[clank]

Title says it all, I am in the market for a X3m and struggling with seat options. I have sit in both seats but again its so hard to really gage how living with standard vs. sport seats (1,950 cost) would be and which one I would be most happy with. I have read all posts on seats as much as I can but what i am really focused on is not only daily driving but long distance trips. Its obvious from looks alone its not even debatable. So what i guess i am looking for those x3m standard seat owners feedback if you are "completely" satisfied in your decision or wish you would of went with those gorgeous sports.

[ando]

I'd go with the M Sport Seats and Merino leather because they are more comfortable for both short and long distances. I had the sport seats on a 2018 X3 non M with Vernasca leather and I didn't really like the seat back.

[Transfer]

If you fit in the M-sport seats I say they're worth the upgrade. The upgraded leather is sublime, they look amazing, and for me at least they are incredibly comfortable. I've sat in the regular X3 M40i seats and while I find them comfortable, they are more stiff and the leather is very rugged, not luxurious. We have vernasca leather in the M340i and it does the job but is far from special. If you do go that route, definitely do not get oyster. It grabs and holds jeans dye and is particularly difficult to clean due to surface roughness and light stitching.

[SWOT1]

NO brainer for me, as the M sport seats were second only to the engine upgrade (coming from the M40i) as best reason to get the Competition... so gorgeous and far superior support vs. the non-M Sport.

[Tricky401]

i imagine the market come resale time for a car with standard seats could be very small

we don’t have the option in the uk but i would have the sport seats everyday of the week

see if you can get a good test drive in both to compare

[DC X3M40i]

As much as I loved to competition model I could not get comfortable in the sport seats. Maybe it's because I have a broader upper body. They bothered me to the point where I wasn't sure if I'd be able to deal with it for three years. I felt more comfortable in the standard sport seats (m40i & x3m non comp)
The m sport seats look fantastic and I agree the leather is a step up. But you have to sit in them and drive around to see if they are to your liking.

If I could have gotten the comp w/o the upgraded seats that would be ideal. In the end got the non comp. still a great car and I couldn't be happier. 5k miles currently

[strohw]

I'm another individual who likes the regular seats better. I'm not a big guy and I fit in them fine. The bottom portion of the seat is great but it's the top. It makes my back ache a bit. The 10 min test drive didn't show this off and as it's broken in it's gotten better but if I could do it again I would have went with the cheaper seats.

[clank]

thx for the feedback, keep it coming...

[robopp]

I just drove my new X3MC with the sport seats from MA to SC while only stopping for gas. 14 hour drive and not a single issue for me or my co-pilot. I'd go with the sport seats without thinking twice.

[Macanakey]

I think a huge part of it also depends on how tall & wide you are. There's another thread here where some posters have complained about the comp seats being too narrow. I'm a 5'1', 105 lbs woman, so I've got plenty of room in the comp seats.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Standard X3 seats are awful. The new M seats they're using this generation are weak. Hope they're better in the G80.

[Ironwood]

I'm a big guy and don't care for the sport seat bottoms. If feels like I'm sitting on a five gallon bucket. The bolsters dig painfully into my thighs. I've always preferred to brace my left leg against the door and my right leg against the console to keep my butt planted when cornering hard. The folks at BMW seem to want me to sit like a teenaged girl wearing a miniskirt with my knees pressed together.

It is my wife's car however and she loves it. Plus it is the only way you can get ventilated seats apparently. If I were buying another one for myself, I'd skip the sport seats and the executive package. I'd get the non competition and right after the run in service would spring for a BM3 tune.

[Young04]

Originally Posted by Macanakey

I think a huge part of it also depends on how tall & wide you are. There's another thread here where some posters have complained about the comp seats being too narrow. I'm a 5'1', 105 lbs woman, so I've got plenty of room in the comp seats.

This seems true but you don't have to be tiny to find these seats comfortable. I'm 6'3", 180 and I have no issues.

[clank]

To put this more in context I am a old semi-athletic 5-11/185lb'er. I curently drive a f80 non-comp and those seats are well, fair.. what I mean they are nice and hug me well but wouldn't be my choice for a 8hr. drive. I would say the back seat is a bit narrow and semi-hard and the bottoms is aggresive lumbar and I seat typically with the "man-spread" but get around seat bolsters with legs upright and leaning on the door/center console if that makes since. I guess my idea with a X3m is I really want a car that is or more comfortable for long trips than my current 16 M3. I wish I had dealerships with both setups closeby.

[heavyD^2]

Seats are always a love/hate thing for me. I hated the look of my OG M2 seats but they fit me like a glove. I love the look of my X3MC seats in Adelaide Gray but they aren't the most comfortable seats I've had. Not the worst or anything but there's something about the seat bottom that just doesn't work for my body.

[TX3M]

I have an X3 M40i with the standard seats. My complaints about these seats are (1) The bottom of the seat (what you sit on) is way too hard, there's very little padding. I don't find them comfortable. (2) They could use more side bolstering, there's not enough lateral support when I'm cornering hard.

I've driven the X3MC and found the sport seats to be better. They have more cushioning on the seat bottom and better side bolstering. They are definitely more comfortable for my butt (although I only sat in them for 20 minutes).

Go with the sport seats!

[Influence]

I took a few weeks to make this decision myself since I had decided on getting a non-comp. It isn't necessarily your height or even your weight that makes the difference with these seats. If you've got big thighs, the M Sport seats are going to be tight on your legs. Combined with the relatively sharp ridge in the upper edge of the seat bottoms, and it could be uncomfortable. I'm 6'2" and about 225 pounds, but was a soccer/tennis player through college (when I was only 170 lbs, ah the good old days) so I have pretty large thighs. I did get the M Sports seats on my base X3M but occasionally I do feel the lower bolsters digging into my thighs a bit. It is getting better with time, but they will always be just a bit tight for me. Oddly, when I was 170 pounds I probably would have hated these seats as my thighs were even bigger back then, so the bolsters would have cut into me even more. Overall, I still think I made the right choice as the ventilation works pretty well on the M Sport seats and the seat back is far superior to the base seat. Plus, you get power headrests with the M Sports. The base seat is a manual headrest.

Do like I did, find a dealership with both seats on the lot and just sit in them for at least 20 minutes each, or take long test drives. You really need a good amount of time to judge seat comfort. The base seat really isn't that bad, but if you are a very spirited driver, the less aggressive bolstering makes it a bit harder to stay in the seat properly.

[FrankieNuo]

Originally Posted by clank

Title says it all, I am in the market for a X3m and struggling with seat options. I have sit in both seats but again its so hard to really gage how living with standard vs. sport seats (1,950 cost) would be and which one I would be most happy with. I have read all posts on seats as much as I can but what i am really focused on is not only daily driving but long distance trips. Its obvious from looks alone its not even debatable. So what i guess i am looking for those x3m standard seat owners feedback if you are "completely" satisfied in your decision or wish you would of went with those gorgeous sports.

I'm 6'3 230 and I find the sport seats to be comfortable. I've driven a non comp with the regular seats and didn't find them to be as supportive.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by Ironwood

I'm a big guy and don't care for the sport seat bottoms. If feels like I'm sitting on a five gallon bucket. The bolsters dig painfully into my thighs. I've always preferred to brace my left leg against the door and my right leg against the console to keep my butt planted when cornering hard. The folks at BMW seem to want me to sit like a teenaged girl wearing a miniskirt with my knees pressed together.

It is my wife's car however and she loves it. Plus it is the only way you can get ventilated seats apparently. If I were buying another one for myself, I'd skip the sport seats and the executive package. I'd get the non competition and right after the run in service would spring for a BM3 tune.

That was a funny post!

I feel the same about the sport seats and sit the same way. They are perfect with the exception of the lower bolsters. I wish they were adjustable like the side bolsters to make them wider.

I've adjusted my seating position - my left foot is now flat on the floor which raises my thigh so the bolster does not dig into them.

So far that's working but I have not taken any long trips.

[EvilEmpirE]

Longest drive was home from Dealer....2.5 Hours. No issue whatsoever and I can say they are the most comfortable seats I’ve had on any vehicle, and I’ve had a few. My wife and I are not big people tho.....but imho, they are perfect and worth it easily.

[clank]

Originally Posted by EvilEmpirE

Longest drive was home from Dealer....2.5 Hours. No issue whatsoever and I can say they are the most comfortable seats I’ve had on any vehicle, and I’ve had a few. My wife and I are not big people tho.....but imho, they are perfect and worth it easily.

the blk/beige combo is the sport seat I was looking at going with if we go that route on a comp. car. The other choice would have to be the blk standard on a x3m. The car will be shared with wifey so I am looking to try to find location with both seats at a dealership to head to this weekend and finally decide with her. I am still also fighting this idea to move off our 16 m3 for a x3m. decisions/decisions... thx for feedback everyone.

[Wills2]

No M seats = no M.