serious hip/leg pain after 2 days of owning

I know what you mean. I have a 2005 and the seats are less comfortable than my 1995 Tercel. I was hoping the seats would be better in the 2006 and 2007 cars.

 

The seats don't provide much leg support, which may be the problem. With no support, i would guess your leg is sort of dropping down lower - additionally, the fact that the pain is on one side probably means you're sitting a little cockeyed - You've got your left leg extended differently than your right.

Try sticking a pillow or thick pad under your legs on the edge of the seat to provide extra support there. also focus on the difference between your left leg and right leg, and try to adjust the seat so the angles and support offered to each leg is the same (this may mean moving it forward instead of back). moving the seat forward may give you better support for your foot, thus leg and upwards, meaning the leg won't be dropping down at the edge of the seat causing strain on your hip.

Just a few guesses - Mostly stemming off of what the "ergonomics nazi" here at work told me a few months ago when i was complaining about lower back pain - she then ordered me a $600 office chair that provides the proper support (not to mention 8 way adjustable, rotating arm pads, and memory foam cushions), and i've been pain free ever since.

 

That's interesting. I found that the Prius seats weren't particularly comfortable when we first bought the car, but I quickly became accustomed to them. Now they're okay, not great, but okay.

The steering wheel being too far away is a known issue, and one that Toyota refuses to fix, for some reason (The Toyota Matrix suffers the same exact affliction).

It's odd that these pains you're having are so severe after just a couple of days driving the car. There must be something very drastic in your seating position that's causing you to tense your body up as you drive. Are you resting your hips against the center console? Maybe you're subconsciously holding your leg in a certain position that tires the muscles? Go for a drive on a very low-traffic road so that you can pay attention to how you're driving that would be causing these problems. I find it extremely hard to believe that it would be the hard seats or seating position that would be causing such trouble.

Let us know how things go.

Vince

 

I'm 5'7", so a bit shorter than you. I like to put my seat fairly far back so my legs go out pretty straight, lock the seat-back in the most forward position, and drop the steering wheel to its lowest position. In that configuration I don't have my legs floating in space and I can hold the wheel anywhere I want. I usually alternate my grip from a "10 to 2" position to a "straight at the sides" or slightly below the centerline of the wheel. I've driven 13 hours in a day this way without any major discomfort.

Tom

 

My problem is just the seat bottom seems so hard, like a subway seat. The Tercel is a much cheaper car, but has more padding and feels very comfortable.

 

Yep! A few hours driving the car and I have the same problem. Drove from San Diego, CA to Tempe AZ a few months ago and could not move for about two weeks. Made sure to stop and take breaks but that did not seem to help.

 

Take your wallet out of your back pocket.

On long trips, it helps me...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikepaul @ Nov 16 2006, 03:19 PM) [snapback]350285[/snapback]</div>

Reminds me of George from Seinfeld - now THAT was a fat wallet!

 

Buy a bigger car maybe and stop worrying about saving the planet. Its already dead.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mccarlson @ Nov 16 2006, 12:18 PM) [snapback]350189[/snapback]</div>

I, too, have found a bit of difficulty finding a comfortable seating position. For me, it seems like the steering column is a bit too short and the seat cushion isn't quite deep enough, so the lower part of my right leg isn't supported that well and it can feel like I'm about to slide forward out of the seat (I wish the angle of the seat cushion was adjustable). I either end up sitting to erect to reach the wheel, or too kicked back with the seat too far forward and my legs are cramped (or, when I'm wearing heels, my knees hit the cruise lever attached to the steering wheel).

There's something a bit off about the steering wheel/armrest/seat/pedal relationship, and the range of adjustment just isn't enough to accomodate everyone. I think the major problem is the length of the steering column.

 

PICS OF BUTT OR PAN!

 

I made the same discovery you did, shortly after purchase.

Then I looked closely at how I was sitting, since I still had my old car ('94 Taurus). It turns out that due to the cramped seating in my old car, I had adapted to sitting in an improper way. In the Prius, there's lots of room available. That allowed me to correct my posture... which hurt like heck for a little bit. Fortunately, the pain subsided and I haven't had a lick of trouble since. Now I'm really thankful for sitting properly.

In short, I was really ticked off that my old car was designed so bad. How about that for Prius raising awareness? It's not just efficiency you learn about.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikepaul @ Nov 16 2006, 04:19 PM) [snapback]350285[/snapback]</div>

Heh heh... yeah, the wallet will be thicker now, with saving all the money on gas and all.

 

I have seen a few threads about the uncomfortable seats but have not had a problem with them. I had heard the interior was designed by a Japanese woman with women in mind. I am 5'3" tall and a bit "fluffy" I find the reach to the steering wheel is comfortable, I can rest my arm on the center console if I want to and I can reach the pedals just fine.

My husband is 5'10" and has to move the seat back from where I put it. I'll have to ask him if he finds it comfortable or not...he has yet to complain.

 

When I first got the car I also experience my feet falling asleep or getting prickly, back pain, and my butt falling asleep. I finally got the $12 mesh lumbar support that someone recommended here and it makes me sit differently so the back pain is gone and I have not had anything fall asleep. I also had to adjust the seat a bit. Normally, I sit with the seat very straight and I am pushed back all the way away from the steering wheel. In the Prius I had to recline my seat more and move it closer to the steering wheel.

 

I have had Back (disk) problems for more than a few years and I am on my fourth, back pain thing. The first one I blamed on sleeping in an antique B&B with an old bed. Now I know different. I just started my fourth episode and the symptoms are classic. I have a disk. One level up from the last if I can tell by the numbness and radiating pain. Nothing caused it that I can figure out it just blew out and that is that. I am not conviced that any one thing dose it. I will say paticular chairs can make it worse, as can your bed. Physical Thearpy has been my best friend that and walking a bit each day.

 

I blew out a disc in my neck (C3-4) just from clapping my hands to shoo the cat away from the couch. 10 month of physical therapy later, I had the disc removed, donor bone inserted and a plate and screws to hold it all together.

Stemmed from an auto accident 20 years prior that did not involve obvious neck injury

 

I second removal of the wallet from a pants rear pocket. It's more comfortable and safer to keep it in a front pocket.

Walking some distance every day can reduce leg and back pain significantly.

 

I had the same leg pain described when I first got the RX-7. It's very small inside (driver can move knees back and forth about 4") so the seat is narrow. Turned out the seat bottom side bolsters were cutting off circulation in the right leg. Had an upholstery shop trim them and that pretty much solved the problem.