Level of Dissatisfaction With the Prius Driver's Seat

Seat's too firm, not enough thigh support (and I'm 5'6"). Lumbar support could be better. Kind of like sitting on a park bench, all-in-all.

Sonya

 

I couldn't vote either.

1. Seat won't go back far enough.

2. Lack of thigh support (but if it went back farther, my thighs could be lower and thus contact the seat better.)

 

no problems with the seats.

 

The first part of the poll is missing, so I'll toss in my two cents here: I like the Prius seats and have no problem with them. I have never owned a vehicle with complex adjustments, so perhaps I just don't know what I am missing, or it could be that I just happen to be the right size for the seats (5' 7", 140 lb).

Tom

 

Stacked poll! You can't vote for above av or excellent and then NOT pick something in the other part...try again, maybe, with another choice for--everything is just hunky dory, thank you very much!

 

more than one above (please enumerate):

a) seat cushion too short (thigh support)

b) can't adjust pitch downward or upward

c) inadequate or no lumbar support

And in addition to the choices offered by the OP:

d) Inability to fine tune the seat back recline angle.

e) No seat height adjustment (as to differentiate from seat cushion pitch).

This is the worst seat I have ever had in any of the cars that I have owned.

 

I voted average and something different. The seat is just not adjustable enough for various drivers. My wife would like it lower, I would like it higher, she would like it to move more forward, I'm ok with current range, she is ok with support, I would like more lateral support, we both would like lumbar support.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NuShrike @ Jun 16 2006, 07:27 AM) [snapback]272131[/snapback]</div>

My sentiments exactly. The first thing I noticed in my Prius was how much the seating position resembled that of an old, seventies' Fiat, i.e, the 'orangutang' position in that when your legs are in the right position, your arms are outstretched to reach the steering wheel. Supposedly, this was always done intentionally to facilitate holding the steering wheel at the Italian 'racing' 7 and 5 o'clock positions, rather than the traditional 2 and 10 o'clock positions. And it wasn't just Fiat, it was any Italian-designed car, be it Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, or de Tomaso.

A telescoping steering wheel (along with better designed, more bolstered seats) would go a long way to eliminating this problem. I mean, c'mon, the seats in the lowly Corolla are light-years better than those in the Prius. It's as if Toyota spent all their R&D money on the technology of the car and absolutely nothing on the ergonomics.

Or perhaps the Prius seats and steering wheel orientation were designed in the manner they were on purpose. Auto manufacturers can shorten thigh support, manipulate seat padding thickness and position the steering wheel closer to the dash, all in an effort to make it appear that a car has more room than it actually does. It's an old trick. Maybe with properly designed and padded seats and orientation to the steering wheel, the interior of the Prius wouldn't seem nearly as large as it does.

Historically, there have been two main areas in automotive design where manufacturers will cut-costs, and those areas are the seats and brakes, the logic being that it will take a while for those two areas to wear-out and won't be noticed until well after the vehicle has been sold.

 

I've had my '06 for almost two months now, and I would rate the seats as a definite 'average', which is really a negative in this context considering how exceptional the Prius is, otherwise!

I'm 6'2" 225lbs and I keep the seat at the furthest notch back and it is acceptably comfortable. My right knee is only about 1" from the dash, which is a bit of a concern should I ever have a front impact. My wife is only 5'1" and although she doesn't drive, she tends to be susceptible to poor ergonomics but does not seem to have any problems with the passenger seat. She actually prefers the more upright seating compared to my previous ride. Personally, I find the seat height is fairly high, but I have grown used to it.

In terms of deficiencies, definite #1 would be that the seat should go at least 1 or 2 notches further back. Secondly, there really should be lumbar support at least for the driver, if not both (was this a cost savings?). Thirdly, the side support is rather weak in cornering.

My previous car was a 96 Integra LS and that car had AWESOME cloth seats. Excellent side & lumbar support, could drive all day in comfort! B)

All in all, it does not bother me so much that I would have chosen a different car.

- Kevin

 

Could not take poll. After reading the responses, methinks my problem is me! At the length from the steering wheel that I prefer, the seat feels like it cuts off the circulation on my right leg, which means I have to pull my seat much closer to the wheel than I like. I find the seats too firm and too high (non tilting). I'm an average 5'7" female. The seat comfort is my only complaint, but that's a fairly important feature as I often drive 700+ miles in a long day. My husband at 6'5" would like the ability to extend the seats another couple inches. And wouldn't it be nice to have the electronic memory feature. Love the car though...

 

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. Also could use adjustable side bolsters and lumbar support. The seats out of my old MR2 would have been perfect in my Prius. Heck, they could make them mechanical adjustments (no motors) and I would be satisfied.

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.

 

I'd also add that the back-angle adjustment is pretty cheesy. My other cars allowed smoother adjustment with more intermediate positions (sometimes at any position, not just at "notches").

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GreenGene @ Jun 16 2006, 04:36 AM) [snapback]272135[/snapback]</div>

Poll isn't working for me either. This is the first poll that's failed for me. I'm wondering if there are too many choices for the software to handle?

I would rate the seat as slightly below average, mostly due to poor back support. Toyota knows how to do this right, they've done it in other Toyotas. They should provide a much better seat with adjustable lumbar support and seat rake/height.

FWIW, I've found that by moving the angle adjustment one notch up (making the seat slightly more vertical), has improved back comfort enough so that I can drive a couple hours now without major discomfort.

 

The seats are the weakest feature of the car. It could be height and weight (6'1" and 190 Lbs) dependent and dependent upon whether one has had nice adjustable seats before in another vehicle...

I think :

1. Seats need to move back further.

2. Need more adjustments for the seats, like lumbar support.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Karnac @ Jun 17 2006, 10:28 AM) [snapback]272731[/snapback]</div>

Good idea to provide ahhh...dimensions. I'm 6'0" and 185 and as mentioned earlier, ok with the seats. Unlikely 1" and 5 pounds are going to make that much differance, but its possitble. I think your second suggestion (expectations) is probably spot-on. Our previous cars were Camry and Sienna (and Camry and Rav4 and Paseo) so I suspect we are acclimated to Toyota seats.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(j24816 @ Jun 17 2006, 05:00 PM) [snapback]272828[/snapback]</div>

Yes, that helps some, but not enough. I'm 6'1" and 215, but my legs are long. A friend of the same height has the opposite problem: shorter legs and a taller torso. I can't get my legs into a Mazda Miata to drive, whereas his head is above the top frame of the windshield.

So we'll find that people of the same height have different requirements for the seat position.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Jun 17 2006, 07:07 PM) [snapback]272881[/snapback]</div>

I'd be happy to enter the third dimension, but don't know my inseam!

 

Naah, even that doesn't work. I wear a 32" inseam on jeans, but I wear 'em a bit low. I don't tend to wear dress pants (well, except for that photo of me in the tux), so I can only guess that mine is 34".