Drivers Seat Height

[Expatman]

Hello, new to the Forum. Currently drive a Skoda Yeti but looking at changing to a Crosstar. However, we live some miles from a Honda Dealer and I wondered if anyone could answer a question for me? My wife - we are both 70+ - has a bad back and finds it difficult to get into and out of cars with low seats. It is much better if she can just “slide” into the seat without having to stoop or clamber up to get out. Does anyone know (or be prepared to measure) the height of the drivers seat from the ground to the top of the seat squab? Also welcome comments on ease of access/exit from the seats of the Crosstar. it is reputed to be 35mm higher than the saloon but that doesn’t tele much as I haven’t seen either around here!
One final thing - is the ride comfortable, is it too noisy when the engine cuts in and how does the heater work. Does the heater work off engine heat so, I assume, on cold days the engine is always running to power the heater, does that then become noisy?

[madasafish]

https://www.ridc.org.uk/features-reviews/features-reviews/features-reviews

might help

[Westy36]

Hello Expatman and welcome the the forum. 

Traditionally the Honda Jazz has always been seen as easy to get in and out of, just look at the average age of the owners! Our Jazz is really easy to get in to, more so than the average hatchback like a Civic or Focus.

I have had a google about for you, and can't find the seat height. I would phone the dealer and ask them to have a measure for you. I'm sure they will understand and have no doubt been asked stranger questions.

With regard to what the car is like, there are lots of reviews to read from Autocar, Parkers etc and Youtube has a lot of video reviews to watch to give you a feel for the car.

[Expatman]

Thanks but unfortunately the tables do not include the Crosstar or 2020 Jazz.

[Expatman]

Hello Expatman and welcome the the forum. 

Traditionally the Honda Jazz has always been seen as easy to get in and out of, just look at the average age of the owners! Our Jazz is really easy to get in to, more so than the average hatchback like a Civic or Focus.

I have had a google about for you, and can't find the seat height. I would phone the dealer and ask them to have a measure for you. I'm sure they will understand and have no doubt been asked stranger questions.

With regard to what the car is like, there are lots of reviews to read from Autocar, Parkers etc and Youtube has a lot of video reviews to watch to give you a feel for the car.

Thanks, tried but measuring seems beyond them!
What about the heating system?

[Westy36]

Thanks, tried but measuring seems beyond them!
What about the heating system?

Really? Surprises me. I'd try another Honda dealer or Honda UK customer line.

A helpful forum member with that model car may come along shortly and be able to measure their car for you.

The heating will be provided by the internal combustion engine as it is in your Skoda Yeti. Noise levels, well Honda have a reputation for excellent engineering. Indeed, the only way I can tell my Jazz is running is by looking at the rev counter.

[Expatman]

Great to hear that engine is so quiet you only know it's running by looking at Rev counter. Some of the reviews I've read suggest the engine is really loud going up hills or accelerating. I know I will only really know by trying one myself but being Coronavirus careful at the moment so feedback from current owners is invaluable. Reviewers also tend to ignore some attributes that are more important to many owners. Like ease of entry/exit, ride comfort and refinement so owners views are invaluable.

[Kremmen]

If you set off from a cold start with a full battery, does the engine kick in anyway to provide heating ?

[John Ratsey]

OK, I've found a tape measure and a piece of wood. The height above ground at the front of the passenger seat of my Crosstar is about 23" / 58cm. The front of the driver's seat (which is at or close to maximum height adjustment) is 24". Note, however, that the seats aren't flat (see photo) so that where you sit is lower than these measurements. I would note that I've found that, while driving, I had too much weight resting on my thighs and had to invest in a wedge-shaped cushion. Seats in the Jazz are higher than in most cars and the Crosstar is higher again. Another feature of the Jazz design is that the doors (parking space permitting) open wider than many cars to make it easier for entry and exit.

The Crosstar's ride quality is, I believe, better than the normal Jazz as the extra vehicle height enables longer travel suspension. The Crosstar rides better than the HR-V which I owned previously.

If your driving style is relaxed then you'll rarely hear the engine but if you drive more aggressively or find some steep hills to go up which demand more power from the engine then it becomes audible. It probably gets noisier if worked even harder but I've never needed to explore that situation but I'm not a press reviewer.

The cabin heater uses the engine heat which, in cold conditions, will cause the engine to run more of the time (I would have configured the electrically-powered aircon to also work as a heat pump but, unfortunately, Honda's designers didn't ask for my input). If the engine is cold then it always comes on at the start of a journey to warm itself up to some extent but how long it runs for is affected by the cabin heating demand. In some situations turning the heater fan off will result in the car switching to EV mode. Having the cabin heating off isn't such a hardship as the front seats have electric heating.

Cold start plus full battery is a rare condition as the vehicle normally switches to EV mode once the battery charge reaches 70%. The remaining battery capacity appears to be a reserve for regenerative braking when going down a long hill. We need someone who lives at the bottom of such a hill to tell us what happens when starting with a cold engine.

[Expatman]

OK, I've found a tape measure and a piece of wood. The height above ground at the front of the passenger seat of my Crosstar is about 23" / 58cm. The front of the driver's seat (which is at or close to maximum height adjustment) is 24". Note, however, that the seats aren't flat (see photo) so that where you sit is lower than these measurements. I would note that I've found that, while driving, I had too much weight resting on my thighs and had to invest in a wedge-shaped cushion. Seats in the Jazz are higher than in most cars and the Crosstar is higher again. Another feature of the Jazz design is that the doors (parking space permitting) open wider than many cars to make it easier for entry and exit.

The Crosstar's ride quality is, I believe, better than the normal Jazz as the extra vehicle height enables longer travel suspension. The Crosstar rides better than the HR-V which I owned previously.

If your driving style is relaxed then you'll rarely hear the engine but if you drive more aggressively or find some steep hills to go up which demand more power from the engine then it becomes audible. It probably gets noisier if worked even harder but I've never needed to explore that situation but I'm not a press reviewer.

The cabin heater uses the engine heat which, in cold conditions, will cause the engine to run more of the time (I would have configured the electrically-powered aircon to also work as a heat pump but, unfortunately, Honda's designers didn't ask for my input). If the engine is cold then it always comes on at the start of a journey to warm itself up to some extent but how long it runs for is affected by the cabin heating demand. In some situations turning the heater fan off will result in the car switching to EV mode. Having the cabin heating off isn't such a hardship as the front seats have electric heating.

Cold start plus full battery is a rare condition as the vehicle normally switches to EV mode once the battery charge reaches 70%. The remaining battery capacity appears to be a reserve for regenerative braking when going down a long hill. We need someone who lives at the bottom of such a hill to tell us what happens when starting with a cold engine.

Thanks, that is really useful. One question is was the seat at its highest or lowest setting when you measured? Generally seat height can be adjusted by 30-40mm so could affect seating height significantly. Anyway clearly it is much higher than most small hatchbacks.
I think my driving style is now conservative, my 'get ahead' days well behind me. Most of my driving is in North Yorkshire with holiday in Dorset and Cornwall so hills are part of my driving. I assume if you take hills at a reasonable pace the engine noise is present but, hopefully, not excessive. Welcome your feedback.

[Expatman]

Sorry John, didn't read your kind reply properly! See that seat was near max height when you measured. Also now know that passenger seat doesn't have any height adjustment.
Thanks for all your efforts and time in measuring the heights for me.