OK, I still love my Prius but I do feel the need to express my one big complaint about the design. I wish they had found a better place than in the seat for the driver side airbag, or that the steering wheel could be raised so a person could get in without having to rub the side of the seat each time. This spot will be showing wear in no time, and because of the airbag in the seat, I cannot use a seatcover. No, I am not fat--it's just a tight squeeze to get in between the wheel & seat, and yes, I've ordered custom seat covers, but they were not even close to fitting so I'm just using the sheepskin covers I had in the RAV4, but with an opening cut up the side for the airbag. Doesn't look great, but if I pull it over & hold it when I get in, I don't rub the edge of the seat. Thanks for reading, sometimes it's just good to be able to express a frustration----I feel better. The small complaint of inside windows fogging up remains, even with windows open, but I can live with that as long as I can see out OK. June
I am grateful that you feel better. My G3 is a IV .... I have no complaints about the seat (I am 6'3") . I wonder if the seat is different on other models? What is yours? I have owned the G3 for 13 months, and I did clean the leather seat once (on my wife's side). I hope you have success with all other aspects of this remarkable vehicle.
June. Have you tried all the seat adjustments for find the right spot. There is a pump lever that raises the rear of the seat up a bit... that allows you to recline the seat which might get it out of the way just enough.
Hey, thanks, I'll try the seat adjustment, but I'm 5'8 and I think it's better for you because you're so tall and have the seat back farther. I can get in easy with the seat farther back, but then have to move it forward to drive.
Use the clazzio seat covers. They are designed to rip open to allow the airbags to deploy. They are $500 for a set though.
But it's not just a Prius thing. Loads of cars have airbags in the side of the seats and this can cause problems with aftermarket seat covers. My seat gets a load of wear because I'm in and out of my car many times a day. The seat is (so far) wearing quite well at 28k miles. How are you finding the superb fuel economy? What thing do you really like about the Prius? What has surprised you about the car (in a good way)?
You may want to push the seat back a notch. I had the same problem...and after pushing it back a notch, it was like night and day!
Do you know that the steering wheel can be raised, lowered, and adjusted in and out? It's not as much as one might like but it might be enough to make the difference if you have not yet tried it.
On windows fogging up, just initial gassing from materials but also run outside air to windshield and/or window defrost, use max fan initially OR open windows for a while.
Thanks, but I already have the wheel in highest position, still a tight fit, but better now that I lowered the seat with that lumbar adj. lever that was suggested in earlier reply.
I feel your pain. I hate the cloth seat material of my III. I have 900 miles on my car and the edge of the seat is already showing sort of wrinkles. I wish I went for a IV. My III does not have lumbar support, how come your II has it?
How large/tall are you that you are having issues with the size of your car? I am 5'10, and over 270 pounds, and have no issue with the size of my car. In addition to moving the seat back, and the steering wheel up, I assume that you have already lowered the seat as far as it will go for you t0? That seems to add a few extra inches of leg room. As for the comment that you made regarding the windows fogging up on the inside, I have never seen this happen, unless I have the A/C pointing against the windows, and the humidity (on the outside) of the glass collects on it. Or in the winter, when the glass is frosted, when it thaws, it's a bit foggy... Can you explain this more, and let us know what your dealer said about this? If this is a wider issue, I would like to be able to hear from others with this too.
Driver's seat vertical height adjuster, or in Toyota speak, part of the '6-way adjustable driver's seat' ... instead of the 4-way adj. driver's seat on the 04 -09 MY Prius.
My biggest complaint is the awfully big blind spot. Still, that's a necessity based on the shape of the car. My second is the backing up beep. I would actually like to put whoever designed that into a box and lock him up until the end of time. It makes me rush my reverses. It is not a safety feature because I floor the car almost so that it's over quicker. It took my wife a while but she hates it now, too. Apparently it can be turned off at dealer and I will next time I'm in. I have 9k on the car and like it a lot overall, definitely glad I got it.
