GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: JosieD on 02 January 2020, 17:47
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Hi
I have had my GTD since new in 2017 and I absolutely love the car but I cannot get comfortable in the seat.
I'm a 5ft2in female with a bad back who does 20k+ miles a year and i really struggle with the bucket seats, i need to be able to make the seat flat. I use an orthopedic seat base which helps a bit but not enough.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do as I'm starting to think that I'm going to have to change the car!!
Thanks
Josie
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Try pumping the seat up higher, make the backrest more vertical and slide it as bit closer to the steering wheel. Make sure your arms are not stretched out too far to reach the wheel, your elbows should be slightly bent. If it’s a manual, you should be able to fully depress the clutch without your backside lifting off the seat. If it’s DSG you should be able to fully depress the brake comfortably. For the correct distance to the steering wheel you should be able to hook your wrists over the top of the wheel while your back is still flush against the back of the seat. Give that a try and see how you get on.
My back isn’t the best, years sitting at a desk & using a mouse have seen to that, but I personally find the Golf seats amongst the most comfortable I’ve ever sat on.
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Doing 20k+ a year is going to be hard going in any car if you have a bad back.
Personally I’ve found the Mk7 Golf sports seats very comfortable in the six years I’ve been driving them and I don’t see too many complaints about them on any of the forums. Car seats are such a personal thing and after two plus years of owning one doing that sort of mileage the leat that can be said is you’ve given them a fair chance!
Trouble is you’d need to test out quite a lot of cars over quite a few miles to find one that’s significantly better for you, be it seat or suspension comfort.
I’m sure there are others on here that suffer bad backs that might have practical advice. Good luck!
Edited as Mutley posted whilst I was typing, and good common sense advice there :smiley:
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I do similar private mileage to you in my Golf and on top of that, I also drive around 6 hours a day in a HGV so seating position is vital. I've struggled in the past with my back and had to take time off work.
Have you tried any treatments such as physio or maybe seen a chiropractor?
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I’m a long term bad back sufferer (had back problems for nearly 40 years) and I find the seats in VW’s performance models pretty good. It can take me a while to find the optimum seating position when I get a new car, but for me, it’s essential to get the seat just right, and time well spent doing it.
Regular visits to my chiropractor to be ‘adjusted’ helps to keep me flexible and pain-free most of the time.
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One small addition to the excellent advice from Mutley. While getting all the height, reach and rake set up make sure you also have the lumbar support adjusted to suit you best. It is often an afterthought and then when adjusted on the fly makes what was a comfortable position feel unnatural.