door's hard plastics!

[cupra2007]

during a long trip i had last month i discovered how annoying the hard plastics were on the door panel!as you can see from the picture in these two places you rest your non-driving hand while driving ,especially over long distances!do you agree?can something(tastefully! )be done?cheers! http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=autosportleon08ds3.jpg

 

[Monumental]

I find that most steering wheels have more than enough room for both my hands

 

[DanGB]

its tiresome holding both hands on the wheel for a long journey, such as a motorway.

 

[ArosaRacer]

oh dear Dan your not going to like the drive to le mans then!!!

 

[red line fun]

design team: so have we made a decision on the soft feel plastic and padded areas on the doors yet?

SEAT accountants: yes. we can save 1.26 euros per build if we slap the good old hard stuff in there ... so that's what we'll do.

design team: (disheartened, heads hung low) oh ... okay then.



no one will convince me it's 'progress' to go from an interior of a certain quality and 'feel' (mk1) to an interior that many folk seem to think is a step backwards in these areas (mk2.)

 

[DanGB]

design team: so have we made a decision on the soft feel plastic and padded areas on the doors yet?

SEAT accountants: yes. we can save 1.26 euros per build if we slap the good old hard stuff in there ... so that's what we'll do.

design team: (disheartened, heads hung low) oh ... okay then.



no one will convince me it's 'progress' to go from an interior of a certain quality and 'feel' (mk1) to an interior that many folk seem to think is a step backwards in these areas (mk2.)

Thats economics for you mate... feel free to sample simalar cars at this price and judge the quality vs value for money of them

 

[Monumental]

its tiresome holding both hands on the wheel for a long journey, such as a motorway.

Perhaps, but good luck trying to keep your car in a straight line using the door trim when you have a blow-out at 70mph+ .

Really, if you have a good driving position it shouldn't be a problem. If I can keep both hands on the wheel of a Evo for 500+ miles I'm sure it can be done in a Leon!

Sorry if I sound like some old IAM duffer, but I do a lot of driving and it is quite irritating to see so many drivers whose primary task is very obviously not what's going on around them

Rant over!

 

[cupra2007]

first of all can someone explain what rant over mean?secondly i don't know about monumental but i'm tall enough so when my hand is rest on the door trim my palm is still on the wheel!! also what does it mean IAM duffer?

 

[Monumental]

first of all can someone explain what rant over mean?secondly i don't know about monumental but i'm tall enough so when my hand is rest on the door trim my palm is still on the wheel!! also what does it mean IAM duffer?

I apologise to our foriegn friend and offer the following translations:

"Rant over" means that I wish to indicate to you that my complaint has finished.

"IAM duffer" is a reference to members of an UK organisation called the Institute of Advanced Motorists, some of whom are old people with a rather self-righteous attitude to road safety.

I congratulate you on your giant-like ability to span large gaps with your 'tall' hands. I'm sure you're a real hit with the ladies

 

[cupra2007]

apology accepted! when you come to rhodes i'll buy you a drink,and introduce you to all my lady friends!

 

[Fast_Eddie]

As someone who is hovering around the million road miles mark and driven competitively for many years, I have found the best position for your hands to be is one that makes 'you' feel comfortable!. There is no point trying to adopt a 10 to 2 position if thats not comfortable BECAUSE in the event of needing a sudden input, if you are not comfortable, you are not going to be able to respond properly.
I have NEVER driven with both hands sitting towards the top of the wheel, even 21 years ago when I past my test. My hands naturally sit at 10 o'clock(left) and 4 o'clock right hand. This I feel , gives me full swing with one hand either way(in the event of a full turn of steering needed) AND also the possibility of the spare hand collecting the wheel from the other just used hand for ANOTHER turn(either way ) of lock.
For someone to say that someone else's style of steering is incorrect is rude and judgmental, as most people need time in a car to judge another's inputs. If Cupra2007 feels happy 'resting' on the hard plastics of the new Cupra, then unless you have witnessed slow reactions from his rested arms, then I believe its unfair to judge!

 

[DanGB]

Perhaps, but good luck trying to keep your car in a straight line using the door trim when you have a blow-out at 70mph+ .

Really, if you have a good driving position it shouldn't be a problem. If I can keep both hands on the wheel of a Evo for 500+ miles I'm sure it can be done in a Leon!

Sorry if I sound like some old IAM duffer, but I do a lot of driving and it is quite irritating to see so many drivers whose primary task is very obviously not what's going on around them

Rant over!

Even when I rest my arm on the side, that arm still has contact with the wheel

 

[Fast_Eddie]

Yeah same for me that. You have to be comfortable if you are driving in my opinion(esp long distance. God knows what my hands were doing whilst traveling through a forest in my MK11 escort probably all over the place! ). I do draw the line at resting my arm on top of the drivers window frame and j u s t being able to reach the steering wheel with the ends of your fingers-rep stylee!

 

[Xe]

You need one of these

 

[cupra2007]

You need one of these

.is this your answer in this question (can something(tastefully! )be done?) !!

 

[Xe]

Hehe sorry I couldn't resist posting that

Could you not get the door panels coated with something or upholstered? Would cost you but sure it could be done.

 

[cupra2007]

unfortunately the only part of the door that can be (easily) coated or upholstered (with leather prob)is the middle one!i don"T know!i'll wait for some other brillant ideas to come along( ) and then i'll see!!

 

[Monumental]

Guys, I'm not trying to pick a fight here, I'm just telling it like it is.

I don't pretend to be an authority on driving techniques, and I don't necessarily expect everyone here to accept what I'm saying. So if you doubt my comments just find a copy of Roadcraft and check out the guidance therein.

 

[Fast_Eddie]

no fight here. Roadcraft is very very good and the Police that use it are among the best(road) drivers in the World. If you read and talk to other drivers with different qualifications, most of them will say-'drive in a way that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable, whilst retaining control over the car'
Personally if my hands sit at 10-2 as prescribed in the roadcraft manual then my shoulders ache. I much prefer as posted above to drive with a different approach to the wheel. I also use a different approach to oversteer, by letting go of the wheel in my hands and catching it when I beleive the angle for the slide is correct. Not many people drive this way(some instructors teach and advocate it) but it works for me---THATS THE IMPORTANT BIT-we are all different

 

[cupra2007]

monumental,the think is that if you are going to drive for 500miles, including some stops in between for rest,at some time during your journey you are going to have to leave your hand from the wheel and rest it in the armrest or by the door panel!!!!if you leave both your hands by the wheel the entire time your hands wiil become so numb that you'll be an accident waiting to happen!all in all there is nobody in the world that holds the wheel with both their hands for the entire journey of 500miles.-now please back to my question...cheers!