Which front seats are you using ?

[chrisshara]

Just trying to get an idea of what seats have been tried and tested and known to be a good fit in out first gen. Leggy's. I've read quite a bit about doesn't work. Anyone out there have any suggestions that they are happy with ?

[mike-tracy]

I'm pretty sure that everything from 1990-2007 bolts in, but here's what I've tried in my 91:

1991 SS seats. Fit perfect, no height issues. Not very supportive but super comfortable on long trips.
2000 RS 2.5: fit perfect with no height issues. Sporty and attractive, they support your body well in hard driving, great on long trips. Probably my favorite overall.
1996 Japanese wrx seats. Perfect fitment - these are meant for SKINNY dudes! Most supportive here. Awesome for hard driving. But... Padding is thin, and at 5'11 195 I'm only Just able to fit them. Brutal on your back on long trips!
1998 Legacy GT seats. Fits perfect. Good support and comfortable, nice materials. Great for long trips. Still prefer the RS seats over these.
02 Wrx seats. Driver seat fits fine at lowest height adjustment. Passenger side is not adjustable, and passenger's head will touch ceiling if they're over 5'9. Super supportive, awesome bolstering, nice materials, OKish on long trips. Would be my favorites if not for passenger side issue.

[chrisshara]

Thank you so much, Mike ! The foam in the seats of these old legacy's…. …..it's like the foam got hard and stale. It just shreds and tears.

[wtdash]

Hi,
I agree w/Mike's info - except that the newer '05+ Legacy seats don't fit. Been there done that. And might have changed in '00, but can't confirm.

I didn't know about the RS seats...would've guess they'd be like the '02+ WRX, so that is good news. I have '06-'07 Impreza WRX TR seats and they have the same issues as '02+ WRX seats - sit too high on passenger side and are just usable w/the driver's seat lowered.

I may try to 'customize' the stock SS seats next spring. I need to get a new base foam for the driver's side. I'm thinking of using a passenger's side from PullnSave, as they seem to usually survive better. And then build up the 'bolsters' w/some added foam....there are posts on other Subie sites that have some good ideas.

Td

[kimokalihi]

I've got 05 wrx seats. One piece uppers and they look awesome but they're not nearly as comfortable as the 02-03 wrx seats I used to have and the bolstering sucks compared to the older wrx seats. The seats are stiff as fuck and they sit even higher than the 02-03 wrx seats. Don't even think about 02+ seats if you plan on wearing a helmet. They made the 04+ seats wider with less bolstering to fit larger american drivers and my skinny ass doesn't feel nearly as planted in them.

[mike-tracy]

Yeah 02 WRX driver seat rocks!

[kimokalihi]

Still too tall and not as good looking as 04-05 but def a good seat.

[matt00rs25]

I've got my 2000 rs leather seats in my 93 ss and they do bolt right in but I really feel like they're just a bit taller than stock but not nearly as tall as wrx seats.

[kimokalihi]

The jdm gc tiger stripe seats are the best I think but they're ugly as hell imo. They sit nice and low with plenty of support. But they're rare and expensive.

[Danny-G]

From an L owner viewpoint, the 91 sd seats are a massive upgrade compared to L seats. I have 91 ss in my 93 L and compared to stock, they have taller bolsters and they hold me in place better. But I am pretty small at like 5' 6".
My tw has stock seats and those seem to be the same as the 91 ss seats, they might have a slightly better hold on the back but I haven't been able to compare. They are really comfy and it took a few hours of pure highway driving before I had to stretch.

[GClark]

I got these 08 STI seats for mine. They should be installed this week. The feet on the brackets need to be cut off and the stock feet welded on.

[Legacy777]

Just an FYI, if you do not have a sun roof in your first gen Legacy you won't have the height issues people talk about. I have 2002 WRX seats in my Legacy and since it was originally an L without a sunroof I don't have any problems with my head hitting the ceiling (and I have a tall torso).

[BiNiaRiS]

I have V5/6 STI front seats in my legacy and they fit perfectly. Same ride height as my 2000 impreza I originally had them in.

[robertpaige]

I honestly love 93+ SS Seats. The two tone ones. When I traded my car for another SS with 02 WRX seats, I called my buddy and took my old seats back because the SS seats were so much more comfortable.

[devilzdriver]

I've got 05 wrx seats. One piece uppers and they look awesome but they're not nearly as comfortable as the 02-03 wrx seats I used to have and the bolstering sucks compared to the older wrx seats. The seats are stiff as fuck and they sit even higher than the 02-03 wrx seats. Don't even think about 02+ seats if you plan on wearing a helmet. They made the 04+ seats wider with less bolstering to fit larger american drivers and my skinny ass doesn't feel nearly as planted in them.

Im 5' 9" and my helmet has like 3 mm's of space, but fits. I have the 05 seats and love them, i drove in a sparco sprint for 5 years (updating as it expired) and this is a nice upgrade lol. The stock seats in the SS are a joke. the first rallyx course i did, i took out the center conceal lol. BTW the 05 back seats bolt right up. no modding.

[kimokalihi]

Yeah I've got the matching 05 wrx back seats as well.

[robertpaige]

I'm a bigger buy and I don't like how the WRX seats cup me, they're a little small.

[chrisshara]

Great information guys. Thank you, Josh, for the added information in regard to the wagons with the bump in the roof. That just happens to be what I have. Do the '05 rear seats work on wagons ? I gathered that they do work on sedans from Kimo's post. Devilzdriver, I'm not sure what body you have. The STi seats are sick, for those who have time to get creative and know how to weld. I think I'm in a toss up between '02 WRX seats and '05 WRX seats. I know the narrower seats bother me. But I have never actually sat in '02 WRX seats. So, that's the next step.

[devilzdriver]

Great information guys. Thank you, Josh, for the added information in regard to the wagons with the bump in the roof. That just happens to be what I have. Do the '05 rear seats work on wagons ? I gathered that they do work on sedans from Kimo's post. Devilzdriver, I'm not sure what body you have. The STi seats are sick, for those who have time to get creative and know how to weld. I think I'm in a toss up between '02 WRX seats and '05 WRX seats. I know the narrower seats bother me. But I have never actually sat in '02 WRX seats. So, that's the next step.

They will not work with a wagon, because its a different type of bench. I am 5'9" 185 lbs. Marine so not a small guy.... in regards to 02 or 05 honestly it depends i got my entire interior for a total of 100$ off of a car with less than 30k on the clock lol. The guys kid was being stupid i guess and told him "hes going to strip the car down to nothing and sell shit for cheap" so i got lucky on some dumb kids behalf lol.

[chrisshara]

They will not work with a wagon, because its a different type of bench. I am 5'9" 185 lbs. Marine so not a small guy.... in regards to 02 or 05 honestly it depends i got my entire interior for a total of 100$ off of a car with less than 30k on the clock lol. The guys kid was being stupid i guess and told him "hes going to strip the car down to nothing and sell shit for cheap" so i got lucky on some dumb kids behalf lol.

Ooofff, sounds like there is more to that story about the kid parting out and basically giving stuff away. But, it's always fun and cool to score a deal. We put up with our fair share of non-sense, so it all balances out. Or, tries to balance out; at least.

[Aki]

I'm using a ver.II STi drivers seat in my '94 SS. It sits just slightly higher than stock but is almost not noticeable. I love the bolstering/support of these seats, not to mention the look.



I'm 6'2" and with a helmet on I need to open the sunroof to avoid ducking. Looking forward to one day eliminating the sunroof entirely.

Still need to swap over the seat belt receiver from the old seat so I can use the auto belt when I don't want to deal with the harness.

[James614]

How does your harness mount in there? I want that exact front seat setup, but not if it means a harness bar that stops the seats from reclining.

[chrisshara]

Went with a set of '05 WRX seats. Set me back $300 shipped.

[Aki]

The harness (Schroth Rallye 4 ASM) bolts right in but can be a bit tight between the seat and B-pillar as well as center console. Just be sure to test how you want to route the belts before bending the harness mounting tab things (the ends that are bolted to the car) so you only have to bend them once.

You will want to do a harness bar or partial cage (hoop) with these. With nothing but the harnesses in, you run the risk of the seatback folding in two and compressing your spine along with it if a bad accident/rollover were to occur. I need to get a cage in this thing...

[Dominator]

Here's a comparison of my old stock 91 SS front seat next to a leather seat out of a 1999 Legacy GT Limited SUS. I thought this was interesting so I snapped a picture of it. The newer 99 seat appears to be lower than the stock 91 SS seat. I swapped the fronts and rears a few years ago. I love the leather seats. I'll agree with the others, the 02-03 wrx seats are by far the best bolstered USDM seats we've had available.