Forgive the naive question, but is there any rule of thumb for how high the driver's seat height should be?
Whatever makes you comfortable, it would be different for people of different heights, builds, or even personal preferences.
Start at the bottom and raise it, notice it doesn't go straight up and down, so, somewhere in it's dynamic range, hopefully you can find a comfortable spot for arm and leg length, I'd like the seat bottom to tilt forward and rearward as well but height is a good start.
i started with it all the way down, then cranked it up until i was comfy. i don't want to be any higher than necessary because i always hit my head if i'm too high.
I think so: Good idea to have your eyes about (roughly) half way between bottom and top of windshield. You missed that capability by one year.
If I keep the seatback one-notch from the most erect position and raise the seat to where my head just clears the roof, this is the most comfortable driving postion for me. However, I have to keep the seat a bit lower so the rearview mirror doesn't cause a big blind spot when turning left.
"Adjust the seat height. This should allow us to see forward clearly, while still having a clear view of the dashboard, and proper height relative to the wheel and pedals.In most cars, the proper height for forward vision should allow us to place five fingers (a hand width) between our head and the ceiling. In cars with open or high ceiling, adjust so that you eyes are placed just above the center of the glass, without the visor obstructing your forward vision" How to Adjust Seating to the Proper Position While Driving
thanks for your post. Somehow I feel very high in the Prius, although there is a hand's width between my head and the roof. It seems to me I'm seeing through the very top part of the window. I had a Corolla as a rental, and I didn't feel that high. Maybe I need to take the height adjustment to the very bottom and work my way up?
I tried sitting up a bit high for a months and yeah, it stunk. At preferred height, bottom of rearview mirror usually allows to see the roof of most cars. Good to be able to keep an eye on a driver ready to pull onto the road, don't want mirror blocking their face as their car sweeps across your windshield to the right ... they may not be looking at you, might pull onto road in front ... crash.
