Originally Posted by DrLev99' post='557141' date='Apr 6 2008, 06:40 PM

After having turned in cars after a week or less from back comfort issues (or lack thereof), I am convinced our backs get used to whatever it is we're accustomed to driving and then acts up when in less familiar cars/seats. A good example or "unintended experiment" related to this has to do with the fact that I used to own '04 Maxima.

When I bought my new 335xi, I went nuts trying to get comfortable in the sport seats. After 1 week I turned it in for my 530xi with standard seats, since I was very comfy in the standard 328 seats from a loaner I had driven for a week. Well, I was wrong to assume the std. seats were similar across models. As soon as I pulled into my driveway with the 530xi, my back was crying for relief!!! It's funny how both cars felt fine during the test drive, though. Anyway, I was like, "What the hell did I just do!?" Talk about kicking myself in the ass!

Getting back to my point re: my old Maxima...Both my mother and stepfather own the same model Maxima as I did (I guess my family likes them.. ) , and when I would sit in them after being in my 5, I'd be like, "Aaahhh, relief!" As the months went by I still couldn't get comfy in the 5. It took me about 2 long months before I stopped adjusting my seats on an minute-by-minute basis, all the way to work. Then, all was good...comfort once again.

After 4 or more months with the 530 and zero times in the Maxima, I finally got back into the driver's seat of my stepfather's to go out to dinner one night, and after about 5 minutes I was bitching and moaning about my back for the entire drive, so much so that I opted to sit in the rear on the way back! As an fyi, through 3 years of ownership, my back never ached in the Maxima.

My point? For people with bad backs, I strongly believe that our backs adjust to fit our seats, given enough time, rather than the other way around. I believe most seats will become tolerable or even very comfy over time, after weeks or months of tweaking and adjustments. And then sometimes we just get lucky and never experience discomfort in a new car.

Originally Posted by Richard in NC' post='557890' date='Apr 8 2008, 07:09 PM

There is a big difference, between softness, comfort, and support. The comfort seat may not be as comfortable as others at first, but when adjusted properly, its support provides long term comfort. I've done an 8 hour trip in mine like it was nothing. Most other cars with soft seats, I'm glad to be done with the trip and overly tired.