I need a car to fit my shape and needs. I need a driver seat that adjusts out of the usual bucket seat shape or else I end up all tied up into a pretzel shape. In addition, due to hip and back stuff, I need a seat I don’t have to fall into and climb out of. Sliding in and out at hip height would be wonderful. Plus, I’m a little vertically challenged. help!!!
Those seats went out about '78? But they were also bench seats.
For what you want you may have to get custom made so it will anchor into the floor safely.
Well, the non-bucket seat thing is going to be tough, but try the seats in a Scion xA or xB. They are more like chairs than car seats, and maybe they will suit your needs.
An alternative is a Ford Crown Victoria or Lincoln Town Car, both of which are old-school cars with bench, or near-bench, front seats, but they will burn much more gasoline than a Scion.
There are big cars with uncomfortable seats, and there are small cars with comfortable seats. It’s hard to tell what you need and what might work. Your post is not too specific. More info would be helpful.
In the meantime, go to EVERY car dealer in town, and sit in and test drive everything that looks appealing to you. You will eventually find something that works.
Add Grand Marquis to the Crown Victoria. I think that some of the Town cars may have buckets and others more like a 60/40 bench. The seats are all interchangeable. The police bucket seats have no bolsters so there is more room for that stuff on the belts (guns etc.) so they might work. Most people prefer to have the bolsters.
The Ford 500/Merc Montego are said to have relatively high seats. I don’t know what type of seats they are, sorry. An auto interior shop might be able to help you customize an existing seat.
I would look at Buicks, as that GM brand tends to cater to a market that is not interested in things like bucket seats. If you want to look at more upscale offererings, it is possible that the Toyota Avalon is still available with a bench seat as an option. I know that when the Avalon first came on the market that was an option, and it may still be available.
As you suggest, I’ve been making the rounds of the dealers. Interesting side effect, growing a thicker skin to resist the sales pressures (smile).
So far the best fit have been the Nissan Murano with the adjustable gas pedal and the Toyota Highlander. After that, the Kia Rondo and the Hyuandi Santa Fe. In a basic inexpensive car, the Chevy Aveo is the best. If the Aveo wasn’t so noisy I’d buy it, but the road noise is terrible.
I drove a Monte Carlo for a week, got pretty close on a fit there, but it felt too big to me.
Terrible fit comes with the Pontiac G6, BMW Z3, older Jeep Cherokee, older Rav4, and any car that doesn’t have at least manually adjustable driver seat. The lower the car is to get into and out of, the more pain I end up with.