Finally, I've got a height adjustable driver's seat

Looking at the UK spec it lists Prius as coming with both driver and passenger height adjustment. As mentioned earlier it would be nice to have a list of parts that need to be replaced on each seat and the corresponding part numbers to get this as factory. I'd also like to be able to move the seat back a couple of inches and use some of that rear leg room for the more important driver and front passenger.

The seats seem to have been overlooked in all the engineering that went into this car. I also don't know why the US cars are "dumbed-down" in a sense compared to the rest of the world. It's almost insulting.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndrewGS @ Aug 8 2006, 04:36 PM) [snapback]299871[/snapback]</div>

We're in the US, the backwaters of technology. We're lucky to even get the Prius.

 

Well, It would be worth re-doing all my lumbar support and seat heating to get an adjustable-height seat in there! If anybody figures out a cheap (ha!) and easy way of importing one of these things, I'm all over it!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Solar_Powered @ Aug 2 2006, 07:32 PM) [snapback]296623[/snapback]</div>

Wow. I'll never have a need to do that, but man, what a great write up. It was a pleasure to read.

 

Hmmm, I've been trying to download the file <Prius_Height_Adjustable_Seat.PDF> in the first posting in this thread but haven't had any luck. Anyone know what's up with it?

Thanks!

Tim

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimCarlos @ Sep 16 2006, 06:51 PM) [snapback]320626[/snapback]</div>

Same here. Many of the links for files and pictures have not been working. Maybe they were inadvertantly deleted from the server?

 

how come i can't download the pdf file?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Sep 16 2006, 06:59 PM) [snapback]320628[/snapback]</div>

Maybe there was such an inherant defect (anybody ever read the fable about the fox and the grapes?) that the pdf was PULLED OFF the server?. Actually I'm wandering what happend too.

 

probably related to the site hack. lots of stuff is missing.

 

Yeah, it was probably lost along with avitars, and many other pictures in the last hack. Could someone please repost the pdf file please? Maybe someone who downloaded it still has it????

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Solar_Powered @ Sep 17 2006, 08:45 PM) [snapback]320947[/snapback]</div>

You can host the Pdf files in another server an provide the link for it, yahoo briefcase, photobucket, and so many others that are for free as an example; and you do not have to deal with the "global limit" of this server.

 

Does anyone recommend a shop that has already lowered the seat for your Prius in the SF Bay Area, CA? Also it might be helpful to post for other areas of the U.S.

 

PDF link doesn't work for me.

Did it get moved already?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sho-Bud @ Aug 4 2006, 02:23 AM) [snapback]297543[/snapback]</div>

I'm wondering just how much of the adjustable seat would be needed for a conversion. I would think the bottom cushion frame and a few plastic trim pieces.

Getting prices on those height-adjustable-specific parts would be nice. Or a decent scan of the parts diagram for the non-NA seat, as the NA parts fiche doesn't have non-NA parts.

Anyone in Europe able to get the above for LHD seats?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fiblet @ Sep 20 2006, 01:32 PM) [snapback]322328[/snapback]</div>

I found a great shop that moved my front seats back 3 inches (New England Wheels in Billerica, MA). I've been looking for a way to lower the seat, without doing the huge modification done by Solar_Powered, but haven't found one. It seems you could drill lower holes on the four pieces of metal that rise up from the rails and support the seat. when I was younger, I did things like that. Now I'd rather pay someone to do it, but I can't find any one.

Has anyone lowered the existing seat (for example as noted above)? Does anyone know how we can buy a non-US Prius driver's seat for the US Prius that has height adjustment? I'd rather use a Prius seat so the airbags and other things work as designed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyprius @ Oct 5 2006, 03:00 PM) [snapback]328603[/snapback]</div>

Well, I've discovered that the Prius in Portugal is available with a height-adjustable driver's seat. For anyone else who speaks Portuguese, see http://www.toyota.pt/cars/new_cars/prius/equip.asp and look at the section titled "Bancos". There you'll see the first line "Banco do condutor com regulação em altura" as available on the Prius High Pack version.

Now I've just got to figure out two things, does theirs RISE from our standard height or LOWER from our standard height, and if they lower how to get ahold of one of these potential darlings! Thinking that it might be easier to import from Canada, I also looked at the Canadian website for Toyota; their site only shows 4-way adjustable seats like the USA.

Something still baffles me, the average height of Americans and Canadians is taller than other countries yet Toyota doesn't offer the 6-way adjustable seat in either country. Go figure...

If I find out anything else I'll post it here.

Tim

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimCarlos @ Oct 5 2006, 04:58 PM) [snapback]328637[/snapback]</div>

I agree, it's crazy that the US Prius doesn't have driver's seat height adjustment, when the Japanese Prius does. Toyota is too smart to have not considered this issue. It's like a slap in the face of Americans. Seat height makes a huge difference in driver satisfaction for many drivers. The incremental cost of adding manual height adjustment to the Prius would be minimal for a company of Toyota's scale. Even if they didn't want to incur the extra cost, I'm sure many Prius owners, such as myself, would have gladly paid more to have driver's seat height adjustment.

The lack of height ajustment is as much a safety as a comfort issue. My vision is restricted out of the front and rear windshields because I sit too high in the car. Most people don't have the skills of Solar_Powered. We couldn't make the modifications. Toyota should make an upgradable seat available at a minimal cost.