MK3 Leon driving position

[Greggo]

How do you all find the driving position in the Leon MK3? I've had mine for a few weeks and previous car was a MK1 Leon and although I love the car and how it drives, struggling to get a good driving position. I've tried replicating settings of previous but the mk3 feels like it might be higher seating?

Its only got comfort seat's but have tried sitting at lowest position and a higher position and struggling to get a good all round position where I feel in control. Some problems I'm having are feeling too close and cramped or too far, can't get a sweet spot yet.

Did anyone else have this trouble at first?

I'm 5'9 so average height, but I managed to get a sweet position in previous Leon which had identical adjustments on seat and steering wheel.

 

[MrJohn91]

When I first got mine from a MK2 I felt like I was sitting on the ceiling, I have got used to it now but it certainly used to put me off. Took a while though

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Mr Pig]

I'm 5'9 so average height, but I managed to get a sweet position in previous Leon which had identical adjustments on seat and steering wheel.

I'm the same height as you and also struggled. With the pedals in the right position the wheel is too far away. I did find a compromised position which I'm ok with. I can drive the car for hours on end without discomfort. The wheel is slightly further away than I would like but it's ok.

The adjustments are inadequate.

 

[Greggo]

I'm the same height as you and also struggled. With the pedals in the right position the wheel is too far away. I did find a compromised position which I'm ok with. I can drive the car for hours on end without discomfort. The wheel is slightly further away than I would like but it's ok.

The adjustments are inadequate.

What kind of seat height and steering wheel height do you have it set up with now? When I first got car I had seat up quite high which was ok for town but on my commute to work felt strange and I got leg ache, so been fiddling it with it every day for past week or so trying to get it better.

It doesn't help that another car I had until recently as well as MK1 Leon was a c-max which has an upright driving position and was very comfortable

 

[Mr Pig]

What kind of seat height and steering wheel height do you have it set up with now?

Off the top of my head I don't think I could tell you exactly but the seat is about the middle of its height range. The wheel is pulled out as far as it will go and down quite low. My right leg is off the seat slightly when holding normal accelerator position, which usually drives me crazy but if you get the seat height right it's not too bad.

 

[280jl]

Every car is different for every person, for some reason I used to sit really far back for someone who is 5.11, the problem I had, is if I looked right all I cpuld see was the b pillar.

I moved forward a bit because of this and found everything much more comfortable for me. Steering wheel as low as it will go helped aswell

 

[LouG]

I'm trying a new seat setting now. Some years ago I bought Frank Gardeners book Drive to Survive, he has great tips on driver positioning.
One tip is to position yourself so that you can put your wrist on the top of the wheel while sitting back in the seat.
I've raised the seat a couple of stops from lowest, altered the distance slightly closer to the pedals, and so far it is more comfortable and gives a nicer feel to the steering.
It's still comfortable enough to do a full days driving without aches and pains.

 

[Mr Pig]

IOne tip is to position yourself so that you can put your wrist on the top of the wheel while sitting back in the seat.

I agree with that ideal but if I do that I'm too close to the pedals.

Incidentally, i sat in a new Ibiza a while ago and I was struck by how good the driving position was.

 

[Greggo]

After posting this last night think finally nailed it, it seems I needed to be slightly further away than what I had been. Seat height about 4 or 5 clicks up from bottom with wheel pulled out a little bit. Also I've put the back less upright than what I had been and this has relieved some aches. Hopefully this is it now and the end of the twiddling!

 

[Mr Pig]

I'm very fortunate that my wife is the same height as me so once the driving position is set it stays that way. I borrowed my son's car last week, I don't get my new car 'til Saturday, and I could hardly drive it. I don't want to move his seat etc but I just had to move the seat as he drives so upright. Like sitting in an old church pew.

 

[Degs]

In all my years driving numerous cars the only ones I've truley felt comfortable in was a lotus excell and my present one which I think is down to it being a dsg.

 

[rob280]

I also struggle with the seating position.
I can get the distances from the steering wheel and the peddles correct but cant use the arm rests on the door or centre console because i cant reach them. I am 5'7".
Also getting the steering wheel height correct without blocking the indicator display on the dash is a ball ache.

My previous car, a volvo was comfortable with minimum adjustments

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Dr.Dash]

I'm 6'2", seat all the way down, steering wheel fully aft and a smidge below the fully up position. I can see the top half of the cruise control engaged symbol and wrist joint is on the top of the wheel from a relaxed position. Seat back fairly upright.

Like most cars I'd like some more leg room, but that would require a moving pedal box, the essential thing is being close enough to the wheel to retain full control if you need to manoevre aggressively, everything else follows from that.

I do find it a very comfortable car, much better than the Audi A3 that preceded it. My minor niggles are the lack of seat belt height adjustment (no problem for me but shorter drivers might have a problem) and the lack of tilt on the headrests which mean it's impossible to position correctly.

 

[OJ9693]

The only problem i have is where i have my seat, i feel like i don't have much room to get in and out. Resulting (in my old car) my zippers on my work trousers scratching/damaging the side support area on the seat. I ended up moving the seat back a tiny bit and just dealing with the slightly less comfortable seating position.

Interesting though how many people are saying they can't find the 'sweet spot' in the mk3.

 

[RUM4MO]

The only problem i have is where i have my seat, i feel like i don't have much room to get in and out. Resulting (in my old car) my zipper son my work trousers scratching/damaging the side support area on the seat. I ended up moving the seat back a tiny bit and just dealing with the slightly less comfortable seating position.

Interesting though how many people are saying they can't find the 'sweet spot' in the mk3.

I have the same problem with my Audi S4, the button on the back pockets catch on the edge of the leather seat trim, my problem is probably a bad "leg to back length ratio" - ie back longer than could be, or legs shorter than could be, so I keep the seat a bit far forward and extremely low!!

 

[OJ9693]

I have the same problem with my Audi S4, the button on the back pockets catch on the edge of the leather seat trim, my problem is probably a bad "leg to back length ratio" - ie back longer than could be, or legs shorter than could be, so I keep the seat a bit far forward and extremely low!!

Yeah the same happened to me in my Clio and it eventually tore the seam apart. Wasn't bothered about it too much but my beloved Leon i will take more care.

I have mine quite high also so might try lowering it.

 

[GaryPL]

I'd echo the seat position problem. Never been able to get totally comfortable. Usually end up having a dull ache in my mid to lower back. The lumbar support is all wrong, the seat is the wrong shape which leaves my head miles away from the headrest. I tend to move the steering wheel in and out each time I get in as it's just more comfortable than leaving it in my driving position all the time.

Think part of the problem in my car is the seats have the storage underneath which raises the seats a bit. I can't actually use the sun visors as I can't see ahead when they are down! I am 6ft tall and carrying some excess baggage. The B pillars are too far forward and/or the A pillars not forward enough. The front bumper to steering wheel, when you look for it, is actually quite a long way in the Leon.

Oddly, I have had a Skoda Fabia courtesy car and found it far more comfortable! As was my FIAT 500X which are by far the most comfortable car seats I have ever had.

 

[Mr Pig]

I am 6ft tall and carrying some excess baggage.

If you're carrying any weight around your waist, as I am, it makes sitting comfortably a lot harder. It stops you bending in the middle and you need to 'slouch'. My son is very thin and I couldn't drive his car last week without tilting the seat back. It was so upright it was uncomfortable.

The more weight, the worse it is. If you look at fat people sitting down and think about where their spine is you'll realise how bent out of shape they are. I work with people who are big and they are always complaining about back issues and other pains. It's totally our own fault! I've lost some weight in the last year and there is a direct correlation between how big you are and how comfortably you can sit.

Having said that, I do feel for tall people. Cars just aren't designed for them. I was thinking about this the other week and it dawned on me what it might be. Car designers have to make cars that anyone can drive. Excluding dwarfs, you can't market a car which a short person can't drive. So the pedal box has to be close enough for a short person, and that is the limiting factor! If a tall person gets in the car, they may not be able to get as comfortable as they'd like, but they can still drive the car. If the pedal box was moved so that taller drivers were more comfortable, short people wouldn't be able to drive it, so they can't do it.

To me the answer has always been a movable pedal box.

 

[GaryPL]

If you're carrying any weight around your waist, as I am, it makes sitting comfortably a lot harder. It stops you bending in the middle and you need to 'slouch'. My son is very thin and I couldn't drive his car last week without tilting the seat back. It was so upright it was uncomfortable.

The more weight, the worse it is. If you look at fat people sitting down and think about where their spine is you'll realise how bent out of shape they are. I work with people who are big and they are always complaining about back issues and other pains. It's totally our own fault! I've lost some weight in the last year and there is a direct correlation between how big you are and how comfortably you can sit.

Having said that, I do feel for tall people. Cars just aren't designed for them. I was thinking about this the other week and it dawned on me what it might be. Car designers have to make cars that anyone can drive. Excluding dwarfs, you can't market a car which a short person can't drive. So the pedal box has to be close enough for a short person, and that is the limiting factor! If a tall person gets in the car, they may not be able to get as comfortable as they'd like, but they can still drive the car. If the pedal box was moved so that taller drivers were more comfortable, short people wouldn't be able to drive it, so they can't do it.

To me the answer has always been a movable pedal box.

I like sitting upright which is not what the Leon is all about. If I don't recline the seat, the tops of the dials aren't visible! I am 6ft tall, but only 30 inside inch leg. All of my height is in my upper body.

This is the first car that I have had any real problems with, except for a 65 plate Fiesta which also had the seat not going low enough problem due to a storage tray underneath - bit I didn't get backache. My 500X was near perfect in terms of seating position. Just a shame I had to service it every 9,000 miles (I do 18,000 a year because of a change of job) and it was so thirsty (low to mid-30s, even on the motorway and low to mid 20s in town). I have had Astras, a Punto, even a Rover. All were fine.

 

[Mr Pig]

That's fairly chronic economy from the Fiat! How could it be so bad?? :0.