These Cars Have the Worst Seats You’ve Ever Sat in

“This one’s easy: the ‘Recaros’ in a Focus ST. The seatbacks were excellent, but the seat bottom, with the rock-hard narrow bolsters, basically made the seat unusable to anyone over five foot eight, 150 pounds. And I am WELL over those sizes. Even at my lightest, where I was gaunt, there would have been no hope.

“There were many people who bought those cars that had to mod the seats to make them usable, or swap with a really skinny person to get the seats from a U.S.-market base model.

“Compounding matters was that in Canada, one could ONLY get the Recaros. There was no other option.”

Race-ready seats are all well and good if you’re about to do some racing. But, if you’re just popping to the shops in your hot hatch, a set of Recaro seats might not be the best option.

Suggested by: balmertowner

“Hands down the back seat of a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox.

“Mid 2000s budget GM with zero effort. No support, nothing. Harsh, sandpaper polyester fabric in the shape of a BROKEN park bench.

“What made it worse? The seats were not supported on the outside edge. Anyone that sat on the outside had the seats outer front corner bend below the rest of the seat. So it was high on the front interior, low on the front outside, and ‘meh’ against the back rest. Combined with sitting a full one-foot higher than the front seats (and no extra headroom) it was akin to sitting on a sandpaper stool with one stool leg one-inch shorter that the other.

“Finally add the hap-hazard ride, it was a short-legged stool in an earthquake... at sea.”

More space equals more comfort, right? Not in the case of this early 2000s Equinox.

Suggested by: futuredoc

“The fold-down jump-seats of an extended cab pickup truck. Doesn’t matter, make or model. They are awful.”

A lot of hatred for these stowable seats in today’s question. With a truck as big as most extended cab models are, surely there’s space to squeeze in some proper comfy cushions?

Suggested by: hangovergrenade

“Honda Element. I first drove my ex’s on a road trip, and thought the seats (which were obviously designed for someone in the low to mid five-foot range, not someone over six-feet, such as myself) were just seriously painful because it was such a long drive. Then, I got stuck driving it when my Mini flaked out, and it even hurt just driving my half hour to work and back.

“Add into that, the ‘fold up’ seats, that ‘make room’ in the back for cargo, which not only don’t free up any space, but make the whole interior a weird shape that nothing much fits into, and the whole seating arrangement for that vehicle is just... ill-conceived.”

Making a car with bad passenger seats, bad driving and folding seats that don’t really fold away should be a punishable offense.

Suggested by: skamanda42

“Given my Army experience as NATO headcount, I’ve got an easy choice — the M151 Jeep that made my ass hurt over in Germany.

“Look at that seat: a tubular frame with some thin padding. Plus the seat is as ergonomic as a crate with a rug thrown over it. Then add in the pitching that the damn thing does due to the short wheelbase — makes my butt hurt to even write this.”

Part of me thinks uncomfortable seats in a military truck should be excusable. But if you’re spending all your time worrying about uncomfortable seats, when will you have the spare mental capacity to stress over the life of being a soldier?

Suggested by: the1969dodgechargerguy

“My wife and I had considered a first generation Chevy Bolt as a commuter car to replace my 2014 Mazda3 Sport. When we saw one at the Toronto Auto Show I hopped in the driver’s seat to try it out and immediately thought, ‘these seats are terrible!’

“I have never had that reaction before. We sat in a lot of cars that day at the auto show, and the Bolt’s seats stood out for how bad they were. How did GM screw them up so severely?”

Most electric cars can’t even play the “cheap” card these days, as their prices are always higher than their gas-powered counterparts. Sadly, this doesn’t mean their seats are any more comfortable than the wallet-friendly alternatives.

Suggested by: jmjr07

“Looks like a great idea. When I sat in it, my wide back, butt, and shoulders fit in it like a glove.

“And that was the problem. It was like being held in a giant super thick catcher’s mitt that was dark and had been in the sun on a hot day. And within seconds the back of my shirt was soaked through from sweat.

“Fortunately, it had ventilated seats. A couple clicks and I was blowing cool air across my back.

“Unfortunately, the air intake was under the seat and I wasn’t the first to discover how hot the seats got in mid-summer.

“So, although the seat was comfortable to sit in, the options were either massive back sweat, or the smell of massive ball sweat.”

Honestly, I feel a bit sick now.

Suggested by: yeardley68

“Not sure if this counts, but in 2008 or there abouts I participated in the Indy Car Experience at Atlanta Motor Speedway and got to ride in a tandem seat Indy racer.

“The real ‘experience’ was squeezing my fat butt into the car.

“Once seated, I could not find a position that did not result in pressure on my sciatic nerve. It was cramped, hot and every bump seemed to be transmitted from my sacrum to the base of my skull. It was a miserable experience and I was too uncomfortable to enjoy the ride.”

And to think, there are people out there who think racing drivers aren’t real athletes as they just sit on their arse all day. Let them see how uncomfortable it can be!

Suggested by: earthbound-misfit-i

“This fucking thing. Chevrolet/Opel Zafira. Our family had one growing up and by the end of a 2h drive to the countryside (not an uncommon length of time for a road trip here in Brazil) you needed to see a chiropractor to fix all the evils the shitty seats had done. I still cringe whenever I see a Chevrolet product from this era in the streets, and on the rare occasion one shows up when I ask for an Uber X, I will cancel it without thinking twice.”

Seven bad seats is definitely worse than five bad seats. So much so that these Zafira passengers would rather dive to their next destination than drive.

Suggested by: Mers

“People say ‘oh, those cars with bench seating are like a comfy couch,’ and it’s maybe the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard about cars. Doesn’t that look cozy above? It’s not, the seats are incredibly poorly-sprung, they have a weird dip at the front that refuses to hold your legs at an angle that you’ll tolerate, while the seatbacks offer zero support and lean way too far back which leaves your back exhausted even after just twenty minutes of driving. There’s no shape to the seat bottom so even taking turns at 15mph has the driver slipping and sliding away, that fold-away center console does nothing to stop you from drifting out of position, and the cloth seats have no grip whatsoever.

“Worse, the headrests barely come up to your shoulders which is perfect for adding whiplash in any accident.”

An uncomfortable deathtrap, not the slogan you like to imagine in your mind when shopping for a slice of 90s American luxury.

Suggested by: burnersbabyburners

“I am usually not a princess when it comes to seats. I’ve happily rented and driven hours on end in truly awful shitboxes in various countries that wouldn’t even be considered road legal here in the US or even most of western Europe.

“So imagine my surprise when I was offered an upgrade on a rental of a BMW X3. It was going to be a three hour drive so I was at first pleased at the prospect. I was utterly shocked at how bad the seats were. Within 10 minutes of driving, my back was starting to hurt, and by the end of the trip I had resulted to using my jacket and sweater as additional padding and bolstering in a vain attempt at trying to find some comfortable position. By the end I was sore from just about everywhere from the lower back to my neck. The airplane seat in smash class that took me home was better than this.”

If there’s one place you expect to find comfy seats, it’s a great hulking SUV from BMW. Sadly, this poster’s review makes them sound absolutely awful.

Suggested by: cimjr

“My mom has a 2016 Tesla Model S and we both made the same observations about the seats. They’re thin, slippery, unsupportive, and it doesn’t help that they rub up against the armrest console as you adjust them. The back seats are similarly uncomfortable, with a bottom cushion that’s too low and too short.

“For something being sold as a luxury car at luxury car prices, these seats are abysmal.”

Add this to the pile of “things you expected to be better in your $100,000 electric car.”

Suggested by: Aldairion

“I’ve sat in some crappy seats, though when you’re young you don’t really notice ‘bad’ seats (especially when you grew up sitting on bench seats and velour and mouse fur early-90s domestic garbage). But now that my deeply-curved back and hip problems have caught up with me, seat comfort matters.

“The very worst seats that stand out in my mind were those of a 2018 Kia Soul we took on a trip from Ohio to the Smokies. 6+ hours of terribly concave seatbacks and no thigh support whatsoever. I had to wedge a jacket behind my lower back for relief.

“2nd place goes to my old S-10 Blazer. Those ‘bucket’ seats also had no support, compounded by nearly two decades of wear.”

Being forced to make a six-hour drive in uncomfortable seats is one of the reasons America is just too damn big. I will take no further questions or comments on this matter.

Suggested by: dbeach84

“The back (2nd row) seats in every Subaru my mom ever owned. There’s something about the angle between the seat and the back that is just wrong enough for my back that it aches after a while and my tailbone gets sore quickly.

“The front seats are fine, if small, except for her most recent Forester (2020, I think). They addressed all the things I didn’t like about her previous one (2016, I think). It rides and drives more like a car than a truck and the front seat doesn’t feel cramped. I’m broad shouldered and overweight, so I need a good sized seat.”

Bad back seats are one of those haunting childhood memories that stays with you forever. If you want to make sure your kids don’t suffer those same nightmares, avoid getting a Subaru.

Suggested by: rengava4

“Sorry James May, but it’s the Dacia Sandero. Not only the seats are terrible with hard foam, bad lumbar support, and too high, but the ergonomics of this car are abysmal. There’s not a single good seat position on this car.

“If I configure the seat so my legs are comfortable, I can’t reach the gear stick. If I put the seat on a good position for gear changes, my legs get all crammed.”

Cheap doesn’t always mean cheerful. And sadly, the budget seats in the cheap as chips Dacia Sandero left this poster hoping for a little more.

Suggested by: edu-petrolhead

“PT Cruiser. I had one as a rental years ago, and it’s the only worst choice that came to mind. There are lots of cheaply upholstered flat seats out there, and they’re all bad, but the PT is one that I really remember.

“It was closer to a stool that you sat on, not in. It was firm and uncomfortably upright. I had that car for fourdays, and it was terrible for many reasons, but the seats were particularly bad.”

Seriously, is there anything good about the PT Cruiser? I’ll wait.

Suggested by: dolsh

“The current generation Chevrolet Malibu. Woof.

“Enterprise put me in one, once. It took a 90 minute massage to get my back right after a week in that penalty box.

“Honorable mention: Base BMW seats in the lower end models, which are flat, vinyl park benches. The nicer thrones with the adjustable thigh support are supremely comfortable but the base seats belong in the back of a Crown Vic.”

Every car that’s fitted with bad seats should be offered with a massage voucher.

Suggested by: pmb2012

“2012 Honda Insight. It’s like sitting on a sheet of plywood. Also, 2016 Honda HRV with leather seats, my wife had to order three different seat cushions in order to make it somewhat ‘comfortable.’

“Honorable mention to the 2007 Honda Accord coupe I leased – seats also sucked but I only had to tolerate it for three years. Last time I buy lease a Honda, all these years and they still cant make a comfy seat.”

A lot of mentions for Honda cars in our roundup of bad seats. Still, these uncomfortable seating positions didn’t stop the firm shifting almost 70,000 second generation Insights in America alone.

Suggested by: arove-sutol

“Second Gen Dodge Dakota. Not only were they terrible fabric materials, they weren’t comfortable from the start and got worse as they wore in. Eventually the padding went completely flat and you could feel the actual structure of the seat under your ass through the dead padding.”

The rugged, go-anywhere nature of a pickup truck should extend to its interior. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like the inside of this poster’s Dodge Dakota will last as long as its bodywork.

Suggested by: potbellyjoe

“My old B5 Passat coincided with the onset of sciatica in me, which I’ll not blame the seats for, but it never affected me in the same way when I switched to my first Volvo.

“But the worst seats? My dad’s 1999 Opel Astra saloon (like the one pictured, but in dark blue, RHD and with cheap looking hubcaps). It was all-round one of the worst cars, with only a Vectra he had a loan of for a couple of days being worse (strangely, the Vectra interior seemed a lot cheaper than the Astra despite being higher up Opel’s range, and a newer model). We did a lot of miles in that shit.

“It’s a car he’d never have bought if he had the choice (it was a work vehicle). I truly hated everything about it, but the seats, especially, stick in my mind as being particularly back aching.”

Launched in 1998, the second generation Astra came with three or four doors and space to seat five. Sadly, everyone you piled into that car would instantly regret asking you for a lift.

Suggested by: philipdunlop