Do you find American Midsized to Full Sized Cars to be more comfortable than Foreign Cars? (rental, vehicles)
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As a traveling business person I spend alot of time in rental cars. I have an observation: Almost without exception I find the seats in American Cars to be much more comfortable to sit in for a long trip in an America Car than a Foreign Cars.
For example the new Ford Taurus is far more comfortable than a similarity priced Toyota Avalon.
As a traveling business person I spend alot of time in rental cars. I have an observation: Almost without exception I find the seats in American Cars to be much more comfortable to sit in for a long trip in an America Car than a Foreign Cars.
For example the new Ford Taurus is far more comfortable than a similarity priced Toyota Avalon.
Do you agree?
It's possble but unlikely since the GATT treaty demands that all foreign cars be built in America and no longer imported. ALL cars , well not all just 99%, are American made no matter the brand name today.
As far as long riding comfort NO car can beat a Chevy/GMC Suburban for outright limo like comfort even if you traveled a 1000 miles a day. Cars are just not built for long trips today. The body on frame design of the Suburban gives a better ride every time.
It's possble but unlikely since the GATT treaty demands that all foreign cars be built in America and no longer imported. ALL cars , well not all just 99%, are American made no matter the brand name today.
hmmm... interesting...
I do not think that is true, there are numerous cars that are imported, still.
And it really has nothing to due with seat design.
I prefer my GTI seats to most I have sampled. The CAR does not ride as comfortably as my work Expedition, but the SEATS are much better. More supportive and firmer, which I prefer.
I think it depends on what you prefer, and how you are built. If you are lean and in shape, and prefer a snug firm seat that keeps your butt planted where it needs to be to control the car even if you are pulling some G's, the European brands will give you (me) what you want.
Many petite short women around the office swear by Honda. They do fit a small person well.
If you are built "more for comfort than for speed", or are just plain a big guy or gal (and I don't mean "fat" when I say "big", I mean "big", as in "large scale") frequntly the American cars will fit you better. The Lincoln Navigator is not popular with NFL and NBA guys just because they can put "dubs" on it easily - it is big enough inside that they can get comfortable.
It's possble but unlikely since the GATT treaty demands that all foreign cars be built in America and no longer imported. ALL cars , well not all just 99%, are American made no matter the brand name today.
Simply absolutely totally untrue. MANY vehicles sold in the US are made elsewhere. For example all Honda Fits and Toyota 4Runners are made in Japan.
Asian cars almost categorically have poor thigh support - Americans generally have longer legs than Asians and above a certain height, Asian seats just are too short imo to properly support the legs, making the whole seating position uncomfortable.
Asian cars almost categorically have poor thigh support - Americans generally have longer legs than Asians and above a certain height, Asian seats just are too short imo to properly support the legs, making the whole seating position uncomfortable.
Asian made cars to have a tendency to have seats that numbs you up a bit. I thought the question was more aimed at chassis and suspension though or "the ride" if you wish.
Seats are a bit of a person to person thing, and many manufacturers (up a scale from mass market japanese car) can, to an extent, cater to your needs. Personally, the seats in most American cars I've tried are too big and not supportive enough. I absolutely love the M sport seats in BMW's, they fit my body perfectly. The seats in the Lexus IS range (and I'm guessing the rest of them) are also extremely good.
Chassis, suspension and ride quality wise though, I've found most American cars (I've been in) leaving something to be desired. They're either wolly, soft and "floating", with the resulting bopping up and down over bumps, and lack of "feel", or they're "sporty" and too stiff and bumpy and just uncomfortable.
BMW for one has a very good chassis, it's comfortable to do long hauls in, but still responsive, and you can feel what's going on, without it being intrusive.
I guess it comes down to what you prefer, I like a long haul car to still be responsive and give me a feel of what's going on, not just float and bump me along, with no real feeling of what's going on under the wheels. Someone might prefer that though, and hey, nothing wrong about that.
Last edited by TheViking85; 12-11-2009 at 11:57 PM..
Reason: because the short word for japanese apparently is bad.
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