Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

Hi all,

I own a 2005 HAH and I am pretty happy with it overall. What I am not happy with is the poor storage space (small trunk, seats don't fold down) and it would be nice to get some better fuel economy. I average about 27mpg in a 50/50 highway and city commute (without really working very hard at better economy I have to admit). I like the Prius for a lot of reasons and in my test drive experience without trying very hard I can get 42-44mpg on the same route on a new car and standard tire pressures and winter weather as well.

I have found that the car performs well enough for just about all driving situations even though it performs considerably less than the HAH. It isn't as quiet but I can deal with that. It handles surprisingly well (both standard and Touring). I am not interested in the TCH because the fuel economy advantage just isn't enough to make this cost effective for me.

The big problem is that stupid front seat. I can't figure out exactly why Toyota hasn't put a more adjustable seat in the Prius. I read reviews from 2004 that listed that as an issue. It would be nice to have not only a height adjustment but also a tilt so I can raise the front of the seat. I am 6' and have long legs so even with the seat all the way back I find that my legs, the right one in particular, are not well supported and that gets uncomfortable on anything trip longer than 15 minutes.

On my HAH I can tilt the seat such that there is a 6 inch difference in elevation front to back. I am experimenting in the Prius I am test driving for 2 days with various cushion schemes to make up the difference (about 3 inches of height on the front of the seat). I have been reading various forums and seen others with this issue with a variety of solutions.

If I can resolve this issue I will buy the car, otherwise I will stick with my HAH for another year most likely. I am not going to go to the extreme of buying new seats or getting them heavily modified. I figured that if I could find the right support cushion I could secure it to the seat well and put a cover over the whole thing so it won't slide a bunch.

Anyone have personal experience with a cushion that will work? I am trying various options from around the house, Walmart, Target, etc. and have not found a very good solution yet. It looks like it needs to be pretty firm to work, memory foam is just sinking too much.

Thanks for any advice,

Craig

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

I'm 6'1'' and have no problem with the driver seat. I'll agree that the Prius seats are not the most comfortable I've sat in but the object is efficiency not amenities.

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

I just sold my '05 HAH/with Nav mainly because as an earlier adopter, I was expecting somewhere between 29 and 37 mpg, but only averaged less than 27 - this particular winter seemed worse - I was averaging 23.
All my friends were more than shocked that I bought a '07 Touring Prius with Package 6 which was the Prius version that most closely resembled the features that were on my Accord. I am tall - 5'9" (34" inseam) and the driver's seat is really my only beef. I too tilted my Accord seat so that the front of the seat was at the highest point. I will not be taking a long trip until Easter, but the seat difference is undeniable.
In the 141 miles I have driven my Prius, I am getting 36 mpg. I do love the back up camera and the bluetooth for my phone. It's warmed up, so I don't know if I will miss the heated seats - this winter was the first time I had ever used them.
I don't know what Toyota has planned for 2008. There are rumors of a total redesign, so maybe you should wait to see if they improve the seats.

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

IndyDoug-

I understand what you are saying about efficiency vs. amenities but this is about driving ergonomics not luxury. It isn't clear to me how a manual 6 or 8 way driver's seat is going to harm efficiency. My 1987 Toyota Camry I drove in college had this feature - and also got > 40mpg on highway trips. I also don't know how items like navigation systems, bluetooth, heated leather seats, etc. fit into the efficiency vs. amenities equation - I would think a better driver seat would have at least as good of a efficiency/amenity tradeoff as those items.

Ilene-

Thanks for your reply, it sounds like we had the same wishes with the HAH. I have had somewhat better luck with the mileage I guess. I really want to get a Prius but I also don't want to be in pain while driving. The HAH is almost paid off and it would kill me to be paying off another car that hurt to drive.

Craig

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

Another member, efusco, uses a cushion on his seat bottom, a wedge-shaped cushion, I think. I'm not sure how active he is here, but you can reach him easily via PriusChat; he's a moderator there. Others there may have some ideas too.

I agree that the seat height should have an adjustment. My fiancee's 2006 Corolla has a mechanical adjustment -- nothing fancy but functional. You'd think the Prius could have one too. Having said that, I'm 6'4", and I'm fine in most driving conditions. It gets a little uncomfortable on long trips, but breaks every couple of hours help take care of it.

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

I hate the seats in my Vette. I've often thought about replacing them with a different seat like a Recaro but never have. Perhaps you could swap out the stock Prius seat for a Recaro?

http://on-trackperformance.com/recar...ts%20Index.htm

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

There's a problem there: the lowest I've ever gotten is just shy of 44 mpg, and I live in a much colder climate.

Better check your tire pressures. My tires were low from the dealer. I'm running higher pressures than the door jamb numbers.

Also, you can do way better as you optimize your driving: lengthen your stopping distances, use a light touch on the gas and brakes.

Harry

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

I purchased an Obus Forme, lumbar support and seat cushion. Been pain free for the first time in 10 years.

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

I just decided to keep my SAAB for long road trips and use the Prius for local city and suburban use where it has such an advantage in efficiency. If your HAH is almost paid for - why not keep it?

Re: Potential Prius buyer needs some advice on driver seat comfort
 

Thanks all for the input - I had seen efusco's posts on priuschat as well as some others.

I will look into the cushions that DGH mentioned. I am hoping to not have to replace the seats - the cost and hassle sort of worries me and I really want to keep the airbag functionality as well. Anyone know if you can swap the seats and actually keep the side impact bags working?

Thanks!