[titomi]

This must be like 6th thread about seats being uncomfortable. Back in 2018 I test drove an X3 and I felt the same as many are saying - the sides of the seat part were really hard and I my thighs hurt a bit. I found the same problem in CX-5, XC60 a bit less. So I thought its my body shape, not the seats, that is causing this. When our G01 arrived, I immediately noticed the seats felt different, and better. No problems whatsoever, even on long rides (8-9hours with some brakes). The manufacturer is the same, they look the same, yet the feel is different. :

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by titomi

This must be like 6th thread about seats being uncomfortable. Back in 2018 I test drove an X3 and I felt the same as many are saying - the sides of the seat part were really hard and I my thighs hurt a bit. I found the same problem in CX-5, XC60 a bit less. So I thought its my body shape, not the seats, that is causing this. When our G01 arrived, I immediately noticed the seats felt different, and better. No problems whatsoever, even on long rides (8-9hours with some brakes). The manufacturer is the same, they look the same, yet the feel is different. :

Yeah but car manufactures use thousands upon thousands of suppliers. Ideally, the look and feel of things would the the same, but that's far from reality. Seats, in particular, are shopped out, and suppliers can change year over year.

[ProfessorPatPending]

It's the seat, NOT the driver.

My 2021 X3 M40i has ventilated seats and they're the worst. So bad that I'm going to take a loss to trade it in with <4000 miles.

There's no sweet spot to be found, nor is it breaking in to conform to my 6'2" frame. In the dozen other new vehicles I've purchased, I've never had an issue.

Main Gripes:
- The mid-seat pokes me mid-back, well above the lumbar section. It's uncomfortable even when parked.
- Lumbar implementation is somehow wrong, so I keep it fully retracted.
I love lumbar, so am amazed that I could not find a usable setting.
- I could live with the anemic cooling if cooling was the only issue.

More reasons not to get these seats::
- Even during casual turns, my torso rolls around the little seat. I often brace my shoulder against the pillar, knees against the door and console.
- The kicker was while driving 75mph during a 10 mile stretch of straight highway. There was a moderate(really!) wind, and as I made minor steering corrections to stay in lane, I found myself rolling around the seat. WTF! That's when I knew this car had to go.

I'm upset that BMW chose to sell these horribly inferior seats.

[M40i4me]

Originally Posted by titomi

This must be like 6th thread about seats being uncomfortable. Back in 2018 I test drove an X3 and I felt the same as many are saying - the sides of the seat part were really hard and I my thighs hurt a bit. I found the same problem in CX-5, XC60 a bit less. So I thought its my body shape, not the seats, that is causing this. When our G01 arrived, I immediately noticed the seats felt different, and better. No problems whatsoever, even on long rides (8-9hours with some brakes). The manufacturer is the same, they look the same, yet the feel is different. :

We had a 2014 loaded CX-5 and the seats were bricks and actually wobbled! Car was an absolute POS with many issues. It was the worst purchase I ever made and dumped it getting my wife an X5 last year. She’s been in heaven ever since as she has terrible back issues. I had back pain when I drove the CX-5 as well.

I have 750 miles so far on my m40i and its supper comfortable. I keep the lumbar at a minimum and side bolsters tight enough to keep me locked in through the corners!

[ProfessorPatPending]

Today I tried a bunch of seats, X1, X3, X5, 530, etc. Didn't care for most.

Had I originally ordered them, X3's standard seats would have sufficed. But in today's test drive, I felt standard's bolsters were a bit narrow and wasn't sure if I wanted to do an expensive lateral trade simply to undo my horrible ventilated seats.

Ultimately I traded up to X3M with M Sport seat. It's bolsters are just slightly wider and overall a nicer seat. Big ouch on the financial hit, but it's a significant upgrade beyond just the seat.

Interestingly, X1's basic seat felt quite comfy and seemed to have enough side bolster. I can only describe it as a 'softer' version of the X3 sport seat.

[briguy80]

Originally Posted by ProfessorPatPending

Today I tried a bunch of seats, X1, X3, X5, 530, etc. Didn't care for most.

Had I originally ordered them, X3's standard seats would have sufficed. But in today's test drive, I felt standard's bolsters were a bit narrow and wasn't sure if I wanted to do an expensive lateral trade simply to undo my horrible ventilated seats.

Ultimately I traded up to X3M with M Sport seat. It's bolsters are just slightly wider and overall a nicer seat. Big ouch on the financial hit, but it's a significant upgrade beyond just the seat.

Interestingly, X1's basic seat felt quite comfy and seemed to have enough side bolster. I can only describe it as a 'softer' version of the X3 sport seat.

Is that the same seat that comes with the M40i? Also, did you find any difference between the Sensatec and the Leather? (At least the leather in the x30i/M40i).

[ProfessorPatPending]

Originally Posted by briguy80

Is that the same seat that comes with the M40i? Also, did you find any difference between the Sensatec and the Leather? (At least the leather in the x30i/M40i).

My M40i (ventilated, non-sport) seat has black Vernasca leather.
My X3M (M-Sport seat) has black Merino leather (also ventilated)
I didn't pay much attention to leather, but Merino may have been softer.

The only Sensatec seat I touched was in the X1. I liked the seat, though the material was less luxurious. Still, it was soft and comfortable. I prefer leather but would take comfort over materials!

[mclark2112]

I think I have tracked down the source of my pain. I unbolted the seat and tipped it back and found that the support wire under my right butt cheek seams to be sagging by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

I stuffed some foam in there, but I don't think that is rigid enough. I think I'll pull the seat completely out this weekend and really have a good look.

I'm not sure if I should just wedge something in there that will support that area, or go with a replacement seat bottom. I can get the bottom frame for about $250. Anyone know if I can just get the plastic and wire assembly?

Or would this type of thing be covered under warranty? How would I even go about getting that repaired. They may just say it is subjective, and it's my deformed butt.

I've only had the car for about 6 weeks and it only has 16k miles, so that is a lot of deforming for a very short period of time.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by mclark2112

I think I have tracked down the source of my pain. I unbolted the seat and tipped it back and found that the support wire under my right butt cheek seams to be sagging by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

I stuffed some foam in there, but I don't think that is rigid enough. I think I'll pull the seat completely out this weekend and really have a good look.

I'm not sure if I should just wedge something in there that will support that area, or go with a replacement seat bottom. I can get the bottom frame for about $250. Anyone know if I can just get the plastic and wire assembly?

Or would this type of thing be covered under warranty? How would I even go about getting that repaired. They may just say it is subjective, and it's my deformed butt.

I've only had the car for about 6 weeks and it only has 16k miles, so that is a lot of deforming for a very short period of time.

Is that while someone is sitting in the seat or unoccupied? If it's unoccupied then I would consider it normal. Also it's going to be nearly impossible to warranty something like this. With a customer concern along the lines of "customer states seat is uncomfortable on the right seat bottom after long drives". As you can probably understand a technician can't test drive your car that long to check if the seat is uncomfortable on the right side. Comparing to another similar vehicle would be best option. If it's the same then it's likely considered normal.

[mclark2112]

That is unoccupied. And it hurts as soon as I sit in it now. My right butt cheek begins to ache almost right away as it sinks in. Passenger seat feels fine. The wire spring is bent/stretched and not making contact with the bottom of the foam. All the other ones do.

You can even feel the difference in the resistance when you push on the right side vs. the left side of the seat.

I'll have better pics tomorrow.

[Skotcoop]

I feel as those these seats were not made wide enough compared to not only the space they're in but compared to earlier BMWs. The seats in my e82 feel like they have more surface area to provide support. I drove 14hrs only stopping for gas and food once and never had discomfort. But I cant seem to get completely comfortable in just 30 mins in my G01. Also, the space between the edge of the seat and the door seems very large to me. Almost like they could have made the seats wider. Softer would be nice too.

[BigBMWguy85]

The x3m comp sport seats are the worst seats ever created. The bottom bolsters are so tight and firm it causes discomfort within 25 minutes of riding (if I'm lucky).

I have also tried an x6 M50i with Marino leather and still feel the pressure in the right and left butt cheek (different location than the sports seats in the M or M comp).

As someone else posted here, I sit on a purple seat cushion to make everything bearable.

I thought I had the seat position perfect, removed the pad with hopes that the adjustment would do the trick, and its unfortunately just as terrible.

What makes me laugh is that people in this forum bring up posture in some threads or recommend "seeing a doctor" to adjust for this issue. Everyone that can afford a bmw probably drove a nice car to the dealership to trade it in. No one complaining had issues prior lol.

As a family we are fortunate enough to have multiple cars. Driving the x3m is the best experience... the seats are the worst. I would spend real money to fix this before trading it.

[BigBMWguy85]

Originally Posted by BigBMWguy85

The x3m comp sport seats are the worst seats ever created. The bottom bolsters are so tight and firm it causes discomfort within 25 minutes of riding (if I'm lucky).

I have also tried an x6 M50i with Marino leather and still feel the pressure in the right and left butt cheek (different location than the sports seats in the M or M comp).

As someone else posted here, I sit on a purple seat cushion to make everything bearable.

I thought I had the seat position perfect, removed the pad with hopes that the adjustment would do the trick, and its unfortunately just as terrible.

What makes me laugh is that people in this forum bring up posture in some threads or recommend "seeing a doctor" to adjust for this issue. Everyone that can afford a bmw probably drove a nice car to the dealership to trade it in. No one complaining had issues prior lol.

As a family we are fortunate enough to have multiple cars. Driving the x3m is the best experience... the seats are the worst. I would spend real money to fix this before trading it.

I also can sit in chairs like a pro... all day every day. I'm an expert sitter and am an athlete when not sitting.

[mmm50i]

Originally Posted by welko

I have discomfort after a 2h drive on the right side of my buttocks. Keep on searching and shifting for a better position. BMW informed me the problem is unknown, but I read posts here that describe exactly the same issue.
I went to a car leather shop already twice: once to remove the leather flap because it’s exactly under my bottom cheek giving pressure. Second time they added additional foam to soften the seat, but still: after 2 hours I begin to feel pressure pain. It’s not skin irritation due to leather seams, it’s because of the small amount of pressure. No problem driving 1h, but painfull during long rides. I have a cushion for long rides but do not consider that as a permanent solution. I had a 5 series F11 before and never had any problems. Not even after a 10h drive!
I have leather vernasca cognac sport seats without ventilation. The car leather shop could replace the leather part of the bottom seat with different stitching, but the vernasca leather is new and not yet available on the aftermarket. Could take up to 1 year of waiting. I’m happy about this car, but the joy is overclouded by this issue.. if someone solved it or knows the root cause, I would be happy to hear about it!

Would you happen to know what method or process your leather shop used to modify the leather flap from a raised top stitch seam to a plain stitch seam?

The flap is causing major discomfort on my left buttocks, it's probably the way I sit and how I position my foot on the dead pedal as well.

[Az9393]

I have had the same issue with my x6m for the past year.

However two things are interesting.

1) I’ve not had it AT ALL for the first few years of owning it. And I’ve driven like 50k km over that time.

2) I’ve had it in my old E class as well at some point.

Some stats about me: 193cm tall, 106kg weight. I work out consistently and don’t have any back or muscle problems.

While I can’t completely figure out what’s the cause of this I’ve noticed the following:

- it sometimes doesn’t hurt at all. And the NEXT time I get into the car it does.
- it feels much better in some other cars but not in others.
- it has something to do with the sciatic nerve and maybe but not necessarily with the piriformis muscle or the SI joint. However targeting these areas directly with stretching etc never helped.
- the “seam” of the seat is not the issue because it’s the same in the left side. And the left side doesn’t hurt at all.

So far my best theory is that the right leg isn’t able to relax the way it should. The causes us to unwillingly and unintentionally cramp up a certain hip muscle which in turn hurts itself and the nerve. And this kind of issue in physiotherapy doesn’t go away after a 2 second fix so we can’t seem to find the right position.

As for the right position I’m not sure what it is in the x6 for me. Following the m6 video that everyone likes to post I end up very far away from the wheel with my torso so upright that my head touches the roof. Also the bucket seats feel very weird kind of like you aren’t sitting in them but rather on top of them.

I’ve sat in an m5 cs where the seats have much more bolstering and honestly they felt like a dream. I could fall asleep in there and the position was perfect for controls.

How to fix it I’m not sure. Maybe someone finds the solution and helps out.

[arRod1981]

Originally Posted by Az9393

I have had the same issue with my x6m for the past year.

However two things are interesting.

1) I’ve not had it AT ALL for the first few years of owning it. And I’ve driven like 50k km over that time.

2) I’ve had it in my old E class as well at some point.

Some stats about me: 193cm tall, 106kg weight. I work out consistently and don’t have any back or muscle problems.

While I can’t completely figure out what’s the cause of this I’ve noticed the following:

- it sometimes doesn’t hurt at all. And the NEXT time I get into the car it does.
- it feels much better in some other cars but not in others.
- it has something to do with the sciatic nerve and maybe but not necessarily with the piriformis muscle or the SI joint. However targeting these areas directly with stretching etc never helped.
- the “seam” of the seat is not the issue because it’s the same in the left side. And the left side doesn’t hurt at all.

So far my best theory is that the right leg isn’t able to relax the way it should. The causes us to unwillingly and unintentionally cramp up a certain hip muscle which in turn hurts itself and the nerve. And this kind of issue in physiotherapy doesn’t go away after a 2 second fix so we can’t seem to find the right position.

As for the right position I’m not sure what it is in the x6 for me. Following the m6 video that everyone likes to post I end up very far away from the wheel with my torso so upright that my head touches the roof. Also the bucket seats feel very weird kind of like you aren’t sitting in them but rather on top of them.

I’ve [...]

You're posting in an X3 forum about your X6M that has completely different seats. You need to post this in the X6M forum.

[Az9393]

Originally Posted by arRod1981

You're posting in an X3 forum about your X6M that has completely different seats. You need to post this in the X6M forum.

Fair enough but the problem discussed here is exactly what I have in my x6. And various seat details I here about here are the same in mine.
Also there are a lot of people involved so anh solution here will probably help me too. And my information might help some x3 owners.

[arRod1981]

Originally Posted by Az9393

Fair enough but the problem discussed here is exactly what I have in my x6. And various seat details I here about here are the same in mine.
Also there are a lot of people involved so anh solution here will probably help me too. And my information might help some x3 owners.

Again, your X6M seats are not going to be the same as any X3 seats at all. Just like my X5 multi-contour seats don't have the same adjustability as my X3 seats. That is why seat settings are not stored in the cloud and transferred when you get into a different BMW.

[rob175]

Who the heck feels the seams.....unless you ride naked or close to! Reminds me of the fairy tale of the princess that can feel the tiny pea under her mattress. LOL

Plus this thread is 5 yrs old....so hopefully at the very least the OP has "toughened up" their posterior by now.......LOL