Driving position

[Greggo]

Just out of interest how does everyone find the driving position of the Leon? When I originally test drove it, it seemed the perfect driving position, now that I've owned it over a week, I dont know if its me being fusy, or just because Im driving in the 'real world' so to speak, Im starting to find flaws - when I first set it up I had my seat up 4 clicks from bottom and the seat back in such a way that the clutch was depressed with a slight stretch, now Im starting to feel too low down in the car and too far away, but If I raise seat and/or bring it closer it feels a bit cramped. The seat tends to move forward in larger increments than previous cars I've had and that missing click makes it slightly trickier to find.

Also, for the first few days when I didnt use floor mats the position seemed better, but having bought some mats for the car, I think maybe I'd be better without as driving position feels different still.

 

[thompson1988]

yah i can relate to that the seats sure do miss just one half a click for me to be spot on ! , i recently put in some cupra seat in my mk1 and i think im being fussy to say that if sat in the middle of the seat im slightly not straight with the steering wheel so my head is slightly left of the steering wheel but i think it's just me and im not used to the new seats yet !

 

[Greggo]

I had that problem when i changed the stock seats in my old rover 25, made me feel offset - think its just because you get used to a certain type of seat.

I've just whipped my car mats out now and I find the clutch easier to hold down without them, even with the leg with a slight bend from straight. Think with car mats because they add height to the floor, the bend in my leg decreases and feels straighter, feeling like I need to bring the seat forward.

 

[thompson1988]

yah offset that is what it is exactly! i have to sit slighty to the right of the seat to be straight but its not a problem really just me being fussy.

i have problems with the clutch my leg is almost straight when it's right down but if i bring my seat forward its to close really is annoying but i had the same problem in my polo so maybe its a VAG thing ??

Could you buy cheap mats off ebay im sure they would be fairly thin.

 

[hara]

try adjusting the steering column and armrest, not just the seat

 

[Greggo]

Think it must be a VAG thing, the seat sliders seem to be very large increments between positions on my friends seat ibiza also. Thin mats prob would be better - the ones I had in had great big chunky rubber heel mounts on that were almost 1cm tall - doesst sound a lot but must be enough to alter comfort.

 

[Dyscontinued]

Mine's on the lowest setting.

Always have the seat the same no matter what car, just far enough back that my clutch leg isn't completely straight when depresseing the pedal as that stops it aching in slow traffic. Back angled so when my back's againts it my arm is completely straight to put gear lever in 1st.

Can't rally desribe the wheel, pretty much in the middle.

I can't say how much it freaks me out when I see people (usually women as they tend to be shorter) sat with with the chair so far forward the wheel's almost in their chin. Dangerous too as too close to the airbag.

 

[Greggo]

How tall are you dyscontinued? Im 5'10 and in the lowest setting i struggled to see over dashboard lol

 

[Dyscontinued]

5'11

 

[wayne lcr]

Mine's on the lowest setting.

Always have the seat the same no matter what car, just far enough back that my clutch leg isn't completely straight when depresseing the pedal as that stops it aching in slow traffic. Back angled so when my back's againts it my arm is completely straight to put gear lever in 1st.

Can't rally desribe the wheel, pretty much in the middle.

I can't say how much it freaks me out when I see people (usually women as they tend to be shorter) sat with with the chair so far forward the wheel's almost in their chin. Dangerous too as too close to the airbag.

thats how i have mine but the problem is no 1 can sit behind me and me dad says how do i drive it like that done this with all me cars and iam 6ft

 

[Mashburn]

Have you played about with the reach/rake of the steering wheel aswell???

 

[Greggo]

I've found the ideal position now after experimenting - its actually pretty much the same now as when I test drove it when I fiddled - wheel all the way in and up, seat 4 clicks from bottom and the clutch distance still pretty much a slight bend in knee from straight legeged and with the seat angled back slightly from vertical so that my arm is straight when holdng steering wheel at 12 o'clock. Its a fairly relaxed position, but gives good control over steering and isnt too cramped in the pedal area

 

[jonathan_phang]

Well, being slightly vertically challenged *cough* 5"4' *cough* (yeah, yeah, yeah, bless, how sweet etc), I did find the LCR took a bit more adjustment to get right, especially seeing as my previous car, an 02 Ibiza was pretty much nigh on perfect. If I put the seat forward enough to be able to have my leg slightly bent when clutch is down, then the wheel is too close to me. and makes doing full opposite lock slightly difficult. I basically am a notch back from this on the seat, and use each vertical jackup notch as a 'half adjustment' as going up brings up forward a tiny bit too. Still not totally decided on how i have it - and thats after about 10 months!!! Its not uncomfortable, but its just not perfect thats all...

 

[Greggo]

Its a pain isnt it when its just not quite right.

The last few cars i've had i've never been 100% settled on the position, however I do feel more comfortable in this car and I reckon a few more tweaks and it will be the one - maybe i need to just use some smaller adjustments using the height, like a quarter click or something, as like you said it brings it up a bit too.

Do the leon height adjusters very slightly alter the tilt too as they are being brought up, or is just a diagonal movement?

 

[Sparkie]

Same issues here I'm 6'1"
either too high or too far from clutch to be perfect. Muppets who cleaned the car cranked seat up or down not sure and then slid it back all the way to hoover, then guessed it's position and slid it back to where they thought it had been in the begining!!
Now can't find how it was a month ago when all was sweet.

 

[Greggo]

I find driving without car mats has helped, it looks a bit rubbish, but i think because mats add a small bit of height to floor and it can then make footwel feel a bit cramped if you go too close, so you then move back and get too far away.

And then wearing different shoes alters things altogether lol. Sometimes I think less adjustments would be better!

 

[Greggo]

Been fiddling with the driving position and I think i find the lowest position the best now as with it tilting the rear of the cushion down a bit, makes me feel nice and snug and have lowered the steering wheel a fraction from the highest position.

I think prior to buying a Leon I was expecting a Focus style driving position (e.g quite high up with a flat cushion) but the Leon is actually a bit more old school - fairly low down. If you try and replicate the Focus driving position by pumping the seat up, the wheel will never be high enough to compensate imo.

 

[Greggo]

A month into owning the car and Im still fiddling? Did anyone else do this for a while when getting their Leon!

i do like the outstretched legs of the lowest position and it does let you feel more like your 'in' the car, but it feels a bit uncomfortable for me for too long.

Sso after much fiddling, I now like the seat about 6 clicks from lowest and having the seat reclined so my arms fall onto steering wheel rather than reaching up, which is what I seemed to do when the seat was lower down (altering position of steering wheel didnt help much either, made the wheel feel too close anything other than fully in). Feel like my clutch leg is perfect now, it doesnt suffer from being too far or too close like it did before.

Hopefully the fiddling will end now!

 

[Sparkie]

No, still fiddle once in a while, then go back to previous setting so to speak..

 

[Greggo]

haha, yeah I fiddle then always seem to revert back to previous setting. I bet i end up going back to the position i had when i first test drove the car!