Is Prius comfortable for a long trip?

Comfort is a relative matter.

I have a Prius 05 with the top option package. One reason I almost DIDN"T buy it was the lack of adjustable seats. I'd been driving a 1999 528i BMW with luxury package and some of the most comfortable seats around. For years I vowed any car without a power driver's seat was unacceptable. I couldn't (and still can't) justify Prius not having at least manual adjustments beyond front-back and tilt (for comparison, even Hyundai in its Elantra includes excellent manual adjustments).

Many factors not worth listing here led me to buy Prius nonetheless, and I've been pleasantly surprised with the seats. At least for my anatomy (5'10" 31 inch inseam, approx 205 lbs) I find them a good balance of cushion and support. Overall on trips up to five hours (my longest so far in three months) I find them as good or better than the BMW's. I'm 67, and since my 40's have found it best to stop and stretch every few hours, whatever I drive. This is recommended for safety reasons for all cars and all drivers anyway. The Prius hasn't required doing this more often nor needed a longer break to loosen up.

Other comfort factors include:
-- extremely easy entry and exit from front and rear (related to door width, long wheelbase for the size of the car and convenient height)
-- relative quiet (yes, I know about the tire noise on knobbly roads and aftermarket sound proofing) The prius could be quieter at times, but overall I find it as quiet as the BMW (quieter at low speeds, noiser on some roads, equal or slightly quieter on smooth roads at speed)
-- JBL sound system -- better than some have said, though it's not a neighborhood-shaker; enough power to play at levels I can stand at any speed and, for some reason, sounds especially good with the integrated XMRadio I purchased and installed. I make live recordings and have found the JBL system surprising accurate (i.e. it sounds like what I recorded) if not flagrantly impressive. The psychoacoustic parameters of the XM sound seems to fit especially well with the tuning of the sound system, and to my ears XM sounds MUCH better than the regular FM and even CD's (though I know it shouldn't)
-- Bluetooth via Motorola e815: though not fully integrated because my Verizon carrier has disabled some features such as phonebook transfer, and annoying that one can't dial from the screen while moving, it is great for incoming calls (auto answer, automatically mutes other audio at the time, hang up with steering wheel control). Very convenient and adding to comfort.
-- Integration: I find the integration of display and controls of bluetooth, satellite radio, etc a satisfying plus in comfort, convenience and safety. Though I'm sure some non-integrated electronics may work as well or better or have other advantages (e.g. moving between cars for nav systems), the integration adds to my experience of comfort and ease over hours in the car.
-- Stability at speed: the Prius will wander if your attention does, compared to some cars that seem to stubbornly stay on track even if you don't. Interestingly, in this regard, despite a totally different steering "feel,"it is like the BMW. I haven't found it hard to keep stable if I pay attention and haven't experienced problems with road joints and slipstream phenomena (though I don't get too close to trucks in any case). Some have felt the stability system (included in my options) helps this, though I doubt it is active under such conditions. Also, subtle wheel misalignment could be a factor.

Overall I find the Prius more comfortable for long trips than most vehicles, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it on sequential all-day drives.

BUT: Those over 6'1" or with long legs may find seat height and dimensions less OK. Also, if one must drive all day without a break (IMHO a bad idea in ANY car) I'd suggest getting another car with power or at least manually adjustable seats. Hopefully, Toyota will provide this in future Prii.

 

We are 6 days into a 32 day trip. On two of those days we drove over 500 miles and could have easily gone further. I, too, am used to electric seats and that was a negative factor in considering the Prius. However, I feel at least as good after a day on the road as I did in past cars with electric seats. They have done a good job. We have about 5000 miles left, but only a couple of days around 500 miles.