I know the stock seats have been a continued topic for a lot of folks. I just wanted to mention my issues with them and get others thoughts. More of a thinking out loud type of post. So after driving over 5 hours this weekend I decided to make this post.

Sunday was an amazing driving afternoon as I took the car out alone and just drove around my old stomping grounds where I grew up. Family moved around town 7 times so a lot of ground to cover, lol. I enjoyed every minute of it other than my butt aching over half the drive. As I have been losing some weight the bolsters are starting to fit much better but the aching in the "seat bones" area is quite annoying. I would like to get an exhaust but constantly think about getting a different drivers seat that is way more comfortable for my drives. If it wasn't for the uncomfortable seat I could literally drive all day.

Couple of things to mention to give context. In my late 40s and have some back issues that flare up at times but mostly don't bother me. 5'11 and down to 205, so not a very big guy overall. Got the car about 6 months ago with 20,968 miles and now a bit over 24,000. Seats are in amazing condition as the car was always stored in a garage and only taken out on occasion when they owners were at their lake house where the car was at. Not sure if the seat cushions and leather have hardened up over time or I am just getting old and find the seats too uncomfortable for my aging rear end This the only issue I have with the car that bothers me at all and honestly takes away some of the enjoyment on drives longer than an hour. Man I sound like a whiney old fart complaining of how uncomfortable a seat is, lol. But it is what it is. I have driven in my friends CTR seats and never discomfort had that after hours of driving. I would love to put one of those seats in my S2K but know that they are huge and don't fit. I guess I am just going to have to resort to spending over a grand for a new aftermarket seat, like one of the Recaro cloth seats. I know I am in the minority but I like cloth/alcantera better anyway. I would never get a non adjustable bucket like the Pole Positions, I am too old, and need something I can tilt. Possibly something like the Recaro SR7 or the like. Am I the only one that seems to think the stock seat is this uncomfortable? I admit it might be just me.

Oh, and I won't ever be tracking this car. Just spirited driving around town and on twisty roads. If I track anything it would be my 98 M3 that I have been restoring for the last 4 years.

 

So I was in the same boat as you I am 46, my car has 78k miles and I have owned it for 22years now. The oem seats started just to feel uncomfortable for longer drives even though it is adjustable, leather got harder and bolsterering is all crushed. I went ahead and got Recaro pole position classics (abe version) as you i originally wanted adjustable seats but heard how comfy pole positions were. I bit the bullet and bought a set. I just installed them today actually and I can confirm they feel way more comfortable. The cushion seems softer, and the seats hold you in. Also with the bolts on the seat rails you can adjust tilt a bit and don’t need to tilt. Also the seat seems to put my back in a more correct posture so I don’t slouch as much. So I wouldn’t rule out fixed bucket just yet. I have also had a CTR and they were pretty comfy for me too.

 

The issue with an aftermarket replacement seat is you don't know if it's long-drive comfortable until long after you've bought and installed it. Kinda like a pair of boots that feel great when you bought them and around the neighborhood but cause blisters on a long march. A 20 minute test drive won't provide the information you need to make a good decision. But if one of your group drive members has a aftermarket seat see if you can swap cars for an hour or so. First thing I'd attempt is swapping the bottom cushion from the passenger seat to the driver's, something that seems to be a frequent fix when the driver seat gets broken down from use. Even though you have very few miles on the car the passenger seat probably has very little use.

Something to try on longer drives is varying the seat position and back angle a "click" every so often.

My guess is many aftermarket seats are installed for the bling, not the comfort. That's why there are large color "show off" labels and stitching! And once a guy spends big bucks on seats (or anything) they're unlikely to say bad things about them.

-- Chuck

 

In my opinion, the stock seats are not very good. For me, after driving over 4 hours it gets uncomfortable and gives me a back ache and that's with adjustable lumbar air bladder installed. It feels like lack of back support of the seat foam on the seat frame. I thought of reinforcing the seat frame to possibly improve it.
As for aftermarket seats, I've had aftermarket seats in some of past cars, they make driving more enjoyable. I have been thinking of looking at some seats, possibly considering fixed back units. Unfortunately most nice reclining seats don't fit.

 

Expensive option, but I find the CR seats more comfortable than my 2006. However, I'm skinny and can drive 10 hours in stock seats comfortably.
darcy

 

Thank you all for your responses. I will have to check out the Pole Positions and sit in them if I get the chance. I would love to find a shop where I could go and sit in different options before I bough them.

 

As far as pole positions they have two versions make sure it is the ABE version as it’s wider. Also if you decide to buy some recaros look at Stable Energies as they are a authorized dealer and during Black Friday they do a 20 or 25% off there gift cards and you can use that to buy the seats which makes them a lot cheaper best deal I could find last year.

 

I will check them out. thanks!

 

My biggest complaint with the S2000 was driver seat comfort and how it would cause me back pain for any trips for 2+ hours. I found the biggest issue was not being able to put the seat angle back on the upper portion as it would hit the back plastic cabin wall, and I needed the seat all the way back on the sliders. Not having adjustable steering wheel was also an issue and no seat height adjustment. It all caused me quite a bit of back pain, unlike any other vehicle I've had before. I don't think changing the seat alone would have helped but I never tried it, my oem seats were basically in brand new condition .

When I got my new BRZ I was delighted, the seat could go all the way back and I could adjust the back all that I wanted since there was not cabin wall behind it. Seat height adjustment helps, and adjustable steering wheel too.

 

Mita Motorsports is now offering new seat bottoms -- the foam, not just the leather covering. Might be worth looking into if the seat bottom is broken down and the bolsters are sagging.