Driving comfort for retired owners of the Prime

no way, it won't even be close. if you don't own a prius, you better rent one for a long trip. seating comfort is a very personal decision, and no one can tell you whether you will be comfortable or not.

some here have had to trade their car in and take a huge financial hit because of serious leg and back discomfort, while others go coast to coast with great comfort.

but the avalon would suit anybody, as far as comfort is concerned. even the camry can't touch the avalon.

 

Despite looks, the Prime is still a Prius. So I second Bisco's suggestion on renting a gen4 for a long trip. Possible issues for comfort in a car may not appear until several days of driving, or on long trips.

 

+1

The avalon is all about comfort. That's its forte`. Get the hybrid model with tech package.

 

I understand that comfort is a personal issue, but in general, aren't the gen 4 seats much more comfortable than the gen 3? That is my #1 gripe about my gen 3 and why I want to upgrade.

 

This thread may also be of interest: https://priuschat.com/index.php?threads/171878/

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I wonder if an Avalon seat would fit in the Prius...

 

gen 4 seats are better, although some say no. not close to an avalon though, it's apples and oranges.

 

Not all seats are created equal, but neither are backsides. That sleep number bed has been on the market for some time now after all.

I'd expect the Avalon to be more comfortable, but the new Prius Prime can be good enough for some. That's why renting a gen4 for a trip is good idea if the OP would really like a plug on their next car. I don't expect the Prius and Prime seats to be much different in the front.

 

I'm only good for an hour in my new Prius. The seat gets pretty hard. Then I have to get out, stretch, walk around. (But it all depends on your height/weight, age, health, if you have earplugs or not, and tolerance for suffering. )

 

Believe @Munpot42 has the Avalon

 

your the perfect customer for a bev, drive 60 miles, charge for 2 hours, drive 60 miles charge for 2 hours...

 

If you're going to rent a Prius Gen IV to test the seating, make sure you rent one with the 8-way power seats. Different animal than the seats in the 2 or the 3.

 

Some buyers don't want power seats.

Better yet, just go rent an Avalon. (The seats may be ok, but some people don't like the suspension.)

 

We had hopes for the 2017 Prime but will pass. I'm not a fan of the styling, but could live with it I suppose. The center dash is a turnoff. it's hard to read with bifocals, a front and center dash is not. Moving primary heating/cooling and radio controls to a touch screen on the Prius is a deal killer for us. One shouldn't have to take eyes off the road in order to adjust a fan or turn on the defroster, especially when in rainy 65mph freeway traffic. Chevy got this message loud and clear and was smart to remove essential controls from a touch interface on the Volt to one that you don't have to take your eyes off the road for. Climate and radio controls on a touch screen are a serious safety hazard and just waiting for an accident to stir up serious litigation against them.

 

I'm not sure why. I don't ever use the manual controls on my Gen2, I use the steering wheel controls. Way safer than way.

I realize they've made this a little harder in the current models than it is in my Gen2, but it's still a "heads up" operation using the center displays on the dash, not the touch screen.

 

I'd say, and think others would agree, that the steering wheel controls are manual controls.
They didn't cover all operations in my gen2 though, and thus tinkering with a touch was needed at time. Which isn't an improvement over basic HVAC dials and switches. I also don't like the automatic HVAC in our Sable for pretty much the same reasons; knowing what each control does at a quick glance.

 

Amen!

Manufacturers went from tactile detented knobs and sliders, to push-buttons and LCD's, to touch-screens, each step requiring more and more of your undivided and protracted attention, instead of watching the road. Which is getting people killed.

 

changing thread direction, i hate touchscreen controls. hard to keep your eyes on the road, you can't even feel around for them. and sometimes, you have to press them over and over, and don't work well with gloves. i'm sure younger drivers don't care, after all, they spend most of their driving time texting on a touchscreen.

 

I think too, they just don't have previous experience with anything different, figure that's just the way it is. Want to change what vents the air is coming out of: you just gotta pull over, take off the gloves, get out the manual