Defender seats uncomfortable?

[wally]

I don't often, but today I picked up a copy of 4x4 Monthly since I needed something to read on a plane, and it happened to have a Defender story in it. It's all pretty predictable stuff of course - they write the same stuff every time. But the thing that really gets me is why they feel they need to go on about Defender seats. They do this every time and it always peeves me. Why are they so uncomfortable for motoring journos when every Defender owner will tell you that they're very comfortable? You want uncomfortable seats? Have a sit in a 70 series Landcruiser. Defender seats are far more comfortable than the leather-clad things that pass for seats in our near-new Forester, or the seats in any Japanese car for that matter. What the hell is it with these people? I liked those seats the first time I sat in them, and fourteen years later I still love them.

Other than that... not a bad read I suppose.

[lokka]

Im not a fan of fender seats either or the seating position but if i could find a deacent county woth buying i would :D:D:D

[spudboy]

Yeah - my only gripe is how close they make you sit to the steering wheel. Once you go back about 2 or 3 inches they are much better.

Actually I could gripe a bit about the vinyl seats in the 130 on a stinking hot day, and wearing shorts :mad:. Way too sweaty....

[abaddonxi]

Once the foam goes they're not as comfortable, and they leave crumbs everywhere.

Simon

[lardy]

Yeah - my only gripe is how close they make you sit to the steering wheel. Once you go back about 2 or 3 inches they are much better.

Actually I could gripe a bit about the vinyl seats in the 130 on a stinking hot day, and wearing shorts :mad:. Way too sweaty....

cover the seats with a cotton sheet folded into 4 or 6 (cant remember) then you can do it my way whilst wearing my cowboy outfit get some gaffer tape / duct tape, to hold in place then wack over a seat cover improves comfort, saves the seat from cracking so readily and stops it cooking your ring when you sit on it .....being a lardychef i have not had half the dramas with landy seats as much as i had with my patrol ( which i had before coming back into the ultimate way of life, the bloody thing was so bad you were nearly sitting on the seat rails, so much so that it caused me pain ...it was a pain in the **** .....as for seating position mud u.k. are my saviours being 6ft 3in having had landies before i knew it would be unforgiving on leg room yay for the extended rails easy to fit big smiles

[taff]

I don't often, but today I picked up a copy of 4x4 Monthly since I needed something to read on a plane, and it happened to have a Defender story in it. It's all pretty predictable stuff of course - they write the same stuff every time. But the thing that really gets me is why they feel they need to go on about Defender seats. They do this every time and it always peeves me. Why are they so uncomfortable for motoring journos when every Defender owner will tell you that they're very comfortable? You want uncomfortable seats? Have a sit in a 70 series Landcruiser. Defender seats are far more comfortable than the leather-clad things that pass for seats in our near-new Forester, or the seats in any Japanese car for that matter. What the hell is it with these people? I liked those seats the first time I sat in them, and fourteen years later I still love them.

Other than that... not a bad read I suppose.

your either being very biased or lie-ing (sp) through your teeth.
i've put seats out of a honda accord in my county and beleive me they're at least 10 times more comfy than those in the 90

[CraigE]

Defender seats are OK. They could be better but I have no issue and can sit in them all day. The new SVX Recaro seats are better, much better.
To all those complaining about Defender seats, drive a Hilux, 100 series or similar for a couple of thousand kms. My legs start to ache and get uncomfortable after a couple of hundred kms.
LR got the actual seating position right across the range as their seat bases sit a lot higher than most off the floor not on the floor. This alows a much more natural angle for your legs and actually promotes blood flow, thus helping alleviate DVT.
The only real issue I have with the Defender is that damn air conditioner.

Someone want to donate a SVX to this soon to be former BHP employee.;):cool:

[ATH]

I must admit to being a strange shape these days as the weight gravitates South, but I find the seats in a 110 quite good even for long distances.
But the cook reckons it's more comfortable than our Prado although the seats in that do look more supportive, but aren't in reality.
Use it lots and you'll soon bend (or break) to fit it.:D
Alan.

PS. Don't take any notice of reviews from biased reporters, they're all on the Jap payroll.:o

[Phantum]

Its a defender!! Good lambs wool covers add a nice touch. OR have a teaspoon of cement and harden up.:):)

[Sleepy]

Drove to Adelaide and back in November with only a couple of short stops - no problems. I think a lot of people have trouble adjusting to the upright position . It's one of the most comfortable vehicles I have owned. (although I have owned a couple shockers!:p)

[vnx205]

It probably depends on whether you just need to sit in the seats for long enough to fill in the survey form about how you rate the seats for comfort or whether you need to actually drive for several hours in the seats.

[Santana]

It probably depends on whether you just need to sit in the seats for long enough to fill in the survey form about how you rate the seats for comfort or whether you need to actually drive for several hours in the seats.

Too right; before I bought my motorbike (having sat on it for 5 minutes) I moaned about how uncomfortable and hard the seat was. The guy rolled his eyes and proceeded to explain that in the long run hard foam would be the most comfortable, it was designed like that. Glad I bought it, turned out to be right. I don't find fenders uncomfortable, but then again my ar*&^e has shaped to the seat mould (if that is possible) driving 2h/day on it for the last 5 years..... The secret is to wiggle :D (and to toughen up princess as LandyAndy put it recently....:wacko:)

[Rangier Rover]

The most common complaint here is the stupid small door they still have and B pillar:mad: They are a bastard to get in and out of for older people:(. A few more inches in driving area would help. I'm not sure the seats are the cause other than having to roll the driver window down to get your right hand on the steering wheel:angel:

Tony

[101 Ron]

My Defender is a 1994 130 with the vinyl cushions.
I find the seats great for the purpose the vehicle was designed for.
They are easy to clean or even hose off.
My defender is mostly used for long trips.
I find no issues with the comfort or the drivers position and the parking brake location.
\I am 5ft 6 and average build.
It suits me perfect.
I even find the drivers door perfect to wind down and rest the arm on.
the Defender is a narrow vehicle (good in the thick east coast bush) and three across seating means the drivers seat must be close to the door.
As for the aircon.........it works well enough to handle 40 degree C plus days with four people in the cabin and be cool enough.
Now if I was large and over weight it is most likely another story.
But how in the hell do people find complaint with the parking brake location ?
The driver seating and position was a big factor in my defender purchase at the time.
If I was buiying a Rangie or a D3 I would expect the best seating around with all the adjustments and fluff.....the work hosre defender is Ok in my books.

[101 Ron]

If any one wants to bag the seats in a defender.......what but the lack of leg room in the rear seats.
This is caused by the cabin constrution and years of follow on design from the series rovers.
The rear passengers cannot move their feet under the driver or passengers seat like Jap vehicle cause of the seat box and under cabin support needed because of the meccano design being bolt on from the single cabin tray landrovers.
The lack of rear seat comfort for adults is a serious fault in my view and one of the resons that RFS and other services doesnt order more defenders.
It is interesting few mag testers pick this up.

[wally]

your either being very biased or lie-ing (sp) through your teeth.
i've put seats out of a honda accord in my county and beleive me they're at least 10 times more comfy than those in the 90

It's true I haven't driven every Japanese vehicle on the market. My experience comes from driving mainly government vehicles including Landcruisers, Hiluxes, Navaras, Tritons, Patrols. I have owned a Subaru Liberty, Brumby and Forester, Suzuki Sierra, and two Landcruisers. Defender seats are more comfortable than all of those. I have never sat in a Honda Accord and perhaps never will. Today I drove my Dad's Pajero and noted that, to my surprise the seats were pretty good - still not as good as a Defender though. I will concede that you do have to be of a certain size to make yourself comfortable in one though. I just happen to be about that size.

[slug_burner]

The rear seats are for kids and for emergencies use with adults. Much like the 7 seater discos and their 3rd row seats.

I take the back seats out when ever I am doing any real outback/long distance camping/touring.

I appreciate that some people do have kids or the mother-in-law in tow so need the back seats, but it is all a bit squeezy once you throw in all the extra stuff for a trip, extra chair, bedding, clothes bag. Once you do that for 4 adults it will be starting to get squeezy.

I have seen people replace the fold up defender 2nd row seats for more comfy and better leg room seating usually located a bit into the load space and with your bum closer to the floor. It does improve sideways vision for adult passengers.:cool:

Front seats and the proximity to the wheel are all part of what provides that comfort when you have to look over the bonnet at close range for working in the bush or making your way over boulders and rutted roads.

The room in the back seats of the disco isn't that great either.

I always wanted a two seater.:p

[JDNSW]

If any one wants to bag the seats in a defender.......what but the lack of leg room in the rear seats.
This is caused by the cabin constrution and years of follow on design from the series rovers.

Without this it would not be a Defender!

The rear passengers cannot move their feet under the driver or passengers seat like Jap vehicle cause of the seat box and under cabin support needed because of the meccano design being bolt on from the single cabin tray landrovers.
The lack of rear seat comfort for adults is a serious fault in my view and one of the resons that RFS and other services doesnt order more defenders.

It may be a factor, but I doubt it is a major one - more important is lack of dealer support and that Landrover has not since the 1980s seriously tried to sell the Defender as a working vehicle.

It is interesting few mag testers pick this up.

They don't sit in the back - I suspect a similar problem exists with a host of other cars tested!


Realistically none of this is going to change until the Defender gets a complete redesign (and after this will it still be a Defender in anything except name?).

In my view, the major "wrong" decision was to retain the same body width in the 110. This was apparently made because of the cost of retooling for the firewall was too great, remembering that this was at the time that Leyland was using Landrover as a cash cow to try and prop up their rickety empire. If the body had been widened instead of using flares to cover the tyres on the axle width adopted from the Rangerover, it would have transformed the vehicle - more elbow room, full three seats across, something like the 6x6 cab width, but hopefully not as ugly. And the bulkhead would have been the only major retooling, as most other body bits that needed changing would have been flat panels.

John

[V8Ian]

but then again my ar*&^e has shaped to the seat mould

Landy or bike:o

[rexbudd]

First let me agree that the seats in my td5 130 are very adequate and don't deserve being bagged by writers who are sometimes sitting on their brains. My only gripe is fitting into the seat ie the seat back is too narrow around shoulder height. This results in sitting forward in the seat and losing lumbar support. This a personal observation and probably has more to do with my build than the seat. The sticking point for me is keeping access to the storage boxes. Had a scheel seat in a 78 model landcruiser which was great, shame about the price now.:twisted:

[VladTepes]

Defender seats are fine.

If I drive a Cruiser ute for a few hours my back feels it, not so the Defender.

[Vin Rouge]

There's an easy fix. Get a 2 inch block of foam and put that on top of the vinyl seat. Add a lambswool seat cover. give it a couple of weeks and it shapes into a very compfortable seat.

I did this in our 300tdi and we've travelled all over the place without discomfort. I should add that there's no air conditioning and I'm not exactly in the first flush of youth!

[land864]

Im not a fan of fender seats either or the seating position but if i could find a deacent county woth buying i would

I agree 100% Chris but what exactly is the difference between the County seating positions , front and rear and the Defender.

Having had a 2002 Defender and a 1985 County ( but not at the same place at the same time to compare) from what I can tell , the rear bench seems to have more legroom( shorter seat base ?) and the front seems to have more legroom.

We got a pair of Subaru Impreza seats fitted for driver and passenger which required 40mm of base foam cut out at front for a very comfy fit. I also had Brown Davis fit the driver one further back on the seat box for extra adjustment .

My wife Deb has a bad back and despite the Exmoor trim seats we had in the Fender she says the Imprezas in the County are 100% over the Fender standards or Exmoors( I found the Exmoors excellent BTW)

Maybe we can have a sit off/measure off at the Melbourne 110 Day in June:)

[stig0000]

the best thing i ever did was put in proper adjuster bull arm rest's,,, makes it sooooooo much better on the long drives,, im used to the right arm been bang up aganst the window cos i allways have the A/C on,,,

[Tikirocker]

Dunno what they're sitting in but the seats in my County are very comfortable for me on long trips ... love the seating pozzie and I'm 6ft tall and broad at the shoulder. I have also been known to have lower back pain and I actually found my County seats give no pain whereas our old late model sedan was murder!

Tiki.