What Happened To Front Bench Seats In Cars

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3 жыл бұрын

The front bench seat was once a standard feature of automobiles, especially American ones. They were cheap to make, easy to climb into, and roomy. But Americans turned away from them over time and, at least mostly, they went the way of fancy hood ornaments. While it might not seem the most interesting automotive feature, the shift from bench seats to bucket seats reveals something about shifting American tastes and the changing role of driving in American culture.
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Whatever Happened To Front Bench Seats In Cars

Пікірлер: 2 000

@TheAdnanmajor 3 жыл бұрын

Nowadays, even the middle seat in the rear is practically unusable.

@wojciechmuras553 3 жыл бұрын

I've had to pass on so many great cars because of this... I'm sure I'd be cruising around in a Chevy Volt today, but how are 3 kids supposed to sit there?!

@bundle3702 3 жыл бұрын

The Porsche 944 doesn’t even have a back middle, just a hump

@Bartonovich52 3 жыл бұрын

Depends on what car. My Impala has a perfectly fine middle seat. While my 1989 Cutlass was a 2+2 and had no middle seat at all.

@babyduo4330 3 жыл бұрын

tru dat

@user-sd5ne9gf7b 3 жыл бұрын

Same case with the latest model of benz

@FastCarsNoRules220 3 жыл бұрын

An advantage of bench seats is that you get to easily slide over and exit through the passenger door if you ever park on the side of the road instead of having to get out into moving traffic.

@KHFilms 3 жыл бұрын

This!!

@cristianvillanueva8782 3 жыл бұрын

Facts

@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 3 жыл бұрын

They are unsafe you would get whiplash easily

@talh.a 3 жыл бұрын

You can do that with a mehran which doesn’t have a bench seat. Check it out

@widsquard 3 жыл бұрын

@@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076 If you were unbuckled and got rear ended while trying to exit, wouldn't matter if it was bucket or bench: you would be screwed either way. But in a bench setup, you would be able to evacuate faster if you saw it coming.

@sangomoon5456 3 жыл бұрын

Remember the front middle seat that folded down into a cup holder and storage? That was a great idea, best of both worlds. .

@OOICU812 3 жыл бұрын

You can still get that on today's full-sized pickup trucks.

@officialwowow 2 жыл бұрын

it s on the new defender

@philip2205 2 жыл бұрын

In European cars we still have that, very practical.

@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess 2 жыл бұрын

2004 Toyota Avalon has that

@zack5757hamzah Жыл бұрын

Holy cow, my Daihatsu move have still that feature to these days

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

The thing I like about bench seats is being able to throw my right arm over the seat while driving like my grandpa used to do, and also being able to slide around a bit, especially long drives where shifting your body around a little keeps you from getting cramped. Bucket seats are comfortable at first but after a few hours of driving they feel confining. One of the reasons I drive a pickup instead of a car is because the split bench seat is way more comfortable.

@brenrob7403 3 жыл бұрын

I don’t know who at CNBC is interested in front bench seats but I’m glad they are

@42luke93 3 жыл бұрын

It’s got to be because drive-in theatres are arising. Front bench seats are more comfortable to have when sitting and relaxing in a car. Rather than crampt counsols. Maybe they are making a come back. The new land rover defender actually offers front bench seats now! Can’t say much on the future of the column shifter. But bench seats are nice for comfort to have.

@crankychris2 3 жыл бұрын

Back then, there were dozens of interior colors, now there are few choices.

@akscraggy2434 3 жыл бұрын

To be fair they are available. But they're either in cars we can't afford, or more expensive trims of cars we can only afford base trims for.

@sebastianlabusch465 3 жыл бұрын

That has to do with air bags. The interior needs to rip apart when the air bag explodes, and differently dyed materials may behave differently, so you would have to run more crash tests.

@MartintheTinman 3 жыл бұрын

@@sebastianlabusch465 . No, got more to do with the modern world. You can have whatever you want as long as it's the same thing everyone else wants. Just look at the difference in a modern hardware store to the old days. Once upon a time if you needed one specific bolt you could go into a hardware store and get it. Now you have to buy a packet of them and it won't be the exact size, you'll have to find a size that's close and have it be different to all the rest or replace the whole lot to look the same

@user-pe2yx9kt4e 3 жыл бұрын

Right? I’m glad the warm brown, peanut leather color seems to be making a comeback. Always found the light beige tan color to be ugly and impractical.

@CHixon 3 жыл бұрын

@@user-pe2yx9kt4e light beige tan = taupe.

@mrc4910 3 жыл бұрын

Things change. I had cars in the 70s that had no cup holders but 3 or more ash trays.

@mra57 3 жыл бұрын

The brights were activated by a button on the floor, near the emergency brake pedal. The 70's also started the plastick-ification of interiors.

@defyboom1153 3 жыл бұрын

Lol yeah back than cars used to have ash trays and cigarettes burner

@jackmcslay 3 жыл бұрын

Which is probably worse. Eating stuff inside the car can make it get really grosse, considering most car seats are not waterproof and interior carpeting absorbs grime like crazy.

@keon5779 3 жыл бұрын

@@jackmcslay And smoking is better? Have you ever seen a car that has been smoked in? EVERYWHERE becomes filthy. The headliner gets ruined, the carpets and seat surfaces become smelly and unclean, you'll find stains, too.

@Tracymmo 3 жыл бұрын

@@mra57 My dad used to activate the brights with the floor button in our 1970 Olds but told us kids that sneezing turned on the lights. We had lot of fun with that, unaware of how he made the lights really come on. :)

@LucidDreamer54321 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats were standard when I was a child. I remember hearing people mention "bucket seats" and not knowing what they were talking about. I thought people were sitting on a bucket.

@OOICU812 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, bucket seats were found on the sporty cars of that Era.

@buttsniffer3214 3 жыл бұрын

The old bench seats are really comfortable, even what’s left of the one in my truck that’s just bare springs is still comfortable lol

@koborkutya7338 3 жыл бұрын

having the seat with springs is another interesting point. The moulded foam seats will just never be anywhere even close in comfort to the spring based ones.

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

I drive without seats, i just sit on the floor, threw away the whole chair, now i can sit allll the way in the back while driving.

@Squishy_yhsiuqS 3 жыл бұрын

>truck >username redneck Checks out :p

@floopley6687 3 жыл бұрын

morale of the video...... cup holders killed bench seats.

@Ms.NoNo2 3 жыл бұрын

@@awesomeone2979 I was gonna say fast food... but sure, I guess skinny people don’t like drinks

@shannawallace7855 3 жыл бұрын

@@awesomeone2979 so if you go on a long drive do you pull over and park every time you want a drink of water during your trip 🤔

@shannawallace7855 3 жыл бұрын

@@awesomeone2979 so you put it in the seat, where it can easily roll around and fall in the floor, or in the glove box, which is distracting to open and close while you're driving? Lol common sense says a cupholder is both an easier and safer option.

@jacksnyder7318 3 жыл бұрын

My cup holder back in the day was a plastic holder with a hook for the window jam. You could buy them anywhere, cheap; and worked just fine.

@shannawallace7855 3 жыл бұрын

@@awesomeone2979 yes, your point was only fat people have beverages in their car while driving. Which isn't true lmao I worked at a Starbucks with a drive thru for a couple of years and I can assure you, thin people love getting coffee and tea while they're driving just as much as fat people lmao. Most people want the convenience of a cup holder in their car regardless of their weight. If you don't have enough coordination to handle taking a sip of water when you're driving, then do please continue to finish your drinks while parked. But most of us don't have any issue with that

@goldwinger5434 3 жыл бұрын

As a young man, I liked bench seats because my date could snuggle up next to me when I was driving.

@bubblygranolachick 3 жыл бұрын

Drive in movie theaters

@jaguarfacedman1365 3 жыл бұрын

Late model Panther Bodies like the Crown Vic, and Grand Marquis carried front bench seats well into the 2000s.

@jackmcslay 3 жыл бұрын

"snuggle"

@stevec5465 3 жыл бұрын

That was the best part of my 1994 Chevy Lumina. The car was so-so in power and handling. But my GF at the time and I loved the front bench seat

@jaguarfacedman1365 3 жыл бұрын

@@stevec5465 ;)

@jfm14 3 жыл бұрын

I'm only 30, but have fond memories of riding into town every Saturday morning sitting next to my dad on the bench seat of his 1955 Ford F-150.

@Mrkevi123 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats would be nice now that many homeless people sleep in their cars.

@economixxxx 3 жыл бұрын

DARK! but sadly true...

@jansen7640 3 жыл бұрын

They're all over California because nobody can afford a home

@zinussan50 3 жыл бұрын

Yup, I tried on my friend's customized Daihatsu Move. So weird and yet so comfortable when compared with current car seat.

@jtk6402 3 жыл бұрын

😂😂

@andrewilson5626 3 жыл бұрын

Andrew Shay The term is unhoused.

@barbmelle3136 3 жыл бұрын

From Leo: I really miss bench seats. I think they have a safety advantage. I was in a smaller sized bucket seat car that got hit in the drivers door by a drunk driver. As the pillar folded I was squeezed pretty tight against the console, making it really tough to climb out the passenger door. I was lucky the car was not on fire.

@ytzpilot 3 жыл бұрын

I remember bench seats and adjusting the front bench was a team effort for the driver 🤣

@limitedtime5471 3 жыл бұрын

New versions could be electric 🙂

@vishnutheetharappan7074 3 жыл бұрын

They could also fold separately so if one person wants to lean back more than the others, they have the ability to do so

@johnc.bojemski1757 3 жыл бұрын

Bucket seats also pretty much KILLED front seat "rolling romances". Gone are the days when a couple could "speed" away if they noticed a patrolling police car in the area. (It was a LOT tougher if you and "cuddles" were in the BACK seat and you had to dive over the front seatbacks to make a get away!).

@jerrynoren92 3 жыл бұрын

Using buttons for a shifter is actually something that has ”comeback” it was available in the 50s in some American cars, placed to the left of the steering wheel on a car I once drove.. And the benchseats is one of the best things about classic cars, i love them!

@MartintheTinman 3 жыл бұрын

Push button automatic transmission was available in Australia too

@igostupidfast3 3 жыл бұрын

The Soviet GAZ chaika too

@servico100 3 жыл бұрын

I had a 1956 Dodge wagon with push-button automatic. It worked just fine. OH yeah front bench also.

@Bartonovich52 3 жыл бұрын

Lots of things go in and out depending on the technology. Chrysler loved push button transmissions. But they lack the tactile feel or responsiveness of a shift lever and they were more expensive and failure prone. Today.. we need more real estate for cup holders, phones, and infotainment plus anything that is mechanical is more expensive. So we have electronic knobs or buttons to shift. Same with digital gauges. They came in. Went away. And now with cheap high resolution LED displays they are back in again either masquerading as faux analog gauges or doubling down as digital displays.

@frankfarago2825 11 ай бұрын

My orange colored 1962 Dodge Colt had pushbuttons for the gear shifting. Best idea ever.

@qbachino 3 жыл бұрын

They were phased out because they were contributing to teen pregnancies. Really miss those big bench seats especially the back ones.

@double00shotgun 3 жыл бұрын

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

@slowgoat6089 3 жыл бұрын

Foreal 🤣 thats how i was born

@jjk4891 3 жыл бұрын

But for real... I hate the middle hump in backseats 😭

@jerseyliljerseyshawty7283 3 жыл бұрын

is this fax?? 😂😂😂😂 that lowkey makes sense

@qbachino 3 жыл бұрын

@@awesomeone2979 Nowhere near as big as they used to.

@law4nyc 3 жыл бұрын

I had a car that had push buttons to select the gears on the automatic transmission. It was a 1964 Dodge 440.

@williamwingo4740 3 жыл бұрын

My grandfather had a 1956 DeSoto with the pushbuttons. It was mostly a Chrysler thing, but I think the Ford Edsel also had them--in the middle of the steering wheel.

@jimsmodelcargarage3196 3 жыл бұрын

My first car was a 63 Chrysler Newport with a push button tranny.

@bongboyz6468 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats and column shifters were just so damn useful. I NEED them to make a come back

@happyfacefries 3 жыл бұрын

I miss the column shifters so much!!!!

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

I like automatics.

@Hydro_Aero 3 жыл бұрын

@otomicans6580 3 жыл бұрын

Bring back the hand-cranked parking brake. I think the cabin real estate is too valuable to keep the column shifters and hand brakes around, unfortunately. Fewest buttons and widgets possible while stowing everything on the lcd screen.

@InfiniteTranscendence Жыл бұрын

@@otomicans6580 Columns shifters are more out of the way though. That's what I love about it. It frees up a lot of space and gives me more room for storage or leg space. My dad loves the center shifter though. I like practical stuff and he likes the stylish stuff. I am sad that it's hard to find bench seats on trucks that are higher trim. Ah well.

@chrisbarron379 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats should make a come back, they really are practical for lifestyle living.

@ramhithesh4700 3 жыл бұрын

What is lifestyle living?

@gcb345 3 жыл бұрын

@@ramhithesh4700 Homeless people sleeping in their cars.

@rdrdrd7777 3 жыл бұрын

Drive In theaters 🎭 should make a come back, only with robots 🤖 this time

@Wizardnil 3 жыл бұрын

Got one in my 2018 F-150!

@C.G91 3 жыл бұрын

Buy a 2005 chevy impala mine still has a bench seat 💺

@Michael-vv4ny 3 жыл бұрын

I don't know about Americans, but as a European I want a self-driving sofa to come to me and take me wherever I need to.

@whenwhen2284 3 жыл бұрын

I see you’re a cultured man!

@brianblackwood3120 3 жыл бұрын

It’ll never fully happen unless forced and after that war the last thing we will worry about are self driving cars.

@leogendary133 3 жыл бұрын

You mean Homer Simpson's sofa from LA-Z Rider

@cartermoore58 3 жыл бұрын

I’m American and I want this too

@dailydriver2969 3 жыл бұрын

Same with us americans. We dont like to leave out couches. LOL

@jeromerice3448 3 жыл бұрын

The lose of the bench seat is a great killer of romance! I had a 69 merc cyclone.

@tomservo5007 3 жыл бұрын

I have vague memories of the driver and passenger, working together to move bench positions

@crankychris2 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, the passenger had to move when the driver did.

@michaelmccarthy4615 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, it was a tricky proposition to adjust a bench

@crankychris2 3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelmccarthy4615 Not tricky, but it did require coordination to move the seat forward again! I wish bench seats were an option.

@michaelmccarthy4615 3 жыл бұрын

I remember the bench doesn't adjust easily or it jammed sideways on its tracks...with cables going across under the seat...

@ninjanerdstudent6937 3 жыл бұрын

I like how the video is very general and does not advertise any one brand.

@Jeramithehuman 3 жыл бұрын

I like that you like that

@omarpulido8502 3 жыл бұрын

@@Jeramithehuman I like that you like that the Desi lifestyle likes the video

@Jeramithehuman 3 жыл бұрын

@@omarpulido8502 I like that you liked that I liked what he liked

@SayAhh 3 жыл бұрын

It advertises an entire industry.

@hayley702 3 жыл бұрын

Jeramithehuman i like that you liked what omar liked that he liked that you liked what desi liked

@sutats 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats allowed the driver to enter the car from the passenger side.

@simpleinverso8628 3 жыл бұрын

GTA style

@theunitedempire6532 3 жыл бұрын

You still can, just gotta step over the central

@42luke93 3 жыл бұрын

@@theunitedempire6532 Such bs that we have to deal with that now instead of offering split bench seating. As well as a lack of leg room.

@robertknight4672 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that would definitely be an advantage. I have a Honda Element which has bucket seats but because of the way they designed to their center console( basically a cup holder tray built into the floor) and shifter wish is on the dash I can still get in from either side. Not as smooth as a bench seat but doable. Sometimes I just do it to avoid stepping in a puddle.

@BedsitBob 3 жыл бұрын

And enter his passenger from the drivers side. 😁

@AllecJoshuaIbay 3 жыл бұрын

My 2003 CR-V is still equipped with a bench seat.

@champagnelake 3 жыл бұрын

Cool

@edgarvilchis7517 3 жыл бұрын

Wth. I have a 2003 crv and it is not bench.

@jessedavis2563 3 жыл бұрын

@@edgarvilchis7517 same here man, and mines a hybrid

@stevec5465 3 жыл бұрын

In the rear, yes. He's talking about the front seats. It's been so long since that those have been gone, that you don't even know what he's talking about 🤣 But I HATED driving with the car full with 6 people. Left hand on steering wheel and right hand on GF was fine. But If she wasn't there and I had to drive family. 🤮

@foxrumor 3 жыл бұрын

I have a 2003 chevy impala and it has a center console that flips up and turns into a bench seat. Pretty tough trying to fit 3 people up there though. Only small people allowed.

@richarddixon7855 3 жыл бұрын

As a very tall driver, my right leg is uncomfortably held in place by the console unit. Bench seats allowed for long legs/knees to move toward the middle. Car manufacturers do not take customer differences or desires into designs.

@dimthecat9418 3 жыл бұрын

I miss bench seats. It felt like you were speeding down the highway on a couch (If anyone cares I make videos of my cat Dim and he’s pretty cute)

@jarro2778 3 жыл бұрын

Lol

@habib6499 3 жыл бұрын

@@jarro2778 Lol

@ovallera 3 жыл бұрын

Lmfao

@user-jt1jv8vl9r 3 жыл бұрын

And about as safe no doubt!

@jarro2778 3 жыл бұрын

@@habib6499 lol

@morgandarby2364 3 жыл бұрын

I mean with the average american's size today, they would make sense.

@straightbusta2609 3 жыл бұрын

Lol, to fit 2 people

@FighterMan9836 3 жыл бұрын

lol yea. the average american weight is a little under the rocks weight

@IonorReasSpamGenerator 3 жыл бұрын

Yes yes, stack people together as close as possible so during a crash their heads bang against each other, bench seats were a nice idea when nobody given a damn about airbags, crumple zones, and even seatbelts were optional but nowadays people are smart and care about their lives so much that they overeating so they can have airbags on them all the time...

@MrMtanz 3 жыл бұрын

Thats...a really good point actually.

@IonorReasSpamGenerator 3 жыл бұрын

@M thoyib 21 Premium cars were fully capable achieve over 100mph even before WW2 and maximum speed limits as we see today were introduced in most countries only as a consequence of the high accident ratio during the Cold War period when higher performance cars proliferated. Even more importantly early economy cars like VW Beatle had poor suspension so were dangerous to drive at much slower speeds than today's cars...

@raneman7415 2 жыл бұрын

I currently own a 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 and a 1988 Chevy Caprice. Both have bench seats up front. Both are comfy as hell. Both are amazing and I absolutely love bench seats.

@anunnakimenagerie 3 жыл бұрын

My old Ford Taurus from the early 90s had the best of both worlds. The two comfortable front seats with high backs were connected like a bucket seat, with an arm rest in the middle that could go up and down. The gear shifter was up behind the steering wheel and I think the emergency brake was on the door side, so both were out of the way. Lots of good times in that car.

@lostintime8651 3 жыл бұрын

I still enjoy a bench seat daily. It's called a couch.

@summerslider2487 3 жыл бұрын

@Robert Slackware how is the milk crate going?

@johnbockelie3899 3 жыл бұрын

Created by suspicious fathers who didn't like daughters boy friends who own bench seat cars. The bucket seat.

@lostintime8651 3 жыл бұрын

@@summerslider2487 waffle butt lol

@eutimiochavez415 3 жыл бұрын

Yessss sir

@oakmonster2164 3 жыл бұрын

Just from the title already knew who would be narrating. A+

@hyperlexis 3 жыл бұрын

After my dad's shoulder surgery I bought him a used, 2008 mint Buick with a (split) bench seat and column shifter. I love this car. So much added room compared to the bucket seats. Wish they brought these back!

@updownstate 3 жыл бұрын

The bench seat made it a lot easier to get some rest on the road. What we really need back are wing windows and manual chokes.

@tristananderson8451 3 жыл бұрын

Agreed on the wing windows! But a modern car has no need for manual choke, with fuel injection the computer automatically controls the air/fuel ratio.

@updownstate 3 жыл бұрын

@@tristananderson8451 I like manual choke, and you can hang the litter bag from the knob.

@tristananderson8451 3 жыл бұрын

@@updownstatethat’s true. I have a ‘73 F100 3-on-the-tree, and you can adjust the choke with a knob. It’s awesome

@calcrappie8507 3 жыл бұрын

I bought a double cab Tacoma just for the bench back seat. Nice to able to get sleep on long road trips. Struggling to get sleep in drop back bucket seats not too practical.

@updownstate 3 жыл бұрын

@@calcrappie8507 How tall are you? Can you get a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in the bed? Tx.

@samharris4680 3 жыл бұрын

I have an extremely rare 2000 Toyota Avalon w/ a heated leather bench seat & column shifter. They were less than 2% of sales. Likely one of the last cars with one

@juanalexisriverabecerra3527 3 жыл бұрын

Could you make a video on it? I’m sure plenty people would be interested.

@erikgonzalez2278 3 жыл бұрын

As a millennial that’s the last car I remember that had a bench seat.

@erikgonzalez2278 3 жыл бұрын

Keep that gem until the wheels fall off.

@jacobrael9872 3 жыл бұрын

Last car to ever have a bench seat was the 2013 Chevy impala

@CarringtonHollister 3 жыл бұрын

My father had a 02 Avalon with a bench seat man I miss that car

@marcelstanford430 3 жыл бұрын

It's a good things cars are more like our houses now...many of them cost more than my house did 30 years ago.

@crankychris2 3 жыл бұрын

Deficit spending has devalued the dollar by 90% over the last 50 years.

@guilhermegoldman 3 жыл бұрын

Tell me about it! After 5 years of harcore savings I still had to get a loan on part of my 1980 1.4 chevy!

@shelbynamels973 3 жыл бұрын

Cars today have ten times the technology your house has. I'll take a bet your house only has single-zone HVAC and no programmable thermostat. And if your house ever crashes into another house, you fly right out the windows.

@aphr0d 3 жыл бұрын

@@shelbynamels973 what on Earth this comment lmaoooo

@shelbynamels973 3 жыл бұрын

@@aphr0d Well, houses don't have any safety features, like cars do, do they? So if say a tornado ever picks up your house and slams it into another house, you are just SOL. No seat belts, no crumple zones, no airbags to save you, not even active collision avoidance, just maybe a cast iron bathtub to ride out the storm in.

@kinnyboy 3 жыл бұрын

My 08 Impala still has a bench seat, when I first got it at 19 all my friends were so pressed to sit 3 people in the front 😂

@Max-kh1cf 3 жыл бұрын

I would like the bench seat to come back... or anything else to come back... or anything different at all. I really hate the design of a lot of modern cars, doesn't even matter which brand you buy anymore, it looks the same anyway.

@radioguy1667 3 жыл бұрын

I'm not a car guy but as a person of this generation, I'd say I could spot the difference. But hey y'know with the times changing as we head into the 2020s, I can totally see front bench seats coming back, especially since self-driving cars are becoming more popular.

@Max-kh1cf 3 жыл бұрын

@@radioguy1667 I am from this generation as well. I can see your point. Did you see the concepts for the electric VW's? One of them is basically an electric T1 and I really hope they make the interior the same, with a lot of space and a bench.

@otomicans6580 3 жыл бұрын

I think the giant grilles of modern cars are hideous. I have no clue why anyone likes Toyota and Lexus' tapering hourglass, fake plastic grill. The newer Korean designs are pretty nice though.

@TheFalconerNZ 3 жыл бұрын

Agree, when l was a kid you could tell a car a mile away, now they all look the same and it is not until you see the logo that you know what it is.

@OOICU812 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheFalconerNZ true. The other day while driving I noticed a really nice looking car behind me through my mirror. I thought to myself "wow, that must be an expensive foreign car." It turned out to be a Kia.

@yakyakjack 3 жыл бұрын

America is on fire and I’m watching an 11 minute video on car seats

@googleaccount6931 3 жыл бұрын

SAME

@salamista 3 жыл бұрын

I was just thinking that.

@evilbred974 3 жыл бұрын

Simpler times.

@ninjanerdstudent6937 3 жыл бұрын

It’s soothing to get your mind off of it.

@khj5582 3 жыл бұрын

Better than the utter stupidity and waste of time that is American politics.

@jamesalias595 3 жыл бұрын

I think split bench seats in pickups are the best of both worlds, you get the room to add an extra person if needed and when the seat is not in use it can be used for storage

@thetrainmon 3 жыл бұрын

"Shift levers becoming buttons" City buses: "Am I a joke to you?"

@lostindixie 3 жыл бұрын

The original American front wheel drive cars, the Oldsmobile Toronado and the Cadillac Eldorado, which were still huge, had a flat front floor. The bench seats in those were the epitome of living room luxury.

@jeffshadow2407 3 жыл бұрын

I have four Toronados! 1969, 1972, 1974 and 1985.

@user-cw2py6wh8l 3 жыл бұрын

That guy shacking his head when he talks is giving me a headache.

@kaohsiung99 3 жыл бұрын

He was a bit too close to the webcam, for sure.

@kaohsiung99 3 жыл бұрын

@bad dog He is meme-worthy.

@chasstiles7611 3 жыл бұрын

Thats what cocaine abuse does to a person

@AhmedAli-eg4ml 3 жыл бұрын

Lol you should talk to indians !

@hijodelaisla275 3 жыл бұрын

His mouth was having spasms, too. I felt the urge to take him to a doctor. *shaking. "Shacking" is living with someone without getting married, followed by "up."

@longochu8588 3 жыл бұрын

This topic could've be even more interesting if they can also address "middle" bench seats in more-and-more popular 3-row family vehicles.

@dleland71 3 жыл бұрын

Ah, the drive-in... (as the memories flood back...) sittin' on the bench seat with your best girl snuggling beside you.

@webbtrekker534 3 жыл бұрын

I spent the '60's and '70's at the drive-in... with bench seats!

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

I took out my bench seats, and made floor seats.

@doeeyes2 3 жыл бұрын

I still go to the drive in all the time. Like twice a month. But unfortunately no bench seat.

@BubbafromSapperton 3 жыл бұрын

The bench seat on my 77 Ford LTD was better than my couch at home 🤗

@lindatisue733 3 жыл бұрын

Had a lot of fun in a 78 LTD.

@BubbafromSapperton 3 жыл бұрын

You're my kinda girl 🤗

@revaddict 3 жыл бұрын

22 hours, 318 views and 0 comments.. I guess that's what an election does..

@Ricardo-gf7ts 3 жыл бұрын

Trump 2020

@angelgjr1999 3 жыл бұрын

@@Ricardo-gf7ts No.

@radudeATL 3 жыл бұрын

We’re getting around to it... ;-)

@jeremymar5800 3 жыл бұрын

i know right it was painful lease now it done and end up better for the rest of us

@notsquidwardo9720 3 жыл бұрын

@@Ricardo-gf7ts hhahahahahah he lost

@rodneythundercock 3 жыл бұрын

I love bench seats. They’re so comfy, and roomy. As well, you can still have a floor shifter. Just make sure you put someone in middle that doesn’t mind you reaching between their legs 😂

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah you might grab the wrong "floor shifter"

@rodneythundercock 3 жыл бұрын

@@LSniumUwU well, no. But some people (adults specifically,) still don’t want you reaching between their legs. I remember when I first got my truck (not a bench seat, but same principle) and I was taking my cousin and his buddy to pick up a motorcycle my cousin had bought. My cousin is a large individual, his friend super skinny, so skinny boii rides in the half seat. Half the way there were jokes about grabbing the wrong stick, or watching my hands when shifting. The

@thelastjuiceblender5915 3 жыл бұрын

When you place a woman spreading her legs around the shifter in the center, the driver had to use the shifter very often.

@Apples2apples871 3 жыл бұрын

I remember in 2003 my dad told me we’d use a dial to shift with cars ...dang...

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

Psshhh, if you believed that you were dumb, especially when automatic transmissions were everywhere even in 2003. Phasing out manuals.

@personmcdudeguy 3 жыл бұрын

@@LSniumUwU How is that dumb? Prii ten years ago used a little electrical knob to shift and Teslas shift with a tap on a touch screen. It seems very prescient actually.

@Vengir 3 жыл бұрын

@@LSniumUwU You still need to select a gear in automatic. And a dial is certainly a common way to do that these days.

@christianbrother4724 3 жыл бұрын

Love this. I own a 58 Ford Fairlane. It is like driving on your living room sofa, so comfortable.

@timcarpenter2441 3 жыл бұрын

In the UK, the trend to floor change gears and away from column change did seem to be the impetus. A centre console tended to follow the move of the gear selector location. Floor change was seen as more precise, more "sporty", as racing and sports cars had them to provide a direct, precise and fast change. Personally, I prefer column change, which can still be very quick, such as in my SAAB 96.

@RyanMoran1992 3 жыл бұрын

The bench seat in my 1970 plymouth fury has many benefits...

@jefferee2002 3 жыл бұрын

You guys do excellent work on your mini documentaries. Thanks!

@bkm83442 3 жыл бұрын

The shrinking size of the American family. Used to be that you needed a bench seat to fit all the kids in the car.

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

The dead bodies you killed too.

@rosiefay7283 3 жыл бұрын

Now you'd need a bench seat to fit the driver and one kid.

@0o0ox 3 жыл бұрын

@@LSniumUwU is that legal?? 😐

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

@BOT i uhh, OH LOOK OVER THERE! *runs*

@yamanosu9463 3 жыл бұрын

@@rosiefay7283 1.) Killing dead bodies is redundant 😂 2.) We're car accidents actually that much more common??

@xfx990 3 жыл бұрын

3:05 RIP Cameraman

@fauxhound5061 3 жыл бұрын

That the grandfather of the one who filmed this video, it's a family tradition.

@nickgee7291 3 жыл бұрын

Gotta admit ! Those interior seats finishes on some of those cars were beautiful!

@mickvonbornemann3824 3 жыл бұрын

I like the best of both worlds, remember the centre fold seat? A little seat that unfolded from the armrest between the 2 front seat. Now with flappy paddle gear shifts we can hopefully bring them back.

@brettj.m.roebuck17 3 жыл бұрын

Got me an '03 Taurus. It has a front bench with the column gear shift. I love it.

@sarabeth8050 3 жыл бұрын

Bucket seats were always a sign of high performance cars when bench seats were common. Buckets allow consoles in the middle with integrated arm rests--far more functional and luxurious. Heck, many SUVs and mini-vans today even have buckets with arm rests in row 2. No surprise bench seats have disappeared.

@StormdragonXL 3 жыл бұрын

Another reason is the rise of seat belts and safety, it is easier to stop something from moving around in a car if they have there own individual seat.

@gregorymalchuk272 3 жыл бұрын

It makes no sense whatsoever when you can integrate a fold down armrest into a bench seat. Why on earth would you lower the occupancy of your vehicle by 1/6???

@whenwhen2284 3 жыл бұрын

The bench seats these bucket seats must have competed against must have been made of rubber. Bench seats are real comfy

@the_expidition427 3 жыл бұрын

@@StormdragonXL Not so as you can still add a seat beat adding cut outs for one

@mra57 3 жыл бұрын

The center armrest was about the height of the armrest of the door.

@huskydogg7536 3 жыл бұрын

The car I learned to drive in - a 60 Chevy Impala - had a bench seat. It definitely had its advantages.

@webbtrekker534 3 жыл бұрын

Loved that Car!

@huskydogg7536 3 жыл бұрын

@@webbtrekker534 Me too! I got my grandmothers when she passed, wish I still had it. My parents had a Biscayne, same year that looked similar but with less bells & whistles.

@peterp.7761 3 жыл бұрын

well done story- makes me want to delve deeper into the autonomous-auto rabbit hole this morning.. thanks a lot CNBC.

@rene.s.s 3 жыл бұрын

My first car was a 1987 Bronco II with a bench and a center shifter. Man, I loved that car so much and would buy it back in a heartbeat.

@yellowwinner1 3 жыл бұрын

One of the reasons I love my 2003 LeSabre and why it'll take a really good deal to get me out of it lmao

@johncate9541 3 жыл бұрын

Also a big reason why I own a 1997 LeSabre.

@yellowwinner1 3 жыл бұрын

@@soldatinconnu1804 Absolutely! I'm a delivery driver so I get my fair share lol

@JohnnyPeacenic 3 жыл бұрын

bench seats are good when they have a fold down arm rest.

@Andrew-zv4fm 3 жыл бұрын

I would not be surprised to see the bench seat come back.

@bazli83 3 жыл бұрын

If you look at Kei vehicles in Japan, many of them have them bench ish seat up front, but its more like two flat seats combined together with a fold down armrest. Since the car is so small, they can increase the comfortness of the seats by making it wider and moving the shifter to the dashboard or steering collum

@G1NZOU 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats for slow cruising weekend driving in your classic are amazing, easy sliding in and out for passengers, roomy and comfy when the car is stationary like at drive ins or out on a picnic. For actual modern high speed driving on highways I like the peace of mind of a bucket seat and a full seatbelt though, especially if you get T-boned.

@G1NZOU 3 жыл бұрын

Bucket seats also make more sense with little British sports cars because high speed turns on small country roads would slide you around on a bench seat, American driving style from that era was more about the open highway and cruising on wide roads than taking tight corners at speed.

@dgw4049 3 жыл бұрын

I miss the bench seats in my Oldsmobile 98, but I think I would miss my cupholders and center storage more.

@MyerShift7 3 жыл бұрын

That would be what multilevel arm rests are for, and cupholders can be mounted under the IP.

@Nicolas-zw2hv 3 жыл бұрын

I know I'm late but on my vacation to Cuba, it was awesome to drive in those old cars. I loved the front bench

@tombstone5860 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats still serve some practical use. For instance you're parked on the street in a major city and there's heavy traffic. Getting out on the driver side of the vehicle would be difficult and dangerous. However with bench seats you can scoot over to the passenger side and get out on the side walk. Lord knows I thought about that back when I lived in San Diego driving a Mustang.

@dennisnichols2411 3 жыл бұрын

Those levers on the Model T steering column are actually for spark advance and throttle- needed for starting. You shifted a T with floor pedals. Fords didn't get a column shift until 1940.

@captainjohnh9405 3 жыл бұрын

More stellar reporting by CNBC.

@crashstudios2946 3 жыл бұрын

10:38 looks like some car from Despicable Me

@HistoryGe3k 3 жыл бұрын

I have driven both bench and bucket seats. The bench seat enabled 6 people to travel in your car and it was easy to slide from the drivers side to passenger side to avoid getting out in heavy traffic. It also allowed the driver and one passenger to both sleep in the car on very long trips - even with shared driving you eventually have to pull over and sleep. The bench seat was also nice to cuddle up with someone (keeping it clean here) at the drive-in. However the bench did not offer the same amount of support that the bucket does. One major advantage of the bench seat is for larger people. A larger person (I am really trying to be polite) will struggle to fit into an average bucket seat and can spread out more comfortably on a bench seat.

@jimw7550 3 жыл бұрын

I bought a ‘91 F150. Big bench seat for car seat in the middle. Drove it for 17 years.

@kalo0806 3 жыл бұрын

Dude, I've been talking about this for the past year! How I wish my truck had a bench seat! I'd 100% buy a car for the bench seat alone. I get it, safety first. Still...

@webbtrekker534 3 жыл бұрын

Get a 2001 Chevy S10 pickup. The arm rest in the center flips up and, Bingo, bench seat!!

@jimmym3352 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah my old Dodge Ram 1995 had a bench seat (mostly), but my current Tacoma doesn't. It's a pain because it is 4 x 4 and I do get in situations like when camping or weird off road spots that I may want to enter or exit from the passenger side.

@webbtrekker534 3 жыл бұрын

@@jimmym3352 Just the other night I was picking up from a restaurant and some jerk in a gigantic truck parks so close I can't get the driver door open on my 2001 Chevy S10. I slip in the passenger side and slide in behind the wheel. It's a modified bench with a flip down arm rest/console. Was a big point in me buying it.

@josmo1363 3 жыл бұрын

2:24 for a second there I thought she was taking a hit Then I realised it was a beverage

@enerrivers4392 3 жыл бұрын

I remembered having a muscle car in '74. It was a 1970 Buick GS Stage 1,4spd with a bench seat. Very comfortable & actually fitted 3 passengers in the front. We all wore lap belts. Miss it.

@eskay1891 3 жыл бұрын

My Buick century has bench seat and column shifter, very comfortable.

@gmeztubenation 3 жыл бұрын

What about the lifting of the drive shaft? That’s a pretty big reason....

@romanbukins6527 3 жыл бұрын

Not when most new cars are front wheel drive thought...

@rashedalblewy3847 3 жыл бұрын

In "a return?", expected more about how safety for front bench seats might be re-imagined.

@koborkutya7338 3 жыл бұрын

I was wondering too. Safety to the middle back seat, in terms of safety belt, looks like solved for 20-30 years now, putting one of the fix points to the roof. Don't know why that would not work for the front. Fitting an airbag in front of the middle seat is also a no-brainer. There must be something more to it, would have been interesting to hear from someone knowledgeable.

@kathyharris1627 3 жыл бұрын

My 1981 caprice classic had front and back bench seats. It was pretty much a bed on wheels. I loved that car.

@Soulintent95 10 ай бұрын

This is actually amazing that this id a news story. Id love for my pickup to have a true bench, but im also so glad i have the split bench with the folding middle seat. That middle seat is literally the perfect arm rest.

@MrWhoevr 3 жыл бұрын

The best part about bench seats is having your girlfriend sit right next to you.

@popinmo 2 жыл бұрын

Yea I gotta get one a girlfriend that is

@MrPizzaman09 3 жыл бұрын

I daily drive my 1999 Oldsmobile 88 with bench seats. I also had a 1988 Jeep Comanche with a floor mounted shifter and bench seat.

@elmarko9051 3 жыл бұрын

I found and fixed up a 1998 Olds (88) Regency. One of the reasons I bought it was the split bench seat. I tried it out with my 5'11" son to see if he could actually fit in the middle..his head was on the ceiling! I'm only 5'8" and neither of us weight more than 170#, I couldn't see a long trip with 3 across unless one was a kid.

@williamwingo4740 3 жыл бұрын

I had a four-door 1973 Plymouth Satellite with a bench seat. Drove it for 19 years and 239,000 miles: three engines, two transmissions, two rear ends, re-upholstered twice, repainted once, and new driver's side door hinges. Electronic ignition, but it still had a carburetor. I finally got rid of it when I moved to Ohio and it wouldn't start reliably in the winters. It still had the original windshield wiper motor. The bench seat was very comfortable and practical. It had seat belts for six, but no shoulder belts in the middle. If the same car were available today with fuel injection, I'd get another tomorrow. Added in edit: it was nice for drive-in movies....

@parsifal40002 3 жыл бұрын

I miss the bench car seats! My mother's car was a 1961 Oldsmobile Dynanmic 88! Bench seats front and back!! I was 9 at the time!!

@chaosawaits 3 жыл бұрын

"I need you here with me and not way over in a bucket seat."

@PaulNatsuoKishimoto 3 жыл бұрын

For anyone else curious: *no*, the video does not use Cake's classic “Stickshifts and Safetybelts” kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbdxgcpptNStdWg.html Huge missed opportunity!

@shannono8397 3 жыл бұрын

Now I want Cake :)

@iam.miikey 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats, dirty ashtrays, no seatbelts, no A/C, manual windows and an 8 track player. Those were the days.

@dylanpower1438 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah the days of uncomfortable and unsafe travel

@doeeyes2 3 жыл бұрын

My dads car had a "car phone"... i thought it was the coolest thing.

@mitchspurlock3626 3 жыл бұрын

Love my oldsmobile 88 and it's comfortable bench seats, amazing car for long road trips.

@marcocunha 3 жыл бұрын

My ‘86 Renault 4 had a center mounted stick shift and bucket seats. It was my favorite car. Not many 25 year olds can say they’ve driven one.

@madamesalamander16 3 жыл бұрын

Back when we were teenagers and drove old land yachts that were basically rolling mattresses. I'm sorry, kids, but I don't think you can get properly busy in the back seat of a Prius!

@keikei3301 3 жыл бұрын

I’m ready for the bench seat comeback !!

@webbtrekker534 3 жыл бұрын

Loved my bench seat in my 1960 Chevy. Car owned the road and was really comfortable. I was the second owner of the car and it only had 55,000 miles when I bought it in 1980. Literally driven to the store and church on Sunday.

@badgerattoadhall 3 жыл бұрын

I had a front bench in my 2005 Chevy impala. I liked it. I never had 3 people in it but it was great to put stuff there.

@prasand 3 жыл бұрын

this made me appreciate the bench seat in the Cybertruck more. 👌🏽

@LSniumUwU 3 жыл бұрын

Cyber junk.

@prasand 3 жыл бұрын

@@LSniumUwU haters gonna hate.

@alexsaffamerica 3 жыл бұрын

Bench seats can occasionally be found in some modern European/Japanese cars, such as the Fiat Multipla, Honda FR-V and the Citroën C4 Cactus.

@robindegroot7944 3 жыл бұрын

I own a really reliable Honda FR-V from 2005 and it's ideal with three kids (2 in back, 1 in front) and all three with Isofix points and actually offers 3 proper seats in the back and also in the front although middle seat in the front is best for a child. The Citroën is available with a bench but it's more like 2 proper seats and a bit extra. I think most cars of this type are sold with two separate seats in the front.