[rt1]

Been test driving the new 2021 cx-5, but can not get comfortable in the driver or passenger seats. Drove several different trim lines. for hour or more.
Gee, seats are too hard on the bottom and the side are terribly hard. What gives with Mazda? Seats more designed for test robots than the average human. Also, see comments on this forum that others have issues with their seats.
My daughter drove it and was not able to get comfortable in the seat, either.
Sad - wanted the auto - but I want to be comfortable driving it, too. If the seats are not comfortable...will move on to a vehicle that has seats that I can drive without being in pain.

 

[C J]

I find the seats very comfortable and more comfortable than the 6 Subarus I had. I think it depends on the body type that you have. I am thin and my back doesn't smash into the seat bolsters.

 

[SeaX5]

We've been on a dozen 500-mile+ drives with our '18 Touring and enjoyed every mile. That initial firmness you feel actually translates into better, more consistent support over a long drive. I'd buy this car again without hesitation. But you either like the feel of the seats, or you don't.....different seats for different butts. Good luck searching.

 

[Juliankaye]

Been test driving the new 2021 cx-5, but can not get comfortable in the driver or passenger seats. Drove several different trim lines. for hour or more.
Gee, seats are too hard on the bottom and the side are terribly hard. What gives with Mazda? Seats more designed for test robots than the average human. Also, see comments on this forum that others have issues with their seats.
My daughter drove it and was not able to get comfortable in the seat, either.
Sad - wanted the auto - but I want to be comfortable driving it, too. If the seats are not comfortable...will move on to a vehicle that has seats that I can drive without being in pain.

I totally agree, I love the car but the front seat and the stiff sides are the worst I have ever sat in, and I have been around cars for over 50 years.
I have solved it with a custom made cushion, contact me if you want details.

 

[C J]

I totally agree, I love the car but the front seat and the stiff sides are the worst I have ever sat in, and I have been around cars for over 50 years.
I have solved it with a custom made cushion, contact me if you want details.

Sat in my buddies brand new Corvette last week, I have never in my 42 years of driving been in seats so rock hard! Yea I know they aren't in the same category as our cars but wow! Just ROCK HARD crazy! I also had a 1962 Chrysler NYer that had seats that were like sitting on a sofa! LOL you would kind of bounce and float down the road.

Anyway, as I said before different car manufacturers have different theories on what seats should be, I agree with the thread starter though, if he doesn't like the seats in Mazdas he shouldn't buy one. Seats are very important.

 

[Juliankaye]

There are ways to remedy the problem, I did by purchasing these two items and now my seats are like floating on a cloud.

Cover: CONFORMAX™ Replacement Covers Only

Neoprene: Sponge Neoprene 1/2" Thick X 54" Wide X 1' - Rubber Floor Coverings - Amazon.com

 

[starwise]

We are all just a little bit different. You didn't mention the type of seat. I have the leather seats and although not anything over the top, I think they are pretty good seats. The only issue I'm experiencing is the center console doesn't come front far enough for me to rest my entire arm on it. If I move the seat back and adjust the steering wheel the problem isn't as bad.
No the seats aren't uber padded like some larger luxury cars are but they are acceptable for me. The pad idea above looks like a decent solution to try. The lumbar button is hard to locate by feel but if you haven't tried it this is another option that could potentially make things better.

 

[Bikerchic]

There are ways to remedy the problem, I did by purchasing these two items and now my seats are like floating on a cloud.

Cover: CONFORMAX™ Replacement Covers Only

Neoprene: Sponge Neoprene 1/2" Thick X 54" Wide X 1' - Rubber Floor Coverings - Amazon.com

I'm a little confused .. I can see the the gel cover/pad in your picture .. But what is the rubber floor coverings for?

 

[Juliankaye]

I'm a little confused .. I can see the the gel cover/pad in your picture .. But what is the rubber floor coverings for?

the neoprene foam (floor covering) is to cut to the size and use it inside the cover that you order.

 

[starwise]

I noticed these same seats are used in several other models of Mazda. They are smaller form factor ( like the typical size of a person in Japan). They should rethink the seats for a North American market. I'm not a huge person, but larger than the typical Japanese. The Nissan Rouge got it right on a similar sized vehicle. The answer is simple. The seats need to be slightly larger and add more padding into them. A smaller built person will likely not experience as much discomfort. A larger heavier person will. The foam in the seats is what I would call 'firm'.
If Mazda offered this I would pay for it as an upgrade if not too expensive.

 

[kara21CX5]

I totally agree, I love the car but the front seat and the stiff sides are the worst I have ever sat in, and I have been around cars for over 50 years.
I have solved it with a custom made cushion, contact me if you want details.

Was wondering if you made it or bought it? I'd love to make one for my CX5....I feel bruised from the bolsters! Just got it and did my first road trip.

 

[johnsl1983]

Thought I'd add my experience with these in case it helps.

I have a 2021 CX-5 GTR with the leather-trimmer seats. They are far more comfortable than the 4th gen Mazda 3 seats, but still not that great. In fact pretty much all Mazda model these days have very hard seats with zero cushioning, bus and airline seats literally have more cushioning. I drove a Miata for a few days and it hurt my back, I owned a 2018 Mazda 3 for 2 years that caused a LOT of neck and back pain because of the firmness and very odd shape. Mazda needs to get their #$^$ together and actually test drive these cars on long drives with a variety of different sized drivers. But still I love Mazda and below is what I did to make the CX-5 more comfortable.

I'm 5'7" 145lbs and find these seats uncomfortable on long drives(even just 2 hours), they're very firm plus they are slippery and I literally slide around in them if I do something like take a turn hard.

I bought the Coverking seat covers(link below) that fit great and add a little padding on their own. With those seat covers it's easy to put something underneath them to add more padding however you like. The 2nd link is a seat cushion that I put under the seat covers and it's very comfortable now.

Due to my smaller size I also took a Gaiam exercise mat and cut it to the shape of the back part of the seat and put that under the seat cover too. That made the back more comfy for me, pushed me forward a bit so the headrest wasn't shoving my head forward anymore, and gave more of a bucket-seat feel along the sides so I feel a little more tucked into the seat. At first I also cut out part of the exercise mat for the bottom part of the seat which also made it more comfy, but the seat cushion was a little better so I started using that instead. Keep in mind though adding more padding like this especially on the back part makes the seat feel smaller. Overall it's much more comfy like this.

2021 Mazda CX-5 Seat Cover

2021 Mazda CX-5 Seat Cover

coverking.com

- FYI when selecting your car on this site, they don't have the front seats listed for all CX-5 trims. Example is they didn't have the front seats listed for the GTR but do for the Touring. The seats are all the same shape/size so it really doesn't matter, I ordered the CX-5 Touring seat covers for my GTR and they fit perfectly.

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www.amazon.com

Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat & Sling (10mm)

Get the ultimate comfort, support and style during any exercise with these 10mm thick Gaiam Essentials Fitness Mat. With non-slip ridges for superior traction, you will stay put during ab work, toning, stretching, and more while using our fitness mat.

www.gaiam.com

 

[starwise]

Nice look on those. Thanks for sharing.

 

[CX5round2]

They actually did change the seats in 22. The 22 seats are so much better than my 2019. Check my post here: 2022 does have improved seat comfort

 

[Jujag]

I totally agree, I love the car but the front seat and the stiff sides are the worst I have ever sat in, and I have been around cars for over 50 years.
I have solved it with a custom made cushion, contact me if you want details.

The seats are fine but the weak stitching and material cracking on the bolsters is just not cool. Even still I like the seats but they need better quality leather or whatever materials their calling leather today.