The seats are a deal killer.

[bro19991]

Frankly all this complaining about seats is ridiculous. The seats are no worse or better than any other vehicle below or above its price range that are worth mentioning as differences. Talk about first world problems.

Yep, about as ridiculous as someone constantly complaining about the price of a Bolt and "unfair" lease terms

 

[michael]

My wife who normally drives (and loves) a Volt recently rented a Soul for a week. She described the Soul as "...a pretend car for teenagers...". She hated it..

 

[SparkE]

Is the Soul that car for chipmunks?

 

[LeftieBiker]

But this is nothing new. Overweight people have issues with a lot of other things as well because you cannot design a seat that can Fit EVeryone. Don't they have issues in aircraft seats as well? I mean come on...there comes a point where someone who is out of shape should start taking care of themselves unless they....of course...are unable or have a dilapitating issue.

This is indeed something new. We aren't talking about the morbidly obese complaining that they can't fit in a Bolt seat. The Leaf has good seats. Not great, not expensive, just large enough for anyone not too large to fit easily in one seat, and reasonably comfortable. Other EVs have similarly unremarkable seats. GM had no need to reinvent the car seat, and it's now becoming clear that they shouldn't have tried.

 

[oilerlord]

Frankly all this complaining about seats is ridiculous. The seats are no worse or better than any other vehicle below or above its price range that are worth mentioning as differences.

I've been rethinking this and have done somewhat of a 180 on criticizing the seats. We should to re-evaluate the target audience, and GM's project goals for the Bolt. Perhaps some of us have been too harsh on GM and the seats they decided to go with in keeping with making a 200 mile EV at $40,000 possible.

The Bolt was clearly designed for EV enthusiasts.

- The seats are lightweight
- The seat design give a small EV more legroom.
- The seats (and interior) allowed cost savings to be directed to the expensive EV battery / powertrain

Joe Public that wants a nice, no-compromise interior befitting a $40,000 car should buy a Lexus, not a Bolt. EV enthusiasts worth their salt should realize that their $40,000 is being spent on a 200 mile EV - not a posh interior. So yeah, I can give Joe Public a pass because they don't know anything about EV's. EV enthusiasts however...

 

[leodoggie]

Frankly all this complaining about seats is ridiculous. The seats are no worse or better than any other vehicle below or above its price range that are worth mentioning as differences.

Sorry. They are. With LT it was THE FIRST thing I noticed when I sat down in LT. I told the dealer, "****? (that's his real name) What the hell is sticking out on the side here?" **** had no idea, of course.

Admittedly, the leather is much better and probably no problem for most of the slim and trim crowd. Fatter people? Now that could be a deal-breaker. Literally. No big butts need apply. They won't fit.

Do yourself a favor and take someone with a fairly oversized derriere to Chevy dealer and have them sit down in both LT and Premiere. See what they say.

But this is nothing new. Overweight people have issues with a lot of other things as well because you cannot design a seat that can fit everyone. Don't they have issues in aircraft seats as well? I mean come on...there comes a point where someone who is out of shape should start taking care of themselves unless they....of course...are unable or have a dilapitating issue.

This thread was started because my wife who is six feet tall and weighs 150 lbs found these seats not only uncomfortable but painful after about twenty minutes. Not one person who has complained about these seats is obese. If you want to trivialize this issue go ahead, but it will not go away and is the reality of these seats.

 

[roundpeg]

I've been rethinking this and have done somewhat of a 180 on criticizing the seats. We should to re-evaluate the target audience, and GM's project goals for the Bolt. Perhaps some of us have been too harsh on GM and the seats they decided to go with in keeping with making a 200 mile EV at $40,000 possible.

The Bolt was clearly designed for EV enthusiasts.

- The seats are lightweight
- The seat design give a small EV more legroom.
- The seats (and interior) allowed cost savings to be directed to the expensive EV battery / powertrain

Joe Public that wants a nice, no-compromise interior befitting a $40,000 car should buy a Lexus, not a Bolt. EV enthusiasts worth their salt should realize that their $40,000 is being spent on a 200 mile EV - not a posh interior. So yeah, I can give Joe Public a pass because they don't know anything about EV's. EV enthusiasts however...

EVs are designed for EV enthusiasts. It's difficult to make a purely economic case for owning one. I can't speak for anyone else, but I plunked down the cash for one knowing this full well.

This is where the tax incentives come in. For the time being at least, this "$40k car" can be purchased for under $30k (depending on where you live). This turns the difficult economic case into a marginal case, one that someone with a modicum of enthusiasm for the concept might be willing to accept.

 

[JupiterMoon]

Is the Soul that car for chipmunks?

Lol yes. It's actually a pretty cool car on the inside as it has HUGE amounts of room. But it's a box on wheels essentially and a budget vehicle like most in that category.

To me by far the best interior in its class and price range these days has to be the Mazda line of cars.

 

[JupiterMoon]

Frankly all this complaining about seats is ridiculous. The seats are no worse or better than any other vehicle below or above its price range that are worth mentioning as differences.

I've been rethinking this and have done somewhat of a 180 on criticizing the seats. We should to re-evaluate the target audience, and GM's project goals for the Bolt. Perhaps some of us have been too harsh on GM and the seats they decided to go with in keeping with making a 200 mile EV at $40,000 possible.

The Bolt was clearly designed for EV enthusiasts.

- The seats are lightweight
- The seat design give a small EV more legroom.
- The seats (and interior) allowed cost savings to be directed to the expensive EV battery / powertrain

Joe Public that wants a nice, no-compromise interior befitting a $40,000 car should buy a Lexus, not a Bolt. EV enthusiasts worth their salt should realize that their $40,000 is being spent on a 200 mile EV - not a posh interior. So yeah, I can give Joe Public a pass because they don't know anything about EV's. EV enthusiasts however...

I agree that enthusiasts are more critical than the average joe. But I'll bet the average joe focuses less on the seats and more on the performance or what it can deliver in terms of real world performance that is.

BTW, how do you like your B-class? That and the i3 are on our list of vehicles for upcoming leases. My wife likes the B-Class, I prefer the i3. I've driven both. I've got to say the B-class is very comfortable and smooth. But the range might be an issue (for me not for her). Just thought I'd ask given you've probably had it for a few years now?

 

[kdh]

Just came home with a leased LT. Both of us test drove the car last week for roughly 5 minutes and loved it. Our 2014 Leaf -(which we loved but the 80 mi range was a problem)- came off lease and we made the jump yesterday.
5 minutes into her first drive, my wife said "wow these seats are really uncomfortable" and 10 minutes in she was in pain. Both of us are not big ( 34 inch waists). That plastic railing underneath the seat just jams into your hip and makes driving anywhere more than 5 minutes, not a pleasurable experience. It doesn't hurt me so much , as long as i concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat, but comfortable it is certainly not. and why should have to concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat on a 40K car? Sucks because we love everything else about the car.

Now what do i do.... wonder if i can get out of the lease after 24 hours.

An earlier post had my exact thoughts
the 2018 model will be cheaper and have more comfortable seats. wait if you can

 

[JupiterMoon]

This thread was started because my wife who is six feet tall and weighs 150 lbs found these seats not only uncomfortable but painful after about twenty minutes. Not one person who has complained about these seats is obese. If you want to trivialize this issue go ahead, but it will not go away and is the reality of these seats.

Exactly what part of the seat do some of you find discomforting? Can anyone take a picture of the area? I would suspect if it is such a big deal, people as a group should contact GM and let GM know of the issue. Otherwise they'll never take notice. It could very well become classified as a design flaw and trigger a recall where they change out the seats with new ones.

 

[leodoggie]

Just came home with a leased LT. Both of us test drove the car last week for roughly 5 minutes and loved it. Our 2014 Leaf -(which we loved but the 80 mi range was a problem)- came off lease and we made the jump yesterday.
5 minutes into her first drive, my wife said "wow these seats are really uncomfortable" and 10 minutes in she was in pain. Both of us are not big ( 34 inch waists). That plastic railing underneath the seat just jams into your hip and makes driving anywhere more than 5 minutes, not a pleasurable experience. It doesn't hurt me so much , as long as i concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat, but comfortable it is certainly not. and why should have to concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat on a 40K car? Sucks because we love everything else about the car.

Now what do i do.... wonder if i can get out of the lease after 24 hours.

An earlier post had my exact thoughts
the 2018 model will be cheaper and have more comfortable seats. wait if you can

The preponderance of evidence suggests that these seats are not only uncomfortable but downright painful, I rest my case.

 

[phil0909]

The preponderance of evidence suggests that these seats are not only uncomfortable but downright painful, I rest my case.

I've driven over 600 miles and the seats feel fine. Verdict: The seats are not guilty! :mrgreen:

 

[CopperRoad]

Exactly what part of the seat do some of you find discomforting? Can anyone take a picture of the area?

This is not my image. Car & Driver ->http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2017-chevrolet-bolt-ev-instrumented-test#26

The notes are mine...

6'2" | 160lbs | 34"

 

[ScooterCT]

The Bolt seats might be horrible for one person, awesome for another person. They're both valid statements. Last time I checked, human bodies came in all sizes, shapes and proportions.

And continuing in that vein, a seat might be totally unimportant for person A, and not a factor in choosing a car. But it might be the most critical thing in the car for somebody else.

Both are valid points of view. Because I like Brussels sprouts doesn't mean you need to.

 

[phil0909]

Both are valid points of view. Because I like Brussels sprouts doesn't mean you need to.

Well this post is an obvious fraud. Nobody likes Brussels sprouts. :twisted:

 

[WetEV]

Both are valid points of view. Because I like Brussels sprouts doesn't mean you need to.

Well this post is an obvious fraud. Nobody likes Brussels sprouts. :twisted:

I don't like them, I love them! :lol:

Doesn't everyone? :roll:

 

[leodoggie]

Just came home with a leased LT. Both of us test drove the car last week for roughly 5 minutes and loved it. Our 2014 Leaf -(which we loved but the 80 mi range was a problem)- came off lease and we made the jump yesterday.
5 minutes into her first drive, my wife said "wow these seats are really uncomfortable" and 10 minutes in she was in pain. Both of us are not big ( 34 inch waists). That plastic railing underneath the seat just jams into your hip and makes driving anywhere more than 5 minutes, not a pleasurable experience. It doesn't hurt me so much , as long as i concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat, but comfortable it is certainly not. and why should have to concentrate to sit in the middle of the seat on a 40K car? Sucks because we love everything else about the car.

Now what do i do.... wonder if i can get out of the lease after 24 hours.

An earlier post had my exact thoughts
the 2018 model will be cheaper and have more comfortable seats. wait if you can

It is unfortunate that you were not aware of this thread before you leased your Bolt. One of the reasons I started this thread was to highlight this issue so that people could make a more informed decision.
We had four test drives in both cloth and leather seats before we came to the conclusion that this issue was a deal breaker. We had ordered our Bolt in October and we did not make the decision of not buying lightly.
If you or anyone else finds a solution or fix we will be very interested to hear it.

 

[CopperRoad]

The Bolt seats might be horrible for one person, awesome for another person.

"Bolt seat is awesome". Said no one. Ever.

a seat might be totally unimportant for person A, and not a factor in choosing a car. But it might be the most critical thing in the car for somebody else.

I don't believe the people who find the front seats uncomfortable consider a seat the most critical factor, it's that it is actually causing discomfort to the point they can't buy the car.

A seat has never been an issue in any car I've ever owned, or test driven. The last thing I was thinking of when I extended my Leaf lease to get the Bolt was, "I hope the seats don't cause me discomfort and pain."

For me, I'm a glutton for punishment. I've purchased 4 seat cushions and I'm going today for my 4th (car show included) and final attempt to sit in the Bolt.

 

[leodoggie]

The Bolt seats might be horrible for one person, awesome for another person.

"Bolt seat is awesome". Said no one. Ever.

a seat might be totally unimportant for person A, and not a factor in choosing a car. But it might be the most critical thing in the car for somebody else.

I don't believe the people who find the front seats uncomfortable consider a seat the most critical factor, it's that it is actually causing discomfort to the point they can't buy the car.

A seat has never been an issue in any car I've ever owned, or test driven. The last thing I was thinking of when I extended my Leaf lease to get the Bolt was, "I hope the seats don't cause me discomfort and pain."

For me, I'm a glutton for punishment. I've purchased 4 seat cushions and I'm going today for my 4th (car show included) and final attempt to sit in the Bolt.

Perhaps after your test drive and cushion evaluation you could give us a run down of what worked and what didn't and why. Also if you finally decide to buy or not.