Topic: Seating comfort on longer drives

[Ice]

Have had my 09 Corolla XRS for a few months now and the car itself is really nicely put together.  Its most of what I expected with just a few irritations here and there but I think thats normal with any car.  My problem is, quite unfortunately, that on longer journeys I still have problems (had issues trying to select a car in the first place) with my legs and cramps and pain.  Sorted much of it out but its still causing me some issues.  I have longer legs...I'm almost 6ft tall (just a hair off)...and I'm wondering if I should have bought larger.

Has anyone heard of a dealership/car company adjusting the seat to move back an extra notch or making some other kinds of modifications in smaller vehicles driven by taller people or is that kind of a lost cause?

[Schmengie]

I'm 5'11", and while I haven't driven the '09 Corolla, I didn't like the '07 rental we had for the same reason. I noticed it almost as soon as I sat down - I couldn't get the driver's seat back far enough for a comfortable position. One of the Nissan Versa's main selling points for me was it's exceptional comfort. There's lots of room in the front, and the space in the back is amazing. I can slide the driver's seat all the way back on it's tracks at which point my feet won't reach the pedals and there's still enough legroom behind it for an average adult. The car is very comfortable on long trips, all-day drives are no sweat at all.

Edit I forgot to add that I don't know of any way to modify the front seat tracks for longer travel since they're bolted to fixed points in the floor pan. If there's a fix, it's probably an expensive one. Good luck to you.

[chrischasescars]

I haven't driven the new 'Rolla yet either, but my issue with the last-gen (my dad has one) is that it's built for drivers with really short legs (or really long arms). I'm only 5'-8", so I don't have an issue fitting in the car, but I can't really get comfortable behind the wheel.

[ArticSteve]

Has anyone heard of a dealership/car company adjusting the seat to move back an extra notch or making some other kinds of modifications in smaller vehicles driven by taller people or is that kind of a lost cause? 

A Toyota dealership will not move the seat rail rearward, but I'm sure you can find an autobody that might do it.  It will require some welding I would think to make it safe.

[johngenx]

I'm also 6' tall, but have short legs, so I have the opposite problem:  I usually have the seat close and I'm cramped.  I have found the Corolla easy to get into a great position for long drives, save for the armrest on the door.  The seats are not long-haul perfect like many German cars, but pretty good for an entry level unit.  The center armrest is positioned fine, but needs a bit more padding.  Pedal position is good, and a nice dead pedal is well located.

Good for long days: 

Cruise control that works well.
Good AC power (was 33C on our way home from the mountains on Monday)
Great fuel economy (5.0L/100km!!)
Decent seats
IPOD Stereo plug
Low wind noise
Trip computer
Range (~800km before low fuel light)
Cupholders/cubbies

Not so great:

Boomy stereo at speed, despite toning the bass down.  Could use better speakers methinks.
Hard center armrest
Trunk hinges that require careful packing of your gear
Tire thrum from entry level all-season tires
Small trunk opening

As for your seating problem, probably not much that can be done...

[initial_D]

Maybe seating a tad higher will help? Try a seat cushion like this Obus.

[unctuous]

That is why I never even consider the Asian makes.  I tried all of the cars Civic, Corolla, Elantra and even the Sonata and Azera.   I just cannot get comfortable.  I'm 6'2" with long legs.  The car that I eventually got was an Impala and I do not regret my decision - tons of room and very comfortable on long drives.

I find the only cars that are made for tall people are American and German makes or if you buy a Van or a SUV.

[Ice]

@unctuous: Starting to realize this...seems that Europeans and North American manufacturers are better aimed at people of larger dimensions in height and so forth.  The only Asian cars with serious amounts of leg room are built and aimed at this market in the first place.  The 08 Accord (which is cavernous inside) compares very closely with the Impala.

@initial_D: Yeah a pad like that I thought about.  Its a great suggestion!  ...but then I run into the other problem of hitting/rubbing my head. 

@johngenx: Funny how that works...I've got the height in my legs and you must have it more in your torso.

@Schmengie: Yeah that does sound expensive. I might try to find out anyways...weigh various options.  Interesting about the Versa.  I wonder how the leg room is measured for these cars...the Versa says it has less room but everyone says it has lots.  Your not the first I've heard that from.

Not sure what I should do here...I'm going to work on my other options but ultimately I wonder if I'll have to take the hit and try for a different vehicle.

[PJungnitsch]

It's tough being tall:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TeHeFmCNSPY

As Artic mentioned, you may want to check on the possibility of extending or moving the seat rails. It sounds like handicap retrofitters do this sort of thing, ie a quick google turned up this solution for a Prius:

It is possible to move the front seats back. I explained how I did it in other posts. I took my car to a handicap retrofitter that moves seats back for Boston Celtics Basketball players -- New England Wheels in Billerica, MA.

They removed the seats, drilled out the eight pedestals on the four seat rails, welded about five inches of strong steel to the front of the seat rails, welded the pedestals on three inches forward from their original position, painted everything black so it looks good, then reinstalled the seats.

Now my seat has the same range of travel, but it's shifted back three inches. The car feels way more luxurious this way. The work took about three hours and cost about $300. It was totally worth it!

Re the airbag sensor, this is a minor issue that would not compromise safety. The bag might slightly underdeploy because the seat is farther back than it thinks. However, there is lots of safety margin built into these bags (ie: they need to be able to safely stop a tall 150 lb person with the seat back, or a short 270 lb person with the seat forward). Therefore, it doesn't seem this modification would affect airbag safety.

I suggest that anyone wanting to do this mod, but not living near Billerica, look for a handicap retrofitter in their area that moves seats back for tall people. I had the mod done first by someone who had never done it before. They raised and changed the angle of my seat. So I had them put it back, then I found an experienced retrofitter.

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/14016-extending-2006-prius-seat-tall-driver-2.html

$300 would be a lot cheaper than changing cars.

[Triple Bob]

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[safristi]

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