Hi, I’m trying to decide between buying a 2017 Camry or a 2017 Corolla with low miles. Can I get your opinion on how the Corolla drives and on its lumbar control support? Thanks.
1 Like
Take an extended test drive or see if you can rent one for a day. Uncomfortable seats may take more than a short drive to determine.
1 Like
Agree, a test drive is the ONLY way to determine if YOUR back is properly supported.
What good would my opinion do any way ? Just because I like it or don’t like it does not mean you will feel the same way.
I’ve got scoliosis myself . . . and I find seats with a lot of lumbar support and seats with adjustable lumbar support to be extremely uncomfortable for my back
My own Camry has adjustable lumbar support, but I don’t touch it. I leave the seatback flat
Not everybody has the same bad back
Do as the other guys said . . . rent any prospective cars for a long weekend. Corollas and Camrys are common, so many rental agencies should have them
Thanks. I have had my current Camry for 15 years so if they haven’t changed anything about the lumbar support, I know it’s good!
BIt may cost a lot more money, but regardless of what make you look for, opting for a seat with the maximum adjustability, maybe something to consider. That tends to be in Camrys. If I owned a Camry and was happy with it, I’d stay with one. The economy of a Corolla over Camry is no longer a big issue. Comfort is though, and the ride will have much to do with the perceived comfort difference of the seats between the two cars.
As others say, only YOU can decide that. Having said that, I rented a 2017 Corolla some time back and found the seats quite comfortable. My sister’s Camry also has comfortable seats.
Unless you are making very long trips, I say it’s a tossup.
The older Corollas had smaller seats and a large person might find those uncomfortable.
I have a 09 Camry and a 10 Corolla. Camry has much better seats. Don’t know if they got better.
Thanks for answering. I totally agree.
Thanks for your feedback!
I appreciate your comment!
Yes, BUT, the OP has to make sure that the test drive or rental car is the exact same “trim level” as the one that she wants to buy. Many people are not aware that the more upscale trim levels of most car models get better-quality seats, with more padding and more ways to adjust them.
Consumer Reports rates seat comfort front / rear. Of course that has to be subjective, but in their case is based on more than one subject.
1 Like
Good point! Thanks.
You’re welcome!
As the old saying tells us… Forewarned is forearmed…
Several years ago, we had a flurry of posts from a woman who was extremely unhappy with… everything… regarding the Toyota Yaris that she had just bought. After a couple of days, several of us deduced the problem: She had test-driven a 4-door Yaris of the upper trim level, but she bought a 2-door Yaris of the bare-bones variety.
In addition to the much shorter wheelbase of the 2-door model producing a much worse ride quality, the seats were different between the two iterations of the Yaris. Admittedly, her worst complaint was that she didn’t like the pattern of the fabric on the smaller Yaris’s upholstery, but she also faulted the seat comfort and the ride quality–ALL of which she could have detected if she had insisted on test-driving and viewing the exact same trim level that she intended to buy.
ETA: For the benefit of the forum’s veterans, I will mention the screen name of the person who “screwed” herself by test-driving the wrong version of the car that she bought. “Otterhere” was the forum member, who might best be remembered for her belief that the Geo Metro/Suzuki Swift was the ne-plus-ultra of automotive engineering, and that no new car could possibly rise to the level of excellence of that… creation.
2 Likes
Car seats are a personal decision, but most lumbar supports hit the back above the lumbar region, so they are not lumbar supports at all. IMO, get any car you want but also get a separate lumbar support. That is the only thing that works for me.
1 Like
I would correct that to read “many”, or “some”.
My car’s lumbar support is perfected positioned for me, but–of course–it might not be well-positioned for other folks, hence the need to anyone with orthopedic issues to take an extended test drive in the exact same make, model, and trim line of the vehicle that he/she wants to buy.
1 Like
No, I standby most. Just because your lumbar support is comfortable for you does not mean that it is supporting your lumbar region.
How could you possibly know whether it is supporting my lumbar region?
Trust me… it is…