[Durp]

Hey all,

I was messing around with the display ST that they had at the Boston area Performance Academy, and was a little surprised how little leg room the back seats had when the front seats were all the way back (the wife likes the passenger seat way back), and when we did this in the demo car there was about 0.5" of leg room in the back seat.

I was able to justify it as "well if we have more than 2 people, then we just have the front seats at a regular position". And I can see this as a good option for people based on number of people in the car (if you've only got two people, why limit how far you can go back?)

Anyone else notice this or even care about this?

 

[Brandon]

It's pretty typical of cars this size. Hell, even my E90 328xi had virtually no leg room with the front seats all the way back. If you want a car with significant back seat leg room with the front seat all the way back, you'll be better served stepping up to the next level of cars in size (Fusion, Mazda6, Optima, etc.).

 

[Baron164]

I noticed it but it's pretty much the same as my other two Foci I've had so it doesn't bother me that much. I don't think I've ever ridding in the back seat of my own car. I never have 4 full size adults in my car for long periods of time anyway. I could never sit in the back seat of it that's for sure.

 

[Durp]

I'm in a Fusion now, and it's got tons of back legroom, so maybe I'm spoiled (or my friends are).

Before I was in an 07 GTI, and I think even with the front seats all the way back someone could at least sit in the back seats. I still think you could get 4 adults in the Focus, the front seat people probably just need to not have spare leg room.

 

[lug]

Call it a 3+1. Front passenger can move up w/o any real inconvenience, giving plenty of legroom for passenger behind. Driver needs to be in good driving position depending on size.....or have at least one friend with very skinny/short legs.

 

[Durp]

Call it a 3+1. Front passenger can move up w/o any real inconvenience, giving plenty of legroom for passenger behind. Driver needs to be in good driving position depending on size.....or have at least one friend with very skinny/short legs.

Haha I think we've all got one of those friends I'm only 6', usually sit closer than I do further from the wheel. Long road trips may be tougher ( a few years ago did a 5 guy road trip from Boston to Toronto in a Civic. THAT was pretty tight with 2 guys bigger than 2, 2 smaller)

 

[Rev.Hammer]

I aint worried because all of my friends are legless dwarfs.


Actually, I tend to ride 'snug'. That is forward and low and so does me darlin wife. This lends, usually, a fair amount of legroom to whoever is in the back. Unless we have passengers, those rear seats are going to be laying down.

 

[Phriz]

I'm 5'6", so it looks like my back seat passengers will have plenty of room!

 

[agr964]

I aint worried because all of my friends are legless dwarfs.


Actually, I tend to ride 'snug'. That is forward and low and so does me darlin wife. This lends, usually, a fair amount of legroom to whoever is in the back. Unless we have passengers, those rear seats are going to be laying down.

That's kind of how I drive too...people laugh at me that I drive a bit close, but then they get in their cars and drive all the way back and recline so it looks like they are in the back seat. Not at all comfortable in my opinion, then again maybe I just like to be close to the action.

My passengers say it's OK, you don't have to scoot so far up. I say what do you mean?.

 

[FocusDreamin]

I am 6'2" and have driven with the seat all the way back in every car I have ever driven, but I noticed this was not the case in the Titanium. If the front seats are all the way back there is very little legroom in the back but when I put the seat in my driving position, not all the way back, then the rear legroom is about the same as other similar cars. I haven't driven the ST yet so I don't know if the same is true there, but it seems like the front seat goes back more than usual in the Titanium and it makes the rear legroom look worse then it is ... \ if that is how you test it out anyway.

 

[Shomare]

Very little room in the back. My 8 year old and 6 year old complain that it's tight, and their legs do border on pushing into the front seats and I do the get a lot of sneaker marks on the back of the seats as they adjust in their booster seats.

Part of the problem is that in booster seats they are elevated 3-4 inches but even so, it's tight back there.

 

[ScorpioWRXST]

Very little room in the back.

I went and test drove a Titanium, set the drivers seat for my 6'2" body, then climbed in the back, I had just enough room to be comfortable. I mean there's no room to spare, but I fit fine.

 

[Rev.Hammer]

Very little room in the back. My 8 year old and 6 year old complain that it's tight, and their legs do border on pushing into the front seats and I do the get a lot of sneaker marks on the back of the seats as they adjust in their booster seats.

Part of the problem is that in booster seats they are elevated 3-4 inches but even so, it's tight back there.

Make'm take off their shoes!

 

[Grabber523]

I went and test drove a Titanium, set the drivers seat for my 6'2" body, then climbed in the back, I had just enough room to be comfortable. I mean there's no room to spare, but I fit fine.

I'm 5'10" and had no issues in the back seat when we had 3 adults and 2 car seats, on a 3 hour road trip, in an SE. The usabale space in the Focus is the only thing that made momma okay with getting the ST instead of another Rav4.

 

[Rev.Hammer]

RAV4= meh....ST=Boogie!

 

[paperwings]

I had a question about this as well. I went and test drove a 4-door GTI and then got in the back seat with plenty of leg room to spare. I'm 6'0, 200 lbs with giant legs thanks to decades of soccer. I haven't driven a ST yet but I sat inside a Focus Titanium and that in that driving position, I was unable to squeeze into the back. Granted it had power seats and the car was off, but the driving position felt fine. I also felt a bit tall in the car so maybe when I actually test drive it ( hopefully soon) I'll be able to lower the driving position and possibly scoot in. Hopefully the rear leg space will be better in the ST but if I can't fit a decent sized human in the back, I wonder about the utility of the car. Anyone else compare the ST to the mk6 GTI?

 

[ldd]

Anyone else compare the ST to the mk6 GTI?

The subject has come up before. The numbers are identical, except that the ST seats can be pushed 2" further back. That is, you've got 2" potential more leg room in the front; if you use it all, then you lose it in the back. If you didn't need it, then don't push the car all the way back. Or to look at another way, pull the seat 2" forward and it's the same size as the GTI.

My personal perception (6') is that I can sit in both, wouldn't be happy about it on a long trip, and with the driver's seat all the way back, I've been unable to get into both at different times.

If you need to carry four people regularly, neither is the right car for you. Wrong segment; you'd want an intermediate wagon, not a compact hatch.

The WRX is about 2.5" bigger (total). It's the only one I could just hop in without a care.

 

[lug]

I am 6'2" and have driven with the seat all the way back in every car I have ever driven, but I noticed this was not the case in the Titanium. If the front seats are all the way back there is very little legroom in the back but when I put the seat in my driving position, not all the way back, then the rear legroom is about the same as other similar cars. I haven't driven the ST yet so I don't know if the same is true there, but it seems like the front seat goes back more than usual in the Titanium and it makes the rear legroom look worse then it is ... \ if that is how you test it out anyway.

Agreed, there is a lot of legroom available to the front seats compared to almost any other car I've owned.

 

[paperwings]

Thanks for the info. Yea, I finally got a test drive scheduled for today and tomorrow so I will finally figure out what's going on. Like you said, this isn't the right segment for carrying four people around. I'd just like to know that when I go out with my friends, who are all around 6', I won't have to break their legs in half before hand.

 

[ScorpioWRXST]

I just posted this somewhere else. I'm 6'2", set the seat went for test drive, awesome, got out, sat in back, here is what I found.

Plenty of room. No issue at all. Maybe people who are complaining just aren't driving proper. You don't want to be all reclined and stretched out like you're in a cadillac or riced-out civic or someting. Anyway, my concerns for rear passengers is gone.