Top 10 Cheapest New Vehicles with Massaging Seats
It’s been 24 years since massaging seats first came to the automobile with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Cadillac Deville. Over time, the feature trickled down to more attainable cars and SUVs, but if you wanted to relieve your muscles while driving, you would have to spend big bucks. They’re still not cheap, but you might be surprised how many vehicles have this feature that was once reserved for the wealthiest drivers.
Infiniti QX60 Sensory, $68,995
The Infiniti QX60 is the first entry on our list, making it the 10th most affordable new vehicle with massaging seats. While most of the cars on this list offer massaging seats only on the most expensive trims, Infiniti has it on its Sensory trim, as well as the top-spec Autograph. The Sensory trim comes with some of the best options, like a head-up display, open-pore ash wood trim, and massaging front seats. In fact, the Sensory has us wondering why you’d make the move to the Autograph at all.
Ford Explorer ST-Line or Platinum, $68,890
This family-friendly SUV is no longer the rugged 4x4 machine it was when it launched. It’s hard to show that any more strongly than with these two massaging seat models. The Ford Explorer ST-Line is a 400-hp turbocharged crossover aimed at drivers who want performance from their family hauler. The Ford Explorer Platinum is meant to deliver maximum levels of passenger comfort. Both get massaging seats, part of the $1,750 Premium Technology Package that includes an upgraded audio system and a 10.1-inch centre touchscreen.
Volvo S60 Ultimate, $64,350
Volvo’s S60 is one of the more affordable ways to get massaging seats, but you’ll need to spring for Ultimate, the model’s top trim. Spending the cash for that package comes with Harman Kardon audio, head-up display, seat ventilation, and an Orrefors crystal gear selector, but it doesn’t come with massage seats directly – you’ll need to add the $1,300 front seat massage package to get that spa treatment in your Volvo. Tick the box, and you get 10 massage points, five programs, and three intensities, all for around $2,000 under the AutoTrader Price Index average cost of a new vehicle right now.
Hyundai Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy, $58,299
That’s right, massaging seats are now offered on a Hyundai. Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, since the brand has spent the past decade proving it can build cars with luxury-grade features and content for affordable prices. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim includes Nappa leather, a head-up display, remote Smart Parking, and the feature you’re here for, Hyundai’s Ergo Motion massage seat for the driver.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GT Premium, $58,198
The Outlander PHEV is one of the best vehicles Mitsubishi has made in years, and it’s one of just a few models with three rows and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Outlander GT Premium’s interior comes with diamond quilted stitching, heated and ventilated seats, and for the driver and front passenger, a massage mode is also available. Feel extra comfortable as you enjoy the Outlander PHEV’s 61 km of all-electric range, and the window sticker lowered even more, thanks to federal and provincial EV incentives.
Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury + Platinum, $58,049
As one of the first to introduce a massaging seat, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Cadillac occupies a couple of spots on this list. The CT5 sedan requires you to get the Premium Luxury trim and then add the Platinum Package to get massaging seats. The package is pricey, but it comes with power-adjustable side and bottom seat bolsters, a rear-view camera mirror, twin sunroofs, navigation, a head-up display, and a long list of features you want to have anyway. For a little bit more, you can add AWD, a V6 engine, or both.
Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S, $55,495
The people’s electric car delivers massaging seats to the masses. The ID.4 Pro S comes with a 282-hp electric motor and an 82-kWh battery pack that delivers an estimated 468 km of electric range. The heat pump is an optional extra, and so is AWD, but lumbar massage front seats are standard equipment. Depending on where in the country you live, it might just be perfect. We’re looking at you, Vancouver. Like the Outlander PHEV, this price is before any government incentives.
Cadillac XT4 Premium Luxury, $49,884
Like its sedan counterpart further down this list, the smallest Cadillac crossover also gets massaging seats. Also like the sedan, you don’t have to spend big bucks to get them. A Premium Luxury trim of the XT4 lets you add driver and front passenger lumbar massage along with automatic cooling seat ventilation for an extra $985. That’s a small price for comfort.
2023 Buick Envision Avenir, $48,153
Buick has just revealed a not-yet-on-sale refresh for the Envision, but you don’t have to wait to get a massaging front seat. Pick the Buick’s top trim, called Avenir, and you get special dark galvano chrome trim, larger wheels, and a more luxurious cabin. For an extra $400, you can add the Premium Seat Package that adds multiple massage modes for the driver. Sorry, passenger, this one’s only for the person behind the wheel.
Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury, $44,499
It’s fitting that the brand that introduced massaging seats now offers it for less money than anyone else. Cadillac’s compact CT4 sedan gives both driver and passenger front seat massage on Premium Luxury and higher grades. That includes the rear-drive or AWD models of the car, letting you pick from black, beige, or cinnamon for your heated and ventilated massaging seats.
