Godawful headrests...

[KartRacer]

(now that you're back, I'll respond to this)

I took them out a while ago and now I'm used to them not being there.

Unlike others (and I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this in the thread), I don't have any issues with the front seat headrests. I keep my seat quite upright while driving, and being 6'3", my head rests perfectly against the headrest on the driver's seat. Call me crazy, but I actually really like the feeling of that.

I am 6'4" and love the headrest. So many previous vehicles offered little protection for tall drivers. They are my resting point in traffic

 

[stimpy2301]

Another update.

I went back to the dealership yesterday and looked at more (reference http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/221920-post80.html for my earlier findings) ... this time around I tried a few more.

Silverado, Tahoe, & Traverse front seats -- Post size does not match.
Tahoe, Traverse, & Equinox back seats -- Headrests not removable.

Camaro -- a surprisingly reasonable match! It sits a little straighter than the Sonic's, but not quite as straight as I'd prefer. Also, its construction / foam is also stiffer, so not quite as comfortable. See pics below:

Sonic vs Camaro side-by-side​

Camaro on Sonic seat (viewed from front)


Camaro on Sonic seat (viewed from rear)


​

Equinox -- I tried the Equinox again, since this was the best option I'd found the previous day. I looked around a little more and found one that's actually black leather with red stitching! (My seats are black leather with brick stitching. The red doesn't match perfectly, but it's close enough.) The leather (texture) and the foam (softness) feel identical to the Sonic's, unlike the Camaro. Looks very nice too, like it could have been intended to go with our seat. Testing out all three in succession -- Sonic, Camaro, Equinox -- confirms that the Equinox feels the best of them all. While it's still not 100% where I'd like it, it's significantly better than the Sonic's and is worth considering. See more pics below.
Now, the scary part ... finding out how much these will actually cost....

Sonic vs Equinox side-by-side​

Equinox on Sonic seat (viewed from front)


Equinox on Sonic seat (viewed from rear)


​

Interestingly enough, when you compare the pictures above, the 'straightness' of the Equinox doesn't look as straight as the Camaro. Yet, the Equinox felt better -- I'm guessing because it wasn't nearly as stiff as the Camaro. The Equinox was about as 'soft' as the Sonic's.

More to follow when i get a price on the Equinox headrests...

 

[timjgallagher11]

For those of us who hate the rear headrests because we can't see anything, Nissan is working on something pretty neat. Maybe this is the future of rearview mirrors. They call it the smartview mirror or something like that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yxHAj79kh8&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[SuperFudd]

How practical would that be with OnStar buttons on the mirror/monitor?

 

[mja]

here's a good read...DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

too many bogus whip lash lawsuits is what started all of this. ford has put a ton of money in these types of seat crash testings. I remember the newer body style mustang came out around ten years ago, the headrest cant was outrageous. If you're a taller guy and think the sonics are bad, test drive a new '13 or '14 mustang

 

[RMinNJ]

headrest too far forward

bump ..

"More to follow when i get a price on the Equinox headrests... "

How much were the Equinox headrests? I would need the cloths ones. With my new Sonic I'm finding the headrest not good as I like the seat more upright..but then the headrest pushes my head.. Weird I didn't notice it during a test drive. Still adjusting the seat everyday and its definitely the headrest that dictates everything. Neck was sore the one day when I drove
with the sear upright.

 

[stimpy2301]

bump ..

"More to follow when i get a price on the Equinox headrests... "

How much were the Equinox headrests? I would need the cloths ones. With my new Sonic I'm finding the headrest not good as I like the seat more upright..but then the headrest pushes my head.. Weird I didn't notice it during a test drive. Still adjusting the seat everyday and its definitely the headrest that dictates everything. Neck was sore the one day when I drove
with the sear upright.

The guy at the dealership never called me back with the price, and then things got crazy and I never followed up. Will try to in the coming week or so. Whatever the price comes back as, though, I'd recommend you go try one for yourself before blindy buying it.

 

[RMinNJ]

trying headrests

Thanks for the followup. I'm not sure how to try the headrest for myself..
do I just walk into the dealer and say "hey..I'd like to yank one of the headrest from one of your Equinox's and see how it is in my Sonic" ? A good dealer parts guy might do that for one. Still, your right, if they are hundreds of dollars each they better be really comfy. So far I think I found an good setting as a trade off between the seat recline and headrest...trade off being the key word.

 

[stimpy2301]

Thanks for the followup. I'm not sure how to try the headrest for myself..
do I just walk into the dealer and say "hey..I'd like to yank one of the headrest from one of your Equinox's and see how it is in my Sonic" ?

Depending on where they park them on the lot, you may be able to just drive up to one, yank it out, and try it. You'll already have it in the car by the time the saleguys descend upon you. lol

Seriously, though, that's exactly what I did. I pulled up near each of the cars and pulled em out and just started trying them. Of course, when the sales guy showed up, I explained what I was doing, and then he even started to help!