I've been trying for a month and the driver's seat of our 2012 Lexus 350 is very uncomfortable. It's like sitting on a bar/stone close to where the back and bottom join right in the middle. It seems like the cushion dips with the holes from the "air conditioning" and doesn't remain firm like typical leather seats. I've changed and changed the position. Anyone have thoughts or experienced the problem? The car rides great and I love all the features, but I can't sit in the seat without discomfort even on short trips and that's NEVER been true in any other vehicle we've owned.... and I don't have back trouble. Thanks.

 

Have you tried playing with the inflatable "lumbar" adjustment....... it'll feel / sound like a balloon inflating and deflating. If you have it "overinflated" for your back, it can definitely make the seat more uncomfortable (seem harder) than it actually is. It's the rectangular "rocker" style switch on the side of the seat near the other power adjustments.
I suggest seeing if it makes any difference for you.

 

Last year I read some posts about the Avalon's ventilated front seats being uncomfortable for a few people. From what I can recall Toyota never admitted a problem but some people felt the blower motor was mounted incorrectly. This is old information and the situation may be resolved with the Avalon. You may want to do a search and see if you can find more updated information.

 

Yes, I've changed the lumbar in-and-out and every setting in between! It appears any angle of the back to the bottom doesn't take the pressure off of something feeling like a stone. I read a couple of complaints on the Lexus Owners site about the 350 seats in 2010. My guess is it's not real common, but we are at a loss of what to do. I sure can't live with the seat hurting my back everyday. Thanks for your comment and trying to help.

 

My late 2007 and now new 2011 never had uncomfortable seats. Back to the dealer for adjustment.

 

Butts are like opinions--everyone has one and they are all different. I don't believe there's ever been a car seat made that is 100% perfect for everyone. Unfortunately, many folks only discover that the seats are uncomfortable after their first long trip--or long commute. Perhaps a MUCH longer test drive will allow you to determine how a particular car seat fits you, or maybe not. It's a crap shoot.

Our recent experience with a 2010 Honda Accord EXL, plus what a number of Accord owners have posted online, would indicate that many more folks feel that Honda seats are hard-as-rocks compared to other cars. We find that the seats in our 2008 ES are very comfortable, even on day-long driving trips--especially compared to the Accord (yes, Accord seats are hard-as-rocks and stay that way).

 

I understand exactly what you're describing. I feel it, too. I adjusted the seat-back to a more upright position and it did help. It seemed to deflect pressure away from that area for me. It's not completely gone, but it's bearable. I'm going to ask about it the next time I'm at the dealership.

Hope this helps you.

 

You want uncomfortable, try the lumbar in the Honda Accord EX.

 

Only one of the MANY reasons we traded our 2010 Accord EX-L for our 2008 ES. Honda just doesn't build cars like they used to.

 

vbdiane, I agree with RickC5 that seat comfort is very subjective. I hope you are able to find the right adjustment for you. Going to the dealer might be a start, maybe they've helped others in this area, who knows.

I've owned 2 ES350's and the seats in both have been very comfortable for both my wife and I. I have a friend with a 2011 Avalon and for the life of me I can't get comfortable in the front seats and that is one area that Avalons are known for. So it does vary by person. Good luck.

 

Also the variable cylinder management to save mpg is a Honda joke! You are lucky to get 21 mpg in the 6 cylinder Accord EX. My 328i gets an easy 25 mpg without that variable cylinder management. I would have to say both Lexus and BMW build cars with excellent mpg with respect to the power their engines produce.

 

That is surprising. My wife's Accord coupe gets much better mileage. She normally averages around 24 mpg in town and over 30 on the interstate. Plus, unlike a lot of similar V-6 powered cars, it runs on regular gas. Driven in the same manner, her Accord gets about the same mileage as our 2006 Lexus ES got, but it required premium gas.
Steve

 

Another BIG reason we dumped our Accord. It got reasonable gas mileage (24-26 city, 29-31 highway), but we HATED feeling those VCM "transitions", which is the VCM system cutting in-and-out. Then add the rough ride, totally excessive road/wind noise, and Honda's poor quality control these days. Our 2010 Ridgeline pick-up will likely be our last Honda.

 

It will certainly be your last Ridgeline IMHO, it is and never was a real truck

Lou

 

Apparently the jury is still out @ Honda on the continuation or demise of the Ridgeline. Rumors abound on either possibility. We should know in a few months.

Aside from the RL's poor off-road capabilities, our RL has performed extremely well as a light-duty truck, which is all we require. It's MUCH more comfortable on road trips than any of the Ford, Toyota or Nissan trucks we have owned--and there have been many. The automatic AWD system is far superior than other AWD systems I have encountered, as it operates as a FWD until more traction is needed & then the rear wheels kick in seamlessly (this is a gross over-simplification, but you get the idea).