Quote Originally Posted by April_Ryan View Post
Hi.

A funny thing happened to me when I shifted from M/T (RAV-4) to A/T (Forester) - my right leg started hurting!

I think it's got something to do with seating position because each car has different ergonomics, so to speak. Even the pedals (accelerator and brake) have an effect I think.

I started adjusting the height of the seat, as well as the recline but the pain persisted. So I adjusted the seat so I'm closer to the steering wheel and my upper leg (almost to the knee) is supported by the seat. The pain is starting to fade, thank goodness.
The failing of so many stock car seats is that their seat squabs are just too damn short. This is exactly the reason why I swapped out my Jazz's stock seats for Recaros.

If the seat squab is too short, and you have long thighs and legs, your knee will inevitably be left without any support. On longer drives this will be painful. This is usually evident if the seat itself is set rather high.

If you have height adjustment on the seat, set it as low as it can go. Lowering the seat height forces your whole leg to a more horizontal position, which is easier on your thigh and knee and allows you more leverage on the pedals.

Case in point: I used to drive an old 1999 SX8 Honda City, which is based on the 1988-1991 EF Honda Civic. The seating position on that car is very low, with your legs almost parallel to the floor. It's very comfortable even on long drives despite the small seat and short seat squab. When your legs are closer to parallel to the floorpan, thigh and knee support stop mattering as much.