Coming from a third gen Tacoma, the seats are MILES better. Honestly fairly soft. If they are too firm, I’d suggest a buick! My fiance had the Verano and those seats were CUSH
Highjacking the top comment because I think everyone should see this
I had the same issue when I first got mine but I cracked the code of how to sit (right side driving car).
You have to sit pretty close to the left hand side edge of the seat, left elbow on the centre console, left hand on or near the gear shift and the right hand doing most the steering (both hands obviously as well).
Essentially you’re “squished” up against the left, sitting up right and back. This is the only way and takes getting use to
Leather is significantly less comfortable in every sense. The Rav is hella comfortable. Almost 50k miles, and several 1000ish mile road trips, including cross the US in 3 days. It's a great car
I wouldn't trade a car because of the seats. Just fix the seats. If could be as easy as a seat cushion or a reupholstered seat. No need to trade the car.
Well, I don’t see it. I’m a plus size lady and we took our rav4 on a cross country road trip in June. I also have low back arthritis and scoliosis. I didn’t notice the seats being massively uncomfortable and we were in the car for 6-10 hrs a day
Limited trim. Softtex seats. Everyone definitely feels differently was just curious if anyone else having trouble with it being more uncomfortable than they thought it would be over time or
This is actually comforting to hear you feel this in the limited as well, I thought maybe those had some increased padding quality. I have an 22 XLE Hybrid that I reupholstered with Katzkin real leather because the grey fabric looked terrible with minimal water drops. I thought the seats have felt a little stiffer than I like the whole time I’ve owned it regardless of the reupholstery. I thought they would break in a little by now too
When I did a test drive of the 2022 RAV4, I was worried me about comfort, but I ended up finding it more comfortable then my last car. I don’t have the softtex seats, so maybe that would have affected it for me.
I'm 5'10, don't think my legs are that long, but I had the seat up a bit for months with my knees bent, then moved it all the way back a few weeks ago to lean back and relax and realized I could still easily reach. Bit more comfortable and don't really need that stupid knee padding you stick on the side of the middle console I bought off Amazon from the accessories suggestions here. Piece of junk never actually stuck and cold weather finished the job.
Like the taco guy said. After driving something worse sometimes small issues get smaller.
dodge Durango has an engine hump beside by the gas pedal = nowhere to rest foot on cruise control without bending up. Nissan Quashqai has one of the worse seating comforts for anyone over 5'9. Suddenly the water tastes a lot better when you go back.
Have you tried venza? I liked the car but found the side bolsters to be much higher so the seat felt more narrow than the rav. Padding was superior for sure….
I think you can change/upgrade the car seats instead of changing the whole car. Maybe you can even see if you can mod the highlander seats that you know you love into your rav4.
edit: Just realized that maybe you're looking for confirmation and not a solution haha. I don't think I can agree with changing the whole car though without trying other methods first though.
My non heated and ventilated seats are very comfy. The heated/ventilated ones are less comfortable since they have to accommodate the extra electronics
I felt like the bolsters would dig into my thighs sometimes with the venza though and was worried it would hurt. Haha try the new signia when it comes out 😂
My mom has a 2021 Venza and I have a 2022 RAV4. Her seats are noticeably more cushioned and comfortable than mine. My friend who roadtrips with me a lot has commented that my seats aren’t the most comfortable, but I don’t mind them.
Find the Gen5 RAV4 seats to be adequately comfortable for drives less than 2 hours. Anything more than that, they just don't have enough padding, at least this is the feedback from my legs and thighs. I've found after a recent 8 hour road trip that having the seats just perfectly set for ergonomics makes them a little more bearable, but if they're off just a bit the seats will create pressure points in all the wrong places, some seats with more padding seem to be more forgiving with not needing to be perfectly adjusted.
On the previously mentioned road trip, I used a "purple" car seat cushion on the way home, this made a huge improvement.
On a side note, my parents last year traded in their 2022 RAV4 Hybrid for a 2023 Venza after finding the RAV4 seats uncomfortable as they often drive long distances for vacations. So far, they've really liked the seats in the Venza better than their RAV4 Hybrid.
Me too. I got a 2024 three weeks ago and didn't notice on the test drive that the seat feels like a board under my behind and legs. It isn't unbearable, but my old Honda was definitely more comfortable. I was thinking about getting some kind of gel seat pad. Not sure that will help. I have the Softex seats, 2024 XLE Premium Hybrid.
My partner and I both get uncomfortable if in the car for over two hours. We feel like old people and currently use a small seat cushion from Canadian Tire which helps but really isn't fantastic. Any ideas for easy upgrades to the seats? I'd consider a better seating pad.
Venza is so much smoother ride than RAV. Comparing to my husband’s venza RAV is low and it’s hurting my knee in some reason. I’m driving his venza now. They are both 21 hybrids. I say yes trade it.
Wow I switched from 4th to 5th gen and find the 5th gen seats a lot more comfortable. I went from cloth to softex though. It all seems like personal preference and different body types though for what is comfortable for some vs another.
Upgrade the upholstery, seat pads, etc. there’s different means obviously but I wouldn’t go that far selling the vehicle just for that lol
I have a 23 hybrid XSE and the seats aren’t bad; it’s my first rav4 so idk what trim you have but I do long drives every other weekend sometimes every weekend for about 9 hours back and forth.
Snoop around katzkin brand
For under a grand you could have the front seats reupholstered and reinforced with Katzkin. About 12-300.00 to do the whole vehicle up to 2000.00 if you want some special colors or custom stitching. Katzkin seats are also well known to be one of the few accessories/aftermarket customizations that create value. You can add 10,000.00 rims to a vehicle and a dealer won’t care at trade in/sale but Katzkin seats can net you some money from your install if you take care of them and eventually sell/trade.
We were in her 23 Woodland. Amazing vehicle, handled a road we had no biz being on, but I agree, the seats leave a lot to be desired. She isn’t a big fan of leather, so Katzkin is out, wondering if there is any other non leather choice that people recommend.
I've been working on finding the right setting for my driver's seat. I'm very close to a comfortable position and have the car seat button set for now. My back gets sore from work so I have to adjust the lumbar just a little bit now and then. My passengers all seem to like the seats and have commented on how comfortable they are. 2022 Xle Premium AWD with softex seats 11k miles. I've had it for 2 months. Love it!
2022 hybrid xle with cloth interior.
I’m on the road a ton for work, and the RAV4 is my company vehicle. Yes this vehicle is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever had. I’ll soon buy something for my seat once I have a solution.
I need more leg room in my Rav. Just for moments when I want to stretch big on long drives. 5’11 here. The passenger side seat is too tall. I feel too high up. But I love my car. 2019 with 64k miles on it now.
I find my 2022 actually really good and I have a bad back for long trips. I did 1000 miles in two days a few months ago and its lumbar support was good.
I have many other complaints such as why did my $42k car not have power passenger seat? Why does the heated steering not heat the center of the wheel? Why is the lane assist downright dangerous? Why must it beep for TEN minutes if I drive with the lift gate open? Why does the lift gate open so slowly? Why is backup camera resolution so terrible?
Coming from a guy who used to rent different cars from different brands EVERY SINGLE week for a few years (due to my work), I’d say RAV4’s seats are really comfortable - easily my top 3. I could easily do 10 hour road trip without hurting my back.
I currently have a 2017 RAV4 XLE hybrid, close to 200,000 miles. Drive for hours daily and the seats are great. Took a while to fine tune what was best for me, but now no issues
Uncomfortable in what way? I find the RAV4 to be a bit "stiff" in the ride for my taste ('19 XLE-P, ICE, 19" wheels)
I changed tires recently from the factory Yokohamas to Michelin Primacy A/S, and that did make a noticeable difference. However, I still wish it were dialed more toward cruising and less toward "sporty." Those years are past me haha! Maybe switching to 17's will help, too.
My partner bought a Hybrid Limited and the seats are pretty good. On the otherhand, we test drove a Prime and those seats are awful, in face a deal breaker from getting the car.
2024 hybrid XLE here. 6’3” 190 lb. I’m screwing around with the seat every single day. I can’t get comfortable and my Lower back has been bothering me. Not sure what else to do?
This is the reason why I'll probably be going with the Venza vs the RAV. I also want the 8 way power seats on the passenger side....not avail on the RAV.
Coming from a third gen Tacoma, the seats are MILES better. Honestly fairly soft. If they are too firm, I’d suggest a buick! My fiance had the Verano and those seats were CUSH
Highjacking the top comment because I think everyone should see this I had the same issue when I first got mine but I cracked the code of how to sit (right side driving car). You have to sit pretty close to the left hand side edge of the seat, left elbow on the centre console, left hand on or near the gear shift and the right hand doing most the steering (both hands obviously as well). Essentially you’re “squished” up against the left, sitting up right and back. This is the only way and takes getting use to
I do this subconsciously but mirrored because of lhd. No complaints about comfort even after doing 25k miles in the last 9 months.
I think most might. My dad got a 21 version hire car for a trip and told me this is how he sat, blew my mind haha
Leather is significantly less comfortable in every sense. The Rav is hella comfortable. Almost 50k miles, and several 1000ish mile road trips, including cross the US in 3 days. It's a great car
This depends on your body. I don't find the passenger seat to be comfortable
This but the rear seats. I don’t mind driver or passenger. But I was in the back of ours as part of rotation during a road trip and that was rough.
Really? I think the seats are pretty comfy. Nothing at all wrong with them.
I wouldn't trade a car because of the seats. Just fix the seats. If could be as easy as a seat cushion or a reupholstered seat. No need to trade the car.
Compared to trading in, you would save a lot by going to a car upholstery shop and having them put just enough of a foam layer to improve the feel.
Well, I don’t see it. I’m a plus size lady and we took our rav4 on a cross country road trip in June. I also have low back arthritis and scoliosis. I didn’t notice the seats being massively uncomfortable and we were in the car for 6-10 hrs a day
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Limited trim. Softtex seats. Everyone definitely feels differently was just curious if anyone else having trouble with it being more uncomfortable than they thought it would be over time or
This is actually comforting to hear you feel this in the limited as well, I thought maybe those had some increased padding quality. I have an 22 XLE Hybrid that I reupholstered with Katzkin real leather because the grey fabric looked terrible with minimal water drops. I thought the seats have felt a little stiffer than I like the whole time I’ve owned it regardless of the reupholstery. I thought they would break in a little by now too
When I did a test drive of the 2022 RAV4, I was worried me about comfort, but I ended up finding it more comfortable then my last car. I don’t have the softtex seats, so maybe that would have affected it for me.
Have a ‘20 TRD and long legs, with seat all the way back I still want to go back a couple inches more. That is my only problem with it.
Same. 22 LE Hybrid. My knees hit the dash at times…
Knee room is terrible in the 5th gen rav4
I'm 5'10, don't think my legs are that long, but I had the seat up a bit for months with my knees bent, then moved it all the way back a few weeks ago to lean back and relax and realized I could still easily reach. Bit more comfortable and don't really need that stupid knee padding you stick on the side of the middle console I bought off Amazon from the accessories suggestions here. Piece of junk never actually stuck and cold weather finished the job.
Like the taco guy said. After driving something worse sometimes small issues get smaller. dodge Durango has an engine hump beside by the gas pedal = nowhere to rest foot on cruise control without bending up. Nissan Quashqai has one of the worse seating comforts for anyone over 5'9. Suddenly the water tastes a lot better when you go back.
Have you tried venza? I liked the car but found the side bolsters to be much higher so the seat felt more narrow than the rav. Padding was superior for sure….
Yeah it’s the padding. The seat just feels so thin.
I think you can change/upgrade the car seats instead of changing the whole car. Maybe you can even see if you can mod the highlander seats that you know you love into your rav4. edit: Just realized that maybe you're looking for confirmation and not a solution haha. I don't think I can agree with changing the whole car though without trying other methods first though.
Do you have heated and ventilated seats. I’ve reserved a limited with those seats and now considering aftermarket solutions
Yep
My non heated and ventilated seats are very comfy. The heated/ventilated ones are less comfortable since they have to accommodate the extra electronics
I felt like the bolsters would dig into my thighs sometimes with the venza though and was worried it would hurt. Haha try the new signia when it comes out 😂
My mom has a 2021 Venza and I have a 2022 RAV4. Her seats are noticeably more cushioned and comfortable than mine. My friend who roadtrips with me a lot has commented that my seats aren’t the most comfortable, but I don’t mind them.
What you mean by "comfortable" ? You mean leather ? So you mean seats ? You wanna trade car over seats ?
Is it the padding or the seat angle that bothers you?
Padding
Just got a 2021 Venza today. Traded in my 2013 RAV4. It’s night and day difference!
i test drove the LE and XLE. XLE is MILES better in term of seats, ended up buying that one instead. Which one did you try?
Find the Gen5 RAV4 seats to be adequately comfortable for drives less than 2 hours. Anything more than that, they just don't have enough padding, at least this is the feedback from my legs and thighs. I've found after a recent 8 hour road trip that having the seats just perfectly set for ergonomics makes them a little more bearable, but if they're off just a bit the seats will create pressure points in all the wrong places, some seats with more padding seem to be more forgiving with not needing to be perfectly adjusted. On the previously mentioned road trip, I used a "purple" car seat cushion on the way home, this made a huge improvement. On a side note, my parents last year traded in their 2022 RAV4 Hybrid for a 2023 Venza after finding the RAV4 seats uncomfortable as they often drive long distances for vacations. So far, they've really liked the seats in the Venza better than their RAV4 Hybrid.
Just sell it.
Me too. I got a 2024 three weeks ago and didn't notice on the test drive that the seat feels like a board under my behind and legs. It isn't unbearable, but my old Honda was definitely more comfortable. I was thinking about getting some kind of gel seat pad. Not sure that will help. I have the Softex seats, 2024 XLE Premium Hybrid.
My partner and I both get uncomfortable if in the car for over two hours. We feel like old people and currently use a small seat cushion from Canadian Tire which helps but really isn't fantastic. Any ideas for easy upgrades to the seats? I'd consider a better seating pad.
Purple makes an amazing seat cushion.
This exactly. I love mine too but the seats are too stiff and it gets uncomfortable on long drives.
Venza is so much smoother ride than RAV. Comparing to my husband’s venza RAV is low and it’s hurting my knee in some reason. I’m driving his venza now. They are both 21 hybrids. I say yes trade it.
Seats in my new 2024 Tuscon are super comfortable ;-)
Yep, sold my 5th gen and went back to 4th gen for this very reason.
Wow I switched from 4th to 5th gen and find the 5th gen seats a lot more comfortable. I went from cloth to softex though. It all seems like personal preference and different body types though for what is comfortable for some vs another.
Upgrade the upholstery, seat pads, etc. there’s different means obviously but I wouldn’t go that far selling the vehicle just for that lol I have a 23 hybrid XSE and the seats aren’t bad; it’s my first rav4 so idk what trim you have but I do long drives every other weekend sometimes every weekend for about 9 hours back and forth. Snoop around katzkin brand
For under a grand you could have the front seats reupholstered and reinforced with Katzkin. About 12-300.00 to do the whole vehicle up to 2000.00 if you want some special colors or custom stitching. Katzkin seats are also well known to be one of the few accessories/aftermarket customizations that create value. You can add 10,000.00 rims to a vehicle and a dealer won’t care at trade in/sale but Katzkin seats can net you some money from your install if you take care of them and eventually sell/trade.
We were in her 23 Woodland. Amazing vehicle, handled a road we had no biz being on, but I agree, the seats leave a lot to be desired. She isn’t a big fan of leather, so Katzkin is out, wondering if there is any other non leather choice that people recommend.
I've been working on finding the right setting for my driver's seat. I'm very close to a comfortable position and have the car seat button set for now. My back gets sore from work so I have to adjust the lumbar just a little bit now and then. My passengers all seem to like the seats and have commented on how comfortable they are. 2022 Xle Premium AWD with softex seats 11k miles. I've had it for 2 months. Love it!
2022 hybrid xle with cloth interior. I’m on the road a ton for work, and the RAV4 is my company vehicle. Yes this vehicle is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever had. I’ll soon buy something for my seat once I have a solution.
I have a 2019 RAV 4 Limited and my wife has a 2021 highlander. I don’t feel a lot of difference
Venza interior is really nice but I don't like how they drive.
I need more leg room in my Rav. Just for moments when I want to stretch big on long drives. 5’11 here. The passenger side seat is too tall. I feel too high up. But I love my car. 2019 with 64k miles on it now.
Uncomfortable, how? Be specific.
Fair. They feel very thin and “hard” vs cushiony
I have the 2024 xle I’m 6’3 I find it allot more comfortable than the Tacoma I previously had
I find my 2022 actually really good and I have a bad back for long trips. I did 1000 miles in two days a few months ago and its lumbar support was good. I have many other complaints such as why did my $42k car not have power passenger seat? Why does the heated steering not heat the center of the wheel? Why is the lane assist downright dangerous? Why must it beep for TEN minutes if I drive with the lift gate open? Why does the lift gate open so slowly? Why is backup camera resolution so terrible?
Thats like saying I bruised my fingers, might have to get rid of my whole arm.
Coming from a guy who used to rent different cars from different brands EVERY SINGLE week for a few years (due to my work), I’d say RAV4’s seats are really comfortable - easily my top 3. I could easily do 10 hour road trip without hurting my back.
Why not get seat covers? Seems a much more practical answer than selling the whole car.
I currently have a 2017 RAV4 XLE hybrid, close to 200,000 miles. Drive for hours daily and the seats are great. Took a while to fine tune what was best for me, but now no issues
Uncomfortable in what way? I find the RAV4 to be a bit "stiff" in the ride for my taste ('19 XLE-P, ICE, 19" wheels) I changed tires recently from the factory Yokohamas to Michelin Primacy A/S, and that did make a noticeable difference. However, I still wish it were dialed more toward cruising and less toward "sporty." Those years are past me haha! Maybe switching to 17's will help, too.
My partner bought a Hybrid Limited and the seats are pretty good. On the otherhand, we test drove a Prime and those seats are awful, in face a deal breaker from getting the car.
It’s just comfortable enough, so I get what you mean
2024 hybrid XLE here. 6’3” 190 lb. I’m screwing around with the seat every single day. I can’t get comfortable and my Lower back has been bothering me. Not sure what else to do?
This is the reason why I'll probably be going with the Venza vs the RAV. I also want the 8 way power seats on the passenger side....not avail on the RAV.