07 Camry Seat/height issue - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

enigma5568 · 03-27-2008, 08:39 AM

Hey all,

I was looking for some guidance on an issue i am having....

First of all, buying a new car is NOT an option....

Here is my issue ---

I want to know if there is a way to make the seat go lower, because the lowest setting is not low enough for me in that I need more head room... I have accepted that some custom work is probably necessary. I wanted to know if anyone has had a similar experience either with lowering the seats OR even replacing the seats to allow for more headroom...

Also, if it is helpful, I am a 6'3" male with a 34" inseam. So I have tall legs and torso... LEGS are not an issue, only headroom is.

Appreciate any and all feedback.

Thanks in advance

Camread · 03-27-2008, 09:30 AM

how far are you leaning back?

enigma5568 · 03-27-2008, 09:41 AM

I am not leaning back very far.. My seat is at about a 100-110 degree angle.

I prefer not to lean back.... if i do it isn't as comfortable and I have to stretch my arm to reach the steering wheel.

Tobeit · 03-27-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma5568

I am not leaning back very far.. My seat is at about a 100-110 degree angle.

I prefer not to lean back.... if i do it isn't as comfortable and I have to stretch my arm to reach the steering wheel.

What car model and seat option do you have? I am 6.3" too and have no issue with power seats. Manual adjusted seats often can not be lowered as much, I always have the power seats at the lowest position with some tilt up towards the legs to make the leg rest on the cushion as much as possible.

So, if you have manual - switching to power seats helps.

enigma5568 · 03-27-2008, 10:21 AM

I have the SE model, with the power seats...

@tobeit - i don't really have a problem with the legs end it is more headroom - How far is you head from the ceiling? Could you describe as best you can how your seat is configured.. How far back are you? How do you have the bottom part that pushes on your lower back? etc etc. Thanks!

I have a sunroof.... too if that helps.

Tobeit · 03-27-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma5568

I have the SE model, with the power seats...

@tobeit - i don't really have a problem with the legs end it is more headroom - How far is you head from the ceiling? Could you describe as best you can how your seat is configured.. How far back are you? How do you have the bottom part that pushes on your lower back? etc etc. Thanks!

I have a sunroof.... too if that helps.

I would need to recall from memory...haven't sat in my Camry since 3 weeks due to travel. I have the monroof too (XLE).

What I can remember: seat all the way down, front of seat pad raised to give some tilt upwards, lumbar adjustment at about mid setting, seat about half way backwards (I don't drive with stretched arms either, but so that I can rest my elbow on the end of the door pad, back tilted so that the back rest is about at the B-pillar (def not laying backward

).

Not sure if that helps, but w/o settings on the controls its hard to explain.

phuangk · 03-27-2008, 10:45 AM

Hmm.. myself I don't have any issue with my head hitting the roof, cuz i'm not very tall. However, I did notice the seat itself is higher than regular sedan (which is also one out of two things I don't like about my Camry). There was one time a friend of my sitting inside of my car in the front passenger seat. He is about 185cm+ tall, and I can feel that he is having hard time to make himself confortable in the car. He has to do a lot of adjustment on the seat in order to sit properly...

Tobeit · 03-27-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuangk

Hmm.. myself I don't have any issue with my head hitting the roof, cuz i'm not very tall. However, I did notice the seat itself is higher than regular sedan (which is also one out of two things I don't like about my Camry). There was one time a friend of my sitting inside of my car in the front passenger seat. He is about 185cm+ tall, and I can feel that he is having hard time to make himself confortable in the car. He has to do a lot of adjustment on the seat in order to sit properly...

I am 191cm and sit pretty comfy...but everybody defines that different and has different preferences.

ibgreen · 03-27-2008, 11:48 AM

My dealer said the Camrys with moonroofs have a lower "ceiling" than those without.

Could you sit back just a bit further, and extend the steering colum further?

That may not help, I realize. I'm almost 5' 9", so no problems. But my steering wheel isn't even full out.

MrSo0h0o · 03-27-2008, 12:39 PM

i am also 6'3" ~260lbs. i am more legs than torso though. mine is the gen 5.5 camry SE with power seats. at times it can get uncomfortable as i cannot stretch my left leg out fully, so i usually prop it up and use my knee as a left arm rest to hold the steering wheel.

my seat configuration is front tilt up all the way to give me max lower thigh support, lowered almost to the max, lumbar support depends on if its a long trip or not, and tilt maybe 120 degrees

07XLE · 03-27-2008, 02:35 PM

Just open the sunroof and let your head poke out. You didn't take notice of this issue when you did your test drive?

gdanaher · 03-27-2008, 02:50 PM

I am 6 feet with a 29 inch inseam so I have a torso about 2 inches longer than your's. I drive an LE with no moon roof. One of the reasons I didn't get the XLE is that it comes standard with the moon roof and it takes a good inch off the top. I don't think there is much room to lower the seat. You could raise it using shims but I think the bottom is the bottom. Inch it forward just a bit and inch the back a couple of degrees.

thoots · 03-27-2008, 02:56 PM

1. Find brick wall.
2. Run as fast as you can.
3. Bash into brick wall, head-first.
4. Repeat.

Ahh, perhaps the ONE good thing about being a five-foot-six-inch shrimp like me.

Seriously, think in terms of "re-folding" yourself as you try different seating positions. I suppose it's obvious that you've got to lean yourself farther back than you're doing, unless you'd like to work on that brick wall routine, above. So, what might help make that work better? Getting closer to the steering wheel while leaning back more? i.e., if you raise the front of the seat cushion as far as it'll go, and lower the rear of the seat cushion as far as it'll go, then that might "fold up your legs" more, so you'll be able to get closer to the wheel, which would give you more room to lean the seat back and still have the wheel close and comfortable to you.

Again, think along those lines -- what would it take to get yourself more comfortable with a more leaning-back position?

niceguy · 03-27-2008, 04:44 PM

Do you test drive the car? If you find yourself seating so unconfortablely inside the car when you test drive it, why do you still buy it? I would pick a bigger one.

theslowone · 03-27-2008, 10:36 PM

i am 6-3 250 lbs 34inseam also. and i too noticed how high the seat sat compared to my old es300, i what it bottomed out and tilted a little, and it is not bad. my should sit about the same line as the b pillar. nad i had to telescope the wheel most of the way out. i am sure u could dlo some slight adjustment with the seat out of the car.

if u do rempove the seat unplug the battery for a few minutes before to start to take it out. cause of the air bag and all.