1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2010 Prius - needs fully adjustable driver's seat

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by cycledrum, Jul 12, 2008.

  1. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2004
    2,480
    176
    0
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, MD
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Ive said it before, the Prius has one of the most awkward and uncomfortable driving positions of any car I've ever driven. I personally could never drive one every day, and when we drive the Prius on trips (only when I absolutely can't justify the Lexus 25MPG on high test when we have the Prius right there in the garage) I literally take painkillers before I leave.

    The issue for me is the upright driving position and the fact that the steering wheel is so close to the dash in order to sit there to where I am comfortable with my back and can still reach the wheel comfortably my knees literally rest against the dashboard.

    Its awful.

    To those who say "if it doesnt work buy something else", if it had better adjustable seats (you know...1990 era seats instead of 1985 era seats) and a telescopic wheel, we could ALL be comfortable.

    I would like the car a lot more if it were more comfortable, and we'd drive it a whole lot more on trips. Every time we drive it on a trip I swear we never will again after about an hour.
     
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,899
    16,123
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    well guess our prayers have been answered. It looks like it'll get a 10-way power driver's seat (or 8-way power with power lumbar support... which is probably how they'll market it even though 10-way sounds better).
     
  3. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2004
    2,480
    176
    0
    Location:
    Gaithersburg, MD
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    They typically market them as 10 way. My Lexus is 10 way power, 8 way passenger, no lumbar for the passenger.
     
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,899
    16,123
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    typically but recently not.

    The Camry XLE/Hybrid has 10-way power but they market it as 8-way power with power lumbar support. When I read that I thought they removed the tilt function but I saw that the tilt function was still there when I saw the TCH back in 2007. Ditto the 2009 Corolla LE. It's listed as an 8-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support in the "Moonroof Package".
     
  5. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
    yes, they are making sure things are marketted in the same way as with our manufacturers... same way toyota is now reduing number of airbags they market...
     
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,899
    16,123
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    oh I think Toyota's numbering system is fine and is in line with what the industry seems to be doing. The manufacturer that stands out is Honda. They split the side curtains into front and rear therefore a Civic has "8" airbags when it's really 6.
     
  7. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    8,245
    1,202
    0
    Location:
    NorCal
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    post deleted.
     
  8. ken1784

    ken1784 SuperMID designer

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2003
    2,940
    1,360
    67
    Location:
    Yokohama, JAPAN
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  9. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2005
    4,067
    687
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    I'd love to email Toyota but your web site simply won't accept my email. It keeps asking me to fill in my country and state which are required fields, when I fill them in it asks me to fill in my country and state, and when I fill them in it asks me to fill in my country and state. . . . . . etc etc etc. Well you get the idea. I actually went back and started the whole thing over again and had the same result. If others have the same problem you may not get many emails. :confused:
     
  10. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    8,245
    1,202
    0
    Location:
    NorCal
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
  11. kosutasu

    kosutasu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2008
    15
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    I deleted this post, as there was a problem with the internet connection and the it was posted twice.
     
  12. kosutasu

    kosutasu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2008
    15
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Well, I didn't think that it worths creating a new thread and thus I post this information here. It seems that Toyota will use in the upcoming Prius new plant-based resins as interior materials for the seat cushions, scuff plates etc.

    Link
     
  13. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    8,245
    1,202
    0
    Location:
    NorCal
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
  14. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Can you get more low tech than sheep skin seat covers?
    I put cheap sheepskin seat covers on and went on a 5000km road trip.
     
  15. OZ132

    OZ132 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2008
    170
    2
    0
    Location:
    Northern Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    THANK YOU TOYOTA! You fixed the seat in the 2010. We bought it!
     
  16. bigchris1313

    bigchris1313 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2009
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Marino, CA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Go on...
     
  17. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    8,245
    1,202
    0
    Location:
    NorCal
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    In my opinion, the front seats are really good in the 2010 Prius - they are bigger, have more travel, and driver's height adjuster brings the seat far down and back, far up / forward for short dirvers. They seem like 'Camry-class' front seats.

    Driver's well over 6ft. tall should have no problem fitting and stretching legs out. Center console does not impede legroom at all for me.

    Steering wheel could use a bit more telescope towards driver and tilt down, IMHO.
     
  18. accordingly

    accordingly Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2009
    268
    63
    0
    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I've spent a lot of time at Toyota dealerships lately, and I can tell you that the seats are not the strong pint of this brand. The seats all feel way too flat to me, even in the higher end cars, but to each their own I guess. The 2010 Prius seats are about as good as it gets from Toyota, which is just fine for a low $20s car. I was very happy with the upgrade.

    I also agree about the steering wheel position - when cruising I like to relax and rest my arm on the center console armrest and door and hold the wheel comfortably at the 4 and 8 o'clock position and this isn't possible in the Prius. I guess they want you scrunched up by the wheel or something.