Although I find the seats in my RL comfortable, I would rate them as average at best. The Recaro seats I've sat in in previous cars to me are the ultimate. I would rate them a 10 and the RL seats a 7.
I bring this up because of all the threads where people rave about how comfortable the RL seats are. Very surprising to me.

 

The RL's driver seat was (and is) the most comfortable car seat I've had the pleasure to own or drive. I'm 5'11" and of all the cars I test drove, the RL provided the best thigh support and all-around comfort.

In the RL I can drive long distances without squirming or adjusting the seat.

Way above average -- I'd give them at least a 9.

I'm wondering what additional adjustability the 2009 offers, since it is now billed as a 10-way seat?

Rob144

 

I think none.

They are just adding the same driver's 10 way functionality to the passenger seat. This is a great thing, long a quibble of mine since the Acura Legend. The passenger seat is not as comfortable as the driver's because it lacks the adjustment for the thigh (tilting the seat bottom up and down, thus affecting the thigh support) for me a 5'11" average kind of guy.

I do agree that these are the most comfortable seats I have driven in for long distances that I can recall.

 

I agree that they are the most comfortable seats I have experienced. I am 6'3'' 237#.

That said, they cannot appeal to every driver. No two bodies are built and shaped the same. But they did a great job appealing to as broad a range as possible.

 

I'm 5'11" also so it can't be a height thing. The side bolsters and seat are fine, the back of the seat just doesn't feel as cushy as I'd like it.
It all boils down to personal preference and it seems as though my opinion is in the minority.

 

6'8" 250#...Not as good as my RSX/S support wise, but the best in comfort and leg room.

The OP mentioned Recaros....Recaros are anything but "cushy". They are meant to hold you in during spirited driving.

 

[QUOTE The OP mentioned Recaros....Recaros are anything but "cushy". They are meant to hold you in during spirited driving.[/QUOTE]

Good point! Bad choice of words on my part. I'll just say the "support" of the seat suits me better.

 

For me, the 05+ RL seats are fantastic. Easily a 10 out of 10

 

I'm 5'9", 200# and I find the bench portion of the front seats very short. It does not fit under my knee joints and I find this uncomfortable on almost any length drive. Looking forward to more comfort in next car. Did I mention I'm also 65, but mostly uncrabby.

 

I'm 5'10", 190 pounds, and I love the RL's seats, they are plenty cushy for me. My only wish is that the seat bench could be extended another inch to fit my knees perfectly.

 

6' 220lbs and the RL is the most comfortable seats I can remember.

 

Out of our three cars the RL has the best seats. Our Hyundai Santa Fe takes #2 but my main complaint is the short bottom cushion. It doesn't even come to my knees. I don't like the seats in my mom's RX300. Way too high and if I can manage to get comfortable, I feel like I'm going to slide off the front.

 

Recaro's are seats for sports cars.. Those seats hold you like a glove.

A better comparison would be seats in an Infiniti M, BMW 5 series, MB E-class, Lexus GS..

 

These are Recaro seats and they would blend in nicely in the RL.

 

I'll be in the minority here and say that the seats are not as comfortable as my previous 2004 TL. My upper back isn't supported as well as in my past Audis, and the lumbar is in the wrong spot for me (Audi and BMW even offer lumbar height on their entry-level cars).

I wish Acura offered (as an option) a 14-way seat with upper-half adjustment (like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes do).

With all of that said, "comfort" can be very subjective, and the temperature, solid feel, and build-quality of the cabin makes for the most pleasant experience of any car I've owned to date.

 

I drove 600 miles this weekend (2 3 hour legs) and I was very relaxed when I arrived at both my destinations. I can't say this for any car I have owned thus far. Though my car lists aren't anywhere near some of yours, in my mind this rules out: '00 VW Jetta GLX, 00 Integra, 04 TSX, 06 TL

 

Is that a 6spd S4?

 

You bet!

 

Agreed. The upper backrest articulation is great, along with thigh extension. I'm surprised more manufacturers aren't catching onto this.

Another quibble is that Acura (or Lexus--<LS460--Infiniti, etc.) does not have power, memory linked head restraints. This is a nice little feature that is easily done--and that easily impresses.

 

No doubt the S4 is an awesome car!

My friend has a 2004 S4 Avant, 6 spd. That V8 he has is absolutely awesome.. Thing is he's been fighting a nagging front rotor warping issue. He's gone through 4 sets of rotors and he's only at 43K miles and he's now experiencing warping again. Plus, he's fighting a problem with his drive train, some god awful noise, as he describes it.

That being said, I'd say that the S4 is in a different league all together. Awesome car, but different league.. I'd call it a sports sedan. Don't think the RL can ever be called a sports sedan... Sporty aspirations yes, sports, just can't see it, even with the A-spec... Don't think it'd handle like a Porsche, Ferrari, Vette, etc...

 

A bit off topic, but some of the most comfortable seats I've experienced on a long-term basis are the '86 - '89 Accord's and as has already been noted above, nearly any Audi driver's seat seems to fit me perfectly.

 

Well, not too sporty when it's sitting in the shop.. I wouldn't tolerate reliability issues for 'sportiness' personally. I like to drive.

 

Agreed.

 

2004 was the first production of the 8 cylinder S4. I would have waited until the second year for them to get the bugs out.

The RL is more of a luxury car than the S4 and doesn't have the straight line accelleration the S4 has. But, haven driven both models, I would put the RL up against the S4 on cornering capability any day.

The Recaro seats are meant to hold you in place, so for the RL which corners with the best of them, I think these seats fit the bill.

 

He didn't have a choice. He had an Integra Type R, and over X-mas break in Dec. 2004, it was stolen and found chopped, in CT and since he lived in PA, by Pittsburgh, he wanted to buy a car to go home... I guess he could have rented a car but he got $9K off the car...

That being said, I've driven both too but only for say, 20 minutes total. Didn't have the chance to explore the handling limits of either car.. So you think the RL can hold it's own against the S4? Wow, I'll have to get a hold of my friends S4 and give it a whirl!!!!

 

The RL's seats are the second most comfortable seats I've ever owned. The 1st being the Volvo V70....

 

[font='Verdana','sans-serif']RL seats are very comfy and I have no complains.. [/font]

[font='Verdana','sans-serif'] [/font][font='Verdana','sans-serif']I had the pleasure to drive my brother-in-laws 07 Merc S63. Seats in that car were awesome. Seats had powered side boosters and they push the driver upright when the car turns left or right... These seats also had message. [/font]