comfort seats

I would like to know anyone's experience with 20 way comfort seats. I ordered them in a 2005 545i which I won't be getting until mid-August and would like to know if there is extra seat travel with them. Also, how is the lumbar support?
I drove the 2006 GS430 and the only thing I liked was the lumbar support-really grabs your lower back.
Thanks.
hpowders

Personally, I wouldn't order a 5 series without the comfort seats, they are a must have option IMO. By far and away the most comfortable seats out there, great for lots of driving!

Those Comfort Seats are great. You will love them.
I prefer your selection to the Lexus.


Joe

I've only had Comfort seats in my BMWs (see below) and I like them a lot. The new Comfort seats in the E60 have adjustable side-bolsters which are way cool! As always, the lumbar is a life-saver for long road trips. Adjust it a bit and the back pain melts away in a few minutes.

I was recently plagued with an achy right leg for some reason on a recent trip from San Jose to Sacramento. I extended the thigh support and raised the front of the seat a bit and it was much better. I don't think one can have enough adjustment in their seats.

Thanks for your response. I feel I made the right choice.
hpowders

Originally Posted by Me530

Personally, I wouldn't order a 5 series without the comfort seats, they are a must have option IMO. By far and away the most comfortable seats out there, great for lots of driving!

Thanks for your response. I feel I made the right choice.
hpowders

If you do a search on "Comfort Seats" in this forum, you'll probably come up with 99% positive comments. Based on these comments and a brief 15 minutes test drive, I was sold. I gave up HUD option and got the comfort seats instead. After living with it for 6 months, here is what I think:

POSITIVE:
The cushion padding is very supple, but supportive. You can drive for hours without fatigue. The best part of comfort seat though, is the upper back articulation. It allows the seat to contour the shape of your back precisely. I don't think there are any other seats that can do this.

Now, the head rest. The suppleness and its ability to fold forward is just amazing. You can really use it as "head rest" rather than just as "head restrain." This feature is particularly useful for your passenger on long trip. No longer their heads have to rest on the B pillar for support.

NEGATIVE:
First, I think $1200 (plus tax) has become a worse value since lumbar support became standard for MY2005. It was, I think a $500 option, so you'd think BMW would drop the comfort seat upgrade by $500. Well they didn't.

Second, those wonderful head rests make a rattle noise when it's raised, even for just a little bit. It will go away if you keep it down firmely pressed to the back of the seat. I think the rails is hitting some plastic retainer inside. I've made complain but the dealer said that it was normal. Luckly, I am not a tall guy, so the head rest stays down all the time.

Third, the lumbar support pertrudes forward too much, even at its lowest and flattest setting. This will cause you to be pushed a bit forward and make the seat cushion seem a little short.

Well, thankfully, the forward leg support can be extended to compensate for this, but ironically, this will lead to the worse offense of comfort seats. As you can see the picture below, the extension will leave a very ugly black gap unlike the covered sport seats. The gap makes you feel very uncomfortable because your butt will feel the edge of the gap. It feels like sitting on the edge of a seat with just half of your butt on the chair. The gap will also catch your pants and itself on the edge part so you'll have to adjust your pants everytime you get into the car. If the gap was covered, this problem should go away.

The picture below shows an extension of about 4" and it looks very fragile. I have it extended about 1" and it supports my leg well.

Do those of you who have comfort seats feel the same way as I do?

I wish I had a pair (or just the driver seat) of comfort seats! The seating in my 01 540 is just horrible. My arse will ache just after a bit of driving, forget about the 100+ mile trips . I gotta try the comfort seat out sometime.

Originally Posted by speedracerf4i

If you do a search on "Comfort Seats" in this forum, you'll probably come up with 99% positive comments. Based on these comments and a brief 15 minutes test drive, I was sold. I gave up HUD option and got the comfort seats instead. After living with it for 6 months, here is what I think:

POSITIVE:
The cushion padding is very supple, but supportive. You can drive for hours without fatigue. The best part of comfort seat though, is the upper back articulation. It allows the seat to contour the shape of your back precisely. I don't think there are any other seats that can do this.

Now, the head rest. The suppleness and its ability to fold forward is just amazing. You can really use it as "head rest" rather than just as "head restrain." This feature is particularly useful for your passenger on long trip. No longer their heads have to rest on the B pillar for support.

NEGATIVE:
First, I think $1200 (plus tax) has become a worse value since lumbar support became standard for MY2005. It was, I think a $500 option, so you'd think BMW would drop the comfort seat upgrade by $500. Well they didn't.

Second, those wonderful head rests make a rattle noise when it's raised, even for just a little bit. It will go away if you keep it down firmely pressed to the back of the seat. I think the rails is hitting some plastic retainer inside. I've made complain but the dealer said that it was normal. Luckly, I am not a tall guy, so the head rest stays down all the time.

Third, the lumbar support pertrudes forward too much, even at its lowest and flattest setting. This will cause you to be pushed a bit forward and make the seat cushion seem a little short.

Well, thankfully, the forward leg support can be extended to compensate for this, but ironically, this will lead to the worse offense of comfort seats. As you can see the picture below, the extension will leave a very ugly black gap unlike the covered sport seats. The gap makes you feel very uncomfortable because your butt will feel the edge of the gap. It feels like sitting on the edge of a seat with just half of your butt on the chair. The gap will also catch your pants and itself on the edge part so you'll have to adjust your pants everytime you get into the car. If the gap was covered, this problem should go away.

The picture below shows an extension of about 4" and it looks very fragile. I have it extended about 1" and it supports my leg well.

Do those of you who have comfort seats feel the same way as I do?

The price, well, what can you do? Do you realize the price of the NAV is the same now as it was back in 2001 when I first got it on my 530i? That was kind of surprising...dunno what exactly what it means, though....

I haven't noticed any rattling and I do have the headrest up an inch or two. I LOVE how the upper back portion of the seat can move...it really fits my back nicely.

Lumbar works for me...however, I'm sure this all very subjective...we are all shaped differently!

Now the gap, while a bit unsightly (maybe no biggie in a black interior though!), does have a bit of a discontinuity once extended. It fixed an achy right leg for me once so it didn't really bother me. I don't think I ever felt like I was on the edge of something but feeling both edges on my thigh (hamstring) wasn't too bad. Since I was trying to unache my leg, I don't think it bothered me.

I posted this thread because the salesman didn't have any cars on the lot that had them.
But after being uncomfortable for years, it just sounded like something I should get. Yeah. "Comfort seats." How bad does that sound?
Before this thread, I couldn't wait to get my 545i but now after reading everybody's posts, I think I just may explode!

I sat in the comfort seats for 12 hours on Tuesday driving through the German/Austrian/Italian Alps, and I can confirm that the comfort seats in the E60 are simply amazing, even better than the comfort seats in the E39. They are worth every penny!

Originally Posted by Me530

I sat in the comfort seats for 12 hours on Tuesday driving through the German/Austrian/Italian Alps, and I can confirm that the comfort seats in the E60 are simply amazing, even better than the comfort seats in the E39. They are worth every penny!

Sounds great! Can't wait to get my comfort seat fitted 545i!

Originally Posted by hpowders

Sounds great! Can't wait to get my comfort seat fitted 545i!

Got an 05 X5 4.4 with all equip and sport seats (they are better the in X than the X comfort seats.

Well my X was at service for two days and they gave me an 535 d as a loaner.
Damn what a car my X is just four month old and i really think to sell it and get a 535 d or a 545 550 the car is soooo nice im so jealous at you 5 -04 -05 owners.....

Well the car i drive had comfort seats and its the best seat you can get!

Hmm all from me right now im sure i will get back to this forum, cause my next bimmer will for sure be 535d or the new 550.

Ps. Try the 535 diesel it have so great power and you cant hear its a diesel.

X

Originally Posted by hpowders

I would like to know anyone's experience with 20 way comfort seats. I ordered them in a 2005 545i which I won't be getting until mid-August and would like to know if there is extra seat travel with them. Also, how is the lumbar support?
I drove the 2006 GS430 and the only thing I liked was the lumbar support-really grabs your lower back.
Thanks.
hpowders

That would be a no-brainer dude! The comfort seats are simply the best of any seat my buns (and back) have ever been intimately acquainted with.... and worth every penny. As Agent99 said, the adjustable side bolsters are incredible....... as far as extra seat travel.......... if you're really curious go to your dealer with a tape measure and compare them.

Originally Posted by Spartacus_33

That would be a no-brainer dude! The comfort seats are simply the best of any seat my buns (and back) have ever been intimately acquainted with.... and worth every penny. As Agent99 said, the adjustable side bolsters are incredible....... as far as extra seat travel.......... if you're really curious go to your dealer with a tape measure and compare them.

Good. I am looking forward to the seats mein freund!

My wife doesn't like the X5 sports seats. Upon climbing up into position for her first test drive and not use to sitting in the sports seats, she "split her difference" on the side swab cushion. I tried very hard not to laugh, but the tone was set for the rest of the test drive!

Should we look for comfort seats next time?

Originally Posted by jonbirduk

My wife doesn't like the X5 sports seats. Upon climbing up into position for her first test drive and not use to sitting in the sports seats, she "split her difference" on the side swab cushion. I tried very hard not to laugh, but the tone was set for the rest of the test drive!

Should we look for comfort seats next time?

Yes, if they are as good as the 5 serie.
But the comfort seats for the x got no extra lenght to pull out under you legs like the sport seats in the X.

Originally Posted by jonbirduk

My wife doesn't like the X5 sports seats. Upon climbing up into position for her first test drive and not use to sitting in the sports seats, she "split her difference" on the side swab cushion. I tried very hard not to laugh, but the tone was set for the rest of the test drive!

Should we look for comfort seats next time?

I think the 5 series is the only one with comfort seats. The 7er seats are almost the same though, but you don't have to special order them.