I'm 6'2", 180 lbs and cannot for the LIFE OF ME get into a comfortable driving position. Not that my old Milano Verde was soothing, but the STI seems to be worse. The steering wheel seems to far away and there isn't any place to rest my left arm. The door armrest is too far down and the door sill too high. Also, my right leg flops to the center console and gets crampy from that funny position. Im not whining (OK just a little) just looking for suggestions.
Any ideas...please?
John S.

In my old car I use to use the door's arm rest as a arm rest. I drove countless miles with just my left arm. Seems like most cars today you can't do that because the arm rest are too low.
Anyway on the STI, the streering seem to wander for every bump in the road and I have to make correction often. This requires much more concentration and I don't dare drive one handed anymore.
My suggestion is get use to driving with both hands (except to shift-of course).

It's not the same but I drive a MY99 model and I had problems with getting comfortable ie. legs too long and being cramped around the steering wheel (I'm 6'6). I ended up having my seat rails extended by about 4". Doesn't sound like much but now the seat goes back further my knees are lower and aren't up round the steering wheel as much. My job was pretty simple and the guy had also raised, lowered and even brought seats forward so it can't be that hard.

in my impreza I just cant stand how far away and high up the steering wheel is.

Re: seat comfort:

After putting 12K miles on my 2004, I have to say this is the most uncomfortable car I've ever owned. The lack of a tilt-adjustment on the bottom cushion is agonizing...after 2 hours in the drivers seat, my back and legs are aching. FWIW, I'm 6', 200#, and have never had problems in other cars. There's just no adjustment that works for me in the WRX.

Brian

Well, I think with all the complaints about seat position, we should attempt a fix. What do all of you think about installing shims under the front two seat bolts? I'm thinking about trying this using longer bolts to tilt the seats up with will help mildly with the seat position. HAs this been tried before? Any ideas what the shims should be made of or how thick they should be? I was thinking of a 1 1/2 in thickness with the subsequent increase in the size of the seat bolt.
Thoughts?

I don't think that would work.

I don't believe the seats are built to be comfortable, more like funtional. I knew they would be less comfortable than average when I bought.....didn't you? They are still much more comfortable than say some Recaro's. I'm content with them.
STI rocks :disco:

<---------Tilts the 40oz. back farther....

I guess no one owned a 94 Bonneville ... those cloth seats were terrible. I had to buy Obusforme seats to put in there for long drives.

I like the STi's seating position. I love the range of height adjustment. In an M3 coupe my head is always touching the roof. I'm 6'2", 220lbs and I can crank this seat for a nice high view of the road. I wish that I could tilt the steering wheel a bit higher upwards, though.

One thing I have noticed is that it is even more critical that you remove your wallet or anything from your back pocket before driving. I used to do that for long drives in other cars, but the STi seats are so firm that you can get numbness/pain down your leg in no time.

Originally posted by DILLIGAF Racing
I don't think that would work.

Why?

The bolts for the front part of the seat are forward facing, not upward (right?). So, you would just push the seat farther forward.

I am not very tall (about 5' 6") so I may not be of too much help, but I did some reading at www.turnfast.com about seating postion. I followed some of the suggestions found there and then made minor adjustments to get more comfortable.

For example, you should be able to rest your wrist on top of the steering wheel without lifting your back or shoulder off the seat determines how far back you should have you seat. There are other things listed. I followed most of them and then made minor adjustments accordingly so as to get the best seating position possible while still being comfortable. Hope that helps.

I'm 6 foot & 200lbs. and I don't have any problem getting a comfortable position. I set the front seat about 5 "clicks" foward from the full back position and 2 "pumps" up from the lowest position. I'm pretty impressed with the space in this car ans with my seat set like that I'm comfortable and also have enough room for someone of my height to get in and out of the back seat comfortably. I guess I got used to driving with the seat somewhat close to the dash because my last car was a Jetta and that car was so tight inside , that was one of the reasons I sold it. The STi seems like a buick inside after owning the Jetta.

Originally posted by Zoso
I'm 6 foot & 200lbs. and I don't have any problem getting a comfortable position. I set the front seat about 5 "clicks" foward from the full back position and 2 "pumps" up from the lowest position.

Wow... unless you recline like my wife is used to doing because of her Camaro... how many inches between you and the airbag in the steering wheel?

Originally posted by ScoobyAficionado
Wow... unless you recline like my wife is used to doing because of her Camaro... how many inches between you and the airbag in the steering wheel?

If you put the seat all the way back and very carefully count the clicks, 5 clicks isn't really that far foward (maybe it's 4 I will count it again tomorrow but each click doesn't move the seat that far if I remember). I don't recline the seat that much either. Sitting upright, When I extend my left arm, my wrist falls right over the top of the steering wheel, which I think is ideal. My legs are more bent then straight when I drive, but when I depress the clutch to the floor my leg is still slightly bent. I think this is supposed to be the ideal position for driving, although if you are used to driving with the seat all the way back, so your legs are almost straight out it will feel weird, but once you get used to it, it will feel weird to drive the other way. Either way I've found the STi to have a very comfortable seating position, and for me the lack of a telescoping feature on the steering wheel hasn't been a problem. Now if I could just get the heat to not be so hot then I would be all set. (yes I tried moving the hot and cold dial, but on 65 it's just outside air and as soon as I move it one click up it comes out hot enough to make the car uncomfortable after a while. It's driving me crazy. The dealer seems to be perplexed with the problem, I can't wait to see what happens if something really complex breaks :rolleyes: )

You should never drive with your left arm resting on the door. There's a warning about that in the manual: if the side airbag goes off it could seriously injure your arm.

I find my 03 seats very comfortable for long drives. I'm 6'0" and 185 lbs. I have the seat and wheel all the way up, the seat all the way back, and the seat back all the way forward. Perfect!

I am not quite as tall as you but I too felt uncomfortable when I first got the car. I solved the problem partly by bringing the seat up and forward a little (using the existing controls) but mostly by using a lumbar support pillow which is available just about anywhere for around $20-$30. It basically just slides in behind your low back. This made a world of difference and now I won't drive without it.

hope this helps

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_seating.lasso

-Peace

Geez, this scares me im about 6'3, do you guys think I would have any problem fitting in the STI?

You won't have any problem with legroom or headroom but you may have a problem getting comfortable like many of us. I've discovered that the seats take some breaking in as the cushions are VERY firm at first. You should just sit in the car for a bit (knowing that dealers probably won't let you test drive), turn the radio on and just sit for a bit and try it on.

I got Wet Okole seat covers for my WRX (1/4" neoprene) and it made them a lot more comfortable.

Really? Do they match the interior? What color are they and where did you get them?

www.wetokole.com (949) 548-1543

There are a lot of colors available; they will send you up to 3 samples to choose from. I got a yellow/orange color that matches the car's paint (03 Sonic Yellow)

They come with a Wet Okole logo but you can ask not to have it. Several people have gotten a WRX logo instead for a small extra fee.

This photo is not that great but the best I have:

http://www.ciw.edu/seager/Photos/maxcar1.jpg


edit: My original thread on Wet Okole, with some good pics: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=300534&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

Cute Baby! Thanks for the info!