How to Judge a Car's Comfort on a Test Drive

Finding the most comfortable car for you starts with picking the right model, then equipping it with the features that will pamper you and your passengers. Based on our experience, these are the features worth considering for your next car.

Lumbar Support Controls
Seats with power-adjustable lumbar support can help the driver and front passenger adjust the seat to the needs of their lower back. Two-way lumbar adjusts the cushion in and out, and four-way versions add up and down options. This makes long-distance driving easier, reducing fatigue. For the ultimate experience, consider massaging seats, if available.

Heated and Cooled Seats
These can make a big difference when the temperature is extreme, warming or cooling your body much quicker than traditional heat and air condition­ing. In extreme cold, heated seats can quickly warm up your behind and a heated steering wheel is a treat that becomes a necessity once you’ve experience it. In very hot weather, cooled seats—which blow conditioned air through tiny perforations in the upholstery—can keep your legs and back from sticking to the seat.

Heated and Reclining Rear Seats
Luxury items once reserved for front-seat passengers are now making their way to the rear seat. Reclining rear seats can be found in a lot of SUV models, and heated rear seats are becoming more common, too.

Memory Settings
Different drivers like their mirror, seat position, and other settings saved to specific configurations. The memory feature makes it possible for each driver in a family to get their preferred settings at the touch of a button. With all the different adjustments, this can save a lot of time. Many models can identify the driver by key fob and automatically adjust the settings.

Climate Zones
A dual-zone system lets the driver and front passenger set their own temperature, adjusting for personal preferences and sun exposure. In some models, even rear-seat passengers get their own climate controls. At minimum, a rear vent is important for airflow. We’ve found that these systems can really help to take some stress out of family travel.