Leg room in the 400 - rear

[Stuno1]

Looking at elongating my Evora ownership I was thinking about the 400 (in a year or two) and rear room. Looking at it compared to the s1 the seats are wider, back and bottom pads thinner, deeper groove in the back of the front seats and there is actually room under the seats for people in the rear. 

Has anyone moved from s1 to 400 with kids in the back and found it more practical or am i clutching at straws?

[Gm77]

Whilst I have never owned an S1, I was able to borrow one for a while which allowed me to fit two children in car seats in the back. In my opinion, the 400 was significantly more practical. The lower sills means it easier for the children to get in and out and easier for you to access the seat belts. The wider rear bench means that you can slide the car seats out of the way in order to find the seat belt clips. The room under the front seats also means that there's more leg room. My son is quite tall but I still think I have until he gets to around 12-13 y.o. before he will no longer fit.

The only negative with the 400's rear seat vs the S1s is that the back is very vertical so I suspect it wouldn't be very comfortable on a longer journey.

Greg

[Stuno1]

Interesting. The seats are noticeably thinner cushion wise in the 400.The grooves in the back of the front seats and the room on the floor may all be enough to force a change. With my wife being 5,8" and my daughter being very tall for her age this is a decision I may need to make in the next 18 months. Clearly the best thing to do will be to try one when the time comes just wondered if anyone had moved from s1 to 400 and what they thought. As it stands I'll be putting the back seats back in soon with a bubble bum and that will make my mind up in terms of considering a change. 

[Bravo73]

@CocoPops certainly has. I'm sure he'll be along in a bit. 

[CocoPops]

The back seat is definitely bigger and wider, much more space than my old MY10 NA.. As for foot space, not sure

i have had 4 adults in the 400.... not overly comfortable but fine for the 10miles home from the pub!!

I have 6yr old twins and they are perfectly comfortable.

[Stuno1]

How tall is your wife and child behind her chap?

[CocoPops]

Wife is 5'7 and I'm 5'8.

no idea on the twins, but we have one behind us each

 

[Stuno1]

That's very positive news. 

[DJW]

Baffled by people saying there is room under front seats for rear passenger seats, as I have less than an inch free.  I know the seats can be put up higher by adjusting the bracket underneat , but that's a seat out job to change. 

[JayEmm]

@Stuno1 you can borrow my 400 for a trip if you like to test it

[Stuno1]

@JayEmm very good of you chap. April/may time I am looking to put my seats back in and get my daughter on to her bubble bum booster. If space is still tight I may be on to you for a meet to see how the wee one fits compared to mine. Cheers fella. 

[DanChantler]

I've made that jump and for my 5 year old I would agree and say there is slightly more room for him. However for my 2 year old who is still in a seat (5yr old uses a booster cushion only), I sadly have to report that there is less room for him. This is not due to the back seats - all the above comments are correct regarding size and depth etc, it's actually due to the sparco seats. They are thicker than the recaro ones so take up more of the area than previous. It's not a massive difference but one I have noticed and had to rectify by keeping the passenger seat more upright than is ideally comfortable for anyone sitting in it. Usually I have to let my son have his legs down the centre if my wife is with us. It's nothing really new to how it was in the S1 just that it is noticeably tighter for my youngest.

Saying that, my youngest loves the 400 (and Lotus actually - see pic wearing his fav t-shirt this Xmas) and in 6 months he'll prob be ok in a booster seat so then he'll be fine. 

 

[ephancock77]

I've always been curious about how practical the Evoras back seats actually are for transporting young children. 

It annoys me how the Evora S1 is ridiculed for the lack of space in the rear and videos (like 5th gear etc) use adults in their tests for comedy value to highlight how impracticle they are, yet in reality as we all know they're really designed for kids and no-one else. Why is there no informative videos out there showing the reality of whether these seats can actually be used?

I'll be getting myself into Evora ownership this year regardless of seating space as its just myself and my son (10 years) to worry about but it'd sure be handy if the back seats could come in handy for transporting his friends from time to time also.  

[Stuno1]

@DanChantler so if I have an s1 at the moment the change to a 400 is not really going to make a big difference in terms of being able to stay in a lotus longer? If my wife was shorter it wouldn't be an issue but selfishly she is not. 

[Colin P]

@Stuno1 I'd say not. My daughter is 11 and was complaining about sitting in the back of the S1, thought I'd get a few more trips with her in the 400, but she got in and her knees just wouldn't fit behind my wife's seat. I don't understand exactly why, but I think she has fairly long legs, and for her the 400 is appreciably worse, so much so that she has never been out with us in it.

[Stuno1]

@Colin P that was what I thought ?

 

I probably have 2 years max left on the Evora with my nipper, maybe 3 if I am lucky and her growth slows! After that I'll need to consider my car usage and as such if I need back seats. I love having them as we take the car to friends houses and to the shops etc. 

[JayEmm]

I agree with @ephancock77 - no one is trying to claim the Evora is a practical 4 seater for adults, why journalists try and pick on it for not having much rear space baffles me. The 911 feels bigger in the back but in reality is hardly any better

[Inkyfingers]

5 hours ago, Stuno1 said:

@Colin P that was what I thought ?

 

I probably have 2 years max left on the Evora with my nipper, maybe 3 if I am lucky and her growth slows! After that I'll need to consider my car usage and as such if I need back seats. I love having them as we take the car to friends houses and to the shops etc. 

My daughter is 5 and all legs and still fits in OK behind me, but then i'm only 5'9".

The only issue I have is that I can't put the seat as far back as I normally would to get out.

[Stuno1]

My daughter would always be behind my wife who is 5,7" so hopefully a few years yet before needing to consider other cars. 

[Gm77]

I'm 5'9", my son is around 1.25m, and he has plenty of room behind me when I'm driving. My best guess is that he will be fine until he's around 1.5m or 5'.

[Stuno1]

Oh ok, my daughter is only 107 currently. 

[Mark Blanchard]

Wow, that's a good innings!

[Stuno1]

Yeah I am 140 ?

[DanChantler]

My 5 year old is over 120cm and fits fine. @JAWS I know has had his two kids in the back of his S1 for over 5 years I think.

[Bibs]

He said he'll let them out soon to eat though