Last night I drove 7-8 hours driving back and forth from chicago to up state wisconsin, I was in a 14' box truck Isuzu NPR cabover with a broken seat. The truck can only go 75mph but was flooring it for 6 hours straight. The position is more like driving a bus but somehow I didn't get tired and was able to go to work early the next day with only 4 hours of sleep. Obviously it is nowhere near as fun as my Land Cruiser to drive as land cruiser is more robust and faster. But what got me thinking was how my body feels fresh even after such a long commute. Is there anything I can do to improve comfort for long trips? I have been meaning to replace seat foam in the drivers seat.
Road Trip Comfort
- Thread starter Reckless
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I just did 5,000 miles in my 200, roundtrip from Boston to Telluride. I was comfortable the entire time. YMMV.
The road trip comfort in mine is outstanding. My wife and I just completed a month-long 5000 mile round trip to the Canadian Rockies and back (to Michigan), towing a 2 ton camper the whole time. We used the seat heaters, seat coolers, console cooler, and occasionally messed with seat adjustments to change things up, but, it was comfortable every mile and we are very different sizes. My only change on the next long trip will be to switch back to the Weathertech liners because the Husky liners allowed our right foot to wear the floor carpet next to the skinny pedal (no cruise control while towing).
I find the seat hard too. And maybe a bit too flat. Keep us posted what you figure out, was thinking about replacing/adding more cushion to the seats too, but also don't want to lose the heat/cooling action. Wife has make comments about how much more comfortable her CRV is than the 13' LC, sadly I'd have to agree. 1st world problems though, the LC is not awful at all, just not amazing like you'd find in other luxury cars.
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Full upright, harder seat is always better for us. I have one car with bare aluminum drag buckets in it. I can pull 14 hour days and feel fine. Soft and no movement is a kind of death IMHO. Age 75 is in my rear view mirror but I think bouncing around is good for you.
I've taken pretty long trips in mine. With multiple long travel days back to back. I find the 200-series, specifically the LX, incredibly comfortable for all day travel. Mother-in-law visiting, commented "no wonder you guys like to drive".
This is in contrast to a 4Runner I had prior. Did not like those seats/seating position at all. I chalk it up to the relatively low to the floor bottom cushions and its limited headroom. Such that my legs were stretched forward rather than down. The seating position was more slung than upright.
The 200-series by comparison, let's me sit way more upright.
I'm an average height person. Those of you a lot taller, may have trouble duplicating that posture. To chilibit's point, full upright is more comfortable for longer durations. I also find that the LX seats are nicely bolstered and very adjustable for that perfect support. I think it has two more degrees of adjustment over the LC. IIRC, it has adjustable bottom cushion length adjustment that the LC does not.
Back to the 4Runner, its low seating position was on account of it having frame rails. The 200-series being larger, has more height to work with, but still has this limitation to a degree. Whereas unibody vehicles like the CRV that Mogwai mentions, can contour the floorboard much deeper to get a more upright seating position.
If you have the headroom, try raising the bottom cushion off the floor more.
This is in contrast to a 4Runner I had prior. Did not like those seats/seating position at all. I chalk it up to the relatively low to the floor bottom cushions and its limited headroom. Such that my legs were stretched forward rather than down. The seating position was more slung than upright.
The 200-series by comparison, let's me sit way more upright.
I'm an average height person. Those of you a lot taller, may have trouble duplicating that posture. To chilibit's point, full upright is more comfortable for longer durations. I also find that the LX seats are nicely bolstered and very adjustable for that perfect support. I think it has two more degrees of adjustment over the LC. IIRC, it has adjustable bottom cushion length adjustment that the LC does not.
Back to the 4Runner, its low seating position was on account of it having frame rails. The 200-series being larger, has more height to work with, but still has this limitation to a degree. Whereas unibody vehicles like the CRV that Mogwai mentions, can contour the floorboard much deeper to get a more upright seating position.
If you have the headroom, try raising the bottom cushion off the floor more.
- Thread starter
- #8
Maybe this is my problem as I've been used to leaning like im driving a caddy. My left leg is the problem, it starts to twitch, get numb and tense up.
- Thread starter
- #9
Sounds like good advice. Will also try this.
I do live in LX envy but love the easy clean vinyl seats in my 09. I just wish my body didnt ache on long trips and easier to sleep in back while car is in motion.
There's been some mention of potentially dropping an LX seat into an LC. Physically, I'd bet they're complete drop ins. The electronics could be drop in too. Just no one has tried. I don't know that the seats are really that much different to justify trying. Definitely try raising the seating position though.
I agree. The seats aren't great at all. Too firm and flat with too little support, for my fatness at least. After a handful of hours I'm aching.
Related: Only in recent years have my girls been old enough to drive and, as such, I've only recently enjoyed the opportunity to ride in the back on long trips while someone else drives. Wow - those reclining rear seats with fore and aft adjustment in my LX are priceless when I need a nap!
Getting ready to take a three hour trip to North Georgia this morning. I'm gonna try jacking up the front seat to if it makes a difference for me. I typically leave it set to medium or lower height because I have a weird idea that in a rollover I should have max headroom, but I admit it is completely baseless and founded on no fact that I know of!.
Getting ready to take a three hour trip to North Georgia this morning. I'm gonna try jacking up the front seat to if it makes a difference for me. I typically leave it set to medium or lower height because I have a weird idea that in a rollover I should have max headroom, but I admit it is completely baseless and founded on no fact that I know of!.
I have dreamed of putting 5-series BMW seats in my LC. Sadly the airbags and the way the seats communicate with the computer make this a potentially risky proposition (if even possible). I love the seats in my 335 m-sport and my wife's Macan S. Neither has upright seats, but both are very supportive and non-fatiguing for long trips.
As far as a solution, what I did with my LC is take it to a local upholstery shop to have the seats recontoured. The shop added additional padding to the front edge, which makes the seat slightly longer and higher, to better support the legs just above the knee. Then they built up the lumbar and the center-back portion of the seat to fill in the hole that all Japanese seats seem to have. This brings the back into a straighter, more upright position, straightening the neck and removing the curled, hunched-over feeling. I have been told that by pushing the head forward and curling the back, the seats perform better in crash tests. Why Japanese seats seem plagued by this and German seats don't, I am not sure. I have noticed that smaller people (< 6'), don't seem as affected by this type of seat. My theory is that the smaller you are, the less your head is pushed forward, so smaller people are in a more natural position.
Anyway, for less than $300, I was able to make the driver seat much more comfortable and supportive, especially noticeable on long trips. It may take a couple iterations to get it just right, but I have done this with 2 different vehicles to great success.
As far as a solution, what I did with my LC is take it to a local upholstery shop to have the seats recontoured. The shop added additional padding to the front edge, which makes the seat slightly longer and higher, to better support the legs just above the knee. Then they built up the lumbar and the center-back portion of the seat to fill in the hole that all Japanese seats seem to have. This brings the back into a straighter, more upright position, straightening the neck and removing the curled, hunched-over feeling. I have been told that by pushing the head forward and curling the back, the seats perform better in crash tests. Why Japanese seats seem plagued by this and German seats don't, I am not sure. I have noticed that smaller people (< 6'), don't seem as affected by this type of seat. My theory is that the smaller you are, the less your head is pushed forward, so smaller people are in a more natural position.
Anyway, for less than $300, I was able to make the driver seat much more comfortable and supportive, especially noticeable on long trips. It may take a couple iterations to get it just right, but I have done this with 2 different vehicles to great success.
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- #14
Can you post pictures? I am considering something similar.
I did notice last night when I straighten the back and lifted bottom seat higher up that my neck was hurting from being so straight.
The additional foam was inserted under the existing front edge of the seat base and the middle 50% of the seat back. I was asked to stay with the vehicle, so that I could periodically test fit the progress; temporarily bolting in the seat and giving further direction. They used a sander to take small amounts of foam off, and I learned that it didn't take a lot of adjustment to make a significant difference. There is obviously a limit to how much they can add, unless you are willing to modify the leather cover. The shop asked that I drive it for a few weeks and then come back for any needed adjustments.
The result is a seat that looks almost stock. It feels more bloated (firm) to the touch, but so far has served me well.
The result is a seat that looks almost stock. It feels more bloated (firm) to the touch, but so far has served me well.
I like the upholstery route. I am 5'9" and very comfortable in '13 LC200, but could use a little more lumbar support. Driven a few 1000+ road trips and thoroughly enjoy the LC on the road vs my wife's 2015 CRV or our 2015 BMW X1. Both have seats that are too hard just behind my knees and caused cramps in my legs. Can't adjust the seats enough with legs in an ergonomically correct position, whereas the LC is a natural fit for my body type. I think the key to long road trips is to move periodically and keep stretching as much as possible.
I think the seats in my LX are too flat. I'm constantly reaching for the seat controls to see if I can raise the front to give the back of my legs above the knees some more support. Adding more foam there seems the way to go.