Forester Driver Seat Uncomfortable

I've had my new Forester X Premium less than a week. One of the things I now notice that I didn't notice on the test drive is that the drivers seat back is sometimes a bit uncomfortable. It seems to be harder in some places than others with the "hard" and "soft" areas running vertically. I can't feel the difference with my hand, only with my back when I am sitting in the seat. I'm not sure if this is related to the in-seat side air bags.

The seat problem is not very serious and I don't think it is a "defect" that would be repaired under warranty, but I would be interested in any opinions about that. I did Google the issue and found various opinions about the seats

- some people find them to be very comfortable while a few others found them to be uncomfortable like I do.

I'm considering getting some sort of pad for the back of the seat to make long drives more comfortable, but I also don't want to use anything the would interfere with the air bags. If anyone else has added a seat pad I would be interested to hear your recommendations.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

Pardon my borderline trollish statement, but me thinks the loafers produced by the current hardworking generation have entered the japanese workforce. So much for the jap quality.

The seats in my OB Sport are quite good though. The only complaint is the lower cushion cutting uncomfortably in the outer portion of the thighs with the knees spread apart wide (It's the guy thing, the chicks probably do it in the back seat :). No complaints about the build quality, just the somewhat flawed design. The rumor is that Honda finally fixed the torture implements in Civic and me thinks Civic Si is a good possibility in case indeed are any good. OBS dump in progress.

I have a new '06 Forester X. Initially I thought the driver's seat was really hard- certainly completely different than the old '92 Legacy. But after taking it on its first longer trip (about 180 miles each way in one day), I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of stiffness and back pain at the end of the day.

Are all Subaru's made in japan?

My observation is somewhat dated as I have a '99 Outback I bought new. The seat seemed somewhat hard and ill-fitting at first, but by 30,000 miles, it fit me like a glove. I have no gripes whatsoever with seat comfort now. The Subaru is the only vehicle I've ever owned that I could drive for 4 hours and have my back feel better than when I started.

Try to use the seats without a cushion if possible and see if they don't start conforming to your body.

The other good thing that will happen in the first 30,000 miles is the suspension will limber up a little and the ride will get a tad softer. The car will get better with age.

Thanks. The issue seems to be mostly that my back "feels" something in the seat back, not that it is that uncomfortable. I will try a longer trip.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

Thanks also. I think I'll try that. My comparison is my '97 OBW that has had almost 10 years to conform to my body,

I don't mind the ride - only the seat back :-)

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

My 2006 Forester X Premium has adjustable lumbar support, plus a 6-way power seat. My issue is not the lack of lumbar support, but something higher up.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

Foresters and Imprezas are Japan Build, Legacy & Tribeca (for all it'll last) are built in Indiana.

If you have extra $$$ try out Recaro seats. Also there are a few imitations: I sat on 3R seats at a local autoparts store and they were quite good. This way you'll get rid of the side and curtain airbags also.