[Eccles Ken]

About to approach dealers to spec a 330d xdrive and have a dilemma.

Most enthusiasts here seem to drive the car solely themselves so electric seats are off the agenda. Currently I have powered seats on my Octavia and there's no need to find two positions as the keys simply find the position for my wife and me. We do about 15,000 miles between us spread evenly.

Can anyone sharing driving with their partner tell me if I would be distraught having to find a manual position regularly with sports seats in a F30. I have read that several colleagues have found it hard to get a good driving position anyway so the thought of it happening several times a week doesn't appeal.

[Yellowpinkie]

I gather the manual seats can be fiddly to adjust

[GEP77]

Having just recently test driven 2 cars back to back, one with electric and one with manual there seems to be better fine adjustment with the electric and I found it easier to get a really comfortable driving position. So much so I'm seriously considering electric seats even though I'll be the only one driving the car once I get round to buying it!

[matk]

I have no issues with the manual just remember where you put it and make sure she only makes minimal adjustments. Or make her walk!

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by GEP77

Having just recently test driven 2 cars back to back, one with electric and one with manual there seems to be better fine adjustment with the electric and I found it easier to get a really comfortable driving position. So much so I'm seriously considering electric seats even though I'll be the only one driving the car once I get round to buying it!

Even though only you will drive it, when you take it into the dealers for servicing and warranty work they tend to fiddle with it and with manual adjustment it can be a pig to get it set how you like it again.

[Wo-Wo]

The manual adjustments are a pain in the rse IMO. The only option I wished I had speced is the electric memory seats.

[languidmandala]

Not just the seats: the mirrors are set too and you get the reverse dip option included. For all these the electric seats were a must for me

[Poohbore]

I really regret not getting the electric seats. The fine adjustments to the seat back angle is non existant. My previous mondeo's adjustment was via a wheel and a 1 degree adjustment can make all the difference and you could do it whilst driving.

[Vitoco]

Cost me ~2400$ to tick that box and they are worth every penny.

[bwrlane]

Originally Posted by BigNPT

The manual adjustments are a pain in the rse IMO. The only option I wished I had speced is the electric memory seats.

+1

The manual seat adjustments are a real pain. In fact they are the most basic and fiddly I have seen on many a car.

I have never had a BMW before and the electric seats seemed an expensive luxury at the time, so I decided against. My wife and I are completely different shapes and we both drive the car every day. Re-adjusting the seats is a major nuisance.

[SimonB]

I have different driving positions when I go country driving vs city driving and the 2nd memory position is used to change between the 2. Wouldn't get manual seats ever again. Not an option here in Oz for the 335i, anyway.

[davyk31]

I'm with the rest ........ even if you don't share the car electric seats give great fine adjustment but if you share they are invaluable. Just unlock the car and your seat is there ready perfect for you. I hate my position being changed so its a no brainer for me, pricey yes but worth it.

[dopper99]

Its all part of BMW’s ploy to get you upgrade and spend more:

Crap manual seats
Crap standard stereo
Crap halogen headlights
No Sat Nav as standard (or - a very expensive option)

IMO, things like HUD and rear/side cameras are fancy nice-to-haves but for the above – I think we should have better kit as standard for a nearly £40K car.

[d4springer]

Wife generally drives her own car, but I specced the electric seats for the same reasons most other people did, it's easier to adjust, electric mirrors etc.. (and as dopper99 pointed out the dealer always seems to mess with the settings).

Seems c**p though this is an optional extra on these cars, before I settled on a 330 I nearly went for a 535 MSport and couldn't believe even the five series comes with manual seats!

[Tengocity]

We swap around in our cars all the time and when it came time to order a new car we were both desperate to have the memory seats! Expensive but worth it for those who share their cars.

[matk]

I never thought of it like that and I never knew the mirrors adjusted to, I suppose that's cool. Ah well il slum it with my manual seats. Until next time...

[Nick the Greek]

You let your WIFE drive your car?!!!!!



What's wrong with the bus?

[dopper99]

My wife wont be driving my car - her choice.

She stated the other day.... "....I cant drive that, its an auto..."....

[Mr NSB]

Originally Posted by dopper99

My wife wont be driving my car - her choice.

She stated the other day.... "....I cant drive that, its an auto..."....

The same here except mine is a manual

Luckily my wife and myself have the same driving position so if she decides she can drive a manual again it won't be a problem.

[VonRat]

It's very useful that the seats and mirrors adjust automatically, but does the cabin temperature automatically increase (female) or decrease (male) by 10 degrees as well?

[Quakered]

You can't go backwards in terms of spec as you will always miss the items you had learnt to take for granted. Worse still if you wife is used to the car preparing the seats for her, you will get nothing but earache from her about this "cheep and nasty" car that is even more basic than a Skoda.....

Don't be a cheapskate and get the options - after all if you wanted to save money you would drive a secondhand Escort (or whatever they are called now)

[rjberry]

Electric seats are the only things I've been agonising over with my spec. In the end I've not added them.

I have the manual adjusting seats at the moment and it's a bother to adjust them but it's only me that drives my car, the wife is too afraid and my heart wouldn't cope if she did want a go

Besides, after spending 15 minutes adjusting my seat to make sure I was happy that's how it has stayed. In the end I've put the money towards the M Performance parts.