The Most Comfortable Car Seats, According to Consumer Reports – Jalopnik

Regardless of whether you commute 15 minutes to work in the morning or travel many thousands of kilometers per year for work, no one wants an uncomfortable seat. It’s strange to think that some cars even have uncomfortable seats. After all, cars have been around for over a century and you’d think we’d arrived at a place where all cars have extremely comfortable seats, but that’s apparently not the case. In fact, many of the most uncomfortable cars our readers have ever owned have particularly rough seats.

However, if you’re looking for something new but think traveling around town and trying out every car seat sounds like a pain in the backside (pun intended), don’t worry. Consumer Reports (CR) has done the hard work for you. CR is vast when it comes to product research, so it should be music to your ears that a report from CR highlights the best chairs on the US market.

Test riders of all sizes and shapes rated things like thigh, torso and lumbar support, in addition to adjustability and hip and shoulder support. CR states that a good chair can support the body, help combat fatigue and maintain its shape throughout a long day, rather than compressing under the weight.

So, these are the highest-rated seats highlighted by CR, ranked based on the segment they belong to. We don’t have an entry for every segment of the market, but rather a selection of notable examples, chosen by CR for their exceptional chairs.

The C-Class manages to provide ultimate comfort, with Consumer Reports highlighting the seats as among the best available today. It’s worth noting that CR didn’t test the standard seats, but rather the optional AMG seats, which currently sell for an additional $2,750 premium as part of the AMG Line package. In addition to the sporty front seats, buyers will also benefit from different alloy wheels, a more aggressive body style and a sports suspension.

As you’d expect from a $50,000-plus Mercedes, the seats are power-adjustable and very supportive, and the materials covering them are second to none. In addition to leather, Mercedes uses a fabric called MB-Tex, a leather-like material that is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing to the untrained eye. It is easy to clean, supposedly very durable and perfectly suited for a comfort-oriented driver’s seat. The luxury compact class is certainly a competitive space, but if you want to rack up the miles and do so without feeling tense and tired after a long day, then the C-Class seems like an attractive choice.

This must have been a difficult segment for CR to judge, as large luxury sedans are supposed to be wonderfully comfortable by design. Whether it is an S-Class, 7 Series or old-fashioned Jaguar XJ, they all have one thing in common: wonderful seats. However, according to the experts at CR, the A8 deserves the crown.

One of the A8’s biggest strengths when it comes to seating is the sheer amount of adjustability it offers. Whether you need more support under your thighs, head, shoulders, hips or buttocks, there’s a button that gives you exactly what you need. Press another button and you’ll quickly cycle through the available massage modes – it’s clear that Audi has pulled out all the stops here.

The comfort level of the Audi A8 is further enhanced by the superior driving comfort offered by the air suspension system. Unlike other Audi models, the A8 isn’t interested in flat corners and sporting prowess, it just wants you to float from bend to bend. It may not be as stylish as the S-Class or as dynamic as the 7 Series, but the A8 is still the right choice if you’re looking for ultimate comfort. If that appeals to you, act quickly, because the ever-looming question of whether Audi will keep the A8 in its lineup poses a risk to its survival. And given that sedans are in danger of extinction, the future of the A8 is uncertain.

Small SUVs are super popular right now. Currently, SUVs of all shapes and sizes account for 52% of all new car sales. Standing out in such a competitive market can be difficult, but Mazda seems to have managed to find a way to differentiate itself from the others.

CR called the stylish CX-50 particularly comfortable seats, which is great considering that small SUVs more often than not lead busy lives. Whether it’s commuting, transporting kids to school and back, or zipping around towns and cities shopping and running errands, small SUVs work hard, and a little extra comfort can make that job a little less taxing.

The driver’s lumbar support is adjustable and you can manipulate the bottom cushion for more leg support. In some versions the passenger seat is also electrically adjustable. Adjustable is the key word here, meaning the CX-50 should work well for a wide range of buyers, whether they’re tall or short. Prices for the CX-50 start at just $29,900, plus destination charges and other applicable fees, making this one of the more affordable models featured here. A few years ago we also test drove the new Mazda CX-50 and found it a pleasure to drive. So for anyone looking to try one, rest assured: there’s more to love than just comfy seats when it comes to this attractive little SUV.

Subaru is another Japanese automaker looking to make a splash in the world of SUVs with a seriously comfortable model of its own. Perhaps there’s a good reason why Japanese carmakers are making an impression here, as European brands tend to focus more on sporting prowess, which can often lead to a firmer and rougher ride. However, CR found nothing firm or hard about the Outback’s seats, especially the higher Limited trim, which features well-shaped leather seats.

The Subaru’s passenger seat is also electrically powered, allowing for quick and easy adjustability. Gone are the days of jumping around while pulling countless levers to try to find a comfortable position. The Outback has been revised since CR tested it, but the current model still offers leather-trimmed seats in Limited trim, so we’d like to think it still stands out in terms of comfort.

Subaru specifically describes the leather as very soft, which paints a pleasant picture of what it must be like to spend hours on the seats. The Limited Trim steering wheel is heated and has a Harmon Kardon sound system. The all-new 2026 Outback continues to give the people what they want, including enough interior amenities to brighten up otherwise miserable morning commutes.

CR tested the pre-facelift BMW X5, so some aspects may have changed, but the glowing review CR gave the SUV’s soft seats should still apply. The CR team found satisfaction in the enormous amount of adjustability, in addition to a comfortable seating position and an adjustable handlebar. What is also striking is how wide the doors open. This is something that’s easy to overlook, but climbing in and out of a larger SUV on a daily basis can be difficult, and this wide opening should certainly make the task a little less challenging.

With an MSRP that’s eerily close to $70,000 before fees, charges and options, the current BMW X5 better have some decent comfort-oriented features as standard. Fortunately, that is the case. Without ticking a single option box, buyers can take advantage of heated front sports seats, which are available in a number of colours.

For an additional $1,950, buyers can opt for the Extended Merino Leather package, which, by all accounts, actually seems somewhat affordable relative to the X5’s starting price. However, if you choose this, you should also save $750 on Multi-Contour seats and another $1,700 on the Premium package. Is a total of $4,400 too much to spend in the name of comfort and luxury? We’ll let you be the judge of this.