Nismo Recaro seat comfort?
 

Greetings everyone, I'm a long time hard-core gear head, but new here. I've owned 104 cars over 45 years of driving (so yes, I'm 'older'), including a couple of Z cars way back when (260Z, 280ZX), and 3 Infiniti G coupes.

I'm intensely shopping for a Nismo, either new or used, 2015-2017. The only thing I'm not sure of is if the Recaro seats will be comfortable over the long run. I'd like to ask anyone for your comments on the seats.

I'm 'older' (60-ish) and not 'small' (6'0", 200 lbs). I've taken a Nismo for two 20 minute test drives, and the seat felt fine to me (though there was no 'wiggle room' in there). But, there can be a big difference between a 20 minute test drive and a multi-hour road trip. Unfortunately, there's only one Nismo at a dealership anywhere near me, and I've worn out my welcome there (especially since I won't be buying that dealership's car), and I've got to make a decision without any more 'seat time'.

How have you all liked the Recaro seat long term? Anyone have any issues with it over time?

Thank you!

Well i think it depends on personal preference. Having owned my Nismo for a while, they held up great and the quality is amazing.

Recaro seats are bucket seats so they do feel different than regular and premium leather seats but that doesn't mean they're uncomfortable. I find them very comfortable going fast and making fast and big turns because they hold you very well in place.

Personally I love my recaro seats, they are one of the best feats of the Nismo version. That being said I am a sporty person; I do spirited driving and actively participate on the track. Though I did make 3-4 hour long drives with the car and don't seem to have a problem with comfort, the only problem that I can think of is in a very hot summer day your back may sweat a bit. :)

I agree with Herohaki. It really depends on your preference. For me, I'm 6 ft. tall/ 180 pounds and find them extremely comfortable so does my wife. However, the passenger base is not the same as the driver. The longest drive we've taken is about two hours and we were very comfortable. But, yes they can get hot since they fit snug. The Recaro seats were what convinced me when I was car shopping. Best seats in its class, IMHO.

Wow finally someone who has owned more cars than I have:) 37 cars in about 40 years. I bought my 2016 in late June and the longest trips I have taken it on have been half a dozen trips that were 2 hours each way and the comfort was absolutely fine. I am also 60 and 6 ft tall and 200 lbs. The only real issue with the car is visibility in to what is beside you on your right. The recaro seats are thinner and you can actually see out the rear quarter window which I could not see at all on a test drive of a 2016 sport model with regular seats.

There were no nismo 370z's local to me prior to me buying the car. I bought it online from a Nissan dealer a few states away and took a leap of faith that the ride/drive would at least be as good as the 2016 sport model I had driven. The nismo is Far better, handling, acceleration are almost like a different car. My only other minor issue is the car has very little ground clearance when going on or off a driveway. It has to be done on an angle slowly.

I'm 6'0, 210 lbs (ok maybe more, dammit)

Just drove about 800 miles to Anaheim and back.

The seats themselves are comfortable, its the seating position that messes you up. I have an aftermarket steering wheel + QR + spacer to move the wheel closer to me, so it alleviates the problem somewhat

basically you can push the seat back and have comfortable leg positions, but the wheel will be too far

or you can scoot up and grip the wheel properly but your legs will be bent

Over long trips, either option will pose a problem. Either your knees will be sore from being at a bad angle, or your back from leaning forward.

My compromise is to use the seat base height adjustment. The seats allow you to raise/lower at two points, fforward portion and rear portion of the seat bottom. If raise the front a bit, lower the rear, and then tilt the upright back, you end up angling your whole seat back a bit. that seems to be the best

it also gives you the most headroom.

i really need a bigger spacer for my wheel

This is my 3rd season in mine and I've got to say that the Recaro seats are one of my absolute favorite aspects of the Nismo.

I've taken a few 4+ hour trips and tons of 2-ish hour stints and have had no comfort issues at all. Like OptionZero said, seating position can be a bit tricky to get dialed in (wheel is a touch farther away than I'd like) but I basically adopted similar adjustments as he did and it's really fine... don't even think about it anymore. (I'm 51, 6' tall / 190lbs)

The one thing I will note (and I'm sure you've already gotten a sense of it from your test drive) is that the Nismo overall is a VERY stiff ride and a large contributing factor are the Recaros. But, personally, thats what I love about the car.

Thank you so much everyone! I greatly appreciate the very helpful thoughts and comments!

is it true that bottom is identical to OEM

6'1", 185, longer waist.

They feel supportive and racy. Actually quite good for me up to maybe three hours. I've done 5 1/2 non stop from Wilmington and looked very much my 61 years of age getting out. But I've never been in any vehicle nonstop that long without considerable discomfort.

Best vehicle we have for extended travel is the Tundra, so big that position can be changed significantly.

Yup. You only get half a recaro on the Nismo

So it would be possible to swap seats from a sport and Nismo?

He's kidding, the bottom is not the same on the Recaro and regular seats lol.

5' 10" 200lbs here. I've had my Nismo for almost 2 years and I love the seats, they're very supportive. On longer drives in most seats I end up having lower back pain a lot. With the Recaros I don't have that problem nearly as much. I drove 7 or 8 hours up to Zdayz and I have no complaints.
Getting in and out is a pain in the *** though!

A couple of things that helped me.
I got rid of the thick wallet and bought one of those things ones, then moved it up to my shirt pocket. That has actually done the most to improve my comfort.
Getting in and out is awkward, especially if you're like me and your belly is bigger than your chest. I'm 6'_0" and 230 lbs.
Let the seat all of the way back when your getting in and out. That gets you around the bolsters. I was tearing up the leather before I started doing that. It also keeps my pocket knife clip from catching the steering wheel.
Right foot in the foot well, and back in butt first and swivel to face forward. Nothing else really works for me.
Once I had the 2 seat bottom adjustments to my satisfaction, it's a matter of moving the seat forward until just before my knee touches the dash (so I can get the clutch all the way down without reaching) and tilt the seat back forward to where I can reach the steering wheel comfortably. (Ok. Is anyone else having trouble getting the seat back to stay where you put it?)
My Z is my DD, and long trips are usually made in another vehicle, but it occasionally takes about an hour to get home. I'm perfectly comfortable.

Kirk B.

Thank you so much again! Your comments and experiences are very helpful!

For the 'larger' (like me...) Nismo drivers out there, do you have any issues with the side bolsters impinging on your, ah, 'love handles'? That was the biggest point of pressure that I noticed in my test drives. It was no problem for 20 minutes, but I wonder what it'll feel like after a couple of hours....

(My wife suggested that I just 'loose a lot of weight', but, it's not so easy to do at 60-ish...).

they make my left hamstring uncomfortable in the driver side...almost as if it is pushing against the part that is supposed to tuck your thigh in
6'2 205lbs
i have to wiggle around in the seat to get comfy

I'm 5'10 190# and I love my Recaro seats they are better than my c6, and better than my BMW M3.

re: seat back
 

Yes! I just started a new message thread on here asking about that!
I love the Recaro seats overall, but that seat back is starting to bug me. It seems like it retains the position I set it to for as long as I'm sitting in the car. But as soon as I get out for a while get back in, it "drifted" to a position where it's leaning back further than I prefer it. Always have to turn that triangle adjustment knob about 1/4" of a turn when I get in, as my routine.

I'm due for an oil change anyway.... May bring this up to the dealership to see if there's anything they can do under warranty.

So tell us Analogman, did you end up buying a NISMO?

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I'm still shopping, still equivocating, between the Nismo which is the one I "want", and a Sport which will be more comfortable, and will fit my use better for less money....

What is it about the Nismo that appeals to you over the sport? Since comfort is important to you the Sport will have much comfier seats and suspension... if it's mostly the look, converting to the new body style is not terribly difficult and a fraction of the cost of getting the Nismo model over a sport. =)

The sports package is by far the best bang/buck for this car.

In another (related) thread, twyrick posted some great comments on this -

http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...ats-sport.html

Like him, I love the old-school analog feel of the 370Z, and want to get one as one of the last of its kind - naturally aspirated V6 and manual transmission - in a time when everything seems to be going towards turbo-4s and 'paddle shifter' abominations. I like the looks of the Nismo, and also like the purely emotional idea of getting the 'top of the line' version, before the 370Z disappears (which it seems likely to do). I love the driving feel of the Nismo, even if objectively it isn't that much different from the 'regular' one.

But, at 60 (-ish), 6'0", and 210 lbs, the Recaro seats aren't the most comfortable for me. So the Sport would work just fine and would be more 'comfortable' for the kind of 'normal' street driving I do, but I wonder if I'll always long for the Nismo...

I would just get the nismo and call it a day. You can awlays swap out the seats Im sure

Bottom line, (you see what I did there?) I have never bought a car, and wished I had bought a lesser version. Ever. I have wished I could afford the better one, though. I do like being at the Pinnacle of 370Z-ness. We'll, factory Z-ness, at least, lol.

Kirk B.

Kirk, you just influenced a decision I was about to make. You make a lot of sense, and there's a lot of wisdom in what you said.

I've been in the same position many times. You're absolutely right - I've never sat in a car I've bought, and wished I had bought a lesser version. But, a number of times I've had the opposite reaction, and wished I'd sprung for the higher end version.

This is purely a 'toy' second car decision for me. It's a 'want' car, not a 'need' transportation car (like I suspect the 370Z is for most owners). At 60, and after having owned 104 cars in my life (yes, I know, it's a disease, and I'm not right in the head, I'm a deeply disturbed man), this may well be one of the last (if not the last?) 'toy' car I buy (though I hope not!).

A dealer offered me a great deal on a Sport, which I was going to take. You've inspired me to go for what I really 'want', which is a Nismo.

Thank you!

Glad I could inject a little insanity into your life, lol.
Like I said early on, there was a bit of a learning curve with the seats, but now it's smooth sailing. Enjoy your car when you get it. (I drove 600 miles round trip to get mine!)

Kirk B.

Well Analogman welcome to the club of sick car buyers. :icon17: My wife tells me I have a sickness. I have been driving the same car for 10 years now (2008 VWPassat wagon) With a 2012 Z thrown in a few years ago to help with my aliment. I am now looking at cars again to buy a new toy. I have looked at the Corvette but just not for this old guy (63). I am still looking at the F-Type jag, this a a nice car. i am also looking at the Nismo Z having owned 4 Z cars over the years. Great car for the money and the local dealers has 3 2017 Nismo Z that were Nissan executive cars with under 10K on them. Cant beat the car for the money. But the jag is very sexy. Tough choice.

DesertZ, I think I'm a charter member of the sick car buyers club, having owned 104 of them over 45 years of driving. I'm about the same age as you, I guess doing the same thing, trying to recapture the lost days of my misspent and wasted youth by chasing fun cars (it's cheaper and less stressful than chasing women)(even though, truth be told, I'm getting a little old and arthritic for them)(both cars and women).

I also thought about the F-Type Jaguar. They depreciate like a rock falling off a cliff, and a couple of year old used one with under 10k miles can be had for about half its original price. But, there's probably a reason for that. British cars were never the most reliable (ask me how I know...), and I suspect being owned and made by a company in India (Tata) hasn't helped with that. Especially in my neck of the woods (Oregon), Jaguar dealers are far and few between - it would be tough to drive it farther than I care to walk home.

I've also thought a lot about the Corvette. Dealers were having some incredible fire-sale prices last month, many offering them at 15% below invoice. It's a lot of performance for the money, and fairly roomy and comfortable as well. It's still possible to get a new 2017 base car in the $40k's, and it's hard to beat the performance value. Most Corvettes I see are actually driven by cars around our 'age'. But, I don't know if I can get past the styling. The front 3/4 of the car is fine (if a little cartoonish and a bit of a Disney-esque caricature). But the rear end... that huge, rectangular block... I don't know if I could live with having to look at that.

I'm still shopping for a 370Z, have decided to go for a Nismo, and am finding a very wide range of prices being offered by dealers.

Good luck with your search, Analogman. I just went through the same process you’re going through. I had a 2013 Base Sport, but I still kept looking at the Nismo. I sold the 2013 Z in 2016. When I decided to buy another Z, I went for the Nismo Tech. I drove 550 miles from KY to Kansas City to buy a used 2016 Nismo Tech with 1,300 miles on it. I just got home with it today.

That's what I'm talking about!
(Should have gotten a red one, though.)

Kirk B.

I am just seeing this . . . I am 52yrs old, 6' 0" 195lbs and have a 2017 370z Nismo. Compared to my 2010 (40th Anniversary, sport/touring) the seats are not as comfortable. I took several long trips (8-9hours) in my older Z. That said, as long as I do not wear my pistol (yes I am from Texas) and no wallet in my back pocket they are just fine.

I have taken several 3-ish hour drives and one 8 hour and was perfectly comfortable.

WELL.....How did the seats compare, for you??

To be honest, I’ve only driven my car 120 miles since I brought it home. But the difference I’ve noticed so far is that the bolsters on the sides of the seat back seem to hold me in the seat better. I like that. Also, I like the leather of the Recaro seats much better than the cloth seats on my 2013.

The new Nismo Seats are beautiful and aren’t that uncomfortable. My concern is the wear and tear over the long run with the leather. The cloth seats are a lot more durable

Yeah. I can attest to the fact that the side leather bolsters are prone to scuffing and wear. I need to be extremely careful when getting in and out.


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Also a trend I see with Recaro sportsters with more miles on them, the exit side of the torso bolster often shows heavy wear. As if the leather was peeling off.

so far in the 2 months that i've owned my 17 nismo, i've put around 2500 miles on it.seats aren't lazyboy's, but not uncomfortable.

i think the torso bolster wear is from getting out of the car towards the rear, especially when you can't fully swing the door open. i find myself rolling that way a bit and also placing my hand there when getting out

I like my 2016 nismo Recaro seats no problems.
I am 5'11 170lbs, If you are a big guy may not be the right seats for you.
Just remember this are racing seats.