I used to own a 2008 Prius. Finally traded it in...I could not sit in it anymore!!! A while after this I had occassion to drive a rental car, a Corolla, after one day I could not sit in this Toyota either. Toyota is 'cheaping out' on the seating!!
I drove over 5,000 miles during a recent 28 day vacation. Both my wife and I found our C4 very comfy. A few of our stretches were 6-7 hour drives (with stops to stretch). I am 5'9" and 172 lbs.
After twnty years of driving Toyota pickup trucks I find the Prius C2 seats pretty comfortable. It all depends on what your past driving experience. Now if had previously owned a Lexus - different story.
I always need to adjust my right leg when I sit in the driver's seat for more than 30 minutes, even with my SUV and that had leather seats. But my SUV also had narrower toilet-y seats so it actually felt smaller.
Last few vehicles were trucks and crossovers, so I sit in the C about the same as I did in them, upright. My friends think it's kinda odd, but it works for me and fortunately the C is tall enough I can do so (at 6').
There might be a lot of truth to this. One of my first adult owned vehicles that I myself purchased was a stripped down small Nissan Pickup. I loved it. Crude suspension, and bench seats. Of course I was decades younger, but if I could survive driving that? Everything else seems luxurious. To me? The Prius seats aren't the most comfortable, but neither are they a problem.
I'm 6'3" and about 175 lb. I found myself struggling to find a comfortable seat position. Nothing seemed quite right...either my back was bent, or my legs we compressed, or my arms were stretched. Couldn't solve it with theory alone; the only thing to do was try various positions and see how I felt after driving for a while. I finally settled on seat at lowest and farthest back position, with seatback tilted a click farther back than normal. This allowed me to (almost) stretch my legs and my spine was comfortable; it leaves the steering wheel a bit too far away, but I could live with it. Oh, yeah, and a small, cheap lumbar pillow for the small of my back. I looked into a steering while extender, which might make things almost perfect. Net research led me to this (made to compensate for a handicap). Figured maybe a 2" extension would do the trick, although it might look odd. However, I couldn't find anyone that actually sells the thing, so I let it slide.
Have you managed to sort out your back pain at all? Sitting in my mate's Prius I always have trouble with my butt.
I'm just barely over 6 feet tall, and my Prius c is very, very comfortable. However, I am glad I am no taller when it comes to cars because every car I have ever owned I had the seat pushed all the way back.
Sorry you are having such a bad time. I'm short and I find the Prius C comfortable. My wife's Fit is also comfortable. But - I have a bad back and hip and leg pain - driving my '97 Prizm is often torture. Something about the seat and the driving position just does not agree with me. YMMV
You guys are scaring me. I've had excruciating SI joint problems - first on the right side, then on the left. Been spending tons of money on the chiropractor and I'm about to get some deep tissue massage. I'm not however convince yet that it's the car. The car FEELS comfortable to me, and I had pulled a hamstring doing sprints a couple months before that. I THINK this is a complication from that. I sure hope so. I'm only 5'6 so height is not an issue. If all else fails, my husband and I will swap cars for awhile and see if it clears up.
I'm 6'3" and 210 lbs and surprisingly comfortable in the Prius C. I actually have the seat one click ahead of all the way back. In fact, I wasn't even going to test drive it because I just knew I would be uncomfortable in it like every other small car I've sat in. But when I got in, I couldn't believe how comfortable I was. I had actually just sat in a new Toyota Corolla and with the seat all the way back my knees literally were touching the area under the steering wheel. I did the adjustment where it lowers the seat and that helped somewhat but I was at a weird angle to the steering wheel. I could not drive that car. My driving position is with my left arm resting on the door and hand on the wheel. If I put it up by the window, it hurts my elbow but if I put it on the little rest on the door, it's too low. But I deal with it.
I too am having issues with the driver's seat being uncomfortable. I have tried all combinations of the adjustments and still find I am getting a sore lower back. A thin cushion seems to help some.
Sorry to hear about people having problems - I know it's a difficult thing to deal with. To be comfortable my wife has to use a cushion for all seats and chairs when she sits for a long time. Childhood scoliosis (curvature of the spine). I find the seat in my C comfortable but the seat in my old Prizm does a number on my back and hip. I have a bad back and some car seats are not good for me. Guess I just got lucky with the C.
