I am not pre-disposed to back issues. I haven't owned that many cars (I tend to keep my cars for a long time) but because of my work I find myself driving rental cars a lot. I can safely say I have driven over 100 different vehicles easily, all for longer stretches of time.
Never ever in my life have I ever experienced the insane discomfort these Mazda3 seats are giving me. They are without a doubt the absolute worst seats I've ever sat in. It's killing all the pleasure of ownership for me.
I am to this day still driving with a towel behind my back:
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It alleviates most of my issues and makes it bearable. To all of those that suggested to modify the seats; this is much harder to accomplish than one might think.
I have visited 6 different upholstery shops now. 5 of those flat-out refused to do the work, and number 6 (very friendly shop owner) had no problems wanting to do the work for me, but said he will not take the seat out himself. I have to bring the seat to him.
So I called the Mazda dealership and asked them if they can remove the seat for me, and reinstall it a few days later. They said OK at first, but then called me back an hour later saying they cannot do that kind of work, and warned me that I would void my warranty if I were to modify the seat.
I told the lady that I don't believe a drive-train warranty would be affected by modifications made to the drivers' seat, but the lady from the dealership kept insisting that was the case. I still don't believe that, but all things considered I have given up on trying to get the seat modified. It's just way too much of a hassle.
I will keep driving this thing with a towel in my back for the next couple of years, and this particular Mazda3 might be the first car I've ever owned to which I will not get any emotional attachment. I've owned it for 3 months now, and I still feel like I drive someone else's car.
I fiddle with the seat constantly. Man, when I bought the Protege, I set the seat during my test drive, and the seat never ever moved from that position, ever. It was perfect.
I'm afraid on this Mazda I'll wear out the seat motors soon, since I keep adjusting constantly.
Truth be told: I miss my Protege terribly. I'd buy it back if I knew where to find it. I've been checking Craigslist in the hopes it would pop up there. I'm not even kidding. That thing fit me like a glove. If I could rewind time with the knowledge I have now, I'd have the engine rebuilt on the Protege and kept driving that for another decade. Oh well, live and learn.