Jaythomas

i have been reading reviews of the 2017 ES 350 in preparation for buying a car this fall. Some of the reviews list the cons of the car - frequently two - one being seat comfort. What information from owners of the '17 ES can be shared regarding their experience with the comfort of the seats?

lesz

There have been a few threads here with discussions about the comfort level of the seats in the Generation 6 ES. In each of those threads, you will find many people who say that they find the seats to be very comfortable, but you will also find a few who think that they are uncomfortable. My thought is that, whether someone finds the seats in the ES (or any car) to be comfortable or uncomfortable is related the individual's body type and how well that body type is matched to the way that the seats were designed.

For what it is worth, I found the seats in my 2013 ES to be very comfortable, and the same is true with the seats in the 2017 ES that I now own.

In any case, if I was considering buying an ES, I don't think I'd put much stock in the opinions of either people who think that the seats are comfortable or those who think that they aren't. Instead, I'd go to a dealer and do an extended test drive. That is the only way that you can come to a confident conclusion about whether or not the seats are a good match for your body type.

bostonsnow

I agree with lesz . this is a very subjective thing. Nothing beats spending a long time sitting the the seat yourself to evaluate. Be careful relying too much on the reviews.

One problem is how short test drives tend to be. I have found two solutions for this, both of which I did 1) Some independent peer - to -peer car rental websites feature people renting out their luxury cars. I rented both an ES350 and RX for a day each to give them a long test drive. i used turo.com for renting. The cost is not too bad, less than $100 a day on average.

2) Some dealers will let you sit in a car on the dealer lot for as long as you want. I did this too - and spent quite a bit of time sitting in several cars. Its not the same as actually driving, but gives you a feel for what prolonged sitting will be like.

As far as seat differences in trim you will need to think about are:
1) seat cover material - whether nuluxe, leather, semi-aniline leather. This is a difference in surface softness that you will need to decide on what you like.
2) if you are a taller person, you might benefit from having the lower seat cushion extender for extra thigh support. This is avail only on the UL trim line.

Given the subjectivity of the seat, I will say that I used to have a 2005 ES330, the seat in which I loved, but the cushioning was becoming less soft and supple with age. I like the seat in my 2016 ES300h, although it took a couple of weeks of fiddling with seat settings to get the right configuration. Overall I find the seat overall superior in the 2016 than 2005.
The lumbar support in the ES is still just "2 way", meaning inflate and deflate only. Some other manufacturers in this price range have an up-down feature to lumbar support. Whether this practically matters depends on the particular driver, their height and body frame size, and how they fit the particular seat, and personal preference,

lesz

My 2013 ES was a Luxury Package car (without the thigh extender). I thought that the seats were quite comfortable and I was skeptical about how much improvement would come from having the thigh extender. My 2017 ES is an UL package car (with the thigh extender), and I have to admit that, even though I liked the seats on the 2013, I do appreciate being able to use the extender to get additional thigh support. I would think that the value of having the thigh extender is increased for people who are taller.

BigRon12

I'm 6'4" 265lbs (Gym Rat) and I have no complaints with my 14 UL Pkg seats.

My drive to work is about 30 mins all freeway and its just so comfortable. In fact there are times I catch myself drifting to sleep lol.

modad

I find the lumbar support in my 16 ES to be a tad too high for my back. I am 5'8" and it hits mid-lower back, not lower back. On extended trips I begin to feel the seat is 'hard' or not padded enough in that specific area, and I will get a little tender in that spot on my back after 3-4 hours+. Otherwise, support and driving position are fine.

Jaythomas

Thanks. Coming off a 2015 Cadillac SRX with the extended feature in the front seats. On long trips I use that extender? Hadn't thought about the UL and that feature.

Maljunulo

Your height is almost irrelevant.

Everyone is not proportioned the same, and the length of your legs, and/or your trunk has at least as much to do with how a seat fits.

The only way to know is to sit in it yourself.

You will probably get a good idea immediately, whether or not it suits you.

Fillykonk

In my initial time with the car 2014 with Luxury package) I found at first the seats to be not as comfortable as those in the 2010 Acura TL I traded in. However after fiddling with the seat adjustments I was finally able to find the right combination that makes the ride comparably comfortable if not better. I am on the shorter side so I didn't feel the thigh extenders were worth the extra cost to get them. However if you are on the taller side they may be a consideration for you. As others have said it is a subjective topic but I would not let the differences of opinion keep me from buying a very fine automobile.

Jaythomas

Thank you everyone for your responses. I have a friend who has a 2011 ES but I've only ridden in the back seat which was ok. I was surprised however at the amount of road noise in the rear seat on the expressway. Perhaps that has been improved with the newer editions.

CalifLen

We recently purchased a 2017 ES350. At the time of purchase, our attention was distracted by the new safety features and disrupted by all of the gadgets. I did not notice how uncomfortable the seats are for my particular body. But now, my legs hurt, tingle or go numb within a few minutes of getting into the driver's seat. It seems to be because the upturned edges of the bucket style seat bottom press against my hip bones and cut off blood circulation to my lower legs. Has anyone with a similar problem found a fix?

jollick

Just a thought, have you tried adjusting the tilt and height of the seat bottom?

Kijug

I got a new 2014 ES/UL and had similar issues initially. I tried the thigh extender but I find it fairly useless for me. I'm 5'9" and 160 lbs. However, as you noticed, the front of the seat was simply too high. I now have the front of the seat lowered so the seat is not as tilted back. Since then I have not had any issues--give that a try. Also, I prefer to seat overall fairly low; that helps keep my legs a little more straight when going for the pedals. Keep adjusting the seat, I think you'll find something that works.

For comfort... I took my car in for 40K the other day and they were booked so they gave me a 2017 ES Luxury to loan for the weekend. It was fun to compare. It seems that my UL seats are more soft. For my UL seats, getting into the car the seats are comfortable, but I've noticed that after 10-15 minutes the seats get soft and even more comfortable. A quick test drive will not reveal this. Even a 30 min drive to work I find my...self...zzz...getting.....ahhhh..... Glad I have DCC/PCS! LOL!

bostonsnow

I dont have this issue, however I am only 5'6" and have a relatively narrow hip width.

If the seat does not soften up and this continues to be a problem, one thing you could do is get a seat cushion that is the size only of the flat part of the seat bottom. This would raise you up in the seat, relieving the pressure from those side curved upwards cushions.

docmarioce

Got myself a new 2017 LS 350 premium package and I have the same problem. I can't stand the seat for not even 5 minutes. The back pain that radiates to the right leg kills me. It is not my back since I just came back from a distant vacation for which I had to travel in a plane for about 22 hrs back and forth. I also traveled in train and slept in 3 different mattresses and no back pain. As soon as I come back and seat in my new car the back pain comes back. I got the car on 8/12/17 and just picked it up from the dealer after a week for the same reason. The dealer cannot do anything about it. Supposedly they brought some engineer to check the car and take measurements and it is ok. I called lexus costumer service and my case manager was supposed to call me today and she didn't. I am debating in trading the car for another car maybe a GS or have a custom seat cushion made for me. Probably the second choice will be much cheaper. I had 2 ES's before. A 2013 and a 2014 in the past and no problem. Is this new model that has firmer seats that do not agree with me. I really like the car in every other sense but the uncomfortable seats have made me hate it with all my guts.