Warning: Gen III front seats are a torture device...

Right leg falling over, hitting console has been just as big a problem. $20 clipped on board in $25k car to avoid the problem. Not too surprised given the console no other car has and the cheapo parts bin barely-adjustable steering wheel.

Tall, long legged buyers beware. May not be the car for you.

Disclaimer: Use device like that below at your own risk

 

being 6'4" I only wish there was a position to let my wrist drape over the wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It can be for some. Not only Prius though. Tried out a Yaris 4-door and had tons of potential except for the terrible non-telescoping steering wheel. I could barely get my knee under it to hit the brake. Otherwise plenty of room in the car.

I like Honda steering wheels much better. Examples in small cars are Honda Fit, Insight and Civic*

* Civic headrest juts into back my head somewhat. No props there.

 

Add me to the prius torture seat club. Like cycledrum said the height adjustment changes both the height of the seat and the pitch of the seat bottom. On mine, it raised the pitch of the back of the seat by about 3". It wouldn't
be so bad just to raise the seat, but doing so also moves the seat closer to the steering wheel. With the height all the way up, now I'm too close to the dash. I was tempted to get some washers and put them under the seat bolts to just raise
the back supports 2" and give me a more level seat bottom, but then I noticed the right rear bolt goes in sideways
not vertical like the left rear bolt.
I bought an lumbar pillow from amazon, but it is too thick. Maybe after the foam compresses some, it will be better,
but it is going to be painful in the mean time. If anyone has bought something that worked for them, would they mind
sharing what it was ? Thanks for any help or suggestions (besides take aspirin

 

I must say both myself and my girlfriend have made remarks about the seats being less than ideal in the comfort department. Although aftermarket lumbar supports have made me slightly more comfortable, but not her. Still overall a pleasant ride though, we're both young and deal with it. Both her and my father summed up the seats in our opinions "Blah."

 

Real quick: I'd like the front of seat cushion to go lower, but for that, need the power seat (that's the 7 and 8 in the 8-way power seat. manual seat only 6-way ... ).

** speaking of manual adjust seat below**

Tooks some pics with angle finder on front section of seat bottom (in showroom 2013 Prius liftback Two with aftermarket leather) with height adjust full up (12 deg *tilt) to 19.5 deg tilt at height full down. Lot of variance compared to 2013 Civic whose seat tilt varies only 16 to 18 deg.

* tilt: angle of seat bottom cushion relative to horizontal

Prius: 12 to 19.5 degree tilt
Civic: 16 to 18 degree tilt

Corolla seat also varies a lot like Prius 13 to 20 degrees.

I'd like to see a Prius seat with nearly constant tilt through height range, like Civic and Accord.

Height adjust, fore /aft movement and tilt variance all in one height adjust lever is a bit much. Scrap the 8 deg tilt change



2013 Prius seat tilt @ height full up. See how angle finder goes much closer to seatbelt latch in next pic (did not slide seat). Height lever changes height, tilt, fore/aft ... what a devilish lever.



Prius seat tilt @ height full down.



2013 Civic Hybrid seat tilt @ height full up. Varied to only 18 deg @ full down (pic later).

 

I like my seats

 

I have an 11' model 4 and it has a lumbar air pillow, it's about adequate, my '06 has nothing and I put a small memory foam cushion in my lower back area, it's perfect.

Amazon.com: Duro-Med Contoured Memory Foam Lumbar Support Cushion with Strap, Burgundy: Health & Personal Care

kinda pricey but worth every second

 

I love my seats, they are the most comfortable I've ever had. I can drive for hours on end with no discomfort.

 

I'm a big guy 6ft 4in 230 lbs with intermittant back problems and my 2011 prius seats seem fine. Probably better than the full size car it replaced.

Everyone is different though.

 

I agree with your assessment 100%. I have driven Lincoln Town cars for the last 25 years and nothing beats the comfort of those seats but since I bought my Prius I have not even moved my TC for a month now. Sure there are more comfortable seating vehicles out there but I don't find the Prius offensive at all. I will taking a 2000 miles round trip in 3 weeks and you can bet I will be in my Prius. If you don't like your Prius get the devil out of it then. There are plenty that do like them.

 

I went from a Cadillac with full power seats to the Prius - it took some time for the seat to conform to me, but it's fine now - after 4 years. But, now I can't get comfy in the Jaguar with full power seats - I'm constantly adjusting it.

Maybe simpler is better.

 

Ah, so with your 2012 Prius Four, you have the full power Softex driver's seat.

Interestingly, my tilt angle of my seat is currently about 18 degrees which is the same as the power seat height adjusted full down* and the seat bottom tilt flat as possible, BUT, there is a difference between the two:

*
tilt in Prius plug-in advanced. full down seat, least tilt

in both cases with steering wheel tilted full down, the distance between the seat cushion front and bottom of steering wheel is ....

with power seat: 7.5 inches

my seat: 6.75 inches between front of seat cushion straight up to bottom of steering wheel.

What does that mean to me?

>> The power seat offers more knee room under the steering wheel. It is impossible in the manual adjust seat to create 7.5 inches between the front seat bottom straight up steering wheel, so....

Less room for knees / legs in manual adjust seat.

And for the guy above ... not so easy to take the loss selling a 2 year old car, even if it is somewhat uncomfortable or awkward.

 

Just got my Prius a few days ago, but haven't had any issues with the seats yet. I have a long trip from Philly to the Outer Banks coming up this weekend though...

 

blah blah blah blah geeee how surprising ... like we all haven't watched this same complaint over every single manufacture for the past 20 years ... how surprising. Sorry but I am losing patience with all of the whiners. Like I have suggested on and on. ... why don't you buy a Volvo or a Crown Vic. Believe it or not life is a huge series of trade offs. How about this .... just be glad you weren't born in Somalia where you have to fight just to stay alive everyday. Okay .... I'm off my soapbox ... end of rant

.

 

Same here....I find that I don't get as tired driving the Prius as I did with other cars. Before I bought my Prius, I rented a new Prius for a 3200 mile road trip and I found the seats to be very comfortable. This was a big factor in me buying my Prius.

SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 ? 2

 

There are seats that are a lot worse.

 

Toyota uses a seat design methodology to vary the seat tilt through the height range, but the tilt is not adjustable in the manual seat at a given height. I've seen this in Corollas also back to at least 2006. It's not like no other mfr. does this, but Toyota is in the company of Chevrolet Cruze as it's seat tilt varies like Prius manual seat.

I've already mentioned Civic and Accord (maybe the entire Honda line) driver's seats keep a much more constant tilt through the height range. Everyone has a preference and the Honda way is mine.

If I lower my butt down in a seat, I want my knees to be able to lower down also. I don't want a seat forcing 'more than plenty' of leg support due to seat tilt.

Here's some high seat tilt in my 1988 Toyota SR5 4X4 pickup. This could cut off circulation. Yes, it's all the way up, but all the down is just flat enough to not squeeze the legs.

 

I did have a Crown Vic, what a comfortable ride... and the seats, well, don't get me started - like a country club lounge chair. LOL

 

Cycledrum, I love that gauge !! Much better than my level and wood blocks.