My wife has retired her 2015 RAV4 and, as a Toyota-for-lifer, she has replaced it with a Lexus NX 250. Until a recent trip to Austin, I had only driven the NX by myself, and just a mile or so to the car wash. As I got hours of seat time on this trip to Austin with my wife, I learned there is a no-armrest rule. As in, I mustn’t use the armrest to rest my arm. Because I might dent it.
As you can imagine, a four-hour highway sesh without being able to assume my signature road-trip position – slouched heavily to the right, really enjoying the armrest, right hand hanging over the console while my left is hooked over the wheel at the 12 o’clock position – was quite uncomfortable.
I suffered along with both hands on the wheel like some kind of safety nerd, and recalled I’m supposed to have my hands at the three and nine positions clockface-wise, which I do not like. I’m a two-and-ten guy, and yes, I know about the airbag and why you don’t want to have your arms at two and ten, but sorry, I just can’t. I’m old and untrainable.
As for how I drape the rest of my frame on the driver’s seat and pedals, I think I’m pretty standard. The seatback isn’t particularly laid back or bolt upright, and my left foot rides the dead pedal. On long drives, I might pull that left foot back close to the seat.
I don’t tend to notice many others’ driving positions when I’m on the road, but there are two weird modes that stand out, and when I spot them, it’s always the youths assuming the positions in question. The first is “driver somehow in the middle of the car.” How is the driver’s head perfectly aligned with the CHMSL? Or even slightly to the right of it? I’m behind an Altima, not a McLaren F1! Like, I may lean a little rightward when I drive (I’m on the armrest, remember), but I remain fully within the confines of the left side of the cabin.
The other mind-boggler is the “10G liftoff position,” wherein the driver is fully reclined or close to it, seat pushed all the way back, so at most all you can see is the top of his head, which is well past the B-pillar. How do they reach the wheel? How is that comfortable? I tried it, it’s awful!
Anyway …
What’s Your Favorite Driving Position?
Top graphic image: Nissan
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