How picky to be about comfort/seating position in a new car?

I know this is personal preference for everyone, but I am curious other people's opinions about it.  There are many cars that I have sat in or driven that I could drive if I had to or wouldn't complain if it was a rental, but there is something that annoys me enough to cross it off the list of ever potentially owning one. 

I know I am not looking for something that doesn't exist because there is a short list of cars I have no complaints with in that regard, but it severely limits the options when car shopping. 

A couple recent examples would be the new ford ranger which I mostly liked but the one I drove still had an ignition switch in the steering column with a switchblade key, and the key is jammed into the side of my knee when I adjust everything else to be comfortable, or the new Wrangler where the door check strap pokes my left shin and the shape of the transmission tunnel pushes my right heel over far enough that my leg is at an uncomfortable angle even sitting in it for a few minutes.

Do you buy the vehicle that has the specs and price, etc that you want and just accept that it will be painful and annoying to drive on a long trip?  Or do you "try on" every one that is even a remote possibility like picking the right brand of jeans then use that to come up with a list to chose from?

Depends on how you want to use the car to some extent, but for the most part if I'm not comfortable, I'm not buying it. Quite a few recent cars I've been in fall into the "well, I guess I'm never buying one of these" camp. VAG fixed headrests, for example, jam into the back of my skull in a way that forces my head uncomfortably forward, making my neck and shoulders hurt after about 20 minutes, and getting progressively worse over time. Hard nope on owning one of those, at least without surgery to either me or the car.

Why on earth would you even consider buying a car that you weren't comfortable sitting in? 
 

I mean, if it were something that could be changed (like maybe the Jeep strap) that's one thing, but if a permanent part of the car bothers you (ignition key, fixed headrest)...no way. 

I drive the BMW as a summertime weekend cruiser. I don't care too much that there's no armrest, the seat isn't centered on the steering wheel and the seats make my leg fall asleep after a few hours.

I drive the Jeep 12-13000 miles per year. I couldn't imagine spending that much time in anything uncomfortable. The steering wheel is centered on the seat which is centered between the two armrests, both at the same height. The shifter is situated so I can rest my elbow on the armrest and grab the handle to shift. If a car was built around a person it would be that one for me.

I've been contemplating a Bronco as potential Jeep replacement but I don't know if it could live up to the comfort.

I can't drive any Civic built in the last 15 or 20 years because of the park brake handle trying to share the space with my knee.

I loved my miata... I was a bit tall, so did a foamectomy, but still hunched and slouched in it to fit. Had it for years starting at the end of college. Got my career off the ground, working in an office with over two hours a day on a commuter bus. Didn't exercise enough. (Still skinny, still in shape, right? WRONG) Hopped in the miata for a 16 hour drive...

Herniated disc in my spine, surgery required, laid up in bed for 4 months. Permanent nerve damage in right leg. Years later still having problems, putting off another more invasive surgery with epidural steroid shots. 

It wasn't just the miata, but it was a factor. Not doing something better for seating was one of a series of dumb decisions.

Sold my miata, couldn't drive it more than 30 minutes anymore and had kids. I miss it, but have other toys that are nicer to my lower back.

buzzboy said:

I drive the BMW as a summertime weekend cruiser. I don't care too much that there's no armrest, the seat isn't centered on the steering wheel and the seats make my leg fall asleep after a few hours.

I drive the Jeep 12-13000 miles per year. I couldn't imagine spending that much time in anything uncomfortable. The steering wheel is centered on the seat which is centered between the two armrests, both at the same height. The shifter is situated so I can rest my elbow on the armrest and grab the handle to shift. If a car was built around a person it would be that one for me.

I've been contemplating a Bronco as potential Jeep replacement but I don't know if it could live up to the comfort.

Almost ALL vehicles have the steering wheel off center on the seat, and the armrests are different heights.  A surprising number of cars have the steering wheel off-plane to the seat, too.

You will never unsee it now that you are aware of it.

I try to find issues before buying and I'll figure out the work around for them before I commit to buy. I have a knee pad in my MINI , for example, but I have missed significant issues and had to live with it. My 2019 Canyon is the latest example, the seats are like nicely upholstered bricks. If I toy with the seat settings I can usually get a couple of hours seat time before my right leg aches, and then I readjust it for another hour or two. I'm to the point where I'm considering swapping seats, but I'm too cheap to go trade the truck and take a depreciation bath.

ultraclyde said:

Why on earth would you even consider buying a car that you weren't comfortable sitting in? 

I wouldn't, but I have walked around auto shows, gone to dealers, etc and sat in tons of cars and the vast majority of them were an easy "pass" after just a few minutes. 

But, the vast majority of them if it was the only way I had to get somewhere I could drive them if I had to.  I know comfortable cars exist, but there are so few it makes me wonder if I'm being too picky.  The best one I know of is the early 2000s Volvo S60/V70 but they are in rough shape now and don't really drive that great anyway.  I want to buy a brand new car but can't find much that I can stand.

I do a lot of road trips and nothing is more frustrating to me than buying a car with really comfy seats only to realize on my first 200 mile trip that my butt falls asleep.  Not much you can do about it other than swapping seats (which I often do).

The van I have right now I'm blessed that the seats are pretty darn good.  I just finished a couple 275 mile jaunts and never had to stop, and with a 28 gallon fuel tank, that's a nice thing.

With obvious exceptions, it seems like manufacturers tend to have trends.  I don't fit well in Ford seats but they last forever.  I do fit in GM seats but they seem to fall apart.  I've never owned a Volvo, but I'm told they have great seats.  I would rather walk than take long trips in a Subaru.

I am 6'1" and 225 lbs, but I have no butt.  My diminutive gluteal surface area creates higher PSI which means I'm picky about seats.

Tk8398 said:

ultraclyde said:

Why on earth would you even consider buying a car that you weren't comfortable sitting in? 

I wouldn't, but I have walked around auto shows, gone to dealers, etc and sat in tons of cars and the vast majority of them were an easy "pass" after just a few minutes. 

But, the vast majority of them if it was the only way I had to get somewhere I could drive them if I had to.  I know comfortable cars exist, but there are so few it makes me wonder if I'm being too picky.  The best one I know of is the early 2000s Volvo S60/V70 but they are in rough shape now and don't really drive that great anyway.  I want to buy a brand new car but can't find much that I can stand.

The thing that bothers me most about my S60 is the driving position, it is too far off the floor for my back to feel good.  But the rest of the car makes up for it.

If you want a good one, get a babied R, but those have gone from $cheap to $what?? in the past couple years.  They did make the chassis until 2009.

One thing to remember - when you first sit in a new car you are sitting way higher than you will if you relax and sink down in the seat.  To evaluate a potential new car for comfort it is necessary to consciously relax and sink down as you would in an easy chair and then see if there are any interference or discomfort points.

You can also eliminate many possible problem points with careful seat adjustment.  One example - a car I tried for the first time seemed to have the seat all the way back and there still wasn't a comfort zone.  Simply running the seat forward a little and then reclining the seat back right against the rear bulkhead (it was a 2 seater) transformed an uncomfortable seating to a quite comfortable one.

In reply to wspohn :

Well said!   My 97 Chevy pickup was really comfortable.  I could travel 20+ hours behind that wheel per day.  When  the dreaded tin worm got it to the point of no return I replaced it with a New Ford F-150  that at first I hated.  The head rest jammed my neck forward. Then I found to tilt the seat back more, raise the head rest and have the seat closer to the wheel. Once again I was doing 20 hour days. 

I bought a Toyota Sienna van that I loved, but the leather seats had a seam that pushed into my leg uncomfortably.  I thought "these seats are brand new, they'll break in and it won't be a problem".  100k miles later, the seam still drove me crazy. 

Seats to me are like shoes. Would you buy shoes that were uncomfortable?  

Apexcarver said:

I loved my miata... I was a bit tall, so did a foamectomy, but still hunched and slouched in it to fit. Had it for years starting at the end of college. Got my career off the ground, working in an office with over two hours a day on a commuter bus. Didn't exercise enough. (Still skinny, still in shape, right? WRONG) Hopped in the miata for a 16 hour drive...

Herniated disc in my spine, surgery required, laid up in bed for 4 months. Permanent nerve damage in right leg. Years later still having problems, putting off another more invasive surgery with epidural steroid shots. 

 

It wasn't just the miata, but it was a factor. Not doing something better for seating was one of a series of dumb decisions.

 

Sold my miata, couldn't drive it more than 30 minutes anymore and had kids. I miss it, but have other toys that are nicer to my lower back.

Agreed. My Miata seats are awful. Thankfully it's just a weekend toy. I have been planning on replacing the seats now for several years. Recaro replacements are $4500 each.  Not sure I need a car that has seats worth more than the car itself.

Along those lines, what's up with headrests tilted forward?  I had a newish Ford Edge two years ago for a couple of hundred mile trip. I sit more upright when I drive and the headrest shoved my head down to just staring at the dash. I ended up having to totally remove it to drive. 
I guess most people drive laying down?  That's the only way I could see it being comfortable. 
 

-Rob

Two family road trips ago I discovered the reason for my years-old mystery knee pain and weakness that I've spent a bunch of money on specialists who couldn't figure it out: Chrysler minivan gas pedal position cranks my knee in an awkward way. Drive it long enough and it's a health issue. >:( 
 

I have a theory that I should go car shopping when I'm really tired and irritable, then I will find every flaw in the ergonomics. 

I sold an E30 in part because I just could not get comfortable.  The "comfort" seats were anything but.  Narrow, minimal bolstering, and the seat bottoms were too short. 

To answer the OP's question, "Extremely picky."  As others have said, if you're driving the car, you're experiencing the seat.  Make sure you and it are a match.

FWIW, Kia seats seem to match me fine; I haven't sat in one that wasn't pleasant.  I like our 2020 Odyssey, too.  Adjustable lumbar support is a very good idea, BTW.

Conversely (and I know this is off-topic) I sat in the back of a new Malibu at the auto show a few years ago.  It probably had a sunroof, but what it definitely had was a kind of Zagato bulge in the roof for me to put my head in.  That's the only way, and the only place, I could sit upright.  I mean, what the hell, Chevrolet?  It's not like I play basketball or something; I'm 5-11.  I couldn't get out of that car fast enough.

rob_lewis said:

Along those lines, what's up with headrests tilted forward?  I had a newish Ford Edge two years ago for a couple of hundred mile trip. I sit more upright when I drive and the headrest shoved my head down to just staring at the dash. I ended up having to totally remove it to drive. 
I guess most people drive laying down?  That's the only way I could see it being comfortable. 
 

-Rob

Surprised I haven't seen this mentioned before.  I'm guessing (hoping) that some of it is government mandated--something to do with crash protection?  I've been in the front passenger seat of some cars that I HAD TO REMOVE the headrest in order to be even remotely comfortable.  Ideally, the headrest will be fully adjustable for comfort.

1988RedT2 said:

rob_lewis said:

Along those lines, what's up with headrests tilted forward?  I had a newish Ford Edge two years ago for a couple of hundred mile trip. I sit more upright when I drive and the headrest shoved my head down to just staring at the dash. I ended up having to totally remove it to drive. 
I guess most people drive laying down?  That's the only way I could see it being comfortable. 
 

-Rob

Surprised I haven't seen this mentioned before.  I'm guessing (hoping) that some of it is government mandated--something to do with crash protection?  I've been in the front passenger seat of some cars that I HAD TO REMOVE the headrest in order to be even remotely comfortable.  Ideally, the headrest will be fully adjustable for comfort.

The regulation you seek

Anti whiplash measure. Some manufacturers use a spring loaded headrest that springs forward in case of a crash in stead of being forward all the time.(FCA for one, but they used cheap plastic so they break in a forward position a lot).

FWIW, the S60 steering wheel is off center, I forget which way.

The RX-7 steering wheel is off to the left, but you don't notice it because the pedals are also heavily skewed to the left.  Then you notice THAT, you are sitting sideways in the car.

Have never had a car where my head was near the headrests.  I can touch the S60 headrest if I wear a helmet and lean back.  The RX-7 headrest is closer to my shoulders than my head...  Anyway, years back C&D interviewed the Volvo engineers who examined every Volvo that was involved in a collision in Sweden to lean how to make the cars safer, at firsr to prevent deaths, and later to prevent injuries both serious and minor.  The writer noted that the engineers' personal cars all had the headrests tilted as far forward as possible.

rob_lewis said:

Along those lines, what's up with headrests tilted forward?  I had a newish Ford Edge two years ago for a couple of hundred mile trip. I sit more upright when I drive and the headrest shoved my head down to just staring at the dash. I ended up having to totally remove it to drive. 
I guess most people drive laying down?  That's the only way I could see it being comfortable. 
 

-Rob

FMVSS 202A.......that's the reason headrests moved forward. The standard restricts how far your head can snap back in a rear end collision. More expensive cars sometimes achieve the standard with active headrests that move forward in a collision.

Edit:  Ooops.....Apexcarver beat me to it.