How to make the worst driver's seat ever made more comfortable... upholstery experts?

"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon) 08/03/2016 at 16:12 • Filed to: None

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I’ve tried it all. Lumbar support, bolstered padding, NYC taxi beads, driving with a morphine drip... but nothing makes the seat in my 2008 CRV any more comfortable.

What if I paid some actual money, though? What’s the likelihood I could take the car to an auto upholsterer and say, “Make this seat feel like an S-Class?” I’d actually take an Acura TL. And this guy cuts foam and makes a cover based on the TL pattern, but on the CRV seat frame.

I’d pay money for that, considering I’m probably going to have to drive this loathsome beast for another 15 years.

I’ve looked into adapting seats from another car into the CRV but it’s a no-go.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:15

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Get yourself a solid one piece racing seat. That will make your Honda seat feel like you’re floating on a cloud.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:17

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Check other cars based on the same platform and see if anything can fit with minor changes. I put clio seats in my twingo with minor adjustments, did require welding though but itd be cheap enough to have done at a shop.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:17

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http://corbeau.com/sport-seat.htm…

64C10 > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:19

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I have the same issue in my family’s 2006. They are horrendous, to say the least. I find it hard to believe that there aren’t parts-bin combinations that could mount a seat from, say, an Acura TL in it. I suppose I wouldn’t put that past the engineers though.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:20

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My ex-girlfriend’s parents paid mucho dinero to have custom brackets and wireing interfaces made in order to install Rav-4 seats in thier 2008 CRV. Not even kidding.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:20

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I have a CRV, I thought about getting RDX seats, I’m sure they would fit. I have noticed Acura seats are the best, they have nice leather with perforated panels, not ugly and not stiff leather like I see on some brands. BMWs I have been in have had really stiff leather, why not just use high quality vinyl. I walk my dog and there is always a TL parked, my dog pisses there and I often look in the car and say, that is a fine looking seat and it even looks comfortable.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:25

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Sounds like someone need to cruise the Self Service Junkyard for Cordoba with Rich Corinthian Leather

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:35

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It usually doesn’t take much welding to adapt a seat bracket. I have yet to find a non-luxury vehicle from the 2000's with comfortable seats though. They all seem to do this “hug the shoulders” thing which might have worked if I was 5'8 and 150lbs, but I’m 6'2 and 220, so it turns into “push the shoulders forwards” which isn’t going to work at all.

The most comfortable chairs in my living room right now are actually the front buckets from a ‘92 XJ Cherokee with 2x4's bolted to the brackets...

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 16:37

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The side airbags are the rub. If you can find a Honda seat that has the same connector bus, and fits, then you can put that seat in the driver’s place. I’d honestly suggest Accord or Civic seats if they’ll fit because they’re much more comfortable.

Do you have power seats or manual? Manual seats are a bit easier, but that under-seat connector bus is the biggest issue.

If you can go without a side airbag and don’t mind having an airbag light on, you could just put any seat you want in there.

Chairman Kaga > 64C10 08/03/2016 at 16:51

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I’ve exlored all options for adapting an existing seat. Apparently there’s an offset with the CRVs driver’s seat that makes it essentially impossible to fit ANY other seat in there. The RDX seat is similar, and I ALMOST bought a pair in matching gray leather, but I found a thread by someone who’d tried and failed over many, many months to set it up. The wiring for the airbags is another issue.

Chairman Kaga > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 08/03/2016 at 16:53

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The problem is the offset. The CRV’s seat is funky. I tried to figure out how to get an RDX seat in there, but found a thread by another guy who’d tried and failed over many months to get it to fit. The wiring was a MAJOR issue. And in Texas I can’t get a safety inspection if there’s non-functioning equipment, ie unplugged airbags.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 08/03/2016 at 16:55

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I’m legitimately upset that the actual line from the commercial is “soft Corinthian leather”. It’s like in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal says ‘good evening, Clarice’ but it’s always quoted as ‘hello, Clarice.’

Rich Corinthian leather sounds so much better.

arl > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 17:11

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I have a 2013 Accord Sport and I can sympathize. While not morphine drip bad, the seats in the Accord are hard, flat, and don’t offer much support under the front of my thighs. That’s one reason why it will be trade in time here soon.

Good luck and let us know what you do.

Katzkin leather perhaps?

Chairman Kaga > arl 08/03/2016 at 17:15

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Already have the Roadwire leather. Helps not at all. In fact, I think it makes the situation worse. The seats are not just flat and unsupporting, now they’re hard, too.

I need to take one of the Alfa’s Recaros to the upholsterer soon I guess it couldn’t hurt to ask what he thinks it might take to remould the foam and maybe modify a TL or RDX cover to fit. From scratch is probably out of the question.

64C10 > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 17:20

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I see. Probably should have figured you investigated the options. Also had no idea about the driver’s side seat offset, that’s pretty interesting. Any idea why they did it, or just for space efficiency and whatnot.

arl > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 17:21

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I hear you. Uncomfortable seats are one of the main reasons I’m trading in my Accord later this year.

That would be sweet if you could get an Acura seat in there.

Chairman Kaga > arl 08/03/2016 at 17:24

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Or trade for a Volvo V70. Those seats are SUBLIME.

just-a-scratch > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 17:41

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YES! Those things are magnificent.

SinusoidDelta > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 17:47

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The feet on CRV seats are unique and aren’t interchangeable with another model. Sorry :(

Chairman Kaga > SinusoidDelta 08/03/2016 at 17:49

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That’s what I thought. And adapting an upper frame, like from an RDX, to the stock rails is impossible due to the unique offset.

SinusoidDelta > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 18:09

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I understand your issue. Pad molds are specially designed for each seat. If you’re serious about modifying, your best hope is modifying the pad mold you have currently. The first and easiest way is simply remove a few mm of the top surface of pad mold. The tool you use looks kind of like a cheese grater. Just 5mm will make a HUGE change because most of the hardness is actually due to surface tension when the pad mold is cured.

Now, the hard way. If method one isn't enough, the upholsterer should offset in a couple of inches from each trench and cut out ~1.5 inches(maybe more) from each insert area. A rectangular piece of whatever feels best (lower density foam, memory foam, favorite couch cushion etc,) is placed in the cutout areas and secured with spray adhesive. If the cutout edges can be felt and annoy you, a very thin topper pad can be adhered over the whole insert area.

Chairman Kaga > SinusoidDelta 08/03/2016 at 18:14

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This is good info. It at least gives me the notion it’s possible! I have a guy locally so I’ll pose the question to him. Although now I sorta want a V70. Have you ever sat in one of those? Oh, mama. Perfect for lounging my way up and down the gridlock of I35 every day.

SinusoidDelta > Chairman Kaga 08/03/2016 at 19:27

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No, I haven’t had a chance to sit in one. I looked up a photo of one just now. Do you think the V70 pad is just softer and allows you to sink-in in the insert area giving you more support from the bolster areas?

You could definitely recreate that feel by either technique I mentioned. You could even sacrifice a used V70 pad mold as the donor foam you transplant into your seat. :)