Are the seats low relative to the steering wheel or low relative to the side window sills? Or rather, are the window sills just on the high side?

paulj

 

Perhaps because the average Japanese person happens to be about 5-6 inches shorter than average Americans, "they" just wanted us to experience their perspective, for a change? Who the hell knows!? I used to wonder the same thing, as recently as one second before I read the question. But, if the seat were even an inch higher, reading the speedometer would become an issue for everyone, instead of just for some of us!

I've had mine for 14 months, and as I said, though I've had the same question in the back of my mind, the only "reasonable" answer I've come up with is: To make Hummer owners look like total idiots! :lol:

 

I think its just a matter of the beltline being raised in most vehicles...it looks as though the doors are getting 'taller' and the windows are shrinking. There are a number of new cars out there that you only see a head in the window and no longer see shoulders or torso. This is most likely for side impact issues.

I personally like alot of headroom for those times I might feel like wearing a top hat...nah, I just like the headroom so I don't feel claustrophobic.( which I'm not, just a figure of speech )

You think you got headroom? You should have seen when my Mom ( 5' 2" ) got into my E for the first time...she said it was almost like being in a concert hall, stadium seating and all.

 

While driving today I looked at other cars. On most, the dash is high over the instrument cluster, and low at the windshield. The steering wheel is well above the window sills. In constrast, the Element's dash actually drops from windshield back. So the hood is relatively high, but because it is also short, it does not block the view much.

As some one else pointed out, there is a trend now toward a high belt line. However since the Element is so tall, its belt line is only waist high, not chest high

paulj

 

Thanks for the comments all. It seems safety and style - and making Hummer drivers look like fools! - are the reasons for the massive head room. I think the solution for Honda is pretty simple ... allow the height control to go higher. I know this would be a challenge the keep the gauges and steering wheel in proper alignment but I would love to see it.
It's a minor annoyance at the end of the day ...

 

I like it. I'm 6'4" and actually have head room. Right now I have a 96 Civic 4 Door. I have no head room. In most cars I have no head room. I love the E cuz I have like a foot of head room.
L.

 

I like it. I'm 6'4" and actually have head room. Right now I have a 96 Civic 4 Door. I have no head room. In most cars I have no head room. I love the E cuz I have like a foot of head room.
L.

6'4 here also
and the E is the biggest roomiest i've seen

only trouble i have is my left leg has to "bend" since i cant fully extend it without lifting my ass off the seat lol

 

I noticed the seat-height limitation too, and I'm only 5'10". I figure, if I'm at or near the limit, it's gotta be low.

However, as was already mentioned you couldn't see the speedo if the seat was any higher.

I tried lowering it to midway, thinking I was a midway sorta driver. Couldn't take how high the door sills were then, and how high the shifter was then. The other issue was that it was harder to see out of the windshield, and even with my Light in Sight trafffic lights are still harder to see than they should be.

I like it up higher anyway --- however it won't go high enough to negate the need for a dead pedal.

The E could use some better ergonomics, but at least the steering wheel isn't angled back like a trucker's wheel as in the first-gen CR-V.

 

6'4 here also
and the E is the biggest roomiest i've seen

only trouble i have is my left leg has to "bend" since i cant fully extend it without lifting my ass off the seat lol

Yeah, when driving my dads my size 15 shoe has very little room. I guess it's the price we have to pay for all of the head room.
L.

 

I have considered pulling out the driver seat and converting it to power but it will mean finding a pilot or Odyssey in the Junk yard. Not even sure it would work but I'd be willing to try it if the proce is right. It should be relatively easy to pull the seat out and block it up to get a higher stance. Better yet, last year's phone book and a milk crate are just as good...

I'm 6'1" and have no real problems with the current set-up. Sometimes I like driving with the seat all the way down, but only when wearing my 10gallon hat.

Anyone know how to get spur marks out of urethane flooring?

 

I am personally ok with the seat height adjustment. What I find insufficient is the amount of travel in the steering wheel "height". My old truck had a LOT of travel and a extra position to flip it WAY up out of the way for putting on boots while in the drivers seat. (uh, yes, that would be better to be stopped when trying that manuever though).

I don't use the full height adjustment of the seat, because I can't get the steering wheel up high enough to clear my thighs with the seat up any further.

Maybe its an airbag geometry thing, keeping it all so low? My old truck with the swing away steering wheel had NO airbags.

 

the powerseat addition would be hard. you would need all the electronisc allong with the seat yet if you could pull it off it would be sweet!!!!!!!!

 

I think it is the "stadium seating". The back seats sit higher to provide a view of something other than the back of the front seats to anyone sitting back there. Frankly I like this E pretty much just the way it is. It took some getting used to adjusting the steering wheel so that I could see how fast I was going. This car likes to fly like my old '96 Accord.
The new Ridgeline is actually coming out. Hooray. There is your towing machine. I really like the looks of it too. It looks stronger than the Hummer looks. The E is the only car that my dog actually fits in. I looked at the Honda van which is also about an inch lower but very nice and more expensive just to haul dogs. The E is perfect and after finding out how often it needs to be serviced I don't mind paying the higher price for gas.
Azonie86

 

is there anyway you can add a couple inches on to the seat rack under the seat.. i would love to have a few extra inches of seat travel.....I am 6'4 and could use the extra room..

 

is there anyway you can add a couple inches on to the seat rack under the seat.. i would love to have a few extra inches of seat travel.....I am 6'4 and could use the extra room..

http://www.skidmore.edu/~pdwyer/e/seat_tracks.htm

 

I lower my seat all the way cuz I'm a tall guy. I actually wish it would go down a little bit more.
L.

 

The new Ridgeline is actually coming out. Hooray. There is your towing machine. I really like the looks of it too. It looks stronger than the Hummer looks.

Note that one of my latest projects (still in the works as of 12/29/04) is Honda Ridgeline Owners Club

It looks like this one did when we started about two years ago, so give it some time. But sign up as a member over there and join in on some conversations. It should be fun to watch and talk about the new Honda SUT.

 

Honda would have to make the steering wheel higher to get any more seat height. Even with the wheel at its highest theres not much room above the driver's legs. I remember the 91 (factory recall after recall after recall.......)(piece of junk tranny failure after tranny failure) Ford (Fixed Or Repaired Daily) Taurus I had, with 1/2 inch between the top of my head and the roof liner. You could bump your noggin on the roof when you hit a pot hole. And I'm 5' 9". Part of the Element's charm is the spaciousness of the interior which includes mongo headroom.

 

Honda would have to make the steering wheel higher to get any more seat height. Even with the wheel at its highest theres not much room above the driver's legs. I remember the 91 (factory recall after recall after recall.......)(piece of junk tranny failure after tranny failure) Ford (Fixed Or Repaired Daily) Taurus I had, with 1/2 inch between the top of my head and the roof liner. You could bump your noggin on the roof when you hit a pot hole. And I'm 5' 9". Part of the Element's charm is the spaciousness of the interior which includes mongo headroom.

Hey! We had the Ford Taurus Wagon of the same vintage. Even our mechanic that was making a fortune off the repairs, finally recommended dumping it at 90,000 miles as a total loss. That pretty well was the last "Big Three" USA Company produced car I ever considered. Well, OK,technically maybe just the CEO and top company officers are in the USA....all the other workers are outsourced, Unlike Honda that outsources the company officers and gives work to the USA workers...I know MY preference of who I want to support in the USA of workers vs CEO's.....

 

This is my wifes #1 complaint. She is 5'4".

 

same here. my wife is 5'4 and it was funny that she asked me if the seats would go any higher, and I had to tell her that I had it already at the highest setting (me being 6'1).

 

I am 6'3" and I have the seat set as low as I can get it to go. I am not sure I understand how someone at 6'1" is too low. I hate how in most cars I am always looking through the top of the windshield. One of the things I love about the E is that I am looking through the middle of the windshield.

 

Exactly. I'm 6'5". In my Teg I fit pretty good but I feel like I'm low ridin'.
L.

 

I am 5.7' and thinking that the E seat is too high at lowest point. I wish the seat can go lower but my GF which is only 5' the highest is still too low for her. I might have to get seat support for her, anyone know where I can get one that look nice and match with E.

On the other hand I'd like to complain the low/high knob adjustment. It is pretty damn hard to turn that big knob, can it be power instead?

 

I don't use the full height adjustment of the seat, because I can't get the steering wheel up high enough to clear my thighs with the seat up any further.

Maybe its an airbag geometry thing, keeping it all so low? My old truck with the swing away steering wheel had NO airbags.

I don't think it's an airbag thing... the older Accords had the same steering column as the E, however the problem was solved in the new Accords which have telescoping and tilt columns. I would not have considered an older accord, since I'm not comfortable driving one due to the space of the wheel, but the new ones were a pleasure to drive with that new column.