FoST or FiST owners, question about the seats

I'm kicking around ideas for a new-to-me daily driver. I want a fuel efficient, reliable, fast, fun hatchback or wagon. The FoST and FiST are definite contenders, as is the Sonic RS. I do have concerns about DI turbos and carbon build up, but that's another story. On Saturday, I went and test drove a '13 Focus ST. I've driven the regular Focus as a rental many times and liked it, so it was no surprise how much I liked the ST. But I did wonder about the Recaros. They're cool to sit in when you first get in...they're supportive and form fitting. Thankfully, I'm a relatively skinny guy, I could imagine it would be uncomfortable if you're heavy. But I do wonder about their comfort for long hauls. The side bolstering would probably make adjusting yourself slightly difficult. I also noticed a lumber bolster which is non-adjustable. While I don't have an active back problem, I'm not a youngster. I'm not looking for a sofa cushion for a seat, but I spend 3 hours a day in my car. For those of you who have spent extended time in the FoST...or the FiST as they also have Recaros...do you find them to get uncomfortable after a long ride?

It's probably just me, but i find Recaros ugly and uncomfortable. I'd want a more comfortable seat for sitting in traffic. But some people like track day to be every day, so I understand.

I skipped the Recaros because I am not a skinny guy. The regular seats however have been great, they give enough lateral support at the autocross that I don't feel that I need anything additional and are comfy for my daily commute. The bottom cushion is wide enough for my backside, I never feel pinched. The Focus ST generates more lateral forces than the Fiesta, so your mileage may vary.

Seats with a concave back cushion, ones with big side "wings" to hold you in place, are fine of you don;t have broad shoulders...but I do. They tend to roll my shoulders forward and cause pain pretty quickly. I want to be able to rest my spine against the seat back, head up, shoulders back. The regular seats are better for that as well.

That is interesting, as a chunky guy who had the Recaros in his sights I find this very informative.

I have the FoST with the full leather Recaros. I'm 6'1" 180 and 41 years old. I have a pretty wide back as well, not fat, but I've got lats from working out. Not huge though, just above average. I've done three hour drives in them without an issue. It took me a little while to get used to the seating position, because there is no lumbar, but you just scoot yourself back further and the things hug you like a glove. It did take a little while for my back to get used to it and I had to stop putting my wallet in my back pocket because the fit is so close and the cushioning is a little firmer than your average seat that you just can't sit on the wallet. Generally if I'm driving for a longer distance I'll scoot the seat back a little to let my legs stretch a bit more.

The only issue is that if it is hot in the car when you get in then your butt and lower back never get cooled down because all the heat gets trapped in there.

Other than that I wouldn't have a car without them if I had the choice.

No lumber on the Recaro's? Interesting, my 2013 Focus SE has a lumber adjustment on the base leather seats. It's really nice!

pinchvalve wrote: They tend to roll my shoulders forward and cause pain pretty quickly.

Harvey wrote: I have a pretty wide back as well, not fat, but I've got lats from working out. Not huge though, just above average. I've done three hour drives in them without an issue.

Right. Really depends on your posture. Usually people who spend a lot of time on the computer, or do more PUSH than PULL in the gym tend to have more forward rounded shoulders. IE internalaly rotation in the glenohumeral joint. Cars with large bolstering is usually pretty comfortable for them. I try to keep my shoulders back and down, so I hate it when bolsters constantly pushing me forward.

Coldsnap wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: They tend to roll my shoulders forward and cause pain pretty quickly.

Harvey wrote: I have a pretty wide back as well, not fat, but I've got lats from working out. Not huge though, just above average. I've done three hour drives in them without an issue.

Right. Really depends on your posture. Usually people who spend a lot of time on the computer, or do more PUSH than PULL in the gym tend to have more forward rounded shoulders. IE internalaly rotation in the glenohumeral joint. Cars with large bolstering is usually pretty comfortable for them. I try to keep my shoulders back and down, so I hate it when bolsters constantly pushing me forward.

I sit pretty upright. Bolstering of this nature takes getting used to. If you have never had it before then it will not be altogether comfortable at first, but I found I really got used to it when I was driving more.

I have road tripped both cars. I drove a Focus ST from Atlanta to Tulsa, and a Fiesta ST from Atlanta to Charlotte. While the seats seemed the same at first, it was the ride that made the difference. The Focus ST was MUCH more comfortable after seven hours while the Fiesta ST had me begging for mercy after only four hours.

I'm 6'1" and 160 pounds.

For measurement purposes, I'm 5'9" and hover around 170lbs. I'm a gym rat, so I have low body fat and a decent amount of muscle considering my slender weight. I have plenty of joint issues, so I like to get comfy when I can. I like to drive fairly bolt upright.

I'm used to true race seats, we have them in our LeMons cars. I'm fine in them for a 90-120 minute stint, but then again I'm not really focusing on them when I'm on track. And that's only for a weekend. Given my lack of body fat, seats with hard or little butt cushioning get uncomfortable for me after a while. I have that problem on airplanes too...some of the newer planes have hard plastic seats with just a leather cover, no cushion.

I remember hating, no loathing, the seats in my NC Miata. They didn't have a ton of lateral grip, but they had a lumbar bolster that was constantly shoving you in the low back. Drove me nuts. I got used to it after a while and it didn't actually hurt anymore, but I never liked it. I was only in the FoST for about 15 minutes and it was fine, but I didn't get to try it out for a 2 hour stint. The dealer probably would have looked at me funny if I had said "Hey, can I just sit in the car for a few hours".

trucke wrote: No lumber on the Recaro's? Interesting, my 2013 Focus SE has a lumber adjustment on the base leather seats. It's really nice!

It's not necessary IMO. I've never missed it. The seat is like a glove. You just scoot farther back into it and let it envelope you.

While I have no experience with the FiST or FoST Recaros, my RX8 has Recaros, which most magazine commenters said would only be comfortable for people closer to typical Japanese proportions. I'm 6'3", 31 and could stand to lose 20 lbs, but I find them to be quite comfortable for even several hours at a time. The drive home from buying it was ~8 hours and my only complaint is that the side bolsters caused some discomfort in the love handle region after several hours, but I don't really notice it on 3-4 hour drives and I really like them for track use. My wife's wider in the hips and doesn't find them to be very comfortable.

So my point is, don't just take other people's word for it, try them out yourself. If you're serious about buying and want the Recaros but are afraid of long term comfort, you could bring a laptop, tablet or whatever to the dealer, sit in the car and watch a movie, then after the movie's over, you'll have a good sense of the long term comfort.