Most car surveys obsess over horsepower, charging times, or whether Apple CarPlay works without freezing. But J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Seat Quality and Satisfaction Study cuts straight to the bit of the car you actually touch every day: the seat. This year’s results show small improvements in some models, but on the whole, complaints about headrests, bolstering, and fiddly electronics are up. Which is odd, given how much manufacturers boast about comfort.
It’s a reminder that seats aren’t just foam and fabric. They’re the difference between loving a car and swearing at it during rush hour.
The Winners You Might Actually Want To Sit In
Breaking things down by category, the cars that topped the study were refreshingly mixed. In the small/compact car segment, the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla earned praise for everyday comfort. Step up to midsize and large sedans, and the Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5 proved you don’t have to buy premium to avoid backache.
SUV buyers weren’t left out either. The Kia Telluride and Chevrolet Traverse earned nods for big-family comfort, while Ford’s Bronco Sport topped the compact SUV class. If you want a deeper dive, last year’s snapshot of the vehicles with the most satisfying seats is still a useful reference point.
And yes, premium cars did their job. BMW Z4, Porsche 911, and Audi A5 all showed that sometimes money really does buy happiness — at least for your spine.
Why Seats Are Suddenly A Battleground
For years, seats were afterthoughts, until complaints started piling up. In fact, seats are now such a branding weapon that Nissan has been busy selling its car seats as actual office chairs in China, claiming the N7’s thrones are good enough for your desk job. When automakers are trying to invade your home office, you know comfort has become marketing gold.
The J.D. Power study underlines that connection. Seats — along with powertrains — are the two biggest factors in overall vehicle satisfaction. Which means if a carmaker botches its seats, it drags the whole model’s reputation down with it.
From Daily Commutes To Baby Seats
There’s also a practical side to all this. Buyers juggling kids don’t just want comfy seats for themselves; they care about how child seats fit, latch, and stay secure. That’s why resources like Autoblog’s guide to the best infant car seats of 2024 have exploded in popularity. Parents don’t want to wrestle Isofix anchors in a supermarket car park. They want confidence.
So when J.D. Power names Subaru Legacy or Porsche Taycan as seat champions, it’s not just trivia. It affects buying decisions for families, commuters, and anyone who treats their car as a second home.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 J.D. Power study proves one thing: seats aren’t just cushions, they’re make-or-break. From Kia’s budget SUVs to Porsche’s sports cars, the best models all share one thing — they don’t leave you stiff, sore, or sliding. With more brands turning seats into marketing hooks, don’t be surprised if the next car ad doesn’t talk about horsepower at all, but about lumbar support.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not 0–60 you’ll remember on a Monday morning commute. It’s whether your tailbone still works when you get to the office.
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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