Seat Comfort
#1
Seat Comfort
Good afternoon - I currently have a 2014 IS250 and the bucket seats are killing my back. Already have significant back pain and of course they are making it worse. Sadly I didn't feel this level of pain when test driving, etc. I've only had the car a year. So now I've decided to pay it off early and get rid of it (trade it in) asap. I love the car but just can't deal with the horrid seats any longer. Long story short, how are the seats in the NX? Very comfortable - recommend for someone with back problems? I know I want an SUV, just trying to make up my mind. Of course, everyone is different but this is somewhere to start. Thanks very much.
#2
Good afternoon - I currently have a 2014 IS250 and the bucket seats are killing my back. Already have significant back pain and of course they are making it worse. Sadly I didn't feel this level of pain when test driving, etc. I've only had the car a year. So now I've decided to pay it off early and get rid of it (trade it in) asap. I love the car but just can't deal with the horrid seats any longer. Long story short, how are the seats in the NX? Very comfortable - recommend for someone with back problems? I know I want an SUV, just trying to make up my mind. Of course, everyone is different but this is somewhere to start. Thanks very much.
#3
Seats are absolutely impossible to seek someone else's opinion about. You just can't.
THE ONLY real way to find out is to have long term test drive. At least, couple hrs. Say, Mazda seat will kill circulation in my legs in about 40 minutes. Dodge takes 3-4 hrs, then it's absolutely painful.
Again, THE ONLY way to find for you, OP, is long term test drive. Do NOT rely on others opinions, everyone IS different.
If dealer does not want to allow test drive, too bad for them. Each time you do this trade in switcheroo of cars, YOU lose lots of money, not them.
THE ONLY real way to find out is to have long term test drive. At least, couple hrs. Say, Mazda seat will kill circulation in my legs in about 40 minutes. Dodge takes 3-4 hrs, then it's absolutely painful.
Again, THE ONLY way to find for you, OP, is long term test drive. Do NOT rely on others opinions, everyone IS different.
If dealer does not want to allow test drive, too bad for them. Each time you do this trade in switcheroo of cars, YOU lose lots of money, not them.
#4
I have the F-Sport and I've always felt it was super comfortable, cushier than my 2008 MDX and more supportive than the 2015 Siena I traded in. Able to withstand 8 hours straight of driving without butt falling asleep. Wife doesn't like the side bolstering as much as it restricts where she can keep her leg. I test drove my father in law's NX300 that isn't F-Sport this weekend and I have to say, its a more comfortable seating (and ride for that matter), at least for the 10 minutes I drove it than my F-Sport but I've gotten used to my F-Sport that I'd miss the side bolstering. If I hadn't been driving the F-Sport for the past year, I'd probably give the nod to the non-F-Sport seats for initial comfort.
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csmcvay (08-28-18)
#5
I drove my NX200t for 5+ hours straight (till first gas stop) without any issues and the seat was perfect. NX F-sport seats were not as comfy for me, though, when I tested the car. But, as ukrkoz said, you must try to make your mind, everybody butt cut differently.
Last edited by Lex2000TL; 08-27-18 at 06:45 PM.
#8
I agree with ukrkoz above, every back is different and only you can determine if it will work for you. I also have back problems and find that the seats are very comfortable for me. We do not have the F-sport, we have the premium package of the NX200T.
#9
I have a 17' NX F-Sport as well, and have owned it for about 11 months now. After a month or so, I also realized I was having lower back pain as well. I'm 6'0 and was about 215 at the time of purchase. I only test drove the NX once and didnt think too much about the seat comfort. Actually my wife mentioned the seat looked to be on the small side for me too.
I knew the whole car itself looked small and felt small for my size but at the time, I liked the NX and thought it would be great to have for ski trips. But during driving, my left thigh and leg is on the edge of the left bottom of the seat, so it is uncomfortable and I have to move myself towards the right side at times to get comfortable so my thigh/leg is not on the edge. I've now lost about 20lbs, and that kinda helped but still I do get lower back pain on longer drives. I either have to lose more weight or somehow get rid of it. And next car I plan to buy, I will do a lot more test drives and make sure the seat is comfortable enough to my liking before purchasing it.
I knew the whole car itself looked small and felt small for my size but at the time, I liked the NX and thought it would be great to have for ski trips. But during driving, my left thigh and leg is on the edge of the left bottom of the seat, so it is uncomfortable and I have to move myself towards the right side at times to get comfortable so my thigh/leg is not on the edge. I've now lost about 20lbs, and that kinda helped but still I do get lower back pain on longer drives. I either have to lose more weight or somehow get rid of it. And next car I plan to buy, I will do a lot more test drives and make sure the seat is comfortable enough to my liking before purchasing it.
#10
The IS and the NX have almost exactly the same seats. F Sport seats on the NX are same as F Sport IS seats, but narrower. Same for non F Sport models.
NX F Sport:
IS F Sport:
NX regular:
IS regular:
NX F Sport:
IS F Sport:
NX regular:
IS regular:
Last edited by JDR76; 09-11-18 at 03:52 PM.
#11
Years of back pain from sports and the military were always magnified on long trips in the various cars I've owned, but now with F-Sport seats I can drive 400+ miles and feel rested and relaxed at the destination.
6-2/195
#12
I have the '17 Rx f-sport. The side bolsters were too narrow and pushed on the sides of my back. Driving was pretty uncomfortable after not too long. I decided to try to modify the seat back. I took a piece of open cell egg crate foam and cut it to fit against the back, seat to shoulders. The egg cell bumps are against the seat so the side You sit against is smooth. Cut and tapered the edge to fit between the side bolsters and lay flat against the back. Since the seats are black, I covered the whole seat back with an xxl-long black tshirt. The head rest sticks up through the head hole and tucked the sleeves inside. By looking you can barely tell anything is there. But what a difference in comfort. Just put 1500 miles on in 4 days and the seat felt great. No pain whatsoever. And the open cell egg crate foam allowed the seat cooling air to come right through. I plan on taking the tshirt off, cutting the sleeves off and sewing up the arm holes. Also may sew up the head hole and just leave a couple of small holes for the headrest posts to go through. No longer regretting getting the f-sport because of the seats and no longer looking to replace these seats with the lux.
Last edited by Mikenunb; 09-21-18 at 03:12 AM. Reason: Addition
#13
Unfortunately, the seat comfort is my main issue with the F-sport. The bolstering is just too extreme for me. I am only 5’8” and about 165 pounds, so a little overweight but not terribly heavy. They are even worse for my wife who has wider hips. I like the grill much better. In my perfect world, they would offer an f-sport appearance package in a hybrid. They offer a hybrid f-sport in other countries, but they are probably still the f-sport seats. Perhaps someone here can answer that question.
#14
TechNut. My solution has greatly improved the narrow bolsters on the back/sides problem. The same could probably be done to the seat to widen the space between the side bolsters. I'm going to look for a commercial seat cover that will look normal and hold the extra padding in place.
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TechNut (09-22-18)
#15
I bought a new 2019 NX300 in end of February, 2019. This is my first Lexus - after having owned/driven a BMW X3 for 6+ years. The driver's seat is absolutely killing my back! So much, in fact, that after 4500 miles - I've decided to sell the new Lexus and get a different car (probably back to BMW). It seems that the NX300 seats are simply not designed for my body type/shape. (I'm 5' 11' - weight 140 lbs - and am in good physical shape. I don't have general aches and pains - and work out regularly).
The general problem, I think, is that the seat bottom is too soft near the back - and the lumbar support is too high (does not have vertical adjustment).
This is truly disappointing - and costly for me too. But, I spend a lot of time in my car - and can't drive a car that gives me constant back pain.
I test-drove the car for 30 minutes or so - and didn't really notice. It was only after I started driving consistently and for longer periods of time that I noticed this issue.
So - my recommendation is to test drive for an extended period of time! Drive for 1 hour or more!
As an aside - I also find that I need to drive with the center console cover open - as the height of the arm/elbow rest is way to high - and does not allow my right arm to naturally hang / rest while holding the steering wheel. This is also contributing to my desire to sell this car!
The general problem, I think, is that the seat bottom is too soft near the back - and the lumbar support is too high (does not have vertical adjustment).
This is truly disappointing - and costly for me too. But, I spend a lot of time in my car - and can't drive a car that gives me constant back pain.
I test-drove the car for 30 minutes or so - and didn't really notice. It was only after I started driving consistently and for longer periods of time that I noticed this issue.
So - my recommendation is to test drive for an extended period of time! Drive for 1 hour or more!
As an aside - I also find that I need to drive with the center console cover open - as the height of the arm/elbow rest is way to high - and does not allow my right arm to naturally hang / rest while holding the steering wheel. This is also contributing to my desire to sell this car!