I am a large (and muscular) man. The problem I have with this Prius is that the seat cushions are too short, too low to the floor, and the steering wheel too far away. Many other riders have differing body dimensions, so like another post said Toyota tries to make one size fit all. I still buy Japanese imports (mainly Hondas) because of the superior engineering and fuel economy. But that said, I test drove four different 2106 Prius and the four touring was the only one with a drivers seat I found comfortable.
Only problem with raising the seat height is, if you're already tall the ergonomics of the car go awry.
They said the seat cushions were too low to the floor. They cannot lower the floor since Gen 4 is already lower than the Gen 3. Aerodynamics take a hit if they raise the roofline.
I also think the steering wheel is too far away on the Prius. The Gen 4 seems to be slightly better than the Gen 3 and the Prius+ (v) was, but ideally I would prefer to have the wheel closer and the seat a little further back. I was taught to drive with hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 o'clock positions and have done so for many years, but I believe drivers are taught to drive with hands at 8 and 4 o'clock now due to this giving less injury from airbags if deployed. The 4 and 8 o'clock hand position gives a little more closeness of the steering wheel so I try to adopt this when I remember to.
Here, they're trying to convince us old timers that we should hold on at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. And then they make steering wheels with lovely convenient thumb rests at 10 and 2 o'clock:
Some of my (smaller) friends and family that have driven a Prius (my car or their car) adjust the driver seat to reach the pedals, and the steering wheel and dashboard are jammed right up into their faces! I get in drive the car, and can't believe that someone would want to be squashed into the steering wheel, and face pressed up to the windscreen!
So, they are telescoping the steering inward or forgetting to do so, or it doesn't scope enough towards dash or .... ? Bound to happen when these steering wheels only scope a mere 1 1/2 inches.
Ha ha! Not everybody chooses the same driving position or driving style. Some (my sister) drive the Prius like a little old lady with hands wrapped around the wheel at 10 n 2, braking to a near stop at the slightest flash of light half mile away. I prefer to stretch out and enjoy the road. I wish the wheel telescoped further. 1 1/2" you are about right.
Has it gotten any better? I've just purchased the 2017 Prius Four and the drivers seat is causing me such pain. I have fibromyalgia, so things that might not bother most people can bother me. I think I need a cushion to make the seat flat, rather than the dip and the pressure from the bolsters. I'm in a panic! I really like everything else about the car, but feel the pain hours later. The back of the seat is great! It's the seat BOTTOM causing all the agony. Can you post a picture of how you have the towel folded. I just bought a 2017 Prius Four, and the are causing such pain! I've tried so many things and I can't get them to work
One thing that helped when I had '11 Prius was to get a decent yoga mat for its foam which is very dense. I cut the foam to fit the flat portion of seat bottom between bolsters. I cut the foam to go part way into the front of bottom cushion area. Of course the foam had an edge to it, so, I got lucky with an electric knife to shave the foam near front edge, taper it. I had a seat cover over seat which held the foam in place. It helped for couple years, but I complained so much about the car, finally ditched it after buying an older Accord. I did not fit the Prius seat at all and I still don't. Same goes for Camry, Rav4, Corolla, Prius. I just don't fit their seats: bottom cushions always seem small and ill shaped for me. Oh well. If I have any doubts these days about a car's fit or comfort for me, I find a way to rent. If it's bad, it will be annoying the first day and I know it will never change, so no matter how much I like other things about said car, I just walk away. I really despise driving a car I can't wait to get out of due to poor fit.
1.5 years in, my poor back and butt still hurt despite trying several kinds of covers, foam, inserts, prayers, cursing, tears....
My bum goes numb after about 10 minutes, and then it's all smooth sailing! I can then relax, enjoy the drive, and savor my chili-cheese dog (with Onions). We Prius owners (Ok, only some) gotta put up with a lot of pain to get 60 mpg! (I'm also going deaf, but that's another story). People need to rent this car for a whole week before deciding to buy one.
I thought my seat bottom of my Mercedes C class was bigger than my Gen 4, and that was the reason for my knee pain when driving my Gen 4. I just went out and measured the driver's seat in both cars at the widest visible points. Both are very similar coming in at 20" wide and 20" long. The only difference is in the shape and contour of the seat bottoms and the C class having under thigh support that extends the length of the seat bottom to 22.5" I also think that the alignment between the seat bottom and the pedals could have been a factor for me. Sadly, the driving position in any car won't suit 100% of people as we come in all shapes and sizes. SM-G965F ?
I have read comments from Prius owners complaining about reduced thigh support. Unfortunately it seems to be a trend as I sometimes hear the same comment about other brands. Reducing the size of a car seat in any dimension saves weight and cost, and lack of thigh support is less likely to be noticed in a test drive which is probably why car makers are able to get away with it. Yes I think we can appreciate the challenge car makers face in creating a one size fits all car seat, but that's no excuse for car makers to cut corners in seat construction knowing that it will likely create literal pain and suffering for a small percentage of owners, and at least moderate discomfort for a high percentage of owners when they make long drives. I'm not saying that is what is happening here because I don't know, but it could be. Unfortunately the vast majority of the car buying public cares primarily about how a car looks, and to some extent features, but only care about the interior to the extent that it can fit all of their stuff and that it is at least tolerably comfortable on a test drive. So in that sense it's no surprise that car makers concentrate on what sells, and cut costs in areas that don't affect sales like seat construction. It's just too bad.
A test drive is just way too short. I even sat in the car for an hour, parked, just seeing how everything felt. But the "wow" factor and the new car smell overwhelmed me. I wish I had been more patient, and rented a 2016 Prius first. If I ever do a long cross-state trip, I doubt I could drive my Prius. I miss the old "bench seats", like in my dad's Chevy pickup, and in the old Ford Crown Vic I drove at work. Lots of room! And with my two Prius front seats pushed all the way back, NO adults can sit behind me in the back seat. I'm a big tall guy; and family and friends are all pretty tall. My back seat is useless for passengers. Only a small child could sit back there. My Prius is a one man car. Edit to add: The road noise / tire noise / and lack of sound insulation in my 2016 would kill me before the seat would! Great gas mileage, but sad to say I believe it's the noisiest vehicle I've ever owned.
