Well I had decided to purchase an X to replace my 2003 S2000 so I could take my kids on drives. The first test drive I took I instantly loved the car's performance but couldn't find a comfortable seating position for my lower back. I wrote it off to lack of time in the car and figured if I got one I would eventually find a position that worked.

Yesterday I went to try and make a deal on one and went for a longer test drive with some very spirited driving. The recaro seats held me in excellently when cornering hard however I still could not seem to get enough lumbar support for regular driving. It felt like my back was slipping downward and when I got rid of that sensation, I was so far reclined it felt like the seating angle of my old 1980 corvette!
I'm 48 yrs old 5'10" 160 lbs so nothing too out of the ordinary there. I drive an S2K so I'm used to sitting low but I kept craning my neck to see cars around me in traffic as well.
What's weird is my S2k seats with the same lack of adjustment, fit me perfectly especially in the lumbar area.

I dig most everything about the car and had figured on making the plunge but this has really got me wondering. What's so odd is how every review has raved about the seats. I fully expected to feel the same way with them.

Anyone else experience this. Maybe I just need a Chiropractor!

Thanks

 

5'10" 160lbs is quite out of the ordinary actually..

you must not be a real American..

for example, a red blooded American (me) is 5'11" 210lbs

haha,


on the seats, you can try one those Granny lumbar pillows, or perhaps go to your local car upholstery guru and get a pad inserted under the recaro skins...

if its that annoying it could be a deal breaker though, no one wants to be in pain/uncomfortable while driving

 

LoL^^ When (if) you purchase the car, swap the stock Recaros for some Brides.

 

You mean Honda spent time putting some luxury items in their roadster and Mitsu slacked on the luxury effects in their "cheap" super-sports-sedan? Just kidding, not trying to be rude. But really, that's the case here, luxury (what little of it there is in an S) versus um... not luxury.

I am surprised you feel like you're sitting low though, the Evo felt like an SUV to me after coming from an S2000, and the X I drove not too long ago also felt SUVish (as far as seating position goes, that is) compared to the C4. And the view from every single Evo I've been in has been the best view ever, I've always felt surrounded by windows in each Evo I've driven.

The seats aren't made to make you feel comfortable on a long drive to Grandma's. That's why people trade their Evo in and buy cars like mine. The seats are there to hold you tightly when you flip that corner at full speed. And they do that really well, that's where they receive praise. They're practically racing seats.

 

The seating position is a bit wierd in the Evo 10. I find myself sitting bolt upright to reach the pedals and still have full sweep of the steering wheel. If I recline the seat, the steering wheel is too far away.

 

If your lower back feels like it's getting pushed on, adjust the knob, and move the seat forward. Do that until you feel comfortable.

 

Yeah, your going the wrong direction. Lean the seat forward not back. It took me a couple thousand miles to figure this out. But when i went to a couple track days i found that sitting more upright and having the seat closer to the steering wheel was actually SOOOO comfortable. I'm used to driving more reclined in cars so that was a change. But once i made it I haven't changed back... i now have 12k miles on the car.

Seriously though, next time incline the seatback untill your in what you would consider an optimal position for track driving. Then just leave it, you will love it. It also was more comfortable position for shifting and for heal-toe'ing.

 

good point, plus your in a much better position to see, steer and work the fun peddles

I think driving in the "track" position is definatly the way to go, though definatly not as Gansta as leaing the chair back at a 45* angle

 

Thanks. I'll have to try repositioning the seat much more upright. I'm a little old for the gangsta lean anyway!

 

Main reason I'm ditching my s2000 is for those damm Seats

 

Also try lowering the steering wheel. Like someone said, be in "track position," that's how the car is meant to be driven.

 

I am the same high and weight as you. I found the seats in the EVO IX to be perfect... however... I found the seat to be uncomfortable at first on long drives and in traffic...

about 2300 miles later, I feel like 1. my body has adjusted to the seat and 2. that the seat has adjusted to me. It took me some time to play around with the seat settings but i find that moveing the backrest forward a little more helped quite alot with my back. I have some major lower back issues and fatigue quickly. So there is hope.

 

And goddam dealerships. I drop my car off to get the oil changed and tires rotated and everytime the freaking adjust the seat.... why??? to drive it into the garage. max madsen in downers grove... you suck.

oh and tip to you since your looking to get the car. buy your oil at walmart and then bring it in. costs $25 at wallmart as opposed to the $50 the dealer will charge for the same stuff.

 

The farther back you slide the fore/aft adjustment, the better the seat feels and the better the pedal placement is. Unfortunately, you cannot reach the steering wheel at this point of adjustment! This car's seating ergonomics were made for the typical Japanese male, not American build. This car likes short legs. Other than that this seat is fantastic. I had a Recaro Topline seat installed on another car of mine and this seat is actually better, except for the lack of thigh extension.

 

That's really a silly argument. The cost of making a comfortable, supportive seat is negligible compared to one of the same quality and weight that is uncomfortable. I get the feeling that the seats in the Lancer were made so drivers would say "ooh, I'm a l33t r4c3r now!". In fact, comfort is a key to any race seat as anything else is fatiguing. The GT3's seats as I've said, are comfortable, supportive, and hold my tush nicely in place even when playing at the limits on race rubbers. They are not mutually exclusive. I know they are not cheap, but that money is going toward the P-tax, getting much nicer materials and much nicer construction. There are plenty of budget seats that are comfy AND hold you anchored into position.

That said, the stockers aren't horrible, but I would prefer something a little more upmarket....so I may have to keep watching the PCA boards for another set of GT3 seats to throw in the X when I get it...