What makes a good driver seat? Obviously some will suit a greater number of drivers than others do. More people are going to sign up for 8 hours in the BMW 5 Series' 340-way Multi-Contour seats than the Dodge Journey's hard, shapeless slabs.
But there's an X factor at work: people are shaped differently and prefer different things. Take our Accord for instance. Some people (cough, Sadlier, cough) love all that lumbar support digging into your back as if someone dropped a rolled up towel into the seat. Me, not so much.
I'm not sure how others around here find them (what, do you expect me to talk to my co-workers?), but the STI's seats fit me like a glove. Specifically, the seat back, which ever-so gently wraps itself around me while perfectly matching the contours of my back. It's almost as if Fuji Heavy flew me out to Tokyo and dumped me into a vat of plaster to make a mold. I would seriously consider heading out to a junkyard to find an STI that some wannabe racer wrapped around a pole and make his former driver seat my desk chair. It also helps that the driving position is very good, impressive given my tall body and the manual seat adjustment.
I look forward to taking the STI on a longer journey to see if they remain this comfortable after several hours.
James Riswick, Editor of Automotive Things @ 10,592 miles
huyracing says:
09:47 AM, 10/ 3/08
those flat lower cushions really work for you? it might aid in ease of entry/ exit, but they don't work all that well in the turns.
in Japan, they have real seats like the EVO... but here, they have seats made for the fat americans whom consider corvette seats supportive.
arm51 says:
10:01 AM, 10/ 3/08
It's always great when you find a seat the fits perfectly. The closest I've gotten are the adaptive sports seats in the latest generation of the 911. Too bad I am no where near being able to afford one, however the GTI fits me pretty well (and is substantially less cash).
eriches says:
10:22 AM, 10/ 3/08
"in Japan, they have real seats like the EVO... but here, they have seats made for the fat americans whom consider corvette seats supportive."
Subaru's story is that it's prohibitively expensive to federalize the JDM STI's Recaros, because of the passenger-seat occupant sensor our version of the seats would require. However, like James, I still find the American seats well shaped and quite comfortable.
dougtheeng says:
11:25 AM, 10/ 3/08
I can't comment on the comfort, but they sure look nice.
redwoodaggie says:
11:38 AM, 10/ 3/08
The STI's seats are definitely more comfortable for me than the Evo's. I could probably lose 20lbs and fit ok, but they'd still be snug. I'm 6'7" though, so I can only skinny up so much. I sat in the Subaru Rally USA car that Pastrana drives and I could not even fit flat in the seats...my pelvis is physically too wide, as are my shoulders.
jkavanagh says:
11:40 AM, 10/ 3/08
It's all how you're shaped. I find the STI's seats too wide, flat and unsupportive. Then again I'm oddly proportioned...
rsholland says:
12:06 PM, 10/ 3/08
If you go over to NASIOC, or other Subie sites coveted by hardcore performance junkies, they all hate the the US-spec seats.
While certainly more comfortable, the new WRX/STI seats do not support you quite as well as the seats in my '06 WRX. Then again, I haven't really pushed a new WRX or STI to see how well they hold you in place.
It's funny, if you look at the seats in your average Porsche, they don't have huge side bolsters. I don't see many Porsche owners screaming for Recaro-like seats, with mega-sized side bolsters.
huyracing says:
12:21 PM, 10/ 3/08
redwoodaggie: the racing seats are made to fit various sizes. typically, they are meant for smaller people, but there are big sizes as well. travis pastrana is a small guy, so you shouldn't expect to fit well if you are larger than him.
good seats are very important in racing, but i find them quite important for street use too. i've done a 10 hour drive in a racing seat (Sparco Pro2000) and i had no pain until hour 7 and even then it isn't bad... a pit stop have a drink and i'm good. typically, in stock WRX seats, I'd be dying at hour 2 and would need a long break before continuing. in a Mercedes S500, i'm in pain after 20 minutes and convulsing after an hour... likely dead after 2.
stingray454 says:
12:51 PM, 10/ 3/08
Those are nice seats, but I'm going with these as an upgrade for my Z06: http://caravaggiocorvettes.com/dev2007/g6_i5.html
From what I've heard, these seats won't be comfortable for anyone with a waist size of 34 or larger. Fortunately I'm a 32-33. :)
slickersdrip says:
03:28 PM, 10/ 3/08
In my SRT-4, the seats are perfect for my 6'4" 180 pound build.
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/images/cars/ArtImages/56310/inline_60.jpg
However, my... heavier friends can't stand the seats. It is a good filter when I go out with a girl and she complains that the seats are too narrow for her hips. Kidding.
sbcooke says:
06:43 PM, 10/ 5/08
I like the seats. They are comfortable. I hope they wear well. A quick tug on the seatbelt and I am fairly secure for most aggessive driving situations.
I went out in a co-workers 600+ hp car on Saturday...the STI doesn't seem all that fast comparatively.
jcklai says:
02:35 PM, 10/10/08
The reviewer must have a big but....
I need to find a way to import the Japanese STI seats. I can't stand the US seats...