GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My wife wants me to dump the 05 Vibe or get some new seats installed? The bench style seats are not adequate because they do not tilt and dig into the back of her thighs making it impossible to drive any distances. I do have to agree that they are very tight and stiff, would like to be able to adjust them. Just about every vehicle has power adjustable seats in them nowadays, why doesn't the Vibe?Driving the Vibe is almost like driving a School Bus. I'd rather feel like driving a sports car.I know that I probably won't find anything new, so my question will be: Can I install power seats from a different vehicle make/model, like the VW jetta? Isn't it just a matter of installing the mounts and providing power outlets?

I also hate the fact that they don't have power seats. I would think it would be possible to install power seats. It would be a great mod, and if you do it, provide a how-to with lots of pics. Now if I can just get the dang steering wheel to pull out towards me I would be happy.

If it's new, you may just want to give the seats some time to break in. The driver's seat in my Vibe is easily the most comfortable seat I've ever had in a car, but the passenger seat is much stiffer because no one ever sits over there. Over time they will probably get more comfortable as they're broken in and the foam loses its stiffness.Bench seats though? I didn't think any Vibe had those except in the back...

THe seats in the Vibe are about a million times better than the Cavalier and other J-bodies.I actually find the Vibe seats very comfortable. Sorry you disagree and hope you find a solution.

They sit like bench seats, not like the sport buckets they're described as. I like to sit low.... It takes some adjusting because the previous vehicle was a 1990 BMW 325ic with great leather seats.... As far as car seats are concerned you'd think that all makes would have decent seats in them by now. 15 years is quite a while.... I can deal with the seats since i'm quite a bit taller, but the car was for my wife and she won't drive it because of the seats. Now I have to drive it and she drives my '93 Jimmy. I'm not happy about that at all.I even forked out and extra $1100+ for the leather interior. I'd trade it back in, but would lose my pants on the deal.

Have you tried adjusting the height of the seat? That could probably help because I believe it actually does tilt the seat...

I noticed a slight tilt when adjusting the height. My wife has to raise the seat which tilts it upwards, when I lower the seat there is a slight downwards tilt. It's ok for me at 5'10" but not for my wife at 5'2". She needs the seat up as far as it goes with a downward tilt.Everyone will ask me why I didn't check this out before purchasing the vehicle. I was a fool for assuming that seats in new vehicles are 'fully' adjustable with or without being powered.I did ask the salesman and he confirmed my assumption, also told me that there was a CD changer in it, rolling his eyes like I was burdening him with unnecessary questions. I found out otherwise when I got home but did not have anything in writing. The dealer then told me that it was up to me to do my homeowrk before buying a car, to try everything out, that the salesman wasn't a Vibe Guru, Yada, Yada, Yada, then too bad we can't help you, told be to get legal assistance. I never thought that new car dealers could be bad people and have learned my lesson, bigtime. Yeah, but before you sign they tell you all kinds of stories about their customer service, that the customer is always right and that I can trust them, yada, yada, yada.The next time around it will be with a different dealer and I'm going to harass them until I have checked out and confirmed every option on my own. And if they tell me that they would never treat a customer like that and that I should trust them, then I will just walk away.

I'm the same height as your wife, maybe a little bit shorter even, and I tried raising the seat all the way up once and didn't like the way it sat either, so I put it back down, but haven't found that it obstructs my view of the front of the car at all, so that may be another potential solution. It could take some getting used to, but if she doesn't feel it would be a safety hazard to sit lower, she may want to give that a try and see if it's more comfortable. I'd still give it a break-in period too before you completely give up on the seats in the Vibe.I can't drive vehicles with low-sitting "sport" bucket seats, such as Camaros and the like, because I can't see *at all* because I'm so short.As for all vehicles having power adjustable seats, I've never had a vehicle that had that, even a Buick Century and a new Sonoma pickup before the Vibe. My mom's '99 Jimmy had them, and the driver's seats in their Trailblazers do, but I think most "lower end" vehicles don't have power seats yet as a standard feature.But if the salesman told you it had power seats, then I would definitely hold the dealership to that, Vibe guru or not. Unfortunately, there isn't much they're going to be able to do, since the Vibe isn't offered with power seats, even as an option.

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Also, even though people are the same height, some have longer torso's or leg's, than others. No one is the same.I never said everyone was the same. I was simply sharing my own experiences, again, and offering advice based on those experiences, which the original poster can choose to either take or not take, and it won't hurt my feelings either way.

The salesmen didn't tell me that it had power seats but did tell me that they were fully adjustable in every which way. My 1990 BMW didn't have power seats either, but they could be adjusted in every which way, even in height and tilt for the comfort of my little wife.

someone in the forum has a bur up their (removed) today...give it some time. when i first got my vibe, i thought my cavy was more comfy. after a while, i find my car most comfortable than any other, because im used to it.(*diclaimer-not saying everyone will experience this, just giving input, which is all one can really do.)

so you're trying to compare a BMW (albiet 1990) to a Vibe? you're talking 2 different class of vehicles. and though I recently just traded my vibe GT in for a new Legacy GT Limited, I will say that I miss the comfortable seats of my Vibe. I added a custom leather kit since leather interior wasn't available at the time, and maybe your seats are still too new. I'm also 5'2" and had no problem what so ever. the vibe seats are some of the most comfortable i've ever ridden in. we took a road trip in May from London, Ontario to Anchorage, Alaska. those seats in the hubby's vibe were life savers! sure we had to stop here and there to stretch, but overall, the seats were comfortable. I don't think I'd want to take that trip in my LGT right now as the seats are still not broken in to my complete liking or comfort.

Quote, originally posted by stevo2000 »The salesmen didn't tell me that it had power seats but did tell me that they were fully adjustable in every which way. My 1990 BMW didn't have power seats either, but they could be adjusted in every which way, even in height and tilt for the comfort of my little wife.Did you check out the seats yourself, or just go with what dealer told you? Honestly, they know less than some consumers. In all honesty, it's not fair to compare a BMW to the Vibe...apples and oranges, and you get what you pay for.As for my opinion, I think both front seats are comfy, and have never had a complaint. On the contrary, I've received compliements as to how well the ride on long drives. Road trips are always comfy...my girlfriend loves them.

Quote, originally posted by Kari »If it's new, you may just want to give the seats some time to break in. The driver's seat in my Vibe is easily the most comfortable seat I've ever had in a car, but the passenger seat is much stiffer because no one ever sits over there. Over time they will probably get more comfortable as they're broken in and the foam loses its stiffness.Bench seats though? I didn't think any Vibe had those except in the back...WHAT?!?!?!Kari, how can you say that the Vibes seats are more confortable than a '79 Chevy Malibu? Those are the most confortable seats I have ever had. I have fallen asleep in that front seat while driving more times than I can count.

I dunno about yours but mine had this vinyl stuff that was hot enough to melt your skin off in the summer...LOL...takes down that comfort quotient just a tad.

I was just using the BMW as a reference that there were fully adjustable manual seats out there 15 years ago, not understanding how new vehicles, 15 years later, could not be fully adjustable, on any vehicle...We started off on what was meant to be a day long road trip. Within an hour the back of my wives legs had gone numb on her and she couldn't sit any longer no matter how she adjusted, even within 5 minutes after taking a stretch, had to abort the trip.

other then racing seats, not much in the form of replacement seats available for cars.BMW may have fully adjustable seats... but BMW is way ahead of an affordable Vibe.I drove my car across canada to Alaska and was amazed at how my Vibe seats remained comfortable for me. We'd leave at 8am and drive to as late as 11pm pretty much stopping only for gas... never once got cramped up and I'm a tall guy.Hope something works out for you.

sounds to me that your vibe just isn't broken in yet. that is one thing i had EVERYONE compliment me on were how comfortable the seats were! maybe you're just used to your BMW seats so it may take a little getting used to. and also keep in mind, that BMW is known worldwide for being on the leading edge of car technology and comfort. they were the first car maker to make ABS standard as well as dual airbags. They came out with curtain and side airbags before anyone else, etc. i used to be a HUGE BMW fan (about 5 yrs ago) and could tell you anything you wanted to know about features and benefits of all models from 1998-2000. almost bought one myself, but they would not come down in price (and the dealer here at the time were real asses!).

Thanks for all of the responses. I'll probably take it to one of those mod shops and ask their opinion about putting in seats from a different vehicle.....

I like the car and I like the seats, though they could go a bit lower.My wife likes the car, but is extremely upset that she can't drive it.The next time I'll have to drag her along and let her try out the seats.We only switch cars every 10 years, so we don't have the scientific knowledge or experience to know what to look for.....We now know that all seats are not the same. Some adjust, some do not, these do not. It's the $5000 mistake because that is what I would lose if I traded it back in for a vehicle with adjustable seats. That's why I'm looking for an inexpensive mod. I saw a set of VW leather power seats on Ebay for $150. Just need to know if I can make them fit.

Direct fit - most likely not.Modifying the mount or rails - maybe.But then you're looking into saftey issues... also the seats have sensors for the multistage airbags - you may need to swap them out to new seats too.Honestly, I wouldn't chance the saftey issues involved with swapping out the seats unless you knew they were a direct fit.On a side note - my seats took a few weeks to break in, now they're very comfortable. I expected this because I rack up >130k miles every 5 years and swap out cars about that often. In the future, take a longer test drive of the new cars - and test drive some used ones just to see how they wear. And don't trust a dealer with any information - when you ask for it in writing, is when they'll actually research the question for you - ussualy by opening the booklet for the car that's on the dealer wall. Other than that - any answers to your car on the lot is just "wah wah wah" Charlie Brown adult talk...My wife and I did all my research before stepping foot on the lot after test driving some hig mileage '03 used Vibes to see how they hold up we then took a few new ones on 100 mile test drives - when we liked them, we asked him if he could get two base vibes - salsa and abyss, moon & tunes, and power package. He gave us fair trade in numbers on our vehicles - so we went with that. I don't dicker or deal - I walk away from dealers who try to make a fast buck. Glad I found one that wasn't shoveling crap to make a sale.