Xantia Seats - passenger side not so comfortable

jack.dempsey · Post by **jack.dempsey** » 04 Feb 2005, 02:40

I finally succumbed to the other halfs complaints re the comfort (or rather the lack of it) of the front passenger seat on my Xantia. Now I always sit in the driving seat and have found that to be reasonably comfortable, although perhaps not as good as my TZD seat (which I've driven for over 200K miles of the 250K total). However when I did try the passenger seat the first thing that struck me was the rigidity of the base side cushions with some hard (probably metal) structure pushing upwards into the padding. This was quite difficult to get beyond, so to speak, but once into the seat this metal sub structure maintained the rigidity of the sides of the seat - which is not necessarily comfortable. Now I immediately reached over pressed and squeezed the drivers seat - but there is no evidence of any such sub frame on that side. I've also noticed under the passenger seat small pieces of foam which this intrusive structure is obviously cutting away from the seat cushion molding. I've checked another similar Xantia (97) and that's the same. I'd much rather have the softer seat base (like the drivers seat) at the passenger side too. Are the seats interchangable - if so I'll look out for a spare drivers seat and fit it to the passenger side. Has everyone else got this arrangement or was I just born lucky (not).

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 04 Feb 2005, 03:41

A couple of things to consider and offer options;
VSX Xantias have a lever to adjust the angle of the passenger seat base which may help if you can source one and swop the base/frame, otherwise swap the whole interior for a VSX.
The most comfortable seats seem to be leather electric ones because they have a multitude of extra adjustments.
Leather seats without electric adjustment also seem to be more comfortable than standard velour versions.

np · Post by np » 04 Feb 2005, 03:49

Mine seem to be ok.Although the passenger seat sides are firmer.Proberly due to the fact that they havn`t had 143k miles worth of bums on them!Nothing really hard under the padding.The wife/passengers have never moaned.Although,i too have small bits of foam under both seats every time i hoover out the interior?
Richard,shame the drivers side hasn`t got the lever on the base.I suppose for safety reasons?

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 04 Feb 2005, 04:12

What I did do on one Xantia I had that had leather non electric seats was to place a couple of washers under the front mounting bolts of the drivers seat in order to raise the front of the seat to support the 'knee area' of the legs.
This did improve comfort, but what you must be careful of is raising the seat frame too much because the mounting bolts have less thread to grip, which in the event of an impact....Ouch!! Especially as the seat belt clip is mounted on the seat.
You could of course get longer bolts.

IAN.D · Post by **IAN.D** » 04 Feb 2005, 06:54

Hi, registered as a user of this site a while ago then computer packed up.
Only just go around to getting new computer so can now post and use forum.
Anyway,
Just wondered while on topic of seats if you can remove just the seat cushion from the base to swap the drivers side for the passenger side?
Would like to do this as after 112000 miles sitting in drivers seat it is very soft and unsuportive (is that a word) when compared to the passenger side.

np · Post by np » 04 Feb 2005, 11:15

Not sure about the Xantia.I did it once though on a Cavalier SRI with the Recaro seats.Made one good one up out of 2 seats by swapping the base`s over.

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 04 Feb 2005, 14:43

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by np</i>

every time i hoover out the interior?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Hoover? What is this Hoover thing?

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 04 Feb 2005, 14:50

Having moved to a Xantia from a BXTZD, I agree, the Xantia seats are no where near as comfortable. Also I´ve improved the comfort slightly by raising the front of the frame with washers.

jack.dempsey · Post by **jack.dempsey** » 04 Feb 2005, 17:13

Specifically this is really noticeable when sitting 'sideways' on the edge of the seat - like when you are putting on (or taking off) wellies or dirty shoes. No problems on the drivers side - nice and soft as you'd expect - but on the passenger side you feel you are sitting on a knife edge. I wonder if the seats on a LHD model have this feature reversed.
My seats are suede and starting to look a bit scruffy (done 60K miles) - so I might replace them with the standard (and harder wearing) variety.

paranoid · Post by **paranoid** » 04 Feb 2005, 19:14

We also have this problem on my xant, drivers side is fine, wifes side has a rail pushing up through the foam, presumed it was the last owners passenger was a large reared thing!!!
I semi cured it by stuffing rags into the area, positioning above the metal tube doing the damage, I used an old chammmy leather which seems to be staying in place well and the tube isn't cutting through it.
I managed without taking the seat out but it takes a while to get the positioning right.
By the way the suede bit of the seat is alacantra which is immpressive in boy racer circles!!!!
Its about a £1800 pound option on bmw's
A clean spark plug brush or suede brush (both have brass strands) bring them up like new.

jack.dempsey · Post by **jack.dempsey** » 04 Feb 2005, 19:20

Hurrah ! Someone to substantiate my findings - I was beginning to think that the problem was specific to my Xantia. Might watch out for some leather covers - they'd be good. I'll have to try the seat stuffing that you describe.

paranoid · Post by **paranoid** » 04 Feb 2005, 19:22

I wondered why there were breadcrumbs over the floor for weeks that kept coming back, then I sat on the seat and realised what it was.

dan.2cv · Post by **dan.2cv** » 04 Feb 2005, 21:00

Foam breadcrumbs are not unique to Xantias, I think most French cars are affected by them. The seats, you see, are where the gremlins live that cause all the problems with your car. They eat the seat foam during the night and thus drop these crumbs. To cure them, soak the seat well in petrol then apply a lit match.

adzbaby · Post by **adzbaby** » 04 Feb 2005, 21:31

Whilst on the note of UN Comfort, being 6'3" I find that the Xantias are opnly really designed to cater for those 6' and under. I have to have the sunroof cover slid back so i can lean slightly offset and stick the top of my head into the extra 1.5" it provides.
Its never good sitting wonky on a long journey, like when your driving from Brittany to Alicante in Spain, all 1300miles of it, it breaks your back I can tell you!!

weety · Post by **weety** » 05 Feb 2005, 05:36

its amazing what you learn here, i too have a moaning other half about the xantia passenger seat and i also assumed some exceptionally large passenger had spent a lot of time squashing it.....if a LHD xantia has the same problems (but the other way round..if you can follow that logic) surely getting a drivers seat out of a french scrappy would solve the problem er anyone know of any french scrappies near calais??