Driver seat comfort/support vs Model 3

[sjg98]

Has anyone spent enough time in a Model 3 & Model X to compare driver seat comfort?

There's a number of Model 3 threads describing the discomfort I experience which is basically - driving leg hip/glute/sciatica pain/numbness due to the way the seat hugs the hips and lack of support under the upper leg / hamstring area (seat is not deep enough).

Curious how the Model X (and I suppose S) compare for that matter.

I can certainly go sit in one and take it for a drive, but its the kind of thing that doesn't necessarily hit you in the first 5 miles.

 

[mxnym]

I have seen similar complaints for X seats. I don't have those complaints. I believe the seats may have changed several times over the years, so I think this is something for which it's going to be difficult to get a solid answer.

 

[mswlogo]

I went from 3 to X. I did have a back / sciatica problem initially until my wife adjusted the seat for me . Also I learned to not keep my knees so bent which just has a tendency to happen in the X. Keep legs more stretched out so the front edge of the seat supports my weight and not all on my butt. I’ve been fine since. I love the seats in the X. 3 was very comfy too. I’m 5’10” 165lbs for reference. And I have had manageable modest back / sciatica issues off and on for eons. Usually after weekend warrior DIY projects.

 

[sjg98]

Thanks.

I'm 5'7" 140lbs so not very tall or big yet the seats seem to him me in just the wrong spots.

I have done a lot of reading in the M3 forums and have adjusted accordingly- tip front up / tip front back / turn lumbar support off so you can sit deeper in seat.
Been doing a lot of yoga / stretching the last few weeks and less elliptical to try and lengthen the leg muscles where there was tightness.

Will see how that goes, got a big week of drives ahead of me.

 

[electrique]

Has anyone spent enough time in a Model 3 & Model X to compare driver seat comfort?

There's a number of Model 3 threads describing the discomfort I experience which is basically - driving leg hip/glute/sciatica pain/numbness due to the way the seat hugs the hips and lack of support under the upper leg / hamstring area (seat is not deep enough).

Curious how the Model X (and I suppose S) compare for that matter.

I can certainly go sit in one and take it for a drive, but its the kind of thing that doesn't necessarily hit you in the first 5 miles.

Just bought a Model S Plaid: can confirm that the driver's seat is absolute hell. I've owned two Teslas and like the company and its cars in many ways. I'm not a fanboy or a hater. But I hate this seat with a burning passion.

Some caveats: I have a herniated desk, and you might too. Tons of people have herniated discs and don't even realize it. The thing is, I obviously had a car before I bought this Plaid, and I never experienced any pain. Experimented with every possible car seat position as well as the lumbar support option that comes with a Model S and nothing works. As far as I can tell, somethings wrong with the seat itself. The sloped supports on left and right of the seat cushion feel like they're compressing my butt and hips, causing pressure to build up. That might be the issue.

At the same time, it may not be the seat by itself. I'm specifically driving a Model S. it's possible that the nature of the seat, combined with the length of my legs and the limited vertical space for legs is causing me to hold my legs in a way that makes pressure accumulate in my butt for some reason. No idea.

Also, I'm tall. 6'5" and about 200 pounds. After a very comprehensive review of similar posts, I've noticed that most people who experience pain with Tesla seats seem to be taller. I can't find any correlation with weight in the posts.

Also note: I'm not saying Tesla seats are bad in general, but for many people it seems like they can cause issues. I imagine that's exacerbated by the various physical issues so many people already have.

I know Tesla isn't known for making the most luxurious interiors, but I'm surprised by this seat situation. I'd assume that Tesla would simply copy the best seats out there in terms of shape and overall composition, and I'd also assume Tesla would do a ton of testing. And I'm sure they do, so I'm guessing people like me must be in a minority. But from what I'm reading online we're a pretty large minority.

So what are people doing? How to solve the problem? And, more specifically, will getting a different car solve the problem? Again, given that I didn't have pain before this vehicle, it would sure seem that changing vehicles would solve the issue. But I have no idea.

 

[electrique]

Thanks.

I'm 5'7" 140lbs so not very tall or big yet the seats seem to him me in just the wrong spots.

I have done a lot of reading in the M3 forums and have adjusted accordingly- tip front up / tip front back / turn lumbar support off so you can sit deeper in seat.
Been doing a lot of yoga / stretching the last few weeks and less elliptical to try and lengthen the leg muscles where there was tightness.

Will see how that goes, got a big week of drives ahead of me.

Any luck here? I just posted about my Plaid, where I'm experiencing similar issues after barely having the car for a week. In that time I've basically become a yogi I've been so obsessed with posture, stretches, core strength, etc. All for the sake of salvaging an investment in a car that is killing me with butt pain.

I was noticing in a lot of other posts that really tall people were having trouble, but seems like it's not just them. What are people doing to solve this issue?

 

[sjg98]

Any luck here? I just posted about my Plaid, where I'm experiencing similar issues after barely having the car for a week. In that time I've basically become a yogi I've been so obsessed with posture, stretches, core strength, etc. All for the sake of salvaging an investment in a car that is killing me with butt pain.

I was noticing in a lot of other posts that really tall people were having trouble, but seems like it's not just them. What are people doing to solve this issue?

No real major change for me to be honest.
Tipping the back down, front up and disabling any lumbar support to basically maximize the support under the leg helps. Sitting on a cushion that sort of levels out the top of the seat so that you aren't pitched down/inward at the hips, also helps.

It's really marginal and there's still days it doesn't feel great to be driving.

It's one reason I've been cross shopping other EVs despite their poorer range & charging network.
Honestly the AP/FSD doesn't really keep me tied to Tesla as it has overpromised for the 3 years I've owned it, and where I do use it and find it reliable - highways, I can be fairly well served by Ford/GM/Volvo/Polestar systems which only promise highway.

It's also strange/disappointing to me that Tesla's base cheapest car ~$45K and most expensive car ~$130K have essentially the same seat structure, barring heating/cooling/motorization differences. I doubt you'd see that from other brands. The Taycan for example has an extendable leg support on the chair.

 

[electrique]

Yeah, this is not fun. I did a ton of research over the last few months before buying my Plaid. I like Tesla and I’ve owned one before, but I’m not a zealot. I was very open to other makes and models, but the more I researched the more I realized it just didn’t make sense to buy any other car. I don’t want to invest in a gas guzzler right now. Seems like a waste of money. I also don’t want to invest in one of the less mature electric cars, which also seems like a waste of money. Major depreciation in both cases. I want to buy electric, and at this very specific moment in time the best electric cars are made by Tesla. Some really interesting competition coming down the pipe, but deliveries won’t happen for ages, and those companies will still have to work out some kinks too. I couldn’t buy a Model X because they’re not delivering right now.

So here we are. Bought the best car in the world, or so it seems, and just so happen to have an anatomy/physiology that is fundamentally incompatible with it.

Oh, and it cost a cool hundred and $150,000 including taxes.

Joy.

 

[roblab]

I'm 6'4" and had trouble for a while with the uncomfortable seats on my S and 3 both. I now use a piece of fairly dense foam under a thin foam seat cushion, which seem to do the trick. I drove a thousand miles a month or so ago with no problems. If you were to play with layers of foam, especially filling in that deep butt pocket that squeezes the gluteus maximus and thighs, I think you would find a good compromise. OF COURSE Tesla should make a better seat: I don't know WHO they were building it for, but I'm not fat, so no cushion, and I'm big, so I'm bony in the hips. It looks like it falls on us as individuals to build our own seats, since Tesla has gotten so specific in their seat design (ie: built for 1%; of the population.)

YES, I'M TALKING TO YOU, TESLA!!

 

[electrique]

I'm 6'4" and had trouble for a while with the uncomfortable seats on my S and 3 both. I now use a piece of fairly dense foam under a thin foam seat cushion, which seem to do the trick. I drove a thousand miles a month or so ago with no problems. If you were to play with layers of foam, especially filling in that deep butt pocket that squeezes the gluteus maximus and thighs, I think you would find a good compromise. OF COURSE Tesla should make a better seat: I don't know WHO they were building it for, but I'm not fat, so no cushion, and I'm big, so I'm bony in the hips. It looks like it falls on us as individuals to build our own seats, since Tesla has gotten so specific in their seat design (ie: built for 1%; of the population.)

YES, I'M TALKING TO YOU, TESLA!!

Sadly I think we’re in the 1%. Or at least you would assume so, because if that many people were suffering you’d think Tesla would make modifications. Ugh.

The thing I’m trying to figure out: is it just the seat? Or is it a combination of the way the seat is built as well as the lack of vertical space for my legs in the Model S? For example, if I got into a Model X and drove it for a while, would I experience the same pain because it’s the same seat, or would the extra verticality allow me to position my legs differently? Guess I need to rent a Model X and find out.

 

[sjg98]

So the first sort of generic flat cushion I tried didn't help much.
I have no switched the last week to this guy -

Pressure Relief Car Seat Cushion

Transform the comfort of ANY Car seat. Patented shaped by in-house ergonomists to help evenly distribute your body weight across the hip and thigh while providing lower back relief for enhanced all-day driving, road tripping & passenger riding comfort comfort. Made with proprietary extra dense...

thecushionlab.com

It is a more dense memory foam, larger in that it covers pretty much the whole seat, and gives me more support under the leg.
So far so good, definitely an improvement.

Further - you may want to see an orthopedic at some point if you are having a lot of issues. Someone in another thread mentioned having a slipped disc and suggested I might have the same. Fortunately I came out clean in that respect, but was given a lot of exercises to strengthen & stretch the piriformis/glutes/IT band. I am a walker/runner and was spending a lot of time on elliptical, so now I need to diversify my workouts to HIIT/toning/stretch/yoga/etc.

 

[David29]

Sadly I think we’re in the 1%. Or at least you would assume so, because if that many people were suffering you’d think Tesla would make modifications. Ugh.

The thing I’m trying to figure out: is it just the seat? Or is it a combination of the way the seat is built as well as the lack of vertical space for my legs in the Model S? For example, if I got into a Model X and drove it for a while, would I experience the same pain because it’s the same seat, or would the extra verticality allow me to position my legs differently? Guess I need to rent a Model X and find out.

As someone with a long history of back troubles, including at least one herniated lumbar disc, I have struggled with car seating for pretty much my whole adult life. Before buying my Model S, I owned a long string of Mercedes mid-size sedans (E class in later years), and despite the brand's reputation for good seats, they caused me pain. For one car, I tried switching out the MB seat with a Recaro after-market "orthopedic" seat, which proved to be so hard that I could not stand it. I also tried a BMW 5-series seat from a salvage yard, because a test drive in a 5-series car seemed comfortable, but that did not work out either. Eventually I settled on the "Sacro-Ease" after market seat cushions, which I still use in my Model S. The cushion helps but does not completely solve the problem.
My 2015 Model S had what I believe is essentially Tesla's first generation seat, provided by a third party as I understand it. I have occasionally driven demonstrators or loaner cars that had later seats, or the optional Recaro "2nd generation" seats, but probably not long enough for a convincing test. I also had a Model X loaner for about 3 days once a few years ago. None of these were immediately an obviously better seat. I thought the higher seating position of the Model X would be helpful, but it really wasn't (which is not to say I worked on it long enough to find the best position).
Over the years, I have spent significant amounts of time in Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Jeep grand Wagoneer, Chevy pick-up trucks, Toyota Camry, various rental cars, and even one long ride in a Bentley. I can't say I ever found a car that made me think "this is it!"
So, my conclusion is that automotive seats are simply problematic for me with my back issues. Having said that, some are definitely worse than others, and sadly I think my Model S is in that category.
Good luck to the OP and to anyone else who is dealing with this problem, it is a literal pain in the butt and very difficult.

 

[Oldrocky]

Has anyone spent enough time in a Model 3 & Model X to compare driver seat comfort?

There's a number of Model 3 threads describing the discomfort I experience which is basically - driving leg hip/glute/sciatica pain/numbness due to the way the seat hugs the hips and lack of support under the upper leg / hamstring area (seat is not deep enough).

Curious how the Model X (and I suppose S) compare for that matter.

I can certainly go sit in one and take it for a drive, but its the kind of thing that doesn't necessarily hit you in the first 5 miles.

I have a 2018 Model X and have taken two long trips (900+ to California and back from North of Seattle). It is one of
the best long drive cars I've ever owned - and on the trip back we also had a 3rd person with us riding in the 2nd row
and she did not complain and in fact praised the seat (with a center console for an arm rest!). Both were done in two
days with an over night near the middle of the distance.
- Jim in the PNW