Prius Driver's Seat Misery

Some cars are just tall friendly with lots of seat travel while a height adjuster or power seat help fine tune the fit.

 

Yeah, jelloslug has it going on. Says it allows seat bottom to tilit back 2 to 3 inches. Nice.

Word is the Europeans got the height adjuster all these years on the Gen2. Seems we got punked in the N. Am. market. Never seen a pic of a European Prius seat though.

 

You're welcome. Let us know how things are coming along.

 

On the way home, I drove a couple blocks without my custom seat cushion in place ...

Wow, there is just no thigh support at front part of the seat for me. Tall folks out there, you're not mistaken in observing the above.

Like said before, the custom seat cushion makes the seat bottom a lot better.

 

This do?



(photo from parkers.co.uk)

You guys got the coolant thermos, we got a seat adjuster. Not sure if that's a fair trade! You also got the fuel bladder so we're probably one up overall...

 

I cured mine by building a set of spacers for the front of the seat. I spaced the front up about 1-1/2". It turned it from a painful drive to a pleasureable one. I built my spacers from 1/4" steel plate bent in a "Z" shape. Use the original bolt to hold the Z bracket to the floor mount and use a new bolt to attach the front seat suppout to the Z bracket. Rotating the seat back provided good thigh support and provides additional distance back for leg extension.

 

Thanks Mike D. Just talked to Piercey Toyota parts about 'importing a Euro driver's seat' as mentioned by jelloslug ... parts guy said cannot do that.

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About the front spacers. Sound like a fairly easy solution, but that would not set anyone lower in the car like really tall people need.

 

I'm wondering if we could find part numbers for the mechanism and base that it would take to directly bolt on to the US seats.

 

I'm glad to hear others have found the seat as uncomfortable as I do. My wife, who is 5'2" loves them as they fit her like a glove. Me, 5'11", find them too cramped - that's why she drives the Prius and I drive the Jetta - the seats are infinitely more adjustable and more comfortable than the Prius (for us bigger guys and gals). Please, I'm not flaming the Prius as we love both our vehicles but am glad to hear I'm not the only guy who find the drivers seat uncomfortable. The back seat is fantastic s I've ridden back there numerous times and find the legroom to be very impressive and the seats quite supportive.

 

i agree the seats need to have height adjustment. Luckily I do not feel the discomfort as some do.

 

Alaskan, you must be just tall enough to not rub your head on the headliner in the back seat. I'm 6'1" and my head rubs if I sit in the back seat.

I concur that the legroom is amazing, tho!

 

I'm 6'3", 230lbs, & 34" inseam. The seating isn't the most comfortable but I wouldn't up and sell for no worse than it is.

I couldn't imagine having 1/2" extra cushion...no wonder the frustration. I'd throw away the cushion rather than the whole car. I never use cushions on any cars, don't understand why people use them when they've got a perfectly good seat under 'em.

 

i have developed a product. go to www.extendmyseat.com for more information. I will also be selling these on priuschat.com shortly

 

There is a solution on the priushop website

PriusChat Shop : Toyota Prius Drivers Seat Extension - ExtendMySeat [ExtendMySeat] - $195.00

 

That's cool but I already have to put my seat forward because the steering wheel doesn't come out far enough. I'm 6'5" with a 36" inseam. If there was some way extend the steering wheel, I could at least put the seat back all the way on the stock rails and it would be a huge improvement.

I've searched and searched and have not found any company that makes a splined steering column extender. It would be so easy to fab. I'm tempted to get a machine shop to fabricate it.

 

This.

If I move the seat back, I'd have to lean forward to reach the steering wheel.

I'd also like the seat LOWER.


The lack of adjustability of all of those factors really is the worst thing about the car. It's flipping stupid, given Americans vary so much in height.

 

6'3" and no complaints here.

I tend to lean pretty far back compared to most people and that may be why I don't have any issues. On the otherhand I have rather thin legs so I have even less thigh support than some of our more portly members. lol