I'm not a fan of the seats in my Boxster, which are out of a 2002 Carrera.. I've driven across the USA a couple of times and my back and butt aches like nobody's business.

But I'm an old fart who complains about the rough ride in my BMW 550i because I'd rather be driving my wife's 15 year old Lexus LS400 on a trip of any length.

German cars require you to adapt to them for maximum benefit. American & Japanese cars are designed to adapt to you. ;)

I have back problems while in the Boxster too. I've been using the little lumbar pillow that came with a big ObusForme back support, but I'm now finding that anything more than half an hour and I start to get leg pain too. I tried the inflatable pillow behind the backrest, but it was too high for me.

This is the one thing that makes me think about selling the car sometimes. I'm going to look into the Tempur Pedic pillows.

I have a 986, a 987 and a 996 and all the seats are more comfortable for me than any other cars I've owned. The 986 has the sport seats and they are by far the most comfortable. I am 5' 9" and 175 lbs and they are perfect for me, but I can see how they may be less so for a larger person. I have noticed in the past that if you buy a used one that was owned by a larger person the seats can be wallowed out and a lot less comfortable for someone my size.http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1343575025.jpg

If you are driving long distances with the top down then some of your pain may be coming from dehydration. I find that I need to drink water steady on my day-long top-down drives or I get wicked cramping in my legs.

I struggle too on the long trips. I've always had back issues so it is expected in most cars. I'm 5'7'' 165lb and the previous owner was much bigger and the bottom cushion is a little softer than it should be. There is a metal or plastic bar very low down in the back of the seat and it can cause a sore spot low on a back. I put a folded up towel on the bottom cushion to raise me up and it helps a lot.

I've driven in a friends Cayman R for hours and been pain free, very unusual for me. The seats are the sport ones and I just love them. I found a pair to put in my Boxster but they want $3200 :(. He now has a 991 with the fancy seats and I find them too big and not as good as the Cayman seats.

I'll probably bite the bullet and get the sport seat at some point because I would love to drive to the mountains once a month but just find it too hard. I'm wondering if the standard 987 seat would due but I'm not sure...they certainly are less expensive.

Your first picture illustrates the real problem with the seats in the 986 Boxsters: Note the position of the seat versus the roll bar. If you are a tall person, your head extends above the head rest of the seat and will hit that roll bar in a rear-end collision. This is why I had to sell my 99 Boxster -- wasn't willing to see my head get split wide open. Fortunately they rectified the problem with the 987s, which have a much taller seatback.

My 2000S is nice and comfy. After a few hours my butt needs a rest. It seems any car I owned, while on long trips, I always need a butt rest. Porsche has very little squirm room or leg stretching capabilities.:cheers:

I'm the same size as WhipE350 height and weight-wise (which for some reason I found very surprising) and I can't say I find the seats uncomfortable. I made sure I adjusted it so that I would not be straining myself or holding myself up while driving, so that cut down on the fatigue and discomfort. To be honest I've yet to exceed 1.5hrs or so in the seat, so I don't know that I'd be uncomfortable any longer than that. Still, unless it's a matter of firmness, sometimes it just comes down to finding the right setting for the seat's alignment...and the younger your car, the more likely you are to have some kind of 64-way adjustable seat with about 30lbs of motors and moving parts in it to get you just right.

Hum...not sure how to take this! :) I'm 52 handsome as hell and can bench my weight 10 times...well at least that is what she said about the handsome part.

:cheers:

+1 on the tempurpedic pillow, I had an older one which I measured and cut in half then pulled out the back seat pad where I could reach my hand in and pulled/feed the pillow in, did on both seats and wife now does not complain on long trips, well at least as it relates to the seat issue.............. ;)

total difference in the feel and comfort.

Well I guess if I can maintain the same for 25 more years I'll be where you are, then.

:cheers:

I bought an 01 S (happens to also be my first Porsche) in May. I'm in Milwaukee, car was in Chico, CA. A co-worker lives in SAC area and her parents are in Chico. Aaron Rodgers is from Chico, and the car is "rainforest green" which looks almost like the green of Packers Green & Gold. As a Packers "shareholder", what the only thing amiss was a it has a grey interior instead of the tan/ "gold".

Flew to SAC, co-worker drove me to Chico, and I drove 2,200 miles home over the next 72 hours with stops in Reno, Rawlins WY and Des Moines.

My daily commute is 25 miles each way.

Seat comfort is not an issue.