Comfortable Seats Vs Later Models?

[timberwolf]

My Prius Gen 2 has I think comfortable seats, they have soft support under the legs, and the sides, and the soft fabric which I like.

I think I was lucky to have a new Auris (non-hybrid) Automatic as a courtesy car. The seats were harder than I am used to, I can't recall if they were leather, but it had a reversing camera, some flappy paddle gearbox changes on the steering wheel (yuk) and some sort metal on the dash. I found the seats a little hard and uncomfortable and I probably did less than 30 miles in total that day. Anyone changed from a Prius Gen 2 to a later model such as an Auris have any comparisons on the comfort of the seats?

Also the Auris A-pillars seemed larger and blocked the view more, but when I collected my Prius I am not sure the Auris A-pillars were any wider but they seemed to get in the way more.

[Peter Sale]

I changed from a Prius Gen 2 to an Auris HSD but not the new model. Can't say I have noticed any difference, still comfy on long runs.

You make me wonder about the A pillars but it is too wet here to go and have a look - as above, not noticed any problem but I wouldn't be surprised if it is the case as they keep trying to make cars safer.

[timberwolf]

Fabric or leather seat covers?

If it was a problem I think you would have noticed the A-pillar. I thought there was less dash on the Auris front to back than in my Prius which made me think the pillar was rather further back and in my way more, but as I spent very little time in the car I could be wrong.

[Peter Sale]

Oh yes, mine is the T Spirit so has the Alcantera and Leather rather than the fabric - that might make a bit of difference.

[timberwolf]

Yes, I would think so, thanks.

[PeteB]

I guess seat comfort is a personal taste.

For what it's worth, I thought the original Gen 1 Prius had the best ride and seat comfort of the lot (one reason I kept my second one 9 years and did 163,000 miles in it!).

By comparison, the Gen 2 had a harsher ride and harder seats, but I still found them sufficiently comfortable (just as well, - for a year I spent up to 15 hours a day in one!). In my opinion the general quietness made the crashy suspension more noticeable than it deserved to be.

The Gen 3 has seats that are more comfortable than the Gen 2, but not as good and the Gen 1, while the T3 (with 15" wheels) likewise has a better ride than Gen 2 but not as good as Gen 1. T4s and Spirits, in my view, have a ride little better than the Gen 2.

[OT] Strangely, although it's suspension is very hard, the seats in the Aygo are, again in my humble opinion, better than any other Toyota (or Lexus for that matter) that I've driven (although A Toyota technician once told me that the seats were the responsibility of the French part of the collaboration, and the suspension was done by Toyota, so I suppose it does make sense!).

Regards, PeteB

[timberwolf]

I don't think it is really a question of taste? If we were discussing the colour of the material that would be a matter of taste. What I meant was physical discomfort and if sat in a seat that causes discomfort for long enough it becomes painful.

For me, the cars I have owned or office chairs at work that include an adjustable lumber support seem to be ones that cause me pain after 30 minutes sitting. Even if I adjust the lumber support to zero, there seems to be something about the design of seats with lumber support that affects the rest of the chair back (at least of the ones I've experienced).

I think the most comfortable seat so far was in a Honda Civic, I was comfortable on those for hours. it had nice flat seats both for the bottom and back, nothing digging in my sides or the small of my back. My next Honda Civic was a disaster as Honda had changed what had previously been perfect seats for one with a lumber support :(

The seats in my Prius do have bits that stick in the sides of my back, but fortunately they are very softly padded.

[PeteB]

I don't think it is really a question of taste? If we were discussing the colour of the material that would be a matter of taste. What I meant was physical discomfort and if sat in a seat that causes discomfort for long enough it becomes painful..

Well, by taste I mean some people prefer hard seats, some soft, some like wings some don't. Plus, I guess my slender 27 stone (170 Kg) frame will find a seat comfortable that might be too hard for someone half my weight,

Having driven all 3 generations extensively, if I had a choice I'd pick the seats out of the Mk1, then my current model, and lastly the Gen 2, BUT I've found them all sufficiently comfortable. (Just as well, I often spent 15 hour days in the Gen 2!). Then again, I cars could be bought like HiFi, I'd have seats out of an Aygo!

[timberwolf]

I'd go along with that, people are all individual shapes and sizes. I wouldn't want to be in a car anywhere near 15 hours, the worst journey I ever did was one Christmas from Maidenhead to Harrogate and that took over 9 hours because a lorry was blocking the M1 North bound.