Ford Focus Pain?

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Soldato
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Does anyone else experience pain driving or as a passenger in the current Ford Focus?

The car in question is Zetec Estate.

If I drive or be a passenger for any longer then an hour or more I'll end up with shoulder or back pain.

Just interested if this is a common problem or just related to the Zetec seats?
 
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I found the seats in my old Focus were very good, provided I sat almost bolt-upright in them with my head back and almost touching the headrest. If the seat was leaning back at much of an angle, I got lower back pain.
 
With the Zetec seats they are comfy if you have them upright, just how I like the backs to my seat. Not the seats to slouch in.
 
Vertigo1 said:
The seats in my old Focus were without doubt the worst of any car I've ever driven, let alone owned.
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Woah really? I really do like them, prefer them to the ones you get in the latest Scooby STi. Just wish the sides on the Focii's seats were larger and further in to hold you tighter.
 
Thanks for hints.

Will try it next time with it more upright.

I think I might generaly have trouble with Ford seats, the Ka used for a bit gave me lower back pain, Fiesta had been OK in the past though.

Any cure for the sea sickness I get in it? :p its terrible on bad roads.
 
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The mk1 Focus seats were very comfy I found (had the Ghia though), but even the Zetecs I'd been in were fine. They just lacked sidewall support and in "enthusiastic" driving, you'd be chucked around a lot. I've found that my mk2 holds me in the seat *much* better and are very comfy seats.


I had many "wow, that's a comfy car" comments off my passengers.



It's probably more to do with your driving position. You're probably sitting too upright or not upright enough.
 
This is a car that isn't really designed for long distance is more suited buzzing around town doing general stuff, which is probably why the seats are not up to long journeys.
 
Its probably the seat setup/posture thats causing you the problems, best way is to have a play about with the controls and see what suits you. I've never had a problem in my focus but had terrible trouble in a couple of Vauxhall hire cars until I got the seat setup just right.

Scarfacé said:
They just lacked sidewall support and in "enthusiastic" driving,
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Thats why you need the Recaros in the focus, great side support :).

[TW]Fox said:
This is a car that isn't really designed for long distance is more suited buzzing around town doing general stuff, which is probably why the seats are not up to long journeys.
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Yes because a focus is a town car and shouldnt be taken on a long journey :rolleyes:.
 
Vertigo1 said:
The seats in my old Focus were without doubt the worst of any car I've ever driven, let alone owned.
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Totally agree. Poor seats and comfort in general was the primary reason I got shut of my 2000 Focus Ghia after only 9 months.

I went to have a look at the new one when it first came out, sat in a Zetec and a Ghia and decided the seats were to narrow and too firm. The seats in the Mondeo are much better and I can drive for 4 hours quite happily without stopping.

Vauxhall seem to make all their seats rock hard too.
 
[TW]Fox said:
This is a car that isn't really designed for long distance is more suited buzzing around town doing general stuff, which is probably why the seats are not up to long journeys.
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Keep telling yourself that. :) I think you seem to have the Focus and Ka mixed up in your head, the Focus is the small family sized car you know? I could always get you a pic of it if that helps.
 
Arc said:
Yes because a focus is a town car and shouldnt be taken on a long journey :rolleyes:.
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This is not what I said :)

Think of it like complaining that your Mercedes S Class is a pain to park in multi stories. Although you can, and many people do, park an S in a multi story, you should expect it to be a pain as the car isn't really designed for it.

Ditto Focus and long trips. The seats are presumably designed for short term comfort (and perhaps durability given the frequency with which you get in and out when using it for town work) rather than long term.
 
[TW]Fox said:
This is a car that isn't really designed for long distance is more suited buzzing around town doing general stuff, which is probably why the seats are not up to long journeys.
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Focus is suited to "buzzing around town"?


A Vauxhall corsa would be suited to "buzzing around town". The seats in the MK1 Focus are similar to the mk1/mk2 Mondeo's seats... so I guess the Mondeo is also suited for "buzzing around town". My MK2 seats are great and the mk1 seats like I said, weren't too bad.


The Focus is a bloody big car (bigger than people think). Its gearing ratios and fuel consumption around town actually makes it a terrible "town car".
 
Scarfacé said:
The seats in the MK1 Focus are similar to the mk1/mk2 Mondeo's seats...
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Are they? I found they felt quite different to sit in when I compared a Focus Zetec to my Ghia X Mondeo. Initially more comfortable and supportive but after a while, you get the odd twinge.

The Focus is a bloody big car
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Umm no, it really isnt.
 
In the last 12 months i have had a new shape Astra, pug 307 hdi, and a focus tdci, i have prob covered 10k miles in each pretty much all on the mway, i cant say i have particularly felt the cars to be small or uncomfortable, not as a driver anyway, im sure as a rear passenger it prob isnt that great.

Ok so its not a luxo barge, but i bet the cabin size is not to dissimilar to a mondeo sized motor.

I personally dont think these medium sized cars are just designed for pootling around town now
 
From memory my Ford Focus is wider, taller and is roughly only 30cm shorter than your Ford Mondeo.


Same engines used between the classes too. So because the car is 30cm shorter it's designed as a town car. :/


The MK1 lacked side wall support but that's all been sorted out in the MK2.
 
Most medium sized cars are perfectly suited for driving hundreds of miles at a time in comfort, I've driven my Stilo to Paris 3 times now I think, in great comfort. (the cooled glove box kept the pepsi max perfectly cool even on a 35c day :D )

However you want but not need something larger if you make long trips on a daily baisis.

I think I prefer the softer ride of my Stilo to the Focus.
 
I have never had any problems with my Focus, It is the Edge model which is essentially the Zetec. I drove it down from Darlington to Brighton in one sitting and found the entire trip to be really relaxing and enjoyable. :D
 
Cant comment of Std Focii, but my ST has a been as comfortable as anything for the first 14k i have done in it, does help i have leather recaro's tho :p

Not really sure what defines a good motorway car, the worst journey i had on the motorway in a car, was yesterday driving a A class, horrid horrid car.

But i have happily driven Ka's,Micra's,barges etc etc without feeling one car was any less suited to the M-way life, all cars are equal at 70mph, little cars like the KA do feel small and maybe a little cramped for the larger folks amongst us, but i see no difference between a focus sized car or a mondeo sized car, and tbh i feel no difference between a mondeo sized car and a 5 series, sure a 5 is a better place to be, but its not any better in reality on our boring motorways.

Generally i found the Vectra a, and astra MK4 to be quite uncomfortable on long runs, i found the seats to be too 'short' so no support.Newer models are much better.

Best car i found was a Pug 607 oddly enough, i think pug sold about 3 in the country but what a cracking car, like driving a big pillow.
 
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