softex seats

Sigh. Why do people try to get accurate information from an article that was obviously either written by AI or by a (possibly non-native speaking) person that was just hired to string a bunch of info together that they data mined from other random sources.

Breathability is passive.

Ventilated is active.

No matter how breathable a fabric is, it's still going to get hot if the car is sitting in the sun all day. And if you're fat and/or sweaty, you can overwhelm the capability of any material. Sticking a fan underneath the seat to blow air up can help with those issues(which is what ventilated seats are). Personally, I find the only good ventilated seats are those that blow air through both the seat base and seat back(preferably with individual control of both), but I think the Prius will only come with the former. Still, every bit helps on a hot day if you can use remote start to pre-cool the seats and interior.

 

softex vs cloth - it's personal

 

I know this is a slightly older post but for the 2023 it ventilates both the seat and the back, though it's only a single control.

 

Yeah, I just found that out a couple days ago when I saw a review of a Crown(I assumed if the Crown ventilated the back, so would the Prius). I was very pleasantly surprised. Hopefully I'll get to experience it myself in a week(assuming mine isn't delayed any more ).

 

I do not know...are prius seats cooled just by a fan pushing air or is it a/c cooled air it is pushing up into the seats?

 

The Softex seats on my 2018 Plug-in don't breathe worth a damn in hot weather (and sweatiness inevitably ensues) because there are no perforations in the material, but on at least some (maybe all) of the seats with Softex in the new Prius the material is perforated and should breathe much better, even if the seats aren't ventilated.

 

Terrible article. I agree that is seems written by AI or someone with weak English skills. (“Textile”? Who uses that to describe a car cloth interior? Is that normal in other regions outside North America?)

Aside from writing style, I completely disagree with the message. In my experience, Softex is durable, comfortable and looks great.
My 2014 is equipped with Softex, and after 9 years and 214K KM, it still looks brand new (no rips, stains, deformations, etc.), with ZERO maintenance. I have no issues with breathability either - only time I find they get sweaty is when it is excessively humid on long trips, but any car (without ventilated seats) would result in the same - such as my Gen 2 Prius with CLOTH seats in which I would often encounter this in the summer.

We also have a reasonable control test in our 2016 Leaf which has traditional leather and we have owned for a similar time (the Prius was 2 years used, which of course still counts toward the life of the Softex). I certainly find the Leaf leather seats less comfortable, more rigid (less soft), and beginning to show signs of wear after 7+ years and only 85K KM - though admittedly they have also been a bit neglected as we have never treated them (though we picked up some stuff a while ago and plan to do so soon!). I also find the leather hot in the summer and cold/stiff in the winter. Of course comparing the two is not very scientific since they are different designs, but as far as material type the Softex certainly feel…. Softer.

Anyway, personally I feel Softex is the best option of the three (vs cloth, leather) and would choose it every time for comfort, durability and cost. YMMV.

 

I agree with you, Sarge. Our Softex is still in great shape after 10 years, and I guess the sweatiness is a minor concern (put a towel over the seat on especially hot days!), but with perforation and ventilation the new Prime's seats will be ace!

By the way, our vintage of Plug-in is so rare that if I see another on the 401, there's a good chance it will be you.

 

LOL, indeed, even more so if you see a light blue one (which is a plug-in exclusive colour, so easy to spot) AND tinted windows (and technology model, so look for fog lights…), then it is 99.9% chance it is me. I have seen 2 or 3 other ones in southern Ontario since I have owned mine, but pretty sure mine was the only one with tints I have seen.

What colour is yours?

 

Silver with Weds SA-15Rs and the back lower window filled with "Toyota Hybrid World Champions" decals:

 

Nice! I don’t recall ever seeing your car, but will certainly keep an eye out! The decal makes it distinctive.