Buy a 2010 or 2009?

Fat versus normal size is what I was referring to. Geographic generalizations are valid for the majority, and remember that when you design you design for the majority of the market. There is a difference between being politically correct and generally correct. In general, Japanese are a slender people. In general, Americans are not. If you are slender, then a seat made for someone like you will be more comfortable to you. If you are bigger, then you will be more comfortable in a seat made for bigger people.

I have been in both camps over the years and the Prius is much more comfortable the more slender you are.

 

Perhaps you should quit while you are ahead. I found your first comment to be borderline racist and I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt figuring that what you typed was not really what you meant. Generalizations about ethnicity (what you refer to as geography, but make no bones about it, you mean ethnicity as you are referring to the Japanese and American people as a whole) is something that many could find offensive and it is a fine line between calling the Japanese people out for being slender and making other generalizations that might be more offensive.

You could have simply said that in your opinion if you are a fat___ you might have a problem with the seats. There was absolutely no reason to go into a convoluted and not terribly clear explanation concerning race. While I would never be considered slender (back when I played football I was a linebacker and tight end and have that sort of build) I do have a BMI in the healthy range and still think the seats are terrible given that they come in a car with an MSRP of over $20k - were the seats in the base Versa, the self proclaimed cheapest car in America starting at something like $11k I'd call them acceptable - at a car with an MSRP more than twice that not so.

 

** Note, I didn't create page in the link **

Problems With a Prius Driver's Seat | eHow.com

Anyone know of another car, the 2nd gen, 2004 - 09 Prius that has its own web page warning of driver's seat?

** Note, page mentions 2010+ improved

btw, I did just what you mentioned after 2 1/2 years of my own park bench.

I'm probably the reigning king of 2nd gen seat problem complainer

 

Do you ever wonder why generalizations are generally accurate? If you honestly believe that products are not made for various markets because of various ethnic, racial, and geographical factors then you are naive.

 

Whelp, this 2nd/3rd gen seat thing has been beat on quite a few times, but I'll whup it some more. My take, just my opinion -

1) 2nd gen Prius has 'excess' rear seat legroom and scant front seat legroom. Why? glad you asked

2) The 'B' pillar (door pillar) and roof peak in 2nd gen are more forward than 3rd gen. The shoulder belt harness is forward therefore it is likely they limited the seat track travel for safety reasons.

3) as mentioned before, the 2nd gen driver's seat is some % smaller than 3rd gen - seat frame, rails, mounting feet, seatback, everything, smaller. No height adjuster. Ouch!

4) 2nd gen, no telescopic steering wheel. Ouch!

>> Silly stuff and all personal opinion, if one digs it, buy it, if don't, sell it and move on.

 

I took it as him likely referring to average US male height which is about 5' 91/2" while Japanese male avg. is 5' 7 1/2" last time I looked it up.

And I guess we've got 'em on weight by a fair margin too

 

I think this is one that Toyota should put on there. Take the steering wheel from the Lexus lineup and shove it in there. Retracts when the car is off, and is so adjustable, that it makes the limited seat positioning less limiting in relation to the wheel itself.

The only time I was inside a CT I didn't even check if it had this... Does anyone know?

 

Does CT have mechanical telescopic steering wheel? Yes. Power adjustable/ moves out of the way, no. That's BMW/ Audi/ Mercedes stuff.

 

It is also Lexus stuff. Every Lexus we have had and have now have the power telescoping, power retracting, power adjusting steering wheel.

 

You're in a 'place' I was at for a couple years - with an 09 that was grating the nerves.

One way to look at it is this 2nd generation Prius is just that - on its 2nd generation. They had a lot of 'hits' with the car, and some 'misses'. There is quite a bit of agreement that 'the seats kinda suck' in 2004 - 09 Prius, for quite a few people. See this.

Problems With a Prius Driver's Seat | eHow.com

Some people whine a little about the 3rd gen seats, but some people were livid about the 2nd gen's, going to great lengths like putting in Volvo seats, having seat travel extended, Recaro seat replacements, building custom seats (me), and more.

My opinion, if it bothers you for too long, and you can make a change, rent your next car for several days, make sure it works, sell private party and make the change.

btw, the 2011 'seating' is working out quite well for me, 6'2" 190, slim build.

 

It's not racist - I've been to Tokyo and I rarely ever saw any obese people. In fact my friends and I were trying to point them out. We also saw only 1 hobo the entire 2 weeks - and even he was well-dressed.

 

Your original post was at best confused - you really did not make a point while taking on a loaded issue.

So where do you think it OK to make generalizations about race? Obviously you think physical size is OK. What about speed and ability to jump? What about intelligence and trustworthiness? Where do you draw the line? What do you think is acceptable and what crosses the line? Personally I do not think that any have a place in public and that is not political correctness run a muck but rather just plain old decency.

Of course companies will manufacture their products to meet the demands of the market being served - but in that case don't you think that Toyota would have, to use your vernacular Americanize the seats. They had to do so to federalize the car - it had to be modified to meet US crash and emissions standards so it is not like it is the exact same car sold in the home market.

 

Yes but you could say the same of just about any European country - none of which idolize the Sumo. You also did not make some cockamamie argument that could have been made without bringing race into the equation.

 

Yeah but Japanese people don't eat pastries, sausages, and wienerschnitzel like there's no tomorrow.

OH-NO-I-DI-INT!

 

Agreed, but why even bring race into it in the first place? Really, go back and look at the post - is there a good reason to bring race into it? While you are looking at it does it even make sense - it reads more like a rant to me? If it were a well thought out argument stating that the seats had been designed for the Japanese market and followed up with demographic info I would imagine that I would feel completely differently.

 

I don't know. Looking at original post, 2K1 could have used better choice of words.

I think it's pretty clear the 04 - 09 Prius was designed much more for the JDM.

In 2009, TMS referred to the 3rd gen Prius as 'more mainstream' which I interpreted as it being for the JDM and more of rest of the world.

 

Yes you did. Go to your room!

Dr. Oz said Japanese tend to load up on vegetables with a small portion of meat/fish....

and Japanese tend to live quite long.

 

Some seem to be hung up on "why bring race into it"... I did not bring race into it, I brought geographic demographics into it. That does differentiate humans socially today. The world is not one united federation where everyone is the same.

If you live (i.e. geographical place of residence) in Japan you are much less likely to be fat. You are also much more likely to eat a vegetable and seafood oriented diet and more likely to be at least bi-lingual. Not definitive as in there are no fat people, but really it is a very small percent and that would classify as "more likely".

If you live in America, you are more likely to be fat, eat a greasier diet, and be monolingual.

These are generalized facts. There are many things that are modified on the Prius to conform to US safety and crash standards. However the fewer things that change, the easier it is to manufacture and quality control. This is basic. Every time you change a part, you have another place where you have a diversion in the assembly line, another place where a worker or machine may put the wrong regionalized part on, and another place where you must have another part in stock.

I suspect those that disagree on geographic market differentiation have not ventured far outside of the US bubble...

 

I thought racism involved hatred? *shrug*

I knew what he meant and I would not consider the comment racist at all. Then again I was known as "whitey" until my mid twenties so...... lol

 

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