I bought this car new and had had it for about a month, putting approximately 5,000km on it. Overall I like the car, and I think there are a lot of features for the money. Unfortunately, there is one glaring issue, and that is the extremely uncomfortable sitting position of the driver's seat. I am 6'1" and have trouble fitting into small cars, but this one is by far the worst I've ever experienced. After spending 5,000km in it, I can barely stand to spend more than 15 minutes inside. Unfortunately, I may be trading in the car shortly.
The issue is due to a combination of 3 factors:
The first is the very limited seat travel which means the front seats don't go back nearly far enough. To get the maximum room, you have to sit on the floor. There is ton's of room behind the driver's seat, even with it all the way back, so there is no reason it couldn't go back further. I have seen several websites tout the large rear seat leg room in the Corolla, but that is clearly because the front seats don't go back far enough for anyone over about 6'.
The second issue is the footwell. The area to the left of where you rest your left leg protrudes in about 6" more than any other car I've ever seen. It causes your left foot to be forced against the oddly angled kick panel which makes it very uncomfortable. As you move up the plastic kick panel, it protrudes in even further which puts forces you to rotate your left foot inward. There just isn't enough space on the left side for your foot. After a few minutes, it gets very uncomfortable. Because of the lack of room, I've also noticed that my heels are pressed together which could potentially be dangerous if I have to quickly activate the brakes.
The third issue is the hand-brake. It sticks up too far and is jammed into my right leg as I drive. This is extremely uncomfortable after a few minutes. If you raise the seat high enough it goes away but as you raise the seat it goes forward, and you lose precious leg room. I've managed to deal with this issue by putting a piece of foam around the handle.
Overall, the seating position in this car is brutal for anyone over 6'. I can't understand why the front seats won't go back any further. This seems to be an issue with most Asian cars, and there is no need for it.
I bought this car new and had had it for about a month, putting approximately 5,000km on it. Overall I like the car, and I think there are a lot of features for the money. Unfortunately, there is one glaring issue, and that is the extremely uncomfortable sitting position of the driver's seat. I am 6'1" and have trouble fitting into small cars, but this one is by far the worst I've ever experienced. After spending 5,000km in it, I can barely stand to spend more than 15 minutes inside. Unfortunately, I may be trading in the car shortly.
The issue is due to a combination of 3 factors:
The first is the very limited seat travel which means the front seats don't go back nearly far enough. To get the maximum room, you have to sit on the floor. There is ton's of room behind the driver's seat, even with it all the way back, so there is no reason it couldn't go back further. I have seen several websites tout the large rear seat leg room in the Corolla, but that is clearly because the front seats don't go back far enough for anyone over about 6'.
The second issue is the footwell. The area to the left of where you rest your left leg protrudes in about 6" more than any other car I've ever seen. It causes your left foot to be forced against the oddly angled kick panel which makes it very uncomfortable. As you move up the plastic kick panel, it protrudes in even further which puts forces you to rotate your left foot inward. There just isn't enough space on the left side for your foot. After a few minutes, it gets very uncomfortable. Because of the lack of room, I've also noticed that my heels are pressed together which could potentially be dangerous if I have to quickly activate the brakes.
The third issue is the hand-brake. It sticks up too far and is jammed into my right leg as I drive. This is extremely uncomfortable after a few minutes. If you raise the seat high enough it goes away but as you raise the seat it goes forward, and you lose precious leg room. I've managed to deal with this issue by putting a piece of foam around the handle.
Overall, the seating position in this car is brutal for anyone over 6'. I can't understand why the front seats won't go back any further. This seems to be an issue with most Asian cars, and there is no need for it.
- Jason D., Thorndale, ON, Canada