Driver legroom

[steveorr94]

Hey all-
I'm new to the forum and recently acquired a 2008 GX470. I'm 6'2" and find the driver's seat somewhat lacking in legroom. I did remove the "dead pedal" which gave me about 3" more left legroom, but obviously doesn't change the room on the right.

I assumed a 100 Series would have more legroom, since it's a "larger" vehicle. But I sat in a 2007 LC100 today and it feels exactly the same as my GX. Can I assume the LX470 is the same? Do the 200 series or LX570 offer any additional legroom?

In comparison, I have friends who have a 2017 or 18 Tundra and 4Runner and there is tons of legroom in both. But I just prefer the LC/LX/GX vehicles. The 4R is underpowered to me and I don't want or need a pickup. For reference, my budget is $25k max and I'm looking at 100 Series and 200 series up to perhaps 2010.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Steve

 

[NCMTNS]

LX470 is the same. I have a 2017 LC and it does offer more legroom than my 2004 LX470. Hope that helps.

 

[steveorr94]

LX470 is the same. I have a 2017 LC and it does offer more legroom than my 2004 LX470. Hope that helps.

Thank you. I wish I could afford a 2017 LC...

 

[EZDog]

My Sister has a GX and I promise you it has less leg room than a 100!
Still though I am in the same boat as you.
I bought the 100 and kept telling myself it would be OK but.......
Somehow my 01 Tundra has the most room of the ones that I own as of now.

I had a current style Tundra and got rid of it but it did have the kind of Leg Room that I need and you are looking for but somehow I wonder if the Sequoia is the same as they are similar?
Try the Sequoia and see?

 

[chrisratz]

I'm 6-7, 35" inseam and I don't feel cramped in my LC. Actually I love the seating position. I've done 8 hour drives and thought it was fine. My LC is an 01, not sure if interior legroom changed in later years. I move the seat all the way back, and tilt the seat bottom down in back, up in front.

 

[Kofoed]

You can try and mod the seat brackets. I am 6'2" and to have the seat all the way back and have to reach for the wheel totally bothers me....so everyone is different!

 

[steveorr94]

You can try and mod the seat brackets. I am 6'2" and to have the seat all the way back and have to reach for the wheel totally bothers me....so everyone is different!

Thanks. I looked into that and the guys at MetalTech said that would cause a major problem as there’s a sensor that adjusts the pressure at which the ateering wheel airbag deploys based on the seat’s distance from the wheel.

 

[EZDog]

The legroom comfort thing is so completely subjective that there is no real way to know in advance whether you will fit or not based on anyone elses preference.

Interesting too is that I just returned from a 2800 mile trip in my Element which is also a leg killer as the seating position is just low and stress full for me.
There is so much room in this car that it is crazy but they do not give it to you for some reason from the factory?
Same as the Cruiser.

So I bought a $6 foam pad made for kneeling while working and set it on the Element seat where it elevated my ass about 2 inches but not my thigh/legs and the transformation in feel and driving comfort was literally a miracle for me!
I made the entire trip and my legs and "junk" never got cramped up as they always did before the $6 solution?
I am not at all sure why this helps but I am sure planning on trying to figure it out.
The guy a few doors down from my shop is an upholsterer and we have talked about ways that he can incorporate the foam into the seat so it looks like it belongs there but until I can quantify the reasons for the improvement and experiment a little more I am reluctant to change the seat itself.

I also raised the seat in my 01 Tundra on a 1.5" urethane bushing years ago and again,completely transformed the drivers position in that truck and I always consider this method now with new vehicles.

So the bottom line for me is that it is well worth experimenting no matter how stupid the solution might look or seem as the feeling in my legs is more important than anything else for me on long trips.

 

[steveorr94]

The legroom comfort thing is so completely subjective that there is no real way to know in advance whether you will fit or not based on anyone elses preference.

Interesting too is that I just returned from a 2800 mile trip in my Element which is also a leg killer as the seating position is just low and stress full for me.
There is so much room in this car that it is crazy but they do not give it to you for some reason from the factory?
Same as the Cruiser.

So I bought a $6 foam pad made for kneeling while working and set it on the Element seat where it elevated my ass about 2 inches but not my thigh/legs and the transformation in feel and driving comfort was literally a miracle for me!
I made the entire trip and my legs and "junk" never got cramped up as they always did before the $6 solution?
I am not at all sure why this helps but I am sure planning on trying to figure it out.
The guy a few doors down from my shop is an upholsterer and we have talked about ways that he can incorporate the foam into the seat so it looks like it belongs there but until I can quantify the reasons for the improvement and experiment a little more I am reluctant to change the seat itself.

I also raised the seat in my 01 Tundra on a 1.5" urethane bushing years ago and again,completely transformed the drivers position in that truck and I always consider this method now with new vehicles.

So the bottom line for me is that it is well worth experimenting no matter how stupid the solution might look or seem as the feeling in my legs is more important than anything else for me on long trips.

Thanks for the great reply. I’ve been experimenting with similar solutions and am making progress. The seat in my GX is so blown out that I have decided to get an upholstery guy rebuild it. I need to get my butt higher, which new foam will do. In the short term I tried a seat wedge which I didn’t love and am currently sitting on a pillow. The helps elevate my butt higher but the pillow is a bit too large so some of my thighs is not being supported. So I’ll see how it feels after I get the seat foam replaced. My PT also suggested raising the seat somehow, so I’ve filed that away for future consideration. I’m hopeful that new foam will make a huge difference, as getting additional “legroom” won’t make much difference when the seat itself is not supportive.

 

[EZDog]

Thanks for the great reply. I’ve been experimenting with similar solutions and am making progress. The seat in my GX is so blown out that I have decided to get an upholstery guy rebuild it. I need to get my butt higher, which new foam will do. In the short term I tried a seat wedge which I didn’t love and am currently sitting on a pillow. The helps elevate my butt higher but the pillow is a bit too large so some of my thighs is not being supported. So I’ll see how it feels after I get the seat foam replaced. My PT also suggested raising the seat somehow, so I’ve filed that away for future consideration. I’m hopeful that new foam will make a huge difference, as getting additional “legroom” won’t make much difference when the seat itself is not supportive.

I feel your pain.
I have found that for me the thigh being free of contact with the foam or even just a the entire seat being elevated seems to make an instant huge difference and usually for the better.

There is a company called extend my seat I think that makes brackets for some vehicles that extend the seat tracks rearward while keeping the angles roughly stock to the distance that the cars should have had in the first place I think and I have used them in 2 cars so far to great success. They don't make them for many cars too and so I have been on my own with the Element and LC trying to make them tolerable for myself for the kind of regular long distance driving that I do.

It is sort of freaky that merely raising a seat an inch or so can have such a dramatic positive impact but I have done it enough times now to know that it can.

I had a 4runner before the LC and it had the power seats and a lot less room in front than the LC and after I got rid of it and drove another one but with manual adjusting seats I immediately realized that the manual seat had a greater range of adjustment than the power seat?
What kind of sense does that make!