No two backs and a$$es are shaped the same... Some find the seats very comfy, some don't (at least not in the beginning). I know mine, cloth also, felt a bit short under my thighs, but within a couple days I got used to it, no problem.

But you're a big guy, no one can promise you you'll be comfortable with the seat, and I can only suggest you keep renting the Sonata for a bit longer, see if you can get used to it.

And there is also a possibilty that someone, somehow damaged the back of the seat.... Maybe a trip to your close-by Hyundai dealer is a smart idea...

Leather seats can take time to "mold" but not cloth. From my experience (driving an LX loaner) I can only tell you that the Sonata's leather seats are more soft and comforable than those of the Accord (at least the '03-'07 generation Accord), which feel more like a wooden bench....

 

So the leather seats are more comfortable than the cloth ones?
What about the santa fe? does that use the same seat design as the sonata?

I am looking for a car with three things in mind: comfort, safety & value. I will keep the rental over the weekend to test if my a$$ gets used to the seat.

 

Originally posted by andresXNY@Dec 8 2007, 02:16 AM
So the leather seats are more comfortable than the cloth ones?
What about the santa fe? does that use the same seat design as the sonata?

I am looking for a car with three things in mind: comfort, safety & value.  I will keep the rental over the weekend to test if my a$$ gets used to the seat.

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Believe me or not, but my back and a@@ are still not used to my LX 06 (leather) after 2 years since the purchase. It’s ok on the short trips, but anything longer then 2hr gets me back ache. That times I miss my Solara 00 perforated white leather seats. I'm 6.05 and 185lbs.

 

Guess we have something in common. I also am considering buying a Sonata and my #1 objective for a car is seat comfort. I haven't rented one yet, but that is the next step. I am also a big guy, 6'4" and 260 lbs. So I am disappointed that you find the seat to be uncomfortable. The Sonata is one of the few cars that seems to fit me well. However, I know from experience that I need to do an all day drive to evaluate the seat.

I have noticed that the Sonata is quite the rental queen, so a one year old SE model can be had for $13.8K So if I buy one, I'll probably get a used model.

One used car with excellent seats is the Cadillac DTS. A one year old can be had for $26K. I'd rather not have such a large car, but I might do it for the seats.

Another car with excellent seats is the Lexus LS430. A year 2001 can also be had for low $20Ks.

 

Originally posted by Vision67@Dec 9 2007, 07:12 PM
Guess we have something in common. I also am considering buying a Sonata and my #1 objective for a car is seat comfort. I haven't rented one yet, but that is the next step. I am also a big guy, 6'4" and 260 lbs. So I am disappointed that you find the seat to be uncomfortable. The Sonata is one of the few cars that seems to fit me well. However, I know from experience that I need to do an all day drive to evaluate the seat.

I have noticed that the Sonata is quite the rental queen, so a one year old SE model can be had for $13.8K So if I buy one, I'll probably get a used model.

One used car with excellent seats is the Cadillac DTS. A one year old can be had for $26K. I'd rather not have such a large car, but I might do it for the seats.

Another car with excellent seats is the Lexus LS430. A year 2001 can also be had for low $20Ks.

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A couple of things to remember ... most rental cars get the crap beat out of them, for the most part. And a 2001 Lexus will very soon be seven years old. I wouldn't pay 20 grand for a 7 year old car, but that's just me. That caught me off guard today while looking through an issue of Car Finder. I saw an S2000 that looked sharp and the price wasn't bad, then it hit me that it would soon be 8 years old. Wow, where does the time go ...

I've got an 06 LX and really like the seats (leather). I've driven down to Ft Myers, which was about an eight hour trip, and my back felt fine.

 

Originally posted by madderhatter@Dec 9 2007, 08:17 PM
A couple of things to remember ... most rental cars get the crap beat out of them, for the most part. 

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LOL...You bet they do.....I've had this Ford Fusion for almost a Month now. Trust me...You wouldn't want to buy it now :whistling:

 

Originally posted by firestormik@Dec 9 2007, 07:31 PM
Believe me or not, but my back and a@@ are still not used to my LX 06 (leather) after 2 years since the purchase. It’s ok on the short trips, but anything longer then 2hr gets me back ache. That times I miss my Solara 00 perforated white leather seats. I'm 6.05 and 185lbs.

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I bought my 06 Sonata LX6 and I find the leather seats comfortable. My wife cannot sit in the passenger seat for any length of time because her back starts "screaming". I bought an 06 Azera Limited for her and she feels it's one of the most comfortable cars we have ever owned. I too find that after driving the Azera any long distances, over a couple of hours, I am as comfortable as can be. This was never the case with the Acura TL's that we previously drove. The leather seats in the Azera are more comfortable and form fitting. In comparison the Sonata leather seats are harder and do not hug the body like the Azera's seats. The leather is softer and of a more luxurious nature.
Don

 

My back doesn't feel as bad as the first time, but most drives have been ~1hr or so, while the first time it was 2hrs @25mph.

I played more with the lumbar support and found a more comfortable position for my back. I still wish the seat tilted more for thigh support - could that be achieved with after market alteration??

All in all, it isn't the most comfortable seat. & the more I drive the more I get used to it, or don't pay as much attention to it. Still this would be a concern to deciding regarding the purchase...

Anyone knows how comfortable are the new gen accord and camry?. I am lazy and don't want to take the trip to dealer.. Also, is santa fe similar to accord in seating design?

 

A RENTAL! Have you gone 147 mph yet?

I would wait for the 2009 Sonata with upgraded interior AND exterior.

MAJOR no no on a 7 year car for 20,000, I can't see any good coming from that.
A brand new prius is 20,000. Heck, you could find a used VETTE for 20,000! wouldnt you rather do that!!!!! But that boring looking 2001 LEXUS? YOU WOULD LOOK LIKE A DRUG DEALER BUING A CAR LIKE THAT!!!!! GET A NEW SONATA INSTEAD! sheesh.

The bottom portion of the seat IS short, the shortness is amplified by the fact it is slightly rounded down at the edge, had they made it angled slightly UP I bet it would feel longer. Thigh support is absent to please the increasing obese population of The U.S.A.

About the power seats... If you spend a lot of time in your car I DEFINITELY suggest it.
Not because the seat is THAT MUCH more comfortable. But because if your back DOES start aching, you have many more ways to sit than if you had the NON power seat. I dont know if that makes sense.

What I'm saying is, you can change your seating position in more ways than the non power seats so it is more of a REFRESHMENT than a real cure for a badly designed seat.

 

What Willayy is saying... Buy the 8 Way Adjustable Seat :trophy:

preferably with Leather. Enjoy the Manual Lumbar Lever. :thumbsup:

For the extra $800 it should be Electronic too :whistling:

 

Originally posted by dcjwlee@Dec 9 2007, 09:28 PM
A RENTAL! Have you gone 147 mph yet?

I would wait for the 2009 Sonata with upgraded interior AND exterior.

MAJOR no no on a 7 year car for 20,000, I can't see any good coming from that.
A brand new prius is 20,000. Heck, you could find a used VETTE for 20,000! wouldnt you rather do that!!!!! But that boring looking 2001 LEXUS? YOU WOULD LOOK LIKE A DRUG DEALER BUING A CAR LIKE THAT!!!!! GET A NEW SONATA INSTEAD! sheesh.

The bottom portion of the seat IS short, the shortness is amplified by the fact it is slightly rounded down at the edge, had they made it angled slightly UP I bet it would feel longer.  Thigh support is absent to please the increasing obese population of The U.S.A.

About the power seats... If you spend  a lot of time in your car I DEFINITELY suggest it.
Not because the seat is THAT MUCH more comfortable. But because if your back DOES start aching, you have many more ways to sit than if you had the NON power seat. I dont know if that makes sense.

What I'm saying is, you can change your seating position in more ways than the non power seats so it is more of a REFRESHMENT than a real cure for a badly designed seat.

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-Top speed 90mph. I plan to use as a family car ....
-Your argument about thigh support and possibilities on power seat I think are pretty accurate & the fact the seat wasn't designed too well.
- When is the 09 sonata coming out?.. Spring08? Summer08?.

 

Just a thought that works for me. My car is nearly two years old and the only complaint I had was with the uncomfortable seat - a sense that the seat bottom was too short for proper thigh support. I tried every adjustment to make it comfortable on a long trip. Then after about six months I tried not using the lumbar support and for me that was the fix. I don't know whether the support was too high or low for me or whether not using it provided a little bit of extra room for my butt, but now I can comfortably go for several hours. Whatever it is, it works.