Tall guy seats

I'm 6'-5" and change. 35" inseam. Not NBA tall, but tall enough to have to try a car on "for size".. Unfortunately, I never really had a car with comfortable seats.

In the 90's a buddy had a 94 mustang GT with really comfortable (for my size) cloth seats. Later on, I rode in a friend's early 2000's BMW 330i - this car had the sport package with some really nice seats. Best aspect was the thigh bottom support which slides forward about 2-3" at full extension. Awesome.

So once upon a time I had this idea to demo some aftermarket seats. I went to a local tuner shop in Ladson, SC and asked if I could demo a Recaro seat for my Explorer for a week or so (told him I'd buy the rails - just want to try it out). Guy said no way. I found that weird.. then abandoned the idea.

Fast forward 15 years & I now drive a 2005 Civic sedan.. Sounds funny for a tall fella - and it is.. rather like climbing under my dining room table every time I get in.. but it's roomy once you get seated. But I recently started making long trips for work - and the seat concern has re-surfaced.

I now live in Atlanta. East Cobb. Are there any shops 'round here that might let me demo an aftermarket seat? I'll spend the money on a good seat, but I want to make sure it's good for a trip - not just a butt check in the shop.

It might even be possible from dealers far away - but shipping would probably be expensive. Anyone have ideas or experience in this regard?

you might want to contact Andy Reid on the CM side for some recommendations. Tall fellow and he's tried out a few seats. He was selling some a while back...

I'm in the same boat. The Japanese cars have the shortest seat bottoms in my eyes. My 2008 Impala had nice big seats for me.

I have loved most Recaro seats I have sat in Just paying the price was tough.

The BMW Recaro seats are great. The E21 seats and others had the pullout section. Those seats were also available in Mustangs, VWs, Alfas, Audis to name a few. You could probably score a beat up set off craigslist and have them recovered to match you car for a little over a grand. The lowest seats I have ever seen were the ones in the TR7 and TR8. Those puppies practically sit on the floor with sliders and they are fall asleep comfy. I know several TR8 owners in the 6'4" plus range that bought a TR8 because it was a sports car they could fit in. In the garage now I have a set of E21, a set of E30 and a set of 86 Mustang GT Recaros. They are all pretty much the same seat, but only the Mustang seats have cheap available off the shelf covers and replacement foams.

OHSCrifle wrote: Guy said no way. I found that weird.. then abandoned the idea.

Have you seen what a set of new Recaro seats costs, let alone just one? That's kind of like saying you'll buy a set of tires for a new Ferrari and take the car for a while to try it, then you'll eat the cost of the tires if you don't like it. Plus, you'll be wearing in the foam by using it, and a lot of people have some truly disgusting auto interior habits. Not saying you're one of them, but I can see why a seat dealer would be skeptical on letting a $600 seat just walk out of the showroom to devalue itself because you bought $50 in brackets.

I'm 6'2", 34" inseam. My favorites: Saab 9000 Aero Recaros, BMW E46 sport seats, Subaru XT seats, Audi B5 cloth sport seats

SlickDizzy wrote: .... I can see why a seat dealer would be....

My perspective is this: you have a seat that is on the showroom floor getting this dealer "no sale" versus a potential sale.

The other big problem I have is the seat bottom won't tilt up enough to allow my legs to be supported. With a left foot on the dead pedal, my leg is still bent and not resting on the seat. I've considered having a foam "wedge" made to support the legs (have rolled up a towel as a mockup). For a long while, I've been lucky not to have to drive for more than an hour at a time - so I just lived with it...

I just wanted to put it out there that I sit too low in the Cadavalier. Opposite problem, but I assume your problem is much harder to find a solution to.

Am I the only one who Immediately thought of this?

Cheapest Recaro seat is closer to $1000. No dealer is going to just lend you a seat to "try out". What are they supposed to do with the used seat you return if you don't like it?

fidelity101 wrote: Am I the only one who Immediately thought of this?

No.

Hightower was NBA tall. I don't know what those guys do. I even had a Suburban. It wasn't real big inside either.

I'm pretty sure I have owned riding mowers bigger than that first generation Civic.

docwyte wrote: Cheapest Recaro seat is closer to $1000. No dealer is going to just lend you a seat to "try out". What are they supposed to do with the used seat you return if you don't like it?

I hear what you say.. Difference of opinion. No sweat.

my take: A demo aftermarket seat in a showroom is marginally useful, IMHO. Like a car on a lot that you cannot drive. I guess I could sit in a car on a dealer lot and pretend to drive for four hours.... Still cannot do the same in a showroom with a seat by itself.

I am also 6'5" (and a fellow Atlantian) and have just dealt with being gigantic and cram my legs where they fit. Other than trucks, the other car that was extremely comfortable to me was my 95 Volvo 850. It was like driving on my couch.

Currently, I shoe horn myself into a 95 Camry everyday. Its meh, but after being on my feet for 10 hours a day, I could sit on a pile of glass shards and fall asleep.

OHSCrifle wrote: Hightower was NBA tall. I don't know what those guys do.

Well, sorta...

Moses Hightower, played by Bubba Smith http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0807571/

I agree that demo seats in showrooms don't tell you much, but your only other option is to try and find friends with various seats installed in their cars and beg rides...

was the 2005 the "spaceship" body style civic? mainly asking because i had an 04 RSX type s around that time and it annoyed the hell out of me that my hair would rub the roof. i found out about a week or two after i sold it that there are seat lowering kits for them, there might be one that fits your civic as well that could make life a little easier.

FWIW i'm 6'3, 32" inseam.

Strizzo wrote: was the 2005 the "spaceship" body style civic? mainly asking because i had an 04 RSX type s around that time and it annoyed the hell out of me that my hair would rub the roof. i found out about a week or two after i sold it that there are seat lowering kits for them, there might be one that fits your civic as well that could make life a little easier. FWIW i'm 6'3, 32" inseam.

2001-2005 looks like this

That's interesting about the RSX seat lowering kit. I'll have to do some digging on that topic. thanks