I have a 57 plate 1.3 Active Doblo, and was thinking of buying a new-type Big Doblo (why is every new version of any car always so much longer and taller than its predecessor? - but that's a different question).

We found on our test drive of a brand-new demonstrator (1.6 Eleganza), that it was no use for us, simply because Fiat has fitted anti-whiplash nead-restraints, which are inclined at an angle to the seat-back, so that your head is pushed forwards, and the only way you can have an upright head is to recline the seat a great deal. That was very uncomfortable for both of us - I am 6ft 2ins and my wife is 5ft 10ins, and we both found it unpleasant.

This sort of headrest is becoming more and more common - we were in the States earlier this year, and found it very difficult to hire a car without them. I'm sure we're not alone in finding this, but have never seen any comment in the press. However, on a Hyundai forum from Australia yesterday, I found people complaining about it. The only solution seemed to be remove the headrest or turn it round - so you have no head-restraints at all. If you do this or modify the headrest yourself in any way, I'm sure you will invalidate your insurance.

Anyone else found this problem with modern cars - and any suggested solutions?

The anti whiplash head restraints are an optional extra on the New Doblo.

Jon.

The problem I have , being 6'4" tall & most of that is body, is that the head restraint comes nowhere near my head. I have slight curvature of the spine so even where a head restraint adjusts forward, it won't touch my head or anywhere close.
So what my insurance would make of that I have no idea.
I can't understand what the industry is playing at, it would be simple enough to have the HR on a seperate piece of metal to enable fore/aft adjustment ( like the setup seen with some wheelchairs).