The seats are a deal killer.

leodoggie · Jan 14, 2017

After four test drives, two in the Premier and two in the LT, in our opinion, especially my lady's ( who will be the principal driver ) the seats are not just uncomfortable but painful after about twenty minutes.
This is obviously a very subjective opinion but we will be waiting for a redesign or a better EV whichever comes first.

EldRick · Jan 14, 2017

Cool! Are you in Portland? Can I have your Bolt?

bro19991 · Jan 14, 2017

Not even considering 3rd party options?
LiBa Seat Cushion 5" Memory Foam Supported Comfortable Durable Chair Home Office Car Sciatica Prostate Hemorrhoid Low Back Pain Tailbone Coccyx Titanium Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013W2W4Q0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UoSEyb40KB3NT

Zoomit · Jan 14, 2017

bro19991 said:
Not even considering 3rd party options?
LiBa Seat Cushion 5" Memory Foam Supported Comfortable Durable Chair Home Office Car Sciatica Prostate Hemorrhoid Low Back Pain Tailbone Coccyx Titanium Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013W2W4Q0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UoSEyb40KB3NT

I'm not sure if you're serious or joking. Since I'm laughing, I'll consider it a joke.

Dreaderus · Jan 14, 2017

Lol I don't think I've ever had seats decide a car for me

leodoggie · Jan 14, 2017

In my opinion it is crazy to spend $40,000 on a car and immediately have to toss the seats and put new ones in. Seat enhancements will not cure the fundamental problems that these seats have, replacement is the only solution. The back side of the seat is only fourteen inches wide, that is two inches narrower than average seats.
Also my lady is six feet and one fifty, so if she is uncomfortable the vast majority of people are going to be.
I am putting this out there for discussion and also to make people aware that there is a potential problem here.
I guess I am not in the group of must have it any cost and over look defects.
If you disagree with my position it is your prerogative.

Dreaderus · Jan 14, 2017

I have just been in my cars and never fled out of one due to this.

bro19991 · Jan 14, 2017

Zoomit said:
bro19991 said:

Not even considering 3rd party options?
LiBa Seat Cushion 5" Memory Foam Supported Comfortable Durable Chair Home Office Car Sciatica Prostate Hemorrhoid Low Back Pain Tailbone Coccyx Titanium Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013W2W4Q0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UoSEyb40KB3NT

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you're serious or joking. Since I'm laughing, I'll consider it a joke.

Whoops, linked totally the wrong one. Lol
CONFORMAX "COCOON OF COMFORT" GEL CAR CUSHION COMBO SET- AIRMAX https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0155CK3P4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QwTEybRMW2GZP

Add a seat cover, and back in business?

leodoggie · Jan 14, 2017

My lady is vey appreciative of all your thoughtful suggestions, but band aids don't always fix a problem.

iletric · Jan 14, 2017

The seats are not the only problem with this car.

Burner flip phones may not connect to the car's Bluetooth, for example. We had to get another phone to connect (not everyone has a smart phone in this world).

And then there is that drum-tight suspension that makes the car hop incessantly on older American freeways. I like to describe the feeling as riding shotgun in a tow truck.

And lastly that infotainment operation requiring too many clicks on a Batman-suit-rubber buttons you cannot distinguish by touch. It's unsafe to take your eyes off the road for so many seconds just to find them in order to advance to the next music folder, FM or XM. Compared to the ease of doing it in the Soul EV, the setup is half-baked to say the least.

All taken together, all those national rewards scream "rigged" or simply represent lack of other choices. Or it could be just Bolt's novelty.

Bolt's only claim to fame, as far as I'm concerned, is the range and a precious few things. Sorry Ms. Barra. Your baby needs work.

bro19991 · Jan 14, 2017

iletric said:
The seats are not the only problem with this car.

Burner flip phones may not connect to the car's Bluetooth, for example. We had to get another phone to connect (not everyone has a smart phone in this world).

And then there is that drum-tight suspension that makes the car hop incessantly on older American freeways. I like to describe the feeling as riding shotgun in a tow truck.

And lastly that infotainment operation requiring too many clicks on a Batman-suit-rubber buttons you cannot distinguish by touch. It's unsafe to take your eyes off the road for so many seconds just to find them in order to advance to the next music folder, FM or XM. Compared to the ease of doing it in the Soul EV, the setup is half-baked to say the least.

All taken together, all those national rewards scream "rigged" or simply represent lack of other choices. Or it could be just Bolt's novelty.

Bolt's only claim to fame, as far as I'm concerned, is the range and a precious few things. Sorry Ms. Barra. Your baby needs work.

People still use flip phones? Holy crap. 1999 is calling! Only person I know that uses a flip phone is my 83 year old grandma.

And I'd rather have a tightly tuned suspension compared to a boat like, soul sapping ride in a Prius for example.

Rigged award claims are laughable.

leodoggie · Jan 14, 2017

Hey my mom is ninety years year old and she loves her flip phone, it has big numbers and only costs her $5 a month.

LeftieBiker · Jan 15, 2017

My Kyocera Marbl flip phone had the only good speakerphone setup I've encountered - my big LG Stylo supposedly has it, but it doesn't make enough sound to be usable, despite vastly better stereo speakers. The Kyocera also was dead reliable, and had a great voice recorder. I only stopped using it because it had no Bluetooth.

It really is starting to seem like GM designed the Bolt from the ground up to make most of the people who test drive it unhappy, while giving it performance specs designed to win awards. They must want to limit sales, possibly because, after promising a "50 state" car, they really don't want to build that many. You just can't build a new kind of seat from scratch, not be at all rushed, and still end up with something that is reported to feel like an aluminum folding lawn chair, but less soft.

leodoggie · Jan 15, 2017

The leather seat in my 20 year old Miata is 15.5" inches wide at the back and is as comfortable today as the day I bought it new. The Miata is not a big car, so looking at the seat it could fit easily in the Bolt. So the question arises why did they have to reinvent the seat, when there are plenty of examples of really well designed and comfortable seats out there.

oilerlord · Jan 15, 2017

leodoggie said:
In my opinion it is crazy to spend $40,000 on a car and immediately have to toss the seats and put new ones in. Seat enhancements will not cure the fundamental problems that these seats have, replacement is the only solution. The back side of the seat is only fourteen inches wide, that is two inches narrower than average seats.
Also my lady is six feet and one fifty, so if she is uncomfortable the vast majority of people are going to be.
I am putting this out there for discussion and also to make people aware that there is a potential problem here.
I guess I am not in the group of must have it any cost and over look defects.
If you disagree with my position it is your prerogative.

Sadly, shopping for an "affordable" EV continues to be an exercise in finding one with the fewest number of compromises we can live with. It is crazy to spend $40K on a car and not be able to find a comfortable seating position, and even crazier to have to spend extra $$$ to "fix" them. I blame GM bean counters for this one. Of all the places to cheap out, seats shouldn't be one of them. Perhaps GM fixes this oversight with Bolt 1.1.

roundpeg · Jan 15, 2017

leodoggie said:
The leather seat in my 20 year old Miata is 15.5" inches wide at the back and is as comfortable today as the day I bought it new. The Miata is not a big car, so looking at the seat it could fit easily in the Bolt. So the question arises why did they have to reinvent the seat, when there are plenty of examples of really well designed and comfortable seats out there.

Yikes. I tried driving a Miata once. I could not move the seat back far enough to keep my thighs from hitting the steering wheel. That car has one of the most cramped driving positions I have ever experienced, and this comes from someone who owned a MG Midget.

This seating issue is so overblown. My wife and I took a road trip (hour in both directions) in the Bolt yesterday. No complaints about the seating from either of us. I'd be happy to sit in them for much longer drives. The only limitation on how long I can sit in the seats is the batteries.

Also, do not believe what you are hearing about the suspension. It will only seem tight if you are accustomed an American land yacht floater. My understanding it will be stiffened for the Opel version, which only goes to show that American drivers are accustomed to a lack of road feel. This car jiggles far less than our BMW.

And flip phones? Give me a break. How many people who use them are really interested in integrating them with their cars? Like, two?

phil0909 · Jan 15, 2017

roundpeg said:
leodoggie said:

Also, do not believe what you are hearing about the suspension. It will only seem tight if you are accustomed an American land yacht floater.

Click to expand...

I am used to a Japanese land yacht floater (LS400) I've driven for 19 years, and the Bolt suspension feels a lot firmer. I do kind of miss the floating, but am ok with the Bolt.

The seats are fine, even though I'm moderately large. The seats are admittedly narrow, so I just sit in the middle. Quite comfy.

leodoggie · Jan 15, 2017

My lady who is six feet tall has no trouble driving my Miata for hours in complete comfort. But after twenty minutes in a Bolt she is in pain. I have mentioned that this topic is highly subjective, but trivializing the issue and not taking it seriously is delusional. People who come to this forum for honest imperical information should be made aware of possible defects to look out for. I have found a lot good information on this forum and I am merely paying back in kind. If you don't believe it or regard as not important that is fine, but I believe others will find it useful in their buying decision.

Nagorak · Jan 15, 2017

iletric said:
And then there is that drum-tight suspension that makes the car hop incessantly on older American freeways. I like to describe the feeling as riding shotgun in a tow truck.

That's pretty common in high efficiency vehicles. After having a 2001 Honda Insight, usually running on overinflated tires, if I can't feel every hair line crack in the road I feel like something's wrong.

roundpeg · Jan 15, 2017

leodoggie said:
My lady who is six feet tall has no trouble driving my Miata for hours in complete comfort. But after twenty minutes in a Bolt she is in pain. I have mentioned that this topic is highly subjective, but trivializing the issue and not taking it seriously is delusional. People who come to this forum for honest imperical information should be made aware of possible defects to look out for. I have found a lot good information on this forum and I am merely paying back in kind. If you don't believe it or regard as not important that is fine, but I believe others will find it useful in their buying decision.

Wow, okay. We''ve discussed this issue before, so I will say it again: don't believe me, don't believe anybody. Try it yourself and decide.

Those are my delusions. What are yours?

The seats are a deal killer.

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