Front seats don't get much more basic than the ones in our 2009 Suzuki SX4. They have manual sliding fore and aft and manual seat recline. No lumbar, no ventilating, no butt massaging (unless you do it yourself). And you know what, the seats are just fine without all that stuff.
Since I haven't done more than a two-hour stint at a time in the Suzuki, I can't say how they'd be on a long road trip. But the seats are perched up high -- sort of like an SUV's -- and that provides good thigh support. Lateral support is adequate for this kind of car. The seat cushioning is a little spongy, but you do get an inner foldable armrest for each front seat, which is quite nice. Curious that Suzuki sprung for this but didn't think to put any padding on the door armrests
.
The main comfort issue (for me) is the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. Since my legs are long, I have to position the seat either for my arms or my legs, meaning either I'm cramped or my arms extend out like a dude riding a motorcycle with ape-hangers.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
mikeolan says:
12:14 PM, 04/29/09
I'm glad they added the dinky little armrest, but no telescoping steering wheel = major fail.
pat1usmc says:
12:52 PM, 04/29/09
Telescoping steering wheels are definitely not on the majority of cars. I wouldn't call that a MAJOR fail for a car that starts at $16k.
billt9 says:
01:29 PM, 04/29/09
The Mazda3 has tilt and telescoping steering wheel on all trims.
That is all.
firstwagon says:
01:49 PM, 04/29/09
But the 3 doesn't offer 4WD. Lots of give and take in this price range.
Telescoping steering wheels is a great option for the small number of people who fall out of the average size range automakers try to cover. For the rest of us it's an option I wouldn't want to be standard as I would never use it and don't want to pay for it.
mikeolan says:
02:41 PM, 04/29/09
Mazda3, Honda Civic, Just about All Midsize cars, even the current Honda Fit all have it.
@Firstwagon: It costs next to nothing to add, and if you're above 5'8, you'll want one.
firstwagon says:
04:56 PM, 04/29/09
I'm 6'2" and the only car I ever thought needed it was a Corolla I rented a few years ago.
Anything to do with the steering column costs more then you think because of crash testing issues.
mikeolan says:
05:47 PM, 04/29/09
@Firstwagon: I'm 6'2 as well and everything from the last-gen Fit to Dodge Stratus to Subaru Forester to even some older mid-size sedans (Oldsmobile Intrigue) needed it.
It's not just height, it's build- some people have shorter legs and longer torsos and the other way around. There are people of varying shapes and sizes, and if good design is baked into the car from the start.
festiboi1 says:
06:09 PM, 04/29/09
I'm 6'5'' (gotcha all beat) and have never needed it. Would it be nice? Sure it would. But I've never, ever driven a car where I've thought to myself that it needed one. If it adds to the cost of a car, then I really could live without it
stephen987 says:
06:41 AM, 05/ 1/09
Considering that the only negatives the Edmunds staff seem to agree apply to the SX4 revolve around its powertrain (lazy automatic, poor mpg, not that much power), the upcoming Chrysler/Fiat merger could pay off. Fiat already markets the SX4 in Europe, as the Sedici, with a 1.9L "multijet" diesel engine that offers only slightly weaker acceleration than the US-market SX4, with vastly better fuel economy.
The following numbers come from the Fiat UK website:
0-62 mph: 11.2 seconds
fuel consumption:
combined 42.8 mpg imperial (35.6 US)
urban 34.9 mpg imperial (29.0 US)
extraurban 49.6 mpg imperial (41.3 US)
I realize that there's a difference in the mileage tests, and that the Sedici might gain a bit of weight in the transition to the US market, but I can't help thinking that the Sedici Multijet might be a better fit than the current 2.0 gas-fueled SX4.
awcmtl says:
10:08 AM, 05/ 1/09
stephen987: you make some good points.
However, there is strong evidence already that, for 2010 the SX4 will get a revised 2.0 liter with Variable Valve Timing and a CVT transmission. RRT (in California) is already testing some early 2010 models to prepare their new performance parts. Of course they are sworn to secrecy, but that much has been revealed yet, plus an available 6-speed manual. I am not saying that this will be as fuel-efficient as the 1.9 DDiS version, but it should be an improvement on the current model.