Seriously considering trading up from my current 2014 Subaru Forester XT Touring to an MDX.
Here's the Forester:
It's a good car for what it is, and it's been good to me for the last year, but the driver's seat is the most uncomfortable thing I think I've ever sat in.
Never seriously considered the importance of researching driver's seat comfort, but I also never thought it was possible to create a seat this uncomfortable. One just cannot seem to get the adjustments to the right spot. It's as if the seat is mounted at a bad angle, or the seat itself is just built wrong. The whole thing just results in me having lower back pain on any trip longer than 30 minutes, which is why I didn't catch this during the test drive. Lots of other Forester drivers have since confirmed the same thing, but I'd already purchased the car at that point.
I've also thoroughly looked into whether this is a recalled issue or can be fixed in some way. Turns out this is known to be normal for this generation of Foresters, and it isn't an "issue" at all, but rather just that the seat isn't comfortable for everyone. Some folks have altered the padding in the seat, some have gotten in there and changed the lumbar adjustment mechanics, and a few even went to the extreme and completely remounted the driver's seat using spacers or longer bolts to permanently change the angle. I don't think it's as simple as adding or removing padding, I've unsuccessfully tried using lower back cushions while driving, and I'm not willing to screw with the seat mountings.
I think I'm just done messing with it. I know I'll lose money (since I bought the Forester new), but I've been considering trading up to an MDX, probably used from around 2008 or so, as that would fit my budget. The only reason I ever looked into the Forester was because the current generation CR-V is ugly, but otherwise I've always been a Honda guy. I'm finally looking beyond the CR-V to Acura, and I have yet to find any reports of driver's seat discomfort for the MDX.
Anyone have thoughts or similar experiences with driver's seat comfort/discomfort in a Forester or MDX?
Here's the Forester:
It's a good car for what it is, and it's been good to me for the last year, but the driver's seat is the most uncomfortable thing I think I've ever sat in.
Never seriously considered the importance of researching driver's seat comfort, but I also never thought it was possible to create a seat this uncomfortable. One just cannot seem to get the adjustments to the right spot. It's as if the seat is mounted at a bad angle, or the seat itself is just built wrong. The whole thing just results in me having lower back pain on any trip longer than 30 minutes, which is why I didn't catch this during the test drive. Lots of other Forester drivers have since confirmed the same thing, but I'd already purchased the car at that point.
I've also thoroughly looked into whether this is a recalled issue or can be fixed in some way. Turns out this is known to be normal for this generation of Foresters, and it isn't an "issue" at all, but rather just that the seat isn't comfortable for everyone. Some folks have altered the padding in the seat, some have gotten in there and changed the lumbar adjustment mechanics, and a few even went to the extreme and completely remounted the driver's seat using spacers or longer bolts to permanently change the angle. I don't think it's as simple as adding or removing padding, I've unsuccessfully tried using lower back cushions while driving, and I'm not willing to screw with the seat mountings.
I think I'm just done messing with it. I know I'll lose money (since I bought the Forester new), but I've been considering trading up to an MDX, probably used from around 2008 or so, as that would fit my budget. The only reason I ever looked into the Forester was because the current generation CR-V is ugly, but otherwise I've always been a Honda guy. I'm finally looking beyond the CR-V to Acura, and I have yet to find any reports of driver's seat discomfort for the MDX.
Anyone have thoughts or similar experiences with driver's seat comfort/discomfort in a Forester or MDX?