Leg room problem

[guest5679]

Because the Mk3 Jazz does not satisfy our requirements as well as our current Mk1 Jazz, my wife and I are currently “exercising due diligence” and investigating whether there are any other cars on the market that might satisfy our requirements better.  But we are still considering the Mk3 Jazz.

One of the problems with the Mk3 Jazz is that it has less leg room in the front compared to our Mk1 Jazz.  I like a high driving position.  So, in my Mk1 Jazz, I have the driver’s seat as high as possible.  Then, with the seat slid back as far as possible, I have a comfortable amount of leg room.  If I replicate the same seat position in the Mk3 Jazz, my legs are cramped.  On the other hand, if I lower the seat to its lowest position (which also has the effect of moving the seat back), my legs can then be comfortable.  But then I feel too low in the car!

What is the best solution to this problem?  Have the seat in its lowest position and raise myself in it in some way?  Or reposition or extend the sliders in some way so that the seat can slide back further, thereby allowing me to have the seat in its highest position?

[trebor1652]

How about having your legs shortened by 3 inches. :-)) :-() :-))

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[Ricardo]

Don't think you can move the sliders, they will be screwed to the floorpan and you really don't want to be drilling new holes there.
Only you can decide which position is best for you. If lower seat is uncomfortable then you will not be happy especially after a long journey.
However, don't forget there is quite a lot of adjustment to be made on the steering wheel, both up/down and towards/away from you.
I'd say that whilst you might initially feel too low in the car but comfortable leg-wise you would maybe get used to that lower position after a while. Although headroom is increased so your head would feel even further away from the roof.
Other than that you maybe need to look at alternative cars altogether, there is sadly no magic solution.
The Jazz as a range is group leader for inside space by some margin, so if you jump ship as it were you'll have to compromise on interior space a bit.

[John Ratsey]

It's difficult to please us all: I'm reasonably short so need to have the seat fairly forward but I then can't have the seat as high as I would like because the top of the steering wheel (adjusted to maximum height) starts to block my view of the instrument panel.

[guest5679]

Don't think you can move the sliders, they will be screwed to the floorpan and you really don't want to be drilling new holes there.
…
However, don't forget there is quite a lot of adjustment to be made on the steering wheel, both up/down and towards/away from you.
…
Other than that you maybe need to look at alternative cars altogether, there is sadly no magic solution.
The Jazz as a range is group leader for inside space by some margin, so if you jump ship as it were you'll have to compromise on interior space a bit.

I imagine there are body shops who specialise in modifying cars for accessibility reasons and whose modifications are legal and acceptable for insurance purposes.  You can find solutions on the Web such as screwing the sliders on to strong metal brackets and then screwing the brackets to the car floor, at the desired displacement, using the existing holes in the floor.

Adjustments to the steering wheel aren’t going to help my legs.

As I mentioned in my original post, we are looking at other cars.  I’ve sat in the driving seat of a Polo and a 209 recently and I have no problem with the leg room in those.  Interior space is not much of an issue, and “magic seats” and plenty of room in the rear seats are not requirements either.  Our children have grown up and left the nest, so there is only my wife and me these days.  A large enclosed boot is a requirement though.     

It's difficult to please us all: …

True.  But this problem did not exist in the Mk1 and Mk2 Jazz.

[Downsizer]

My wife and I recently had a Polo rental in France.  It was very comfortable but the boot would not hold our luggage (1 case plus 1 cabin bag) without removing the parcel shelf.  Not a patch on the Jazz boot.

[guest1372]

One of the complaints some have of the current Civic is the raised driving position, considering this model is replaced soon, new prices might be quite keen, and there are many low mileage, in warranty cars for £12-13k.

https://www.carwow.co.uk/blog/Honda-Civic-Diesel-Review-551

I also like the seat as high as it will go, no point sitting like Jenson Button, and like you used to have it right back but found that coming forward a few clicks made city driving more comfortable.
--
TG

[guest5643]

Klies, have you considered the Kia Venga or Hyundia ix20,both are very spacious and well equipped.The Vw Polo I owned was a little low for me,nice to drive but getting in and out wasn't so easy due to the low roofline.

[SuperCNJ]

I have to say I never noticed any issue with leg room when I had a look around the new jazz in the showroom. But there is considerably less head room in the rear compared to both previous generations. Not sure why honda has done this. I'm not that tall (5'10") and my head is almost touching the roof. Can't imagine how a 6' plus passenger would feel sitting in the back for a long journey.

[John Ratsey]

I have to say I never noticed any issue with leg room when I had a look around the new jazz in the showroom. But there is considerably less head room in the rear compared to both previous generations. Not sure why honda has done this. I'm not that tall (5'10") and my head is almost touching the roof. Can't imagine how a 6' plus passenger would feel sitting in the back for a long journey.

Are you sure you were sitting in the Jazz? The rear head room is significantly more generous than in the HRV which might have been in the showroom at the same time.

I remember making some comparative measurements between my Mk 3 and my Jazz hybrid and the rear seat headroom hadn't changed significantly while the rear seat legroom has increased by several inches.

[richardfrost]

Are you sure you were sitting in the Jazz? The rear head room is significantly more generous than in the HRV which might have been in the showroom at the same time.

You're right there John. The downward 'coupe style' slope of the HR-V definitely gives reduced headroom for rear seat passengers. Happily, I sit in the front, and my kids are adults now, so I don't care. But if you are the parent of some still growing teens, I would be careful with the HR-V - especially the EX with the sunroof. Although the rear seats will recline a little, much as they did in my C-RVs.

Surprisingly, given it supposedly has an SUV style, the HR-V is not that high a ride, not much more than the Jazz if I'm honest, but with the seat cranked up high and the steering wheel adjusted appropriately, it suits me.

[SuperCNJ]

I have to say I never noticed any issue with leg room when I had a look around the new jazz in the showroom. But there is considerably less head room in the rear compared to both previous generations. Not sure why honda has done this. I'm not that tall (5'10") and my head is almost touching the roof. Can't imagine how a 6' plus passenger would feel sitting in the back for a long journey.

Are you sure you were sitting in the Jazz? The rear head room is significantly more generous than in the HRV which might have been in the showroom at the same time.

I remember making some comparative measurements between my Mk 3 and my Jazz hybrid and the rear seat headroom hadn't changed significantly while the rear seat legroom has increased by several inches.

We have both the MK1 and MK2 Jazz and compared to the MK3, the headroom does seem more generous in the older models. But there's definitely more leg room in the MK3 than the older Jazz's.

I think it might be because the roof on the new model slopes a little more and also the trim in the roof is lower.

[guest5679]

Klies, have you considered the Kia Venga or Hyundia ix20,both are very spacious and well equipped.  ...

As it happens, my wife and I looked at the Kia Venga in the showroom this morning.  You are correct; it is very spacious.  But, when we returned home and started to look at the brochure and specification, we discovered a problem.  The automatic transmission (a must for us) comes only with a 1.6 litre engine and this has a combined fuel consumption of 43.4 mpg and CO2 emissions of 150 g/km.  Not very impressive.

I’ve just looked on the Hyundai Web site at the equivalent figures for the ix20.  Like the Venga, the automatic comes only with a 1.6 litre engine and has fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that are almost identical to those of the Venga.  Do the Venga and ix20 have the same engine by any chance?

I have to say I never noticed any issue with leg room when I had a look around the new jazz in the showroom.  …

We also called by our local Honda dealer today to have another look at the Mk3 Jazz.  I took the opportunity to take some measurements of the front seat leg room.  I measured the depth of the seat, which was 50cm.  And then, with the seat raised as high as possible and the seat pushed back on the sliders as far as possible, I measured from the front edge of the seat to the line on the cabin floor where the floor ceases to be horizontal and starts to incline upwards.  That was 55cm.

When we returned home, I took the equivalent measurements on our Mk1 Jazz.  As it happens, the depth of the seat was exactly the same, 50 cms.  But the distance from the front edge of the seat to the line where the cabin floor starts to incline upwards was between 58 and 60 cms, depending on where I took the measurement.  (On the Mk1 Jazz, where the floor of the cabin ceases to be horizontal is not a straight line.  It has a jagged profile.)

So, in my estimation, the leg room on the Mk3 Jazz is about 3 - 5cms smaller than on the Mk1 Jazz.  It seems a small amount but I noticed it immediately as soon as I sat in the Mk3 Jazz for the first time.

Of course the leg room in the rear seats is enormous and much more than in the Mk1 Jazz.  No need to measure that.

[SuperCNJ]

I have to say I never noticed any issue with leg room when I had a look around the new jazz in the showroom.  …

We also called by our local Honda dealer today to have another look at the Mk3 Jazz.  I took the opportunity to take some measurements of the front seat leg room.  I measured the depth of the seat, which was 50cm.  And then, with the seat raised as high as possible and the seat pushed back on the sliders as far as possible, I measured from the front edge of the seat to the line on the cabin floor where the floor ceases to be horizontal and starts to incline upwards.  That was 55cm.

When we returned home, I took the equivalent measurements on our Mk1 Jazz.  As it happens, the depth of the seat was exactly the same, 50 cms.  But the distance from the front edge of the seat to the line where the cabin floor starts to incline upwards was between 58 and 60 cms, depending on where I took the measurement.  (On the Mk1 Jazz, where the floor of the cabin ceases to be horizontal is not a straight line.  It has a jagged profile.)

So, in my estimation, the leg room on the Mk3 Jazz is about 3 - 5cms smaller than on the Mk1 Jazz.  It seems a small amount but I noticed it immediately as soon as I sat in the Mk3 Jazz for the first time.

Of course the leg room in the rear seats is enormous and much more than in the Mk1 Jazz.  No need to measure that.

You may well be right, but it wasn't something I noticed when I sat in it. It's a shame you didn't measure the rear headroom too, as its something that I noticed straight away. May be I'll take a tape measure with me next time!

[guest5643]

Kleis, Kia and Hyundai are one and the same company so I would think they share engines