I was interested by Chris Watson?s comment in the Budget Automatic thread:
?i have never liked mondeo's as the ride in the back feels rather rough, and you can feel vibrations through your back, plus not alot of legroom, but i am 6'6".?
I think it?s an often overlooked point that if you are choosing a car for the family and they don?t find it comfortable to long distances in the back, your choice is a bit flawed as a family car!
I always thought the saving grace of the Montego saloon was that it was superb to travel in the back - plenty of room, comfortable ride, nice high position in well shaped seats. So what are the nominations for the best back seats?
I?ll suggest the Toyota Avensis
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the citroen bx has an electric sunroof which lowers the roof height, but i still have plenty of head room, also the bx has a lot of leg room in the back, and the ride is wonderful on a long journey.
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Paul,
I'm only 5'9" and it is a fact that the factory sunroof fittment cripples the headroom for me/most in the rear of a BX. It is a know weakness of these cars for anyone of average size. If you want to avoid your head rubbing the roof you have to slump down in the seat spoiling the reasonable legroom. The BX was never intended to be Mondeo class in interior space, you need to move up to a Xantia for that. And that would be my advice for your query in a middle range car. There is enough headroom even with a sunroof for my head to just miss the roof, more legroom and (an often overlooked point) the rear door opening is very wide giving superb access. The ride is nice, as a good BX can be, but with far more roll stability that makes for greater comfort.
If you are talking BXs the best one is the estate without a sunroof, that kicked up roofline takes the roof way above my head.
David
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For rear seats a top spec Granada or Scorpio. Loads of leg room and head room, comfy seats and the back rest moves to and fro electrically through a very small number of degrees - doesn't make much difference but when you're board it's a little diversion that's most entertaining. You can fool yourself into thinking that because you've decided on the adjustment it must be comfortable...
On a slightly different note - front seats: Out of the cars I've owned three have had no adjustment to the drivers seat other than distance from the s/wheel. They have all been very comfy and never caused any backaches or other problems. The Granada I had had electric adjustment for everything and was swine to get really comfy in. I'm sure it's all in the mind - if you can't adjust you just accept it and get on with it. If it's too easy to adjust you constantly play with every variable searching for the one combination that will bring true total seating bliss....... Mind you after 215000 miles with either my 19 stone dad or 16 stone me in the drivers seat I might as well have been searching for the Holy Grail (or a speed camera at an accident blackspot...!!).
Piers
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I've got to agree with David W on this one, even though he did have a pop at caravanners!
The BX rear seat is very comfy, but the Xantia takes the prize. I've just returned from taking my 79 year old mother home (175 mile journey) after a holiday with us and she volunteered that it is the most comfortable car that she has ever ridden in. Considering that my late father was a motor trader and brought home many different cars, she's well qualified to judge.
See my earlier thread about the most uncomfortable which is:
RENAULT SCENIC - if you've got friends you don't like then lock them in the back with the kiddy locks set and take them for a 100 mile drive over British A and B roads - then extract money before you let them out. Fred Renault, or whatever his name is, shouyld be shot.
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I have to agree with you there Piers, I ran a 96 Fiesta for over two years and found the driving position with fixed steering column to be pretty comfy over long distances. Driving my nearly new Focus yesterday with adjustable everything for two hours and my back felt like I'd had an encounter with an angry wrestler...
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Rover 400 or 600 series with leather upholstery are very comfortable cars, although there is not so much room in the rear of the 400.
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I nominate my mates E reg 560SEL which has electric reclining rear seats. It was cheaper to buy than an Avensis and over the past two years had proven to be cheaper to run. Alternatively, the new Lexus LS430 which has the option of relclining electric vibro massaging rear seats. But the best of the lot have to be the rear seats in the forthcoming £250k Maybach limo, pix in last week's Autocar.
HJ
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I agree with the comments about the excellent back seats of the Zantia. After reading David Woolard's and HJs comment about depreciation I have wanted to lie down on mine.
It appear to have lost 50% from purchase ( 96 vsx 1.9TD )in 12 months. I bought it at trade book price too.
Cheers
Peter
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Peter,
The depreciation is no problem, don't worry about it. I bought mine at less than trade just a year ago and have "suffered" the same type of drop. I like it so much I expect to keep it at least another three years. After all they don't rust and the engines/gearboxes will go well over 200,000 miles.
While you keep it any drop is purely a technical one. And when you sell buy another or a used C5, then you'll benefit from the huge loss someone else has suffered on your next one.
David
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A well known fact - in a Rover you sit 'in' the seats, in other cars you sit 'on' the seats! Especially German cars.
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