OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!!!

OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!!!

Folks,

OK, we have discussed this before, but I haven't gleaned much in the way of real-world resolutions to this dang driver seat we've got. I kept on telling myself that "I would get used to the new more upright driving position," but after six months, I'm still as unhappy as ever. And, I intend to do something about it, short of selling the car or driving it off a cliff.

The problems go something like this:

1. There is little "thigh support," as mentioned by some folks. What do you mean by that? Seems to me that many seats are "more built up" on the front end of the seat cushion, which supports the thighs. So, we are lacking here, correct?

2. Is the seat cushion just plain "not long enough," so that it doesn't extend forward enough to get the job done?

3. I'm a short fart, five-foot-six, but I also get into the situation where I can get the seat back so far that I can barely reach the steering wheel. Something is REALLY WRONG with the geometry somewhere.

4. The seat does seem to work best when you try to sit up just as straight as if you were sitting at attention on a wood chair. Try to "lean back and relax," and that just doesn't work.

5. Absolutely worst of all is my left thigh. It gets uncomfortable most of the time, and the ultra-ultra-ultra-grippy seat fabric doesn't seem to allow me to "wiggle around" enough to get comfortable.

6. Maybe this "left thigh" stuff has to do with that "dead pedal" that some folks have taken off. I tried that, and didn't like it ONE BIT. The seat geometry is such that I tend to "wedge myself in" with that dead pedal, and I was absolutely LOST without it.

Anyway, that's the problem described a few ways. I really don't have anything to complain about the seat BACK -- it all has to do with the seat BOTTOM, or CUSHION.

And, there are things I think I can do to fix the problem, like these:

1. Get an upholstery shop to rebuild the seat cushion, extending the seat farther forward, and building up the front to provide more thigh support. I think a shop could do this, but I definitely have a fear that they'd wind up making it OH, SO MUCH WORSE by the time they were done.

2. Leather upholstery would help -- allowing some "wiggling around" to find a better position. Though, it seems that would have to be in concert with either cutting back some of the foam cushioning, or replacing it with some quite firmer stuff. I think that's also part of the "can't wiggle around" problem -- you're wallowing around deep in so much cushion...

3. Oh, yeah, I'm looking at those Corolla XRS seats. Part of my problem might come from my previous cars -- a 91 Honda CRX Si followed by a 96 Toyota Paseo, both of which had that "lean back and relax" position, quite low to the floor, with "non-grippy" seat fabric, but with good bolsetering to hold you in. So, the XRS seat looks like it's at least heading toward the right neighborhood. So, how would you even get an XRS seat? Just walk into your dealer and pay the exhorbitant price? Or, wait a couple of years for some XRS seats to show up in a local junkyard?

4. Shoot, how about "other" seats? There is definitely some close family relationship between the Corolla and the Lexus IS300. What about getting an IS300 seat? Or, what about a Celica seat? I don't see that the Matrix seats are any different or better than the Corolla seat, so no go there. And, I'm intending to someday go have an upholstery shop redo the interior in leather, so I could worry about making it all match colors and such then. But, again, where do you go to get a "used" seat? I've looked on the web without much success -- ten thousand places to "place a request," and not one place that has a list of parts available. Not that I've submitted a request, though...

So, what do you think can be done or should be done to "fix our seat?" If you have any experience with fitting seats from other models or fitting aftermarket seats into a car, by all means chime in! Or, if you've found some "magic settings" that work for you, please let us know! I plan to spend anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand bucks trying to get a seat I can live with, but I'm not even sure what to tell an upholstery shop what to do. So, let us know what you think we can do, and let's go try to come up with a more comfortable seat!

thoots

i dunno i got kinda the same problem... i think i have lower back pains from my seat cushion... im on medicaiton for it now so we'll se eif that was the problem or not

I FEEL YOU BUDDY!!!!

I'm in a different boat. I'm 5' 11" and I have long legs. The lack of an extended thigh support is extremely aggravating. I used to drive a gigantic '93 Cadillac Deville, and those seats were among the best I have ever had the luxury of sitting in. And I can recline in the relaxed position and have perfect reach to the steering column. And because of my height/size, I can't lower the steering column in our cars otherwise it bumps into my thighs and prevents me from turning. The only solution that I see that will really help with this problem is racing seats. I plan to do just a single racing seat for the driver, while reupholstering the rest to black perforated leather, possibly Catzkin. But racing seats tend to provide the best possible support and they're usually a little lower to the floor. I figure this may help the fatigue that often occurs in the back muscles of my thighs by providing extra support to that part of the thigh while keeping my legs straighter towards the pedal.

Yea Car and Driver commented on this, they said this car was nicely done except that they felt that toyota was targeting women for this car. They said the seats seemed to be made for short people. Im 5'7 so its not that bad for me.

YES... I'm also 5'11" with long legs... if I adjust it all the way back and recline the seat the way I like it.. I can not reach the steering wheel... if I sit completely upright I feel like my legs are crushed under the steering wheel... it took me a long time to find a seat position that "might" be OK... but I have not driven on long trips in the corolla.. the longest is probably about an hour. I really hope the racing seats will fix it...

I want to sit LOWER and reclined position.. yet be able to reach the steering wheel. Is there such a thing as a steering wheel "extender" if you go to an aftermarket steering wheel??

I SERIOUSLY wish we had telescopic steering wheels. Think I can steal one from a Lexus? and get it custom fitted with the motor and all?

thoots,


i think i hve the same darn problem

im.. 6 ft tall
..and when i extend ..the seat all the way back.. i don't seem to be able to reach the steering wheel comfortably

while my legs are in comfortable position

http://www.cardomain.com/id/slerolla

here is my rolla.... look at the pic where the .. seat has on the side has a circular rotater
to adjust the... angle of the seat

but... even if i hve this function
i am still unable to ... find the right position

i strongly believe..the only solution is
extending the steering wheel a bit farther
which is not possible for my car

or maybe.. have.. power seats
which will probably control the angle of the seat to match our needs

i believe if the seat was a bit lower... .it would be posslbe to find a good position

the key factor is..that the .. steering wheel is angled quite high ..which is focused on... straight back driving like you guyz said

yes, when I drive straight up, I feel like I'm driving a SUV... since the Corolla is already so Tall.. plus the way I sit in it.. I feel like i am as tall as the RAV4 drivers.. =(

then on the weekends I slip into my lowered cressida, and damn it feels nice... low to the ground and handles so well.. =) But Mon-thursday's I drive my mini-suv.

Re: OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!

I feel you on these two. I'm 5'8" and feel like scooting back to feel comfortable also leaves me reaching for the steering wheel. If I listen to my mother and sit up nice and straight then things seem to work better... but I don't wanna have to go tell my mom she was right.

I like the "get a new seat" idea best. Check out the IS300 and Celica seats like you mentioned, sounds cool.

does any one have racing seats in their 03+ corolla?

I want the seat to be lower seating position, more thigh support, and of course side bolsters to hold me in, in the turns.

Anyone know about some way to "extend" the steering wheel? perhaps with an aftermarket wheel?

Re: OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!

I agree 100% with you! I've had my 04 CE not even a week now and am have got the same complaints. I'm 6' and find the bottom of the seat way to short that it doesn't support enough of the leg. I'd say close to half the thigh sticks out off the seat. I test drove the corolla on 2 separate occasions before buying and I can tell you I didn't even notice a problem other than it seemed a bit confined. Now that I've had the car a week and my drive to work is between 45mins and an hour its unbelievable how uncomfortable they can be.

I noticed the exact same thing when a buddy was looking at getting the passat.. just sitting in the front seats the seat bottom was so short... he ended up getting the accord and the seats where a million times better.. you didn't feel like you were going to fall off the seat or something...

I'd definately like to hear suggestions... I don't even have the height adjustment like the Sports and LE's do I think?

In my opinion the steering wheel needs to be telescopic. Im in the same boat, i can slide the seat back and find the right position for my legs, but then my arms have to be straight out to grab the wheel, which looks stupid and is uncomfortable. I can slide the seat up a little to reach the wheel but then my legs are more bent and raised off the seat, and after being in the car for a while my thighs start to become sore. I wish we could scoot back and lean the seat back a notch or two, but if you do that, you can barely reach the wheel.

I think the seats are allright, but the wheel is just not out far enough to allow us to get into a comfortable position. Instead of toyota trying to make us drive with our seat backs straight up and down, they should of just realized noone wants to sit like that for very long. Well my mom dose but besides her...

Tommy Huynh works at Andy's Auto Sport here in Milipitas, CA. He has Matrix Racing Seats with modified Sparco brackets in his 03 Corolla. I saw the pics back in June. They're hot. I haven't been able to meet up to check out how it actually feels sitting in them, but just wanted to let you guys know that it can and already has been done.

He often posts up on vvti.net as XBreaker

P.S. Aftermarket steering wheel means loss of the airbag, which means increased risk of death and increased insurance premium when you lose that discount.

Re: OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!

I'll bet your seat is like the LE/S seat in the "fully down" position. Is there a bit of "incline" towards the front of the seat cushion? If so, then that's the deal. The LE/S seat just raises the BACK of the seat up higher, while the front stays put. I'd put money down on a bet that most of us have the seat DOWN as far as it will go.

So, I think you're "as good as you can get" even without that height adjuster...

thoots

OK, I've been studying seats. There seems to be two different kinds of seats: "Flat," and "Sport." We have "flat" seats:



The Celica has a "sport" seat:



The "sport" seats really, REALLY incline towards the front of the seat cushion. In other words, your butt is waay down below your thighs.

Now, it appears that most "good" "flat" seats provide thigh support in a different manner than that "front of the seat sticking way up in the air" like the "sport" seats -- they tend to have a big, raised area at the front of the seat. Check out an IS300 seat:



Pretty close to our seat, but there seems to be a bigger, raised area at the front of the seat cushion.

So, I think solutions lie somewhere in the neighborhood of making our seat fit like one of these other seats. "Build up that front seat cushion area" might well get the job done well. Or, try to make front of the seat cushion a whole lot higher than it is in comparison to the back of the seat cushion -- increase that "incline" towards the front of the seat.

I actually saw a web site where some guy -- I believe he was actually working on a Vibe, which probably has seats very similar to ours -- actually raised up the front of his seat by unbolting the front from the floor, and inserting a "shim" that raised it up something like a half-inch, then rebolting it down. I'm not sure I like that idea for safety reasons, but a big, half-inch "rubber washer" sounds pretty good to me...

But, what REALLY just occurred to me would be a very clean and elegant solution. If there might be ANY WAY we could disassemble the LE/S "seat raiser" mechanism, and put it back together so that the lowest setting would be about AN INCH LOWER than stock, we would probably be in GREAT shape. Of course, I would expect to find a number of mechanical obstacles to making that work -- is there some physical thing that wouldn't even allow the seat to go further down in the back? But, this sure would be something to try! Heck, even with the CE seat, maybe there's some kind of bolt setting that could be changed.

Sure sounds like it'd be worth spending some quality time with a few wrenches down there some weekend, eh? By all means, if any of you try this, let us know how it goes!

thoots

Ive been thinking about doing the "shim the front" idea. just put some washers on the bold. Its not the safest way of doing it, it would make it easier for the bolts to snap if you got in a wreck, but the rear bolts would probably still hold the seat from flying into the dash, and atleast you could die a comfortable man(or woman).

Maby ill try it tomorrow after work.

Re: OK, I have HAD it with the uncomfortable driver seat!!!!

Yup it is as far down as it can go... raising the seat makes it even worst.. =(

I've noticed on a few other threads people talking about seat covers helping. I can't see how that would help unless they were padded. Most of the ones I've seen are almost paper thin.. I don't see how that would make it more comfortable. One thing I was thinking of trying was one of those obus form cushions. I saw a place(Cdn. Tire) has heated ones for $49.... kind of a poor mans heated seat and may make it more comfortable as well? I know they are really designed to help your back but who knows ...

Unless you have side airbags, I'd just remove the driver's seat entirely and replace it with something better. At this point I'm trying to finalize a deal on a Cobra Misano. One of the challenges (aside from price) is making a bracket that will allow for a direct bolt-on. I'm 5' 11" and I also noticed (after a few hours behind the wheel) that the cushions are far too soft and the bottom seat cushion rolls off very quickly, leaving little or no thigh support. Now if I was 5' 3" and 100 lbs, this might be the perfect seat. I'm figuring that the Cobra seat will be about 1-2" lower than the OEM seats at the seat's lowest setting. Also, since the seat cushion is longer and more deeply cupped, plus the front of the seat is slightly higher than the rear, I'm sure that my legs (thighs) will favor the new seat. If you're looking for a solution keeping the OEM seat - good luck!

I tend to agree with bimmernut -- "get a seat, dude."

But, lotsa $$$$$$$$. And, "buy first, cross your fingers later, then see if the thing can actually fit in there." By all means, everyone go out and get replacement seats, and let me know which ones work and which ones don't, willya?

My ultimate plan would be to wait until the XRS arrives. I intend to spend plenty of quality time in an XRS, just to find out what that seat feels like. If it's a whole new relevation, then that'll probably be the ticket. If not, then I'll probably go hunt down an IS300 seat. Sure seems that would be the "best-quality / most likely to fit" alternative.

In the meantime, looky what I found in the store today:



VERY interesting!!

That's from "Saddleman," and this is their web site:

http://www.saddleman.com

Their "seat cushion" detail pages are down, but this ought to be on there somewhere when they get 'em done.

At any rate, this thing shows promise by having "bolsters" all around, especially in the front. I've only had a short drive sitting on the thing, and the main thing I realized was "that bolster at the back of the thing has GOT to go!" I actually just cut that rear bolster out of there, and I'll play with it in the car tomorrow. The cushion is a little short of being able to cover the whole "front to rear" of the seat, but without that rear bolster, that's no problem -- I'll scoot it all the way to the front of the seat, and get my butt back, totally on the "car" seat. That should work pretty well, and it should give me a pretty good idea of what having an upholstery shop "build up the front of the seat" might feel like.

So, I'll play with that, and let you know how it goes. I got it at a local auto supply store for about $25.

thoots

Looks intriguing, but kinda seems like trying to plug a leaking dam with a cork... I would save your $$$ and wait for the XRS. BTW, I'm guessing that a XRS seat will run about $800-1200 each and Altezza seats will be even more...

Yeah, I'm figuring about $1,500 to get one "new" seat in there, and maybe half that to get some junkyard seat in there. I'd prefer to go "new." And then, I'd still like to get an upholstery shop to do the whole interior in leather, which would make it all "look the same" again.

On the other hand, if we could simply take the seat adjusting mechanism apart and otherwise do what it would take to get the back of the seat to drop an inch lower, that would probably be a fix that would essentially "get the job done," for virtually no cost.

Or, an upholstery shop can do quality work that would probably help whole bunches -- like adding the kind of bolstering that this little car cushion has. The real problem is "what to tell them to do" in the first place. That's where I'm going with this thing -- if it really helps get the job done, then an upholstery shop could probably build something similar for only a couple hundred bucks or so.

I've got whole lots of priorities over dropping a couple grand on a new seat right now, so I'll probably screw around with the original seat for the time being. And, if I wind up really screwing it up, then that's more power towards getting a replacement seat!

thoot

i think these are pretty cheap for seats.....

http://i-m-racing.com/sparspeedsea.html

Doesn't mean they're going to be the best fit for you though.

The Dec. 2003 issue of Sport Compact Car has done an extensive sit down review of a whole range of seats made by MOMO, Sparco, Tenzo, Bride, Cobra and many others. They tested the seats on waist sizes 28-36 and based on average heights for those people to determine the feel and fit.

I looked up the Sparco Speed seats that you mentioned. For a:

Waist 28 - Loose Fit - OK support, not perfect
Waist 30 - Just right Fit - Loose support down low
Waist 32 - Just right Fit - Good everywhere
Waist 34 - Just right Fit - Narrow up top
Waist 36 - Just right Fit - Good race seat

oh i see... i dont know that much about seats... just knew they were cheap thought ya might wanna look into them i was thinking more along the line of replacing my seats with leather reclining office chairs... yaa...

I'll take Herman Miller Aeron or Mirra chairs over leather - my Aeron (size B) is just perfect!

Folks,

Just a quick note about my trevails.....

I've played with the Saddleman cushion a bit. I've also cut a piece of "therapedic" foam about four inches wide and two inches high, which I've placed across the front of the seat.

The bottom line I'm getting so far is that a simple addition of some "extra foam" along these lines at the front of the seat, and perhaps also around the sides, would virtually take care of all the problems we have with it. In a few words, "enough thigh support" is what we need, and these would take care of that.

I'd still like to get a nice, fancy seat, but it's gonna be quite a while before I can save up the cash to do that. On the other hand, I could drop a couple hundred bucks on making this seat work, and I think a competent upholstery shop could get the job done with ease. So, I'll probably have one build up the front and the sides of the seat cushion, trying to "extend them outward" a bit, and building them up to be a couple of inches higher than the rest of the seat, depending upon what kind of foam gets used.

I've had experience with car upholstery shops before, and they can definitely get this kind of thing done. However, I also know that I will absolutely take the day off and virtually get them to "custom fit" the seat to me -- you've got to sit on it and tell them if they've got it right or not, before they sew it all back up.

So, that's what I'm gonna do, and I'll report back when I do it -- probably after the holidays. I would encourage everyone to do some experimenting -- get some foam, fold up a bath towel -- whatever -- and try to build up the front of your seat a bit, and see if that helps. I'm a short guy, so maybe this won't be as effective for you tall guys, but just play with it and see what happens!

Good luck!

thoots

These look worth checking out, a little pricey, but they look *excellent*

http://www.backdesigns.com/AB1921000Store/category.asp?SID=1&Category_ID=169

Amos,

Well, those are mostly "back" things, and I think we've got plenty of lumbar support in the seat backs. As far as I can see it, our problem has everything to do with only the seat cushion -- it's just not shaped right, and it's a bit too soft, so you sink down and can't move around to find your most comfortable position.

Gosh, it's not that far out of line, either. I'd describe it as kind of like sitting on a bar stool, given the lack of thigh support. You kind of sit up high without any thigh support. On the other hand, there seems to be some "incline" around the middle of the cushion, which seems to just "stick" you right back there on the back of the cushion, and that in concert with the grippy fabric and soft cushion just makes you "dig in" whether you're comfortable with it or not.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had a chance to do some long-distance driving with my Saddleman cushion, which I customized by removing the back bolster. It may not be a perfect or long-range solution, but I can tell you one thing -- it takes care of the seat problem IN SPADES. Absolutely no problem at all sitting on this thing, on trips where I'd be squirming around and virtually YELLING OUT THE WINDOW in my frustration to find a comfortable position. So, for $25 bucks, it's not a bad way to get on with life until you can buy that seat of your dreams, or get some upholstery shop rebuild your seat cushion. Here's what the thing looks like on my seat:



At any rate, "works for me." I'll be most interested in sampling the XRS seat when those come out -- if that works, and I can get my hands on one some day, that's probably how I'll go. Until then, I think I'll just rely on this thing when I'm on the highway....

thoots

Awww i feel so sorry for you guys. I have to pull my seat up to my steering wheel and u guys are all cramped. I personally think that the seats are pretty comfy. Maybe cuz it's that i'm a girl. I'm like 5'3-ish so maybe thats why i don't have a problem with the seats.

The Corolla is kinda tall, but with some really good lowering springs, your ride might not be so high up off the ground. Like when i park next to my friend's cars, thier cars are like midgets compared to mine.

Does anybody know what kinda seat covers are good for the car??? I have the Le, so it's hard to find good covers for it, cuz the seats are gray. I am thinking about the seat covers with black trimming and gray inside, so u guys think it'll look ok???