Piston Slap: The Toyota Corolla CE is a Pain in the Ass

TTAC Commentator dastanley writes:My 2006 Corolla CE is what it is – it gets me where I’m going with no muss, no fuss, no excitement, no drama, no fun. But hey, it runs.Problem is, every time I do a road trip in the thing, my ass hurts. The driver’s cloth seat feels like wood. Should I go to Walmart and buy the aftermarket cushions, etc. or does anyone have a recommendation for good comfortable aftermarket replacement seats? Or get another car?Sajeev replies:I reviewed this vintage Corolla “S” and thought the seats were decent, especially the rear bench. But I didn’t make a road trip, and carmakers don’t make ’em like they used to: everyone pruned their way to lower costs with rubbish thrones. Lousy padding, less contouring, thinner coverings, lame lumbar support—it beats up a body on long trips. But Toyota is good at badge engineering parts that consumers never see; I suspect the Corolla’s seat tracks are similar to other Toyotas, sans RWD Lexus products and trucks. The expensive Corollas are the best choice, if they are an improvement. But buy the back seat for a perfect match. But don’t expect a clean set of Corolla S seats for cheap from a recycler. My guess is $500 for all three.And choosing seats from a non-Toyota are a bad idea without Internet research and/or test fitting. They’ll look terrible because they won’t match the rear bench. Not to mention cost, side airbag (if equipped) safety woes, and the possible fitment issues against interior panels.Sadly, an aftermarket seat cover is a smarter idea. Some fitted covers claim to offer more padding, but they’ll be $100 or more. Perhaps the wooden beads (that taxicab drivers use) are a good alternative. They are comfortable, even if they are ugly. But they are durable, cheap and even somewhat eco-friendly [Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com]