’m now struggling to find a good set up. Are there any obvious starting points, or general rules on good driving posture, such as a certain amount of bend of the elbow and knee and should the thigh be supported fully etc. I also can’t figure out the best place for the lumbar support. When set so it can be felt against the back, it sort of feels intrusive. When pulled back into the seat, it serves no benefit?

It’s probably one of those things that will sort itself out with continuing fine tinkering but as it starting point, it’s way less comfy than the Peugeot I traded in. I think the main issue is that the Peugeot had prominent lateral bolsters and you felt to be sitting in the seat rather than now, feeling to be sitting on the seat.

Ta

Edit. As for the thread title, perhaps comfy is not the best term, I could nod off with it set to recline but not drive in that position. Thinking along the lines of an office chair adjustment. The best posture for health isn’t necessarily the comfiest.

It’s a good question. I drive around 20k miles a year in my very very basic work lease car and am suffering some hip pain when I drive which I attribute to inflexible seat position. Standard of car stupidly related to pay rather than amount of miles driven. I think if I could, I would try a variety of seat positions out and see what works, and there may be internet wisdom – have you looked? I have been wondering if there is along the lines of office chair as you mention. I had H&S checks that the office chair I rarely sit in meets criteria, but not the car seat that I’m in all the time….. can’t really help, but interested if anyone else can!

just found this. http://www.wikihow.com/Adjust-Seating-to-the-Proper-Position-While-Driving

I once had to drive a leased Vectra 1.6L, in order to visit clients from work; it was, without a doubt, the most uncomfortable place I’ve ever had to sit. I’d be wriggling around trying to find a comfy spot even while leaving the car park at work. Horrid thing. It may be a Vauxhall trait on their cheaper cars, but I’ve never driven anything else to find out.
I’ve sat on wooden church pews that were more comfortable for longer.

have vauxhall worked out getting the wheel , pedals and seat in a straight line yet ?

that causes you to twist your body around.

I find my 11 plate Astra pretty comfy, it’s all subjective though I suppose. Sri so it’s quite supportive side-to-side and I like plenty of lumbar on. Your mileage, and back, will vary of course.

A couple of quick ‘setup’ tips we are taught at work:

– set the chair forwards/backwards so that full clutch, brake and accelerator depression are achieved with a still slightly bent knee
– (not technically the chair, but it’s for the next bit…) adjust the wheel rake so that your elbows are slightly bent at the 10 and 2 positions
– adjust the seat back so that if you rest your wrists on the top of the wheel you don’t have to lean forward. Your shoulder blades should be resting firmly on the cushion
– adjust the seat bolster angle (if possible) so your thighs are supported as much as possible. The adjustable seat lip will allow you to support more of your thigh
– adjust lumbar support until it feels comfy
– make sure you can reach the main controls without stretching
– make ure you can see the main controls and out of the windscreen and sidew windows

It’s going to be a bit of a compromise of those, but hopefully that is a good start.

Last post is good advice and is what I do and I drive a lot for work too.

The order is important to stick to too, as otherwise you end up compensating for one bit being wrong by making another bit even worse!

Additionally I have a bad neck problem and the physio said to me to basically do the above BUT when it comes to the mirror place it in a position that to see out of the rear mirror properly you HAVE to sit with your back/neck/head in the right position. Stops me from slumping in the seat. Took a while to get used to but it works wonders now.

I had a very uncomfortable trip to Scotland in an Astra. Just could not get the right position and seat base seemed soft but still uncomfortable. Only car I have had such issues and would never consider one based on that alone.

The more adjustment options you have, the more wrong it can be!

If I get the seat in my Passat super comfy then sometimes I can get a sore back. If I make it slightly less comfy it sometimes helps long trips. Even though it has adjustable reach steering, I never feel like the wheel is close enough. I didn’t think I had particularly short arms.

I find modern Vauxhall seats cripple me if I have to do a long trip.
My wife had a 54 plate Astra from new for 3 years, loads of adjustment options but I could never find a position that didn’t cause back or leg pain after 1/2 hour?
The Focus she had before was perfect even without any adjustment other than putting the seat back a bit after she had driven it.

Have since had various Vauxhall hire cars through work and without fail all have been agony after 1/2 hour, I now even specify anything but a Vauxhall 😉

Its funny Vauxhall have got a few mentions in this post as I’ve got a combo van and find it very uncomfortable for anything more than an hour – and this is coming from driving 20k a year in a defender !! I’m not expecting much refinement in a cheap van, but something aint right for a ‘modern’ vehicle.

I have to say I’m a little sceptical! Manufacturers spend a fortune on design, if you’re in genuine agony after 30 minutes then you can’t have your seat set up right.
I drove 4.5 hours home from the Dyfi in a oner in mine without any discomfort.

I have to say I’m a little sceptical! Manufacturers spend a fortune on design

People do vary though.

I didn’t think I had particularly short arms.

You probably don’t. The taller you are, the further back you’ll want the wheel. If you think about it, a tall person seated with arms and legs extended will have a longer horizontal distance from feet to hands and so will need the wheel further back. It’ll be set to be tolerable for most people, which in order to accommodate very small women at the bottom end of the size spectrum will mean it’s probably a bit far away for average to tall men.

Yeah but it’s adjustable, and I have it all the way out, despite being slightly over average male height at 5’11. I’d sit closer but my knees bump the wheel. Maybe my shins are particularly long 🙂

This is probably twaddle but I’ve always thought that French cars had soft seats compared with German cars (Opel/Vauxhall/GM) which tend to make you sit correctly. As Mrs Gti is now 10 months into a back injury caused by her car seat this is a subject that interests me. Actually I think her injury was caused by the bouncy suspension in her Citroen C1 and then her Ibiza, not by the seat.

I suffered from back pain all my adult life until I took up cycling again 26 years ago and the only advice I can give is to make sure the lumbar support is pushing firmly into the small of the back so as to maintain the natural curve – the worst thing you can do is to allow your back to become rounded and to sag, especially if it’s a light car that bounces a lot.