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Seats Suck - why on earth...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by kocho, Jul 16, 2009.

  1. kocho

    kocho Member

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    2008 Prius
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    My wife and I test-drove the '10 Prius with the basic seats - we both thought they sucked big time. The bottom was OK but the seat backs were so concave we thought they would give us back pain. Lacked any lumbar support whatsoever. In contrast seats in the Corolla had much flatter backs - straight and keep your posture good.

    The up/down adjustment is also a puzzling affair. To get the angle for my legs that I like I need to bring the seat down quite a bit. Now, I'm tall at 6'4" with normal proportions (not a short torso) but I thought with this position the dash felt way too high (compared to the excellent low dash in the '02 I drive, which gives me much better front visibility).

    I drive a '02 Prius and do not like the seat bottoms but even they have a better back support than the '10. Who in the world and why is designing the Prius seats the way they do is beyond me...

    Are the higher end seats with lumbar support on the '10 prius any better? We would have bought the car were it not for the awful seat shape. Any others with this issue and a solution?
     
  2. jay_man2

    jay_man2 jay_man_also

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    The seats in my IV with the lumbar support are fine. Maybe even more comfortable than the seats in the '08 Highlander Hybrid Limited I traded in.
     
  3. DeanFL

    DeanFL 2010 owner - 1st Prius

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V

    I have a '10 V - with the lumbar. I came out of a Lexus RX with all power adjustments. After driving the Prius for a week or so, I just wasn't very comfortable, tending to shift my rear around and adjusting the height and lumbar. I finally realized that I wasn't getting enough thigh support and the seat bottom felt completely horizontal, especially when raised (seems to pitch a bit to the front).

    I made a mod, as I did in a previous non-power seat car many years ago. Removed the front two floor/seat mount bolts and put washers between. About 1/2". Replaced the bolt and still very secure. The result was to raise the pitch of the front part of the seat for a better bucket effect. And more thigh support. After a few weeks driving I've found the seat much more comfy (not perfect mind you, but better). The lumbar is a very nice feature - too bad Toyota packaged it only with the leather.

    Here's a link to the Mods section and post.


    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-modifications/64225-butt-seat-comfort.html
     
    3 people like this.
  4. mcross

    mcross New Member

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    Halifax, Canada
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    2010 Prius
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    We have a base model 2010. The seats are wonderfully comfortable -I'm 6'2"- even better than our old Matrix. The concave fits just fine. Guess it depends on your body configuration (although my wife, shorter and stouter, also finds the seats very comfortable.)
     
  5. MaggieMay

    MaggieMay Active Member

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    2010 Prius
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    IV here - with the lumbar. Just spent two solid days driving and was perfectly comfortable. Different strokes though - one PC'er had to sell his brand new '10 because the seats caused extraordinary back pain for him. If it's not for you don't do it! (But try the lumbar seats before you give up!)
     
  6. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Model:
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    Seats are fine to me. The NAV screen, on the other hand,....
     
  7. kocho

    kocho Member

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    Yup - very individual thing, them seats... If the Prius had the Corolla seats my wife would have bought it (the car's for her). On the other hand, the Corolla seats were not enough for her to buy a Corolla ;)

    Unfortunately, the price of the higher optioned packages is not worth it for *us* only to get the lumbar support... Oh, well. Will test drive again to make sure before starting to look at other cars as there are a lot of +es for the 2010 Prius.
     
  8. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Limited
    I have a Scoin tC with similar design seats, no lumbar adjustment and with manual height adjustment that tilts the seat bottom as you raise the seat.

    At first it felt like my lower back would just sink in causing me to slouch. If you fold the seat back all the way forward, you expose the clips that hold the seat back cover together. After experimenting with various thickness sheets of foam (from a crafts store) I slipped a section of foam between the seat cover and the original foam in the lumbar area, then put the clips back. I did that for both the drivers and passengers seats. My wife and I have been comfortable since. Visually, there are no signs that the seats have been modified.
     
    1 person likes this.
  9. lindak

    lindak New Member

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    The seats are indeed very badly designed - perhaps the worst I've ever seen from a strictly ergonomic perspective. They work well for a subset of people but they don't seem to accommodate a wide range of people, as a good seat should. The seats with the lumbar support are better, though by no means good. It's worth giving the higher end seats a look, but carefully - it's not worth it if they induce back pain.
     
  10. jim256

    jim256 Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Good approach, go back and really spend some time on the seat with and without lumbar, and make sure you try all the adjustments, before you drive it. You might find the leather alone gives a different feel than cloth, and it will have lumbar unless it's port or after market--might be worth just trying. The steering wheel setting can also have an effect on how close or far back you can go, which changes the support point for your thighs. I'm 6'0 and find the seats very comfortable, coming out of a Lexus RX hybrid.

    You also get a few other extras with an IV:
    Prius Model 1227 - three-door Smart Key system; leather-trimmed interior; heated front seats with driver lumbar support; step lamp; illuminated entry; driver and front passenger water repellant windows; upgraded front and center pillar trim; plasma cluster; auto dimming mirror and HomeLink®
     
  11. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    Location:
    Modesto, California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I found the seat comfort very disturbing at first. After trying various tweaks to the positioning, I have found a tolerable "sweet spot" of comfort. I am 5'9 with more height from my legs than torso.

    It seems to me, as the OP pointed out, the seats are too concave and combined with the forward tilt of the head-rest makes for an uncomfortable ride. I have thought about just removing the head-rest, and taking my chances on collision! I just did a 5 hour stint of driving, and found I had to take more breaks than on my '07 Prius! The lumbar support on mine help tremendously, but the seats need a design change!

    I will try the 1/2 of washer spacers {idea posted above}under the front anchor bolts to the seat to see if the extra pitch of the seat will help. I hope so, as I don't want to remove the head-rests just to be comfortable!:eek:

    Lee
     
  12. jay_man2

    jay_man2 jay_man_also

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    I just finished a 6 hour day trip - 3 hours each way with an hour break in the middle, and found the seat, with the power lumbar, extremely comfortable, even compared to the '08 Highlander Hybrid I traded in. The best thing was no knee pain in my right leg, something that would regularly occur on similar trips in the Hi-Hy. :p
     
  13. devious1

    devious1 Tigers love pepper...

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    My wife and I also though the back support on PriusII/III was a bit lacking, however after a week of acclimation all is well now...just give yourself time to adjust.
     
  14. virtualdood

    virtualdood New Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    N/A
    I'm actually considering buying new seats. I have no doubt they are expensive. Anyone have any guess as to how much the G3 seats might cost? I am hoping/presuming they will fit.

    I have leather in my 09 G2. I am also banking that i would be able to match the grey leather. Hmmm then perhaps someone may be looking for leather G2 seats to defray my costs :D

    Now that's an ideal world LOL
     
  15. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    4 hour round trip to Pittsburg with no complaints. I'm 6'2" and 260#. I've had a lot more uncomfortable seats in a lot more expensive cars.
     
  16. pdxrose

    pdxrose New Member

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    Model:
    III
    I was worried about no lumbar but drove the car home from dealer on six hour trip yesterday and it was great. Had to play with the height adjustment and wheel position, since I am 5'8 with longer leg/shorter torso build. The seat design has resulted in me having better posture; especially since the arm rest is too far over for me to use (and lien). Head rests provide support if I lean back a tad but are not obtrusive like my 08 Honda CRV HRs. They are the strangest shape and point in so that I have to tilt the seat to far back for best comfort. I always think about taking them out but know if I have an accident...Also notice that the seat shape/posture keeps my left foot flat and straight whereas in the CRV, my left foot is always pointing outward. Will be keeping both for the next year plus...but think I will be seeing the chiro less with the Pruis.
     
  17. Martin37

    Martin37 New Member

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    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Just completed four days of driving over 2600 miles - Oregon to Arizona & back, spread over first and last two days of two week vacation - and found comfort by adjusting the seat occasionally. Head rest certainly is right there, isn't it! My right hip joint did NOT 'bark' once during this time, unlike in other vehicles. My wife drove Prius in Buckeye area for a few hours and disliked the imposing head rest, greatly! 'Pumping up' the seat & tilting backrest back slightly seemed to work for me occasionally during these 40+ hours of intense driving.
     
  18. Jared

    Jared Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I really don't know why Toyota can't get the Prius seats right on the gen 2 or 3. My Tercel seats are much better. The seat designer should commit seppuku.
     
  19. Treasure

    Treasure New Member

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    Location:
    Treasure Island, FL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Just purchased 2010 III with cloth seats 3 weeks ago. Tried IV w leather, disappointed by the quality. Made the mistake of not spending enough time in the car to evaluate the seat comfort. Am miserable! No lumbar support, not enough adjustment. Back pain is becoming a real challenge. Any and all suggestions appreciated!!
     
  20. Radon

    Radon New Member

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    I bought mine due to the seats... mmmm seats that hug you.