Seating comfort for long drives

deserthillsman

I'm considering surrendering my 2009 Forester at the end of it's lease in Oct. and replacing it with a Forte Hatchback. The Forester is just plain terrible in terms of seating support for a long trip, anything over 90 minutes. There's no lumbar support or adjustment. I'm 6'0 and 200 lbs. Anyone have any experience with the Forte Hatchback on long trips?

My two previous cars that I'd turned in on the Forester were a 2001 Jetta Wagon and a 2004 Ford Mustang. The Jetta had great seats (leather) and I could drive that car for 8 hours without noticeable fatigue or discomfort. The Mustang (leather) was similar to the Forester. No support, severe discomfort on long drives.

nancymj58

I almost bought a Forester, but the seat was so uncomfortable it killed the deal for me. I bought a 2012 Honda Civic, and the seats are not comfortable for me because I'm short (the lumbar support hits me wrong and it's not adjustable) but it's OK if I sit on a wedge-shaped cushion. I would recommend either renting the car for a day or two or asking for a demo. A 10- or 20-minute test drive is just not adequate to judge a $20K purchase! Incidentally my husband and taller daughter find the new Civic perfectly comfortable. Before I bought the Civic, I test drove the Forte briefly and didn't notice anything adverse about the seats. I bought the Honda because we've owned two Civics that were trouble free, but I'm kicking myself for not going back and testing the Forte one more time.

deserthillsman

You're absolutely right about the test drives. I have only one Subaru dealer close to me. It's not near the freeway and the test drive is a 10 minute loop. I tried to rent cars that I was interested in; however, all the rental car agencies had at the time were last year's models. Considering that Hyundai and Kia both have made considerable changes from the 2010 to 2011 models, there was no point in trying to rent what was available. I ran into the same problem with the Ford Focus. Everything was 2010 models.

I think I'd also agree with you about the Forte. I test drove it and I think I'd choose it over both the Subaru and Honda. I test drove a Hyundai Elantra sedan and wagon. I am so impressed with the sedan. Great gas mileage, great handling and good acceleration. The wagon is a totally different car at this point. It doesn't get the good gas mileage of the sedan, and it still has the old engine and transmission, both of which are not nearly as responsive or efficient as the new Elantra sedan.

I'm considering a Chevy Sonic hatchback for a 2012 purchase, however, I may just keep my Subaru Forester for a couple of more years, then spring for a Prius V. I rented a Prius for a week in Florida and had a great experience with it. My Subaru remains very reliable, although the seats are horrible on long trips and the gas mileage is only 22.2 combined after 3.5 years, and no power.