Tall guy in a Bolt update - I fit!

[Anonymous]

I'm taller than most, and at about 6'3 I am happy to report there is plenty of space in the Bolt!

Typically I put a seat in the farthest back position and wish it could go farther. However, in the Bolt EV I just sat in, I put it all the way back, and happily realized it was too far - I pulled the seat forward about another inch to get to a comfortable driving position!

After adjusting the front seat to my liking, I tried the rear seat. My knees were hitting the back of the seat as I sat 'behind myself' but it wasn't pressed into the seat in a super uncomfortable way. As for headroom, it was also acceptable in the back seat.

 

[omar]

For a 'wide' guy, vs 'tall' guy, I found the seats to be firm, but not too bad - not more than I expected.

I am bigger than the seat but it was still quite drivable and comfortable. For short drives, daily commute it will be just fine. On longer drives there could be some discomfort on the outer side against the door.

 

[Aidan]

I'm taller than most, and at about 6'3 I am happy to report there is plenty of space in the Bolt!

Typically I put a seat in the farthest back position and wish it could go farther. However, in the Bolt EV I just sat in, I put it all the way back, and happily realized it was too far - I pulled the seat forward about another inch to get to a comfortable driving position!

After adjusting the front seat to my liking, I tried the rear seat. My knees were hitting the back of the seat as I sat 'behind myself' but it wasn't pressed into the seat in a super uncomfortable way. As for headroom, it was also acceptable in the back seat.

Excellent news I'm a tall guy too!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm 6'5" and fit well. Seat all the way back, steering wheel all the way extended, and seat back reclined a bit. If I don't recline the seat back, the head rest forces my head too far forward.

 

[Nagorak]

Yes, there is plenty of room in the Bolt. I've seen some people elsewhere claiming the Bolt is an "econobox". No, it's not. At 6'4" I don't even fit in an econobox. The interior of the Bolt is incredibly spacious. It's one of the best "efficient" cars I've sat in before.

 

[roundpeg]

I'm 6'2" and I can put a fist on top of my head and not touch the headliner. I also have to set the seat well forward of its farthest back position to be properly situated behind the wheel. So it seems a much taller person than myself could easily fit comfortably into this car. Wide, not so much, because of the seats,

 

[CopperRoad]

The fact that there has been talk about the comfort of the Bolt's front seats is a bit disconcerting, but not surprising. After sitting in the Bolt at the LA Auto Show, and test driving it last week there is really only one conclusion for me... the seats are inadequate. It has nothing to do with being wide or thin. (I'm thin at 6'3", 160lbs) The seat base, in my opinion, is poorly designed. There is simply not enough lateral hip room. Which on its own could have been livable. But GM opted for very little lateral cushion bolstering down the side of the seats. So one can actually feel the frame of the seat.

Any slight movement and there is a sharp ridge of plastic ready to meet your hip. Hop in and take your seat and you have to adjust, and readjust yourself in order to find the sweet spot where you're hips are not saying hello to that ridge of plastic. The left side is more pronounced because you have the confluence of the manual seat controls and the seat pivot mechanism eating into the already limited seat space. All of this probably could have been avoided with a sufficient lip of lateral padding... I'm reminded of this when sitting in the Spark EV, a small car with small seats, but firm lateral cushioning.

Maybe after living with the car, all would be fine. But it just seems like such an important aspect of a car to have to get used to.

 

[roundpeg]

About ten days in and a couple hundred miles and I have no complaint about the seating comfort. Everybody's feel is different of course.

 

[Boltar]

The fact that there has been talk about the comfort of the Bolt's front seats is a bit disconcerting, but not surprising. After sitting in the Bolt at the LA Auto Show, and test driving it last week there is really only one conclusion for me... the seats are inadequate. It has nothing to do with being wide or thin. (I'm thin at 6'3", 160lbs) The seat base, in my opinion, is poorly designed. There is simply not enough lateral hip room. Which on its own could have been livable. But GM opted for very little lateral cushion bolstering down the side of the seats. So one can actually feel the frame of the seat.

Any slight movement and there is a sharp ridge of plastic ready to meet your hip. Hop in and take your seat and you have to adjust, and readjust yourself in order to find the sweet spot where you're hips are not saying hello to that ridge of plastic. The left side is more pronounced because you have the confluence of the manual seat controls and the seat pivot mechanism eating into the already limited seat space. All of this probably could have been avoided with a sufficient lip of lateral padding... I'm reminded of this when sitting in the Spark EV, a small car with small seats, but firm lateral cushioning.

Maybe after living with the car, all would be fine. But it just seems like such an important aspect of a car to have to get used to.

Same height here and a little wider, but felt the same way. Plenty of headroom, and happily enough room to sit behind myself in the back seat. The lack of lateral seat cushion bolster padding is just really puzzling. My seats are currently taken apart for an additional layer of high density foam to help push that bolster out over the plastic frame better. Similar to me were the bolsters that hit your ribs...very thinly padded in key spots, feels like your ribs are sitting on plastic. I also prefer more lumbar support. Others who've sat in my car feel the same and are actually more picky than me. The design team needs a quick re-do on this one, but know that it can be massaged by a qualified auto upholstery tech. It just shouldn't have to be.

 

[jjr]

Same height here and a little wider, but felt the same way. Plenty of headroom, and happily enough room to sit behind myself in the back seat. The lack of lateral seat cushion bolster padding is just really puzzling. My seats are currently taken apart for an additional layer of high density foam to help push that bolster out over the plastic frame better. Similar to me were the bolsters that hit your ribs...very thinly padded in key spots, feels like your ribs are sitting on plastic. I also prefer more lumbar support. Others who've sat in my car feel the same and are actually more picky than me. The design team needs a quick re-do on this one, but know that it can be massaged by a qualified auto upholstery tech. It just shouldn't have to be.

Would love to get some more details on your seat mod!

Are you doing it yourself?
Have any pics or ideas on taking the seat apart and putting it back together? I'm mostly curious if the foam can be added and still getting the original seat upholstery back on. I guess if the foam is just replaced with firmer foam it should be fine?

 

[leodoggie]

About ten days in and a couple hundred miles and I have no complaint about the seating comfort. Everybody's feel is different of course.

Your videos have been very informative, as the seat issue has become such a big deal perhaps you can shed some light on this topic for us. My wife is calling the seat a deal killer and insists the cloth seat is more comfortable than the leather.

 

[roundpeg]

Your videos have been very informative, as the seat issue has become such a big deal perhaps you can shed some light on this topic for us. My wife is calling the seat a deal killer and insists the cloth seat is more comfortable than the leather.

Would be happy to do this, I am hoping to produce another video this weekend. But I am not sure what approach to take to what is inevitably a highly subjective issue.

Personally, I prefer cloth seating. Leather is colder in cold weather and hotter in hot weather. Alas, not an option on the Premier.

 

[leodoggie]

Your videos have been very informative, as the seat issue has become such a big deal perhaps you can shed some light on this topic for us. My wife is calling the seat a deal killer and insists the cloth seat is more comfortable than the leather.

Would be happy to do this, I am hoping to produce another video this weekend. But I am not sure what approach to take to what is inevitably a highly subjective issue.

Personally, I prefer cloth seating. Leather is colder in cold weather and hotter in hot weather. Alas, not an option on the Premier.

I agree with you, this issue is highly subjective. In my wife's case the leather seats are very restrictive in the hip area to the level that after a twenty minute test drive they induced pain, not so with cloth seats. We are going to test drive a LT again to confirm this. It would be interesting to hear some ladies opinions on this issue.

 

[roundpeg]

I agree with you, this issue is highly subjective. In my wife's case the leather seats are very restrictive in the hip area to the level that after a twenty minute test drive they induced pain, not so with cloth seats. We are going to test drive a LT again to confirm this. It would be interesting to hear some ladies opinions on this issue.

My own spousal unit has not complained, but so far the trips have been under a half hour. If the weather holds up we may take a longer drive in the Bolt this weekend.

I wonder, though, how could the leather be less comfortable around the hips? I could be wrong, but aren't they they same seats, except for the covering material?

 

[leodoggie]

I agree with you, this issue is highly subjective. In my wife's case the leather seats are very restrictive in the hip area to the level that after a twenty minute test drive they induced pain, not so with cloth seats. We are going to test drive a LT again to confirm this. It would be interesting to hear some ladies opinions on this issue.

My own spousal unit has not complained, but so far the trips have been under a half hour. If the weather holds up we may take a longer drive in the Bolt this weekend.

I wonder, though, how could the leather be less comfortable around the hips? I could be wrong, but aren't they they same seats, except for the covering material?

Not to get too technical here but my wife is an occupational therapist and deals with ergonomics, her explanation is that the cloth seats have a natural stretch to begin with and the leather may with further use.

 

[roundpeg]

I see. Well then the question might be whether stretchy is really an advantage. Some are saying they feel hard spots through the seats. Without being too nosy I have wonder how much you'd have to weigh to have this experience. With modern seating materials a chair should not have to be thickly padded to be supportive and comfortable. The office chair I sit in all day long is lot thinner than the seats in the Bolt.

 

[leodoggie]

I see. Well then the question might be whether stretchy is really an advantage. Some are saying they feel hard spots through the seats. Without being too nosy I have wonder how much you'd have to weigh to have this experience. With modern seating materials a chair should not have to be thickly padded to be supportive and comfortable. The office chair I sit in all day long is lot thinner than the seats in the Bolt.

We may be drifting into difficult waters here, but she is six feet tall and weighs one fifty, but you didn't here that from me.

 

[roundpeg]

Didn't hear what?

That is almost exactly my build, incidentally.

 

[voltage]

Awesome for us tall folks

 

[EZRyder]

Just got my Bolt a few days ago. Have drive a few hundred miles already. I'm 6'4 1/2". Medium build. I find I fit in the Bolt better than most 4-door cars, but not nearly as good as in a 2-door hatchback. I have the typical problem of looking to my left and seeing door jamb, but it's not TOO bad on the Bolt. The good news is I can rest my elbow on the door arm rest - I can't in the Volt, for example. Leg-room is insane - plenty. I also had 5 people in the car today and there was plenty of legroom in the back - without even my having to move my seat up!

My only "complaint" is the seat. The problem is that I have to "climb" out of it. The reason being the levers on the side for lifting the seat up kind of get in the way. It's not horrible, and I find my butt doesn't fall asleep like it did on the Spark EV.

Overall totally loving the Bolt! With the large exception that the Android Auto app seems to have completely messed up my infotainment screen. Music doesn't work anymore. App doesn't work. A real drag. But, I'm sure I'll sort if out. Just happened on my way home tonight when I plugged in the phone and tried to make a call.