When I bought my Z, I was told that one of the reasons the previous owner traded it in was due to how uncomfortable the seats were, and how his back would hurt from driving distances. I've been able to corroborate that, but I'm curious - has anyone else experienced discomfort when driving their Z? If so, to what extent?

 

I find that the seats are horribly uncomfortable unless I have the distance, lean and lumbar support all set EXACTLY how I want. It took maybe 2 weeks of driving to get it set perfectly to how I like it, and now I find it very comfy.

 

If i were to lean back with the gangsta lean style my back would hurt after a few hour drive. With my seat up kinda like my fixed bucket race seats are, longest drive was 15 hours straight (gas stops only) and no problems.03 OEM leather.


My 05 with cloth, 3 hours max, could never really get comfy.

The Corbeau FX1 pro seats i run now, after 2 hours straight, they start to suck, 3 hours and im ready to get the f out of the car for a few.

 

Every "back" is different. Since I have a "bad" one I thought I would comment. I've had a bad back for years. I've always liked the way the Z seats allow you to basically recline with even your head supported, put the cruise control on and feel like your setting in a recliner while on a trip. Of course the heated seats in my Touring help when the back is acting up also.

I can see how the lumbar or lack there of, compared to other newer cars can get to some people though but with my frame and build the seats are just right.

 

I believe the lumbar support (or as stated, lack thereof) is what is causing problems for me. I'm tall and very skinny, and shouldn't be having any back problems in my early 20s. I did some fiddling today by adjusting the seat pan, and seemed to find a more comfortable position. If that's going to be the only negative about the car that I have, I can't be bothered much.

 

it is complete opposite with me, the only way my back can be comfortable is with the "gangsta lean". Probably not a steep lean, but i def need a slight lean to be comfortable.

the more straight the seat is, the higher the chance of my back hurting

 

My back's in pretty rough shape, and after a recent hernia surgery I still get some discomfort unless the bottom part of the seat is set up just to my liking. I've done a 4 hour trip before in the Z with no stops, and honestly it wasn't half bad. 03 OEM leather here.

 

A 3 hour trip usually gives me a sore a s s

 

OP what exactly is the problem with the seats?

I have noticed that ever since I started driving with a more upright position I no longer have any discomfort.

 

I'm personally very comfortable up until around the 1.5 hour mark with my '04 leather seats. After that, I start to feel a little pain in my lower back. I'm 23 now, with no back problems. If I play around with the seat and adjust my position a little after I start to get uncomfortable, I'm fine for a while longer.

I didn't buy the Z for seat comfort on long road trips though, and the car has proved to be more comfortable than I expected.

 

I have cloth seats in my '03 and I've found that since I bought the car, I've had ongoing pain in my lower back, particularly on the left. It might be my driving posture, but I've been making some tweaks of late and it seems to be helping somewhat.

 

i never had any discomfort in these seats, but i was never on anything more than a 4 hour drive. my evo seats were by far the comfiest seats i've sat in yet (close second was my infiniti m35x). my lotus is downright tyerrible for anything more than 30 minutes

 

i have fixed Sparco Evo2 buckets in my Z. way more supportive/comfortable than the OEM seats. longest drive would be 6+ hrs from So Cal to Norcal. everyone is different.

trading in the Z (probably 12-16k value) because the seats are uncomfortable seems like a lame excuse.. you can always get better supportive seats which would cost a very small percentage of the overall vehicle..

 

2 hr trip hurts my back.

 

I don't have a great lower back and it tends to be extremely picky when it comes to seats but luckily the Z seat is perfect for me once it's dialed in correctly.

 

The normal or XL evo2?

 

i love my heated leather seats, its actually relaxing

as someone said before adjusting the lumbar and distance along with the steering wheel helps, it took me about a month to get it how i want it, small tweaks
wearing seatbelt helps also

 

Like others have said, reputable aftermarket seats are lot more comfy. One of the first things I did was toss out the driver's seat and replaced it with a Sparco seat. I don't even notice the seat anymore like I did with the stockers.

 

My lower back hurts as well when driving for more than 1 hour.

It's true that the upright position lessens the backpain a bit. But I'm thinking how significant of an improvement can these race seats provide in terms of reducing back pain.

 

They help a lot, my lack of comfort is more from the seat pan and having to drive strapped tight into the seat. Only a harness in my car , no more stock seatbelts