Hi all, after driving around a 2007 F150 for a few years, I recently traded that in for a 2010 Corolla (base package) to commute with and save money on gas. I normally drive about 40 miles a day, however starting in August I will be doing some 500 and 1000 mile drives on a regular basis. I live in Maine and we get completely dumped on with snow and ice during the winter, I went with the Corolla since it was the most efficient inexpensive vehicle I could find with stability control.
Anyway I picked up a Metallic Grey Corolla with a 5 speed manual transmission. I test drove the car for about 30 minutes before I purchased it and did not have a problem with the seat in whatever random position it was in when I got into the car. I just moved it back and took off driving.
It was about 60 minutes from the dealer back to my house, at which point I started noticing some back fatigue in the middle of my back. Given that I will end up driving this car for 8 to 12+ hour stretches at a time, this is not a good sign. I have tried adjusting the seat repeatedly and have not have much success so far. I am 5' 11" tall and somewhere around 225 pounds. I found a barely decent setting with the seat all the way back, the height adjustment pumped up 4 times, and the seat back tilted back 4 clicks. Also I have the steering wheel pulled all the way back towards the seat and tilted about halfway up. If I put my wrists on the steering wheel, my arms are slightly bent.
From what I have read, this *should* be the most ergonomic position however its just not working out for me. If I put the seat up a bunch more clicks, I start running out of legroom in a hurry. After just a few minutes in the car, I start feeling back fatigue kick in. No matter how long I drove around my F150, I never had any back fatigue and I never thought this would be a problem with the Corolla seats, especially with the height adjustment.
The only complaints I read about the seat were normally related to mediocre lateral support and not much thigh support, however these are not my problems. Anyone have some pointers for adjusting or modifying the seat to make it more comfortable? I have just under 300 miles on the car so far, and I have probably spent 2 hours messing with the seat. Will the seat (or my back) get better after some break in time?
I have the same problem. I'm 6'00" and 200lbs. I drive 33 miles each way to/from work but with Chicago traffic I can spend 90 mins getting home some nights.
If the seat is far enough back, then the wheel isn't close enough (even fully telescoped towards me.) If I get good arm length, then I'm too close to the steering wheel and my leg room suffers.
If I pump the seat down to increase leg room, I end up too low like some punk in a '90's Civic. Pump it higher and the seat starts to tilt forward and I lose thigh support.
So I end up changing seat positions and squirming alot. I hope to get either Katzkin leather or at least the Clazzio covers which might help. In the mean time, I'm going to look for some kind of lumbar pillow for my lower back.
Maybe these seats are designed for short, skinny Twentysomethings...
Try getting one of those Obusforme back and seat cushions.
I looked into one of those Obus Forme lumbar cushions and they seem pretty effective. Though I need to be honest and say they seem a bit too much for me as I drive around trying to feel younger than I really am (my gray hair just started coming in ). Plus if I did not like it, I would be stuck with a $60+ back support. Regardless, it does something like I should try something instead of screwing up my back. After poking around and doing some research, I ended up going with one of these lumbar pillows:
That will easily tuck away into a door pocket or the top glove box and be out of the way. It is also adjustable, does not require a strap around the back of the seat, and I can use it as a pillow for my kid if needed. For only $20 it looks like a pretty good investment even if it helps just a little bit on long drives. It should arrive in a couple of days.
I looked into one of those Obus Forme lumbar cushions and they seem pretty effective. Though I need to be honest and say they seem a bit too much for me as I drive around trying to feel younger than I really am (my gray hair just started coming in ). Plus if I did not like it, I would be stuck with a $60+ back support. Regardless, it does something like I should try something instead of screwing up my back. After poking around and doing some research, I ended up going with one of these lumbar pillows:
That will easily tuck away into a door pocket or the top glove box and be out of the way. It is also adjustable, does not require a strap around the back of the seat, and I can use it as a pillow for my kid if needed. For only $20 it looks like a pretty good investment even if it helps just a little bit on long drives. It should arrive in a couple of days.
I've been using lumbar pillows since about 1983. Your picture DOESN'T look like a decent one to me [however, it works, great!]. I would shop in a surgical supply store, that's where I get mine. I'm the only driver so the pillow stays tied on the drivers seat permanently. My lumbar pillow seems to 'disappear' into the 09 Corollas seat, and I don't like that it does this. This was not evident when I used it on my 2000 Corolla. I've been riding shotgun regularly in my friends Forester, and his front passengers seat (without my lumbar pillow) feels like an airline seat. I don't think I could tolerate my 09 Corolla's seat for more than 50 miles without a lumbar pillow. I once rented a Ford Escort (80's?) that felt much like the modern seats in Asian cars - rotten.
I've noticed the lack of lower back support and I have also noticed the lack of arm rest support. On longer drives, my arms get fatigued. I haven't been able to come up with a solution. My left arm I can put on the window area, which helps a little bit. My right hand is gripping the wheel with my arm hanging in the air. That gets tiring.
I've noticed the lack of lower back support and I have also noticed the lack of arm rest support. On longer drives, my arms get fatigued. I haven't been able to come up with a solution. My left arm I can put on the window area, which helps a little bit. My right hand is gripping the wheel with my arm hanging in the air. That gets tiring.
I knocked some skin off my left elbow somehow and couldn't seem to heal it. Finally taped a washcloth on the drivers door arm rest (no padding there). I also padded a few chairs in my apartment I use a lot. I'm thinking of contact-cementing a pad on the car armrest. I can make one of sew-able naugahyde with some Dubro foam rubber 1/2" inside it for padding. Dunno if it's worth the effort now that elbow has skinned over, we'll see. I'm not bashful about compromising new-car looks to get what I want.
Putting your left arm in the "window area" means hanging it out the window, yes? I've driven that way for about 55 years. The new Corolla wide roof support makes you put your elbow uncomfortably FORWARD, rather than out the window at a right angle. I understand most new cars are like this. Ain't progress grand?
I've noticed the lack of lower back support and I have also noticed the lack of arm rest support. On longer drives, my arms get fatigued. I haven't been able to come up with a solution. My left arm I can put on the window area, which helps a little bit. My right hand is gripping the wheel with my arm hanging in the air. That gets tiring.
My Canadian LE have a sliding cover on the centre console which I can rest my right elbow. I believe you can buy just the sliding lid from Toyota to replace yours.
My Canadian LE have a sliding cover on the centre console which I can rest my right elbow. I believe you can buy just the sliding lid from Toyota to replace yours.
In 2001 I bought a new Grand Am with power seats. No matter how I adjusted the seat, within 25-35 miles of driving my left thigh and hip would get so sore I had to get out of the car and walk around. Even though the dealership could not see or feel anything wrong with the seat, they replaced it, but the problem persisted. The car pretty much just sat in the garage for 6 months until I sold it at a loss.
I have a similar problem with the '09 Corolla, but on this one it's my right leg. To me it feels as though the gas pedal is too far to the right and my thigh rests on the raised right hand side of the seat bottom and my knee "twists". I'm thinking about trying to find a way to widen the pedal a little toward the left, but haven't really looked at it yet. Just using Cruise as much as possible.
In 2001 I bought a new Grand Am with power seats. No matter how I adjusted the seat, within 25-35 miles of driving my left thigh and hip would get so sore I had to get out of the car and walk around. Even though the dealership could not see or feel anything wrong with the seat, they replaced it, but the problem persisted. The car pretty much just sat in the garage for 6 months until I sold it at a loss.
I have a similar problem with the '09 Corolla, but on this one it's my right leg. To me it feels as though the gas pedal is too far to the right and my thigh rests on the raised right hand side of the seat bottom and my knee "twists". I'm thinking about trying to find a way to widen the pedal a little toward the left, but haven't really looked at it yet. Just using Cruise as much as possible.
You didn't mention your build. My very first complaint about my new 09 Corolla was the accursed electric gas pedal. I cannot control engine revs as precisely as I could with my 2000 Corolla mechanically-linked gas pedal (lurch forward [or backward] from a standing start). After a few weeks I found if I hauled the drivers seat forward so that my right knee rests against the hard plastic edge of the console I had just a little better control of the gas pedal. Actually this was approximately the position I used to drive my 2000, (it had less leg room). Eventually I constructed a naugehyde pad filled with Dubro foam rubber for where my knee rests (contact cement and JBWeld). I am 6'2" and also use a lumbar pillow behind me.
Another trick I sometimes use for a longish trip is a rolled towel wedged against the outside of my right thigh. Though this is usually in combination with cruise control.
Yes, that hard door armrest/switch pod doesn't work for me either. If I sit with my left knee bent and my left heel all the way back to the base of my seat, a bone in my left knee bangs agaisnt the hard door armrest perfectly.
Combined with the hard console lid (really? we couldn't have the soft console lid that's on the XLE standard across the entire line? What would that cost, $5 a car? Wouldn't that facilitate an easier build?)
I've never had a car that needed as much owner-installed padding as your typical kayak...
You didn't mention your build. My very first complaint about my new 09 Corolla was the accursed electric gas pedal. I cannot control engine revs as precisely as I could with my 2000 Corolla mechanically-linked gas pedal (lurch forward [or backward] from a standing start). After a few weeks I found if I hauled the drivers seat forward so that my right knee rests against the hard plastic edge of the console I had just a little better control of the gas pedal. Actually this was approximately the position I used to drive my 2000, (it had less leg room). Eventually I constructed a naugehyde pad filled with Dubro foam rubber for where my knee rests (contact cement and JBWeld). I am 6'2" and also use a lumbar pillow behind me.
Another trick I sometimes use for a longish trip is a rolled towel wedged against the outside of my right thigh. Though this is usually in combination with cruise control.
After 4000 miles I've still got the same electronic throttle problem. When I take off, things seem fine and then my foot moves and the car will shift at the wrong speed, lol. Got to get used to it.
In my case I'm short. If I move the seat forward it's too close to the wheel and also makes entry and exit difficult. A pain in the butt moving the seat all the time.'
There's one on eBay from an XLE starting price $110 shipped. Seller claims lid from dealer is $200+
I just found that you can order the lid assembly for the console with or with out the sliding arm rest at ToyotaWorld. In fact, you can find all kinds of parts here.
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). Plus if I did not like it, I would be stuck with a $60+ back support. Regardless, it does something like I should try something instead of screwing up my back. After poking around and doing some research, I ended up going with one of these lumbar pillows:
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