Why did Toyota make bench seats

What’s the reason they put bench seats in regular cabs? The middle seat doesn’t even have a place to put your feet since the shifter is there so it seems totally useless. Not that anyone would go anywhere with 3 people in these trucks anyway. All it does is make the driving experience worse since there’s no bucket seats or console to rest your elbow on.

Yes I know 4WD models and early SR5 had bucket seats. My question is who thought up this dreadful idea and why

 

If you ever, in a pinch, need to transport two passengers, you can. It won't be comfortable, but it's possible and legal. Not sure what else about an old regular cab work-trim Tacoma makes you think it was built for comfort lol, and admittedly it's pretty much only a kid-sized seat unless you're not a large person either..

Happy Friday!

 

So you think the main reason is just cost savings?

 

I honestly think that people shopping for a regular-cab work truck back in the day would've passed it up if they thought they could never transport more than one passenger.

 

I had a 1992 extracab with a bench seat in the front. It was weird with my buddy and his wife in the front and me shifting gears putting my hand between her legs but it got us where we needed to go

 

I'm sure that was emotionally painful for you.

 

"Couldn't you have asked her to change gears for you?" The thought never crossed my mind..

 

I would prefer a pick up truck with a front bench seat, but I’m in the minority.

 

It's funny I was just thinking about this. My '03 regular cab Pre-Runner had a bench seat. Loved that truck. I never missed not having a console to rest my elbow on.

But now I'm in a '22 SR with buckets and a consoled. I love the console so much I caught myself wondering how I drove my old truck without one.

And....I would occasionally have 3 people on the bench. It did come in handy for that.

 

GM trucks did this really well, the back rest for the center seat could be folded down to serve as a huge console/armrest.

And there was even more storage underneath the cushion of the center seat.

 

The decision I really don't understand is why Toyota didn't make the bench seat in the 2nd gen split. So on the rare occasion my wife would drive, I'd have to tuck my knees up to my chin to fit in there. This is why I jumped on the opportunity for a bucket seat swap, otherwise I would have kept the bench in.

 

Bench seats used to be the norm on trucks, cars as well. Going on a double date in an old LTD, everyone has plenty of room.

 

its not that uncomfortable. The person in the middle can put their feet on each side of the shifter. I think it's more useful than a console.

 

I didn’t read the other responses.

But I think they did it, because they could. And so they did.

 

I actually prefer a bench seat.

 

No, no you dont

 

I’m a big man.

 

It's hard to believe but trucks used to be built for utility and simplicity. Nowadays everybody needs a 4wd living room with leather and a touch screen

My boss has a loaded Silverado High Country that costs as much as a house. Sometimes he actually tows with it. His son has a Denali AT4 and the only thing in the back is dead leaves and beer cans

My 92 Xtra cab had a split bench and I didn't mind it at all. If I wasn't 6-3" I'd still be driving it