Level of Dissatisfaction With the Prius Driver's Seat

For some reason I could'nt get it to take my vote?


seat too high …. 1

can't adjust pitch forward or back …. 1

cushions too firm …. 2

side bolsters provide inadequate support …. 2

Telescoping steering wheel …. 1

If you had an 8 position adjustable seat, that would go lower, Be more of a bucket to hold you in place and a telescopic steering wheel that had at least 10 cm adjustment, that would work.

There is just too much wrong with this seat to be fixed by one or two simple changes.

One size fits all doesn’t even work on socks, let alone a seat. :angry:

 

I think the primary limitation of the steering wheel not telescoping secondarily limits the positions people can put the seat in which leads to cumulative overall discomfort.

For myself, I'm forced to sit at a point where my feet is just a click or two too close to the pedals just so I can reach the steering wheel, but I'm still forced to almost straight arm it, and the back of the seat is already nearly vertical.

Alternatively, if I place myself in a position where I'm very comfortable with the seat slant and the arm distance, my knees and feet are so close to the pedals that it hurts my ankles just to level over my heel to press the pedals. OTOH, I am very comfortable as passenger rather than the driver because I don't have to deal with spacing myself to reach the wheel.

I really think Toyota needs to bring in their Corolla/Camry/Civic seat team, or a racing seats team, to fix the Prius instead of trying to come up with a new seating system as they did for the Gen2 Prius.

I was able to deal with basic seat adjustments with my Civic because the foot well was much deeper and so allowed a bit more freedom in spacing for the seating. 5'7" here.

 

Another poll that won't work for me. Sigh.

I'd rate the seat as ok. Since I rate the car overall as excellent, an "ok" rating is not good - I expected better of Toyota.

That said, seat comfort is a highly subjective matter. For me, the seat needs adjustable lumbar support, and a bit more support for the thighs would be good. But coming from the '04 Honda CR-V we traded in for our Prius, the seats in the Prius are much kinder to my back.

I'd like better seats; I think it's something that Toyota should put high on its list of enhancements; but the seats are okay for me, even after a full day of driving.

 

Actually, I quite like the seats. I am 5'0" and a fairly normal weight. I have a bad left foot (the ankle doesn't move in all the directions it should) from an accident several years ago in which I crushed the heel of that foot, broke my pelvis and coccyx and various other bits and pieces. The very high seat with lots of room between the steering wheel bottom and the seat top is great for me, since it allows me to shift my legs as necessary (this was difficult for me in my '91 Acura Integra--I couldn't straighten out my left leg enough to keep it uncramped, and it drove me nuts when my keychain would keep whacking my knees)--I sit about as close to the steering wheel as the seat will go--and I pray that my airbags will never deploy...although I THINK I have it all angled enough to allow for the 10" minimum the manual recommends).

The seat BACK doesn't EXACTLY go to the optimum angle for me--it seems to be just between stops, but, after 5 weeks, I am getting used to it. I sit on a gel cushion I found at Brookstone that is much more comfortable than the tush cush (don't blame me--that is what it is called!) I used to use--cooler and absolutely NO pressure points.

But--I don't expect most folks to agree with me--I don't like leather seats either--they are too warm & sticky for me (and no, I would NEVER pay for heated seats--even when I lived in Montreal, I wouldn't have, so it isn't just that I live in California ) I don't need the memory positions, since mostly no one else drives my car.

I was visiting in Boston recently and we had a rental LeSabre, I think it was--when you turned off the car, the steering wheel would tilt up and the seat would move back to make it easier to get out of the car (and back in ). That was kinda nifty. But is that a complaint I have about the Prius? Not at all--kinda nifty is one thing--willing to pay still more is entirely another.

OTOH, being 5' tall, I NEVER expect ANY seats to be comfortable without making some adjustments. Office chairs, for example, are designed for something like people from 5'6" to 5'10 or something ridiculous like that. I had to spend $900 on a Herman Miller Aeron chair because they are the only ones I could find designed specifically by the height of the sitter.

I guess I really do not understand the fuss, since I have always had to make my own adjustments. And, if a seat is just too uncomfortable, I don't use it. Yes, if I had really hated the Prius seats, it would have been a deal killer. If you hate the seats, why did you buy the car? :blink:

 

Actually, both my wife and I find the front seats just fine. We have just recieved an '06 after owning an '04 for about two years and are very happy with the cloth covered seats in our Prius. I am 5'9 and she is 5'2 and we have traveled nearly 15,000 miles on cross country trips from California to Florida from Minnesota and find the seats very comfortable and supportive. No complaints from us.

 

I rate the seats just below average. I'm 5'7" with long limbs and short torso. I could use some more thigh support and make it adjustable.

I haven't driven the car for more than an hour at a time yet. I have no problems in the morning on my commute but the evening ride gets a little uncomfortable at times. Mainly due to me sitting at my desk all day. I'll be making longer trips for vacations in August and September. So I'll know exactly how long I can survive without a break after that.

 

Would not let me vote.

1. No lumbar support
2. Seat does not go back far enough
3. No armrest areas. The center console is too low.

 

I find the seats to be just "ok". I would much prefer the electronically adjustable ones as well as memory so my wife and I could have separate preferences. My wife thinks the seats could be much better. Lumbar option would be great too. As we use this car for long distance travel, seat comfort is a very important item. My wife purchased a seat pad which appears to help.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Ya know, I've been reading these complaints about the seats ever since I joined this board, but I gotta be honest and say I have no problem with them whatsoever. It puzzles me that so many others are experiencing discomfort with them.

Maybe I'm just crazy...

 

I like the seat just fine. I'm short (5'3") and it is at the perfect height for me. The seat sits up too high for my husband, however, but since I'm the primary driver, it's not a big deal. A height adjustment on the seat would solve this problem easily.

I find the center console too high to be used comfortably as an armrest, surely due to my height. Not a huge deal either.

My commute is 1 hour each way, and I'm perfectly comfortable. If you're a perfectionist like me, there is always room for improvement!

 

I was also worried about the seats after reading some of the postings on here however I haven't had any problem at all with mine. Actually they are even more comfortable than my old Honda Accord Coupe. I'm nearly 6'1, 170 and they work just fine for me so far.

 

The seats are the only thing I don't like about the car. I find them much too hard, and the back support is just not right. My 11 year old Tercel has more comfortable seats. My wife, on the other hand, has no complaints.

 

Right now, I'm having more dissatisfaction with a poll that doesn't work. :angry:

The seats are okay. My highest priority concern would be to have the seat slide back at least another 2".

 

it only works if you voted for 1, 2, or 3 on the top poll.

 

Yay it works! My vote was rejected the first time, though, because I didn't vote in both parts, which would appear to be mandatory.

Personally, I find the seats quite comfortable. I'm certainly not disputing those of you who don't, but I'm curious about the cause. Judging from previous postings on the issue, it would not seem to be a size related thing. Could it be some people are used to something different and/or better?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ghostofjk @ Jun 16 2006, 02:55 PM) [snapback]272425[/snapback]</div>

We prefer the term "doglet," thank you very much. And you can see why we think the seats are too big! Oh, and if I am a "dog," I guess that must make you a...er...um..."pussy" doesn't it? Ya know, I really crack myself up sometimes...