hello,

disclaimer, i am not savvy with cars. i purchased a fit from my parents because my car was stolen and they gave me a really good deal.

however, even with lumbar support the seating gives me sciatica. i am predisposed to it because i have a connective tissue disorder. i am 5'8. the steering wheel is also awkwardly unadjustable

i would be willing to pay money to swap out the seats but i have NO CLUE how to proceed with this. any advice on seats or where to go in GA? thanks!

 

Before spending big for seats, which may or may not help, maybe you could experiment with different shapes, locations and densities of foam? Consulting a physical therapist may help, too.

 

When you say the steering wheel is not adjustable, do you mean that the range of adjustment is not sufficient, or that you can't adjust it at all? Because the Fit, at least the current incarnation, does have an adjustable wheel; there's a lever hidden underneath it that allows a fair bit of tilting and a little bit of telescoping in and out.

The Fits's seats are not the most comfortable seats around. Some people have found that adding some little spacers under the front seat mounting bolts to tilt the whole seat back a little has helped a fair bit. Some have also found that adding a firmer spring to the gas pedal helps, as it keeps you from having to support your foot and putting pressure on everything. The headrest is uncomfortably far forward; some have had success in unbending the support rods somewhat to alleviate that. I also agree with Doug's suggestion to try fiddling with cushions and such; that would probably be easier and quicker and less expensive than finding and installing another seat.

(The Fit's seats have side airbags built into them, and a few weight sensors and such. That doesn't make it impossible to replace them, but it does make things trickier, particularly if you're unwilling to compromise the crash safety of the car. The most readily available swaps seem to be various road race style seats, which can be very safe in an accident with proper installation and harnesses but can be quite unsafe otherwise, and perhaps Civic seats, some of which apparently require not too much work to swap in. Searching the forums should yield a few threads....)

 

Well, I don't know about doing this in Atlanta, but in Dallas you might want to roll up a towel and place it in the small of your back to aid in supporting your lumbar region.

There are lumbar support pillows that can be purchased for automotive use or for home use in your favorite TV chair.

 

You are about the same height as me and I've found the seats to be quite comfortable but there is one important thing to do: you must scoot your bum as deep as you can into the seat. The backrest has a bulge that acts as lumbar support however, if you just get in without scooting, the bulge creates a space between the backrest, the seat cushion and you back making for a pretty uncomfortable ride. Scoot your butt in there and you should see that it makes a nice difference. I also am annoyed by the lack of steering wheel adjustment. I put in on the highest setting and I find it acceptable, even if a bit on the low side.

The fit has a more upright seating position compared to a civic which basically has a reclining bed . I like the upright position, it makes for an alert driving position and I'm always afraid of falling asleep or road hypnosis with the reclined sedan type seating.

Some users have installed washers under the front seat screws to raise the front of the seat. Actually the most comfy thing I have ever used in a car are the Taxi driver style seat covers with wooden beads. Looks kinda ghetto but the firm back massage is fantastic