I worked at a Saab dealer between 1990 and 1995 and am well aquainted with the comfort of their seats. Favourite seats were those of the 9000CS Aero (www.clubsaabespana.com/images/interior%20aero%202....G), just fantastic, so comfy!. Rear occupants didn't fair to badly either with heavily sculpted rear pews (the drawback being it probably wasn't to comfy for someone sitting in the middle). But in terms of the design, taking into account entry and exit, the classic shape 900 and 99 would be the best. The doors curled right under, so when opened, the distance between sill and seat was minimal. This also had the advantage that you wouldn't get dirty marks your trousers getting in or out, regardless of how dirty the car was. While some 900's did have electric seat adjustment, all of them had a rudimentary but clever system where the whole seat, just the front, or just the rear could be raised or lowered by an inch or two. The system was sprung, so raising the front or rear of the seat could be done while seated by either lifting your thighs or pulling your weight off the rear slightly using the steering wheel. Most of the classic 900's and 99's also had a heated drivers seat, though this was apparently thermostatically controlled (not sure how it worked?).

I also remember valeting a BMW 750iL once, it had electric adjustment for the rear seats as well as the fronts!. But pretty much every aspect of adjustment for the front seats were electric, including the bit that extended under thigh support. I did actually remove the front seats (to make cleaning the carpets easier) and the weight of them were something else!.

What irritates me most about modern car seat adjustment is that, unless the car in question has electric adjustment, when the seat is raised, the front of the base goes up at a lower rate than the back. I like to sit quite high in the car, but at the same time, i like to have the base of the seat angled down at the back. So while i may find a car seat comfy enough, i often struggle to get into a comfy position.

The only vehicle with manual height adjustment i have sat in (in relatively recent times), where this wasn't a factor, was the 2003 Iveco Daily van i bought when a started cleaning windows. Really comfy seats too, like they had been properly 'designed', not by an accountant!.

What irritates me most about modern car seat adjustment is that, unless the car in question has electric adjustment, when the seat is raised, the front of the base goes up at a lower rate than the back. I like to sit quite high in the car, but at the same time, i like to have the base of the seat angled down at the back. So while i may find a car seat comfy enough, i often struggle to get into a comfy position.

Cheap and nasty design, I'd rather have a more expensive height adjustment system that raises evenly than a heated steering wheel e.t.c.

On these inferior seats, the only position where the seat is supporting properly is at it's lowest position, from then on it's tipping you forward like a wheel barrow and feels all wrong.

Are there any seats that are as good as the Saabs and Volvos these days? Personally I've always found Recaro seats to be great once you climb into them, no good for people who need ease of access.

Height-adjustable seats need to be able to vary the front-back height as well as the overall height.

Recaro seats both genuine/labelled and those they make for car makers need breaking-in to mould to the driver's shape.

My VW Touareg seats are the best I've ever had - 14 way electric adjustment, I particularly like that the side bolsters can be adjusted for width.

It seems we are as one with this subject. Manufacturers should allow us to specify something so important as seating without having to buy a 'package' of stuff we don't need. The only useful 'package' I bought recently was the 'Winter Pack' which is heated front screen, heated washers and wipers etc. Very useful indeed, no hanging about because of frost or ice. If only we had a voice with the manufacturers.

Cheers Concrete

"Height-adjustable seats need to be able to vary the front-back height as well as the overall height."

Indeed they do. And adjustment of front, back and height was available on the 1960s/70s Triumph 1300 / 1500 / Dolomite.

I well remember my mother's Triumph 1300 which had amazingly comfortable seats. I doubt if there are any better seats around than my Audi A8 'comfort seats' which appear to be a well padded collection of electric motors.

Our Nissan "Kicks" (new Juke in the middle east has gravity seats.

Don't strike me as anything special, and just as cramped in the back!

I've always found Renault seats to be extremely comfortable.

I'd agree with that, some of the best seats to be found were in my Renault 21 Savanna, helped by its ultra pliable ride yet able to corner at ridiculous speeds like it was on rails, Pug 405 like.

As for the Focus, we're all different (thankfully) but i just don't get the enthusiasm, each time i've driven one, well, underwhelmed puts its best, cramped, hard riding, orange box seats.