I wanted to get your feelings on the seats in terms of comfort over the long haul in the Crossfire. I drove a Crossfire I am considering purchasing for about a half hour the other day and overall liked the car aside from a couple small concerns.

The biggest of these concerns was the seat comfort. I felt the seat seemed a little stiff, with a somewhat aggressive lumbar. I did try making a few adjustments and found a reasonably comfortable position, but after a half hour I still wasn't sure how I felt. My impression was that the seat seemed like it needed to be broken in

So how do you feel about these seats over the long haul, as they age? Have you found that they break in with some time and get more comfortable?

(I hate to make such a big issue of it, but I have some back problems, and had to get out of a Subaru WRX because it's seats were just plain awful for comfort!).


As for my other impressions: The visibility wasn't bad considering the small windows, but would still take some getting used to. The car was very green, just 110 miles on it, so I didn't really push the engine, but it did seem very eager to go. I was really amazed at just how solid the car felt. All those reviews racing about rigidity sure weren't kidding!

Thanks in advance for the info!

 

Interesting question. I love my car but I wouldn't want to take a long trip in it. Now that's just me, there are others here that have no problem driving all over. I'm 5'9" and about 180. Its comfortable for what I use it for, probably the same as the z cars and Corvette I owned. Visibility is also an issue. Its like no other car you've probably driven. There are some horrendous blind spots. I pulled out in an intersection once to make a right turn. I was at an angle where I could not see what was coming up in the lane I was trying to turn into. I learned to pull in to an intersection straight. Rear visibility is an issue too, you just have to be super careful. Yes it does take some getting used to, its like driving a car with a chopped top. If you can get a new one with that low mileage jump on it. I'm coming up on 4 years in mine and I'm still crazy about it.

 

The seats are typical Mercedes Benz firm, but I like that and find it much more comfortable after a long drive than mushy, super soft seats.

I do find it interesting that you thought the seats have "a somewhat aggressive lumbar" because I find mine sorely lacking in that regard. My lower back would really bother me after an hour behind the wheel in the Crossfire due to lack of lumbar support. Iin my other car, with an adjustable lumbar support that I dial to full push-into-my-lower-back mode, I'm perfectly comfortable and fresh even after a 9 hour drive! I picked up a massaging lumber pillow from Wal-Mart for about $9 and gutted the massage unit and external switch (didn't want that rubbing on the leather). It works like a charm...... now all I need to do is pull the leather cover off the seat and tuck that baby inside.

Having said all that, did you test drive a car with leather seats or a base model with cloth seats? I'm sure there's a noticeable difference in firmness between the two. Also it should be noted that I'm 6'1", 200lbs with a 36" inseam. How we fit in the car, and how we adjust the seats, is unique to each of us and therefore can impact our comfort level.

 

I am 5' 9" and 180 also and I find the seats very comfortable. I took my SRT6 for a 3100 mile tour last summer and had no problems at all with my back. The lumbar support seems to be very good for me. I also have some back issue from herniated discs. But this is one of the things that is strictly an individual preference call. If it feels good....DO IT!
It is a wonderful car and if you adjust your mirrors out more you can greatly minimize the blind spots. You do have to pay a little more attention when turning or lane changing. But that is not a bad thing.

 

I find the seats are like bricks in my limited. And, in quick turns you slide around quite a bit. But even with all that, I have taken the car on trips that go 3 or 4 hours each way and haven't been uncomfortable in them. The suspension and short wheelbase contribute more to the discomfort than the seats do. Used to have a 2001 Vette and the seats weren't much better although the lumbar was adjustable.

 

I've found that my seats are like fine wine - they get better with age. I don't know if the seat has adjusted to my butt or vice versa, but after having mine for a year, I find it to be one of the most comfortable cars I have ridden in. Leather seats are like baseball gloves - brand new they are stiff as can be, but do the proper conditioning and they "fit like a glove". I would much rather take a 4 hour one way trip in my Crossfire than in my bouncy Durango (not just because of the fun factor).

As far as the visibility, if that is a concern, get a roadster - no problems seeing around in mine!

 

The car I drove is an 07 ltd with the leather seats. The salesman thought he might be able to get me into it for a whole day, or at least a good portion of a day to spend a lot of time in it and get a better feel for the comfort, and give myself more time to play with the adjustments. I am 6'0", 175. Although the car is small, I do not feel cramped in it (as I do in some other smaller cars like a Miata).

On the lumbar, it might be my basis for comparison. The WRX I had really didn't have any lumbar, which was once of it's biggest problems. Since I sold that last summer, I picked up a Jeep Wrangler (my second), which doesn't offer all that much for lumbar either, but for whatever reason the seats don't bother me at all.

The visibility I think I can get used to. I have owned a Fiero for the last 12 years, and that car has a lot of big blind spots too, especially to the three quarter rear as the Crossfire does. Without the mirrors, you cannot safely change lanes in it. The Crossfire is a bit more limited overall, I think because of the higher door sills, but I am confident I will be able to manage it. I didn't feel like I was in trouble on the 30 minute test drive I had.

Thanks for the thoughts guys!

 

For someone with 'back' issues I wouldn't recommend the Crossfire for extended trips. There is no lumbar support what so ever, tho I have read somewhere on this site of someone actually adding lumbar supports to their seats.
Other than that I find mine very comfortable and after about a year my butt has settled into the drivers seat quite nicely thank you !!!

Just my Dos Centavos

 

The longest drive I've taken was about an hour and a half of continuous driving. I didn't have any problems with the seat comfort. Other than an almost complete lack of lumbar (lower back) support, I think the seats are great, especially with the Alcantera inserts on the SRT6 (keeps you firmly planted). If your lumbar support is overly bolstered, it is possible that someone custom modded the seats to add it in there. Natively, they don't really have much. I'm 5'10", 185lbs and found a comfortable seating position pretty quickly.

Rearward visibility is a bit low. I didn;t really notice this since my Trans Am had pretty much the same problem, but driving a rental while my car is in the shop, I realize how huge the blind spots are. As fformula88 referenced, at certain intersections where you have to check traffic to the right, you will need to adjust your approach angle so that you can see oncoming traffic. You get used to it pretty quickly.

If you like the car, but dislike the driver's seat, you can always have it modded or replaced.

 

At 5'6" and 155 lbs, the car fits me. Yes, the seats are firm but I've taken it on several 6-12 hour trips with no discomfort (no abnormal discomfort). Of course, driving a roadster on a beautiful sunny day makes your forget a lot of things.

Visibility while driving can be improved by setting the mirrors properly. Somewhere on this forum is a thread. Other than that, I strongly encourage you to only park if possible in spots that you can exit by pulling forward.

PS - My SRT6 seats are about the same for support, but the car rides more stiffly with a lot of bounces from pavement irregularities. Definitely not as comfortable for long drives.

 

I find the seats to be typical european car firm, but typical mercedes flat--especially the seat bottoms. I like to have the seat angled a bit more than I can currently achieve with the crossfire so that my legs have a bit of support. I don't feel that the side bolsters are anywhere near aggressive on the car. Drive a car with real sports seats and you will notice the difference. Sit in a crossfire and find a mercedes C63 for example---worlds apart with reference to bolster aggressiveness (among other things!).