Comfort on long trips

[s2000]

I am seriously considering grabbing one of the last 2013 Trail Editions in my area. I like the looks of the 2013 over the 2014. How would you folks rate the comfort of the seats on a long trip. Hard to size this up before buying. (Vehicle is also a long way away) We still have the MY 2000 and it has become a real back breaker; I'm not sure if it's us or the seats.
Any comments would be appreciated. (Whats the difference between the TE interior and the others?)

Thanks

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

I am seriously considering grabbing one of the last 2013 Trail Editions in my area. I like the looks of the 2013 over the 2014. How would you folks rate the comfort of the seats on a long trip. Hard to size this up before buying. (Vehicle is also a long way away) We still have the MY 2000 and it has become a real back breaker; I'm not sure if it's us or the seats.
Any comments would be appreciated. (Whats the difference between the TE interior and the others?)

Thanks

I have done several 3k+ mile road trips in mine. I would rate the comfort level at something like a 7 out of 10. Not awesome, but not bad by any means. The seats are fairly firm and supportive, but that's just my opinion. If you do a little digging around here you will see that some people do not like the seats in the 5th gen. I would say that the most common complaints are along the lines of the seats being quite firm and, there seems to be some issues with people not liking the lumbar support (its fine to me). I have had a few passengers tell me that the back seat with the reclining feature was awesome. I agree, and it can make sleeping back there much easier. The TE has the water resistant seating fabric, so that could be a plus if people like to spill in your car. The 13 TE will not come with heated seats, so you will have to add those yourself if you want them. It will be very hard to guage the seating comfort from a test drive so hopefully other will chime in with their experiences. Unfortunately, seating can be a very user specific thing.

 

[Stifler]

I have a memory foam seat pad for long trips. aside from that no issues

 

[Intruder]

It's so subjective. My buddy had a 4th gen and loved my 5th the first time he sat in it, but his wife has back problems so no lumbar support on the passenger side was a dealbreaker for him. He ended up getting a GX 460 instead. I've driven Calgary to Tofino and back fine but I don't have any back, neck, or shoulder problems.

Does SW Alberta mean you're down in the Pass or Pincher Creek area?

 

[s2000]

I'm SW of Calgary towards K Country. Gods Country.
We don't have any neck, back problems to speak of, but are getting older.(Isn't everyone)
The lack of lumbar support on the passenger side did catch my eye. Thats the wives side on long trips.
I'll try to seek out some of the past comments on seats. It's pretty well impossible to judge the long term comfort on a test drive, and I may not get a chance to do even that.
Thanks everyone so far.

 

[jrandom]

Definitely subjective

The seats are much more firm in my 13' than my old 99'

I quite like them to be honest and I do have back issues. I have made a couple 300-600 mile trips so far without issue. The lumbar hits me just right (I am 5'9 170lbs, LOL 5'10" on a good day) I really the the 6-way seat just for that, I do wish the passenger was a 6-way too.

As mentioned heated seats are extra. Wet Okole does have the option for heated and adjustable lumber as an extra if you want, I unfortunately can't comment on the effectiveness of either as, I didn't add the options and still waiting for them.

 

[s2000]

Definitely subjective

The seats are much more firm in my 13' than my old 99'

I quite like them to be honest and I do have back issues. I have made a couple 300-600 mile trips so far without issue. The lumbar hits me just right (I am 5'9 170lbs, LOL 5'10" on a good day) I really the the 6-way seat just for that, I do wish the passenger was a 6-way too.

As mentioned heated seats are extra. Wet Okole does have the option for heated and adjustable lumber as an extra if you want, I unfortunately can't comment on the effectiveness of either as, I didn't add the options and still waiting for them.

That red TE is exactly what I'm looking at. Good looking truck!
Thanks for your feedback.

 

[jrandom]

Thanks!

haha in all honesty I never thought I would own a red vehicle, it has really grown on me, I like it even more that I haven't seen another red one! All I have seen around here are silver, black, and white, oh and one shoreline blue.

 

[kowski49]

I don't have any complaints after three years. My wife has logged many hours in the front passenger seat and also the back seat when our kiddo's car seat was rear-facing. No complaints from her either.

 

[Grundletaint]

I think the jiggling hood is a bigger problem on road trips because it's so damn annoying. My wife's 2010 LE is pretty comfortable on longer trips and I'm prepping for an upcoming drive from Austin to California and back with her rig.

It isn't as comfy as my lx470 but more so than my old tacoma.

 

[NoDak]

over the years, the seats have gotten better, but I have yet to find a 4runner, Tacoma, rav4 to have decent seats for long haul.

to compensate for the seats I have used a thin pillow to add some cushion to make up comfort and at add 1-2 inches in height to get the drivers lumbar to sit just right for my back.

the other issue I have with seats that isn't mention is the lower thigh seat cushion length. I am 5-8 and it seems in all overseas made seats don't have enough thigh support. I prefer to have enough seat cushion support to reach up to the backside of my knee, but those are far and few between. even my current legacy is short by 1-2 inches in thigh support so I end up pinching my thighs on the edge of the seat cushion which in turn makes it uncomfortable on long hauls. longer thigh support alone would solve a lot of my issues with proper seat position in Toyota's in addition to my legacy.

 

[G8RB8_12SR5]

I'm probably on the younger end of owners and have driven mine on 9 (soon to be 10) 800 mile one way trips between Seattle and bay area, ca and actually find the seats to be very comfy. Recently did a 10 day vacation with the wife to visit the in laws and drove their old impala (which we used to own) and it was far to soft for me. Then again I sleep on a 6 inch chunk of phone on a ship and find it comfy so then again I may not be the best expert on this lol.

 

[joneseyyy]

I'm on the young side (28) but have pulled several 1,000 mile+ days in my 2010 TE. I find it pretty comfortable, enough such that after those drives I wasn't too beat up to go out for a beer or 4 at the local watering hole!

 

[Catchlight]

TE seats, plus Obus Forme

I've done a few 10 hour days at the wheel of my '11 TE and find the driver's seat comfortable, and better than most other vehicles I've owned.

Because of a low back problem, though, I have to use one of these lumbar backrests (with the extra cushion shown in the middle of it removed):
ObusForme Canada | Back Pain Treatments, Back Pain Remedy, Relief of Back Pain, Neck Pain Cure

My wife likes both seats just as they are. I'm 6'1" and she's 5'9".

The 'Runner's legroom is great, as is the thigh support.

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

Like i said above, it really comes down to personal choice. However, in your posts you have said that you and your wife are getting older(I'm 30 and older is also completely subjective). If her comfort is paramount, then I would look into GX460. It's going to have the best of most worlds. They all (gx460) have KDSS and you can get them with crawl control. People may think think they are soft because they are a Lexus, but in reality it is a Land Cruiser Prado which the 4Runner is built off of. You can get a GX with everything the trail has minus the locker....and it will be much nicer inside. Truth be told I have a Trail because I wanted it. My off-roading would be considered weak by many people. I bought it because I wanted the reserve capacity that it offers (and I think it looks the best). In the end, I would drive a few different vehicles, pick the ones that you want and then let your SO decide the one that she will be the most happy in. After all, happy wife=happy life

 

[NoDak]

if i could have swinged a GX460, i would have gotten that instead of the 4Runner.

biggest issue i have with a lexus is that warranty work is 550 miles away. there is no lexus dealer in my state. we are 1 of 5 states that dont have any

 

[LandCruiser]

I am seriously considering grabbing one of the last 2013 Trail Editions in my area. I like the looks of the 2013 over the 2014. How would you folks rate the comfort of the seats on a long trip. Hard to size this up before buying. (Vehicle is also a long way away) We still have the MY 2000 and it has become a real back breaker; I'm not sure if it's us or the seats.
Any comments would be appreciated. (Whats the difference between the TE interior and the others?)

Thanks

As a disclosure, I'm 6'3" and 195 pounds. My TE is brutally painful on long trips. The bottom cushion is too short for anyone with long legs and doesn't offer thigh support. There are sharp surfaces all over the cabin, so when you're cruising, there aren't too many places to rest your legs. Seat padding is rock hard, even after 20k miles. The lumbar support just jams an airbag into your back and can't be adjusted up or down. There is no padding for elbows on the front doors, the middle console is rock hard and really the only place to rest your forearm is on the shifter.

I used to be able to drive my Sierra 2500 for 13-14 hours and still feel refreshed. I drove my TE cross country and a similar drive made me feel like I was beaten with a metal pipe. One of the reasons I stopped buying Japanese cars a few years ago was that they don't understand how to upsize a car for large Westerners--the proportions aren't there.

I'd put it as a 6/10. My wife's LE has differently shaped and padded seats and rates in as a 7. Comfort is much better short-range, but longer range the bizarre ergonomics start to take their toll.

The main reason I bought the 4Runners is for their off road performance, and now that I'm in Colorado and drive over snow and ice several times and take them off road I have a justification... but damn, they are uncomfortable. My FJ80, oddly, is a very comfy truck.

 

[1engineer]

As a disclosure, I'm 6'3" and 195 pounds. My TE is brutally painful on long trips. The bottom cushion is too short for anyone with long legs and doesn't offer thigh support. There are sharp surfaces all over the cabin, so when you're cruising, there aren't too many places to rest your legs. Seat padding is rock hard, even after 20k miles. The lumbar support just jams an airbag into your back and can't be adjusted up or down. There is no padding for elbows on the front doors, the middle console is rock hard and really the only place to rest your forearm is on the shifter.

I used to be able to drive my Sierra 2500 for 13-14 hours and still feel refreshed. I drove my TE cross country and a similar drive made me feel like I was beaten with a metal pipe. One of the reasons I stopped buying Japanese cars a few years ago was that they don't understand how to upsize a car for large Westerners--the proportions aren't there.

I'd put it as a 6/10. My wife's LE has differently shaped and padded seats and rates in as a 7. Comfort is much better short-range, but longer range the bizarre ergonomics start to take their toll.

The main reason I bought the 4Runners is for their off road performance, and now that I'm in Colorado and drive over snow and ice several times and take them off road I have a justification... but damn, they are uncomfortable. My FJ80, oddly, is a very comfy truck.

Just to show you how subjective seat comfort is:

I am 1" taller and 55 lbs heavier than [MENTION=92049]LandCruiser[/MENTION] at 6'4" 250 lb. I routinely drive 5+ hours with no issues. I find resting my elbow and forearm on the console cover to be comfortable. The seat padding is firm but not hard and the seats fit me well. The SR5 I had padded the seats a bit more I think. I have no issues with finding comfortable positions for my legs, although I can't straighten them out fully of course. It did take me a while to find the exact seat position that was right for me though.
Bottom line - I can drive for 5 hours and exit feeling OK. How's that for different lol.

 

[scanny]

I was on long drives many times, my longest one day drive was about 600 miles. So far I have no issues with comfort - can drive all day long : ) But I'm a smaller guy - 5"10' and about 170lbs.

 

[2013Trail]

My TE is brutally painful on long trips. The bottom cushion is too short for anyone with long legs and doesn't offer thigh support. There are sharp surfaces all over the cabin, so when you're cruising, there aren't too many places to rest your legs. Seat padding is rock hard, even after 20k miles. The lumbar support just jams an airbag into your back and can't be adjusted up or down. There is no padding for elbows on the front doors, the middle console is rock hard and really the only place to rest your forearm is on the shifter.

Ditto--except that I actually like my center console armrest, and for me, the flat section of the lower seat cushion is too narrow and I feel like it locks me into position.

The seat issue in my 2013 TE is interesting to me because I know Toyota can make a hell of a seat. The seats in my dad's 2006 Avalon are incredibly comfortable, front and back, and an all day drive in them leaves one feeling none for the worse. Sure, his Avalon has leather and all the amenities, and I acknowledge that it's a car that's basically equipped for touring, but the seats in his car were designed for sitting in, whereas it seems like Toyota made the seats in the 4R as an afterthought. But the seats in the 4R should still be comfortable for the long haul--I'm not expecting Avalon comfort-- because even if we offroad a lot, we still have to drive to where we're going, and that can mean a lot of hours in the saddle before we get there.

Sure, seat comfort is subjective. But there sure is a big spread in opinions about the seats in the 4R. For me, that means the seats could be better designed.