Misgivings...(less so now.....)

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 01:44 PM

Chaps, some advice please...

A week in, and I'm having serious second thoughts about my F31. There's a few minor niggles which are one thing, but there's a couple of bigger issues I'm struggling with. For one, the back seat is a joke. I have two isofit seats in for the kids and that means there's not a chance in hell of getting a 5th person in the car. The placement if the isofit anchors really restricts the flexibility of the back seat. I don't often need space for 3 in the back, but in an ideal world, it's an option I would like.

Secondly, I'm really struggling to get comfortable in it. I'm 6'4" tall and 16 stone. If I put the seat where I think it should be, two things happen; I'm left with about a 4 inch legroom for back seat passengers but even worse, I get cramp in my right leg quite badly. I've tried numerous positions and none if them are working for me. The resultant lack of rear legroom just makes things worse...

I know what you're going to say, I should have spotted these things on my test drive. I agree, but I didn't. Now I'm getting pretty stressed that I've done the wrong thing getting the 3 series when I should have probably gone for a 5 series instead.

A guy at work suggested I speak with the dealer and see if he can be of any help. To be honest, if it comes to me needing to swap it for a 5 I can only see one winners, and it isn't me.

Anyone got any advice?

JustChris · 01-30-2014, 01:49 PM

Not really sure what advice we can give, its a car of fixed dimensions. However even my F10 is pretty tight for 3 in the back and similar to F30 if you had 2 ISOFIX seats you could forget using the middle seat. If you're using ISOFIX cars not sure why you need legroom also?

Don't worry try to enjoy it....way too late to change now without ma££I've costs. I think everyone has a slight dip in expectations vs delivery in the early days especially once the payments kick in but give it some time.

Xplosiv166 · 01-30-2014, 01:51 PM

OK watch the following video and setup your seat as guided:

I am 6ft, 3 and have no issues the video help me sort out my driving position, i always positioned the seat really low and had a problems initially:

Quote:

I'm left with about a 4 inch legroom for back seat passengers but even worse

My opinion on this is that the smallest person must sit behind the driver, you should not be compromising on your driving position to accommodate the rear passenger, if they are uncomfortable tough luck.

MWA · 01-30-2014, 02:08 PM

The 5 is definitely bigger and more comfortable to be sitting in. But everyone swears by how boring it is to drive in comparison to the 3..

I know how you feel about the rear seats and the ISOFIX anchors positioning, BMW could have pushed them abit further to the door, however another way of looking at it, is that your babies are further away from the door thus safer and also away from the curtain airbags..

Finding a comfortable seat position is very difficult sometimes, especially if you have manual seat adjustment.. With electric you can save different positions and trial them out.. But whichever you have, if you put your head with it, surely you can find a good position

Rear facing car seats take up more space than those facing frontwards.

Tengocity · 01-30-2014, 02:12 PM

That's a tough one. Really not sure there is much to say about the back seats.. they are what they are, and getting 1 adult and 2 childrens seats in most cars would be tough I would imagine?

The seat comfort may be something you can resolve though... forgetting the room behind you, can you identify exactly what is causing the discomfort, in particular the cramp?

The biggest issue I have is that when on cruise control or just sitting in the car, my natural leg position (right leg) is leaning against the door handle, which I find uncomfortable! Two reasons - firstly it's relatively sharp at the angle I'm leaning against, and secondly as it's aluminium then it's cold! I'm going to fashion a little pad for it somehow.

Beyond that, all I can think is whether a 5 series or X3 perhaps would be better, though not really all that helpful I grant you.

ewanmac · 01-30-2014, 02:15 PM

A friend of mine bought a 5Gt for these very reasons and can actually get three car seats across the back. Heaps of legroom also. But it's a munter of a car to look at.

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChesterX5

Not really sure what advice we can give, its a car of fixed dimensions. However even my F10 is pretty tight for 3 in the back and similar to F30 if you had 2 ISOFIX seats you could forget using the middle seat. If you're using ISOFIX cars not sure why you need legroom also?

Don't worry try to enjoy it....way too late to change now without ma££I've costs. I think everyone has a slight dip in expectations vs delivery in the early days especially once the payments kick in but give it some time.

Seriously? You can't get anyone in the middle if you've got two isofit seats in?

I've come from a Mazda 6 and we could fit both our kids and my niece in the back. I wouldn't say overly comfortably, but they fit...

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the replies guys...Perhaps I'm making too much of it, but it's really stressing me that I might have made the wrong choice.... Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic car and the engine is incredible, but I'm feeling really antsy...

What do you think my options will be with the dealer? I can only think they will sting me in a big way unless they're really desperate to move some F10s at the moment....

Tengocity · 01-30-2014, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordberg

Seriously? You can't get anyone in the middle if you've got two isofit seats in?

I've come from a Mazda 6 and we could fit both our kids and my niece in the back. I wouldn't say overly comfortably, but they fit...

Perhaps it's related somehow to the central tunnel needed for RWD, compared to a FWD it's going to have to some effect. That doesn't help you I know... but would be same in a 5 saloon.

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xplosiv166

OK watch the following video and setup your seat as guided:

I am 6ft, 3 and have no issues the video help me sort out my driving position, i always positioned the seat really low and had a problems initially:

My opinion on this is that the smallest person must sit behind the driver, you should not be compromising on your driving position to accommodate the rear passenger, if they are uncomfortable tough luck.

Thanks for that! Apart from taking me back to my roots (grew up in the Deep South!), I actually found it really useful and I'll try some of that advice tomorrow...

Steve C · 01-30-2014, 02:35 PM

We get two child seats and an adult on the back seat. It is a bit tight but okay once everyone gets strapped in. We've done a 2hr journey like this. Admittedly these are not Isofix seats.

On the odd occasion when you have 5 people in the car can you not have the two child seats strapped in via seatbelts rather than Isofix?

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve C

We get two child seats and an adult on the back seat. It is a bit tight but okay once everyone gets strapped in. We've done a 2hr journey like this. Admittedly these are not Isofix seats.

On the odd occasion when you have 5 people in the car can you not have the two child seats strapped in via seatbelts rather than Isofix?

It's an idea, and one I'd thought of already. It's an option I suppose..

BMWSKI · 01-30-2014, 02:39 PM

Of course the dealers will swap it for you but unfortunately that will cost you. You can't blame the dealers for that.
It sounds like your mind is made up so just swallow the extra few grand and change, simples!

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWSKI

Of course the dealers will swap it for you but unfortunately that will cost you. You can't blame the dealers for that.
It sounds like your mind is made up so just swallow the extra few grand and change, simples!

Far from it.... I really don't want the hassle of changing... Or the cost...

F30AM · 01-30-2014, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordberg

Chaps, some advice please...

A week in, and I'm having serious second thoughts about my F31. There's a few minor niggles which are one thing, but there's a couple of bigger issues I'm struggling with. For one, the back seat is a joke. I have two isofit seats in for the kids and that means there's not a chance in hell of getting a 5th person in the car. The placement if the isofit anchors really restricts the flexibility of the back seat. I don't often need space for 3 in the back, but in an ideal world, it's an option I would like.

Secondly, I'm really struggling to get comfortable in it. I'm 6'4" tall and 16 stone. If I put the seat where I think it should be, two things happen; I'm left with about a 4 inch legroom for back seat passengers but even worse, I get cramp in my right leg quite badly. I've tried numerous positions and none if them are working for me. The resultant lack of rear legroom just makes things worse...

I know what you're going to say, I should have spotted these things on my test drive. I agree, but I didn't. Now I'm getting pretty stressed that I've done the wrong thing getting the 3 series when I should have probably gone for a 5 series instead.

A guy at work suggested I speak with the dealer and see if he can be of any help. To be honest, if it comes to me needing to swap it for a 5 I can only see one winners, and it isn't me.

Anyone got any advice?

Oh dear.

I am 6'1" and 62 kg (10 stone 4 lbs). I have never been so comfortable in a car. However, there is not enough room in the back for another 6' person let alone a smaller and shorter one, IMO. You need an MPV or SUV not a compact executive and not a family car. Basically, for your height and weight you need a bigger vehicle.

So you can do one of 2 things: (1) Chop 6" off your legs and become a bit shorter, (2) Buy a much bigger car.

Did you not 'try before you buy'?

Chrishumes · 01-30-2014, 02:44 PM

What about putting kid in the front? Not sure what the rules are now. We strap the child in with seatbelt, and there's room for 3, but it is a small car end of the day.

nordberg · 01-30-2014, 02:50 PM

I think I've come to the conclusion that:

1.) I need to work on my driving position. This, in turn, may well help the back seat passenger leg room issue.

2.) In the rare event that I need a third back seat passenger, I will need to shuffle things about a bit. That might entail strapping the seats in rather than using the isofix, or perhaps putting one of the kids in the front in their seats. Also, my daughter will be graduating to a booster in the not so distant future so that should free some space up.

At the end of the day, it is what it is. Maybe I'm just having "a moment"....

JustChris · 01-30-2014, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordberg

Seriously? You can't get anyone in the middle if you've got two isofit seats in?

I've come from a Mazda 6 and we could fit both our kids and my niece in the back. I wouldn't say overly comfortably, but they fit...

Never tried it with ISOFIX...but then I didn't need it. Still a squeeze for 3 in the back but yes they fit.

Steve C · 01-30-2014, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordberg

putting one of the kids in the front in their seats.

I have 3 kids and when all 5 of us need to get in the car, we find the best solution is to put one kid in the front and have an adult in the middle of the rear seat. Its a hassle getting in and out but okay once everyone is strapped in.

teaston · 01-30-2014, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordberg

Chaps, some advice please...

A week in, and I'm having serious second thoughts about my F31. There's a few minor niggles which are one thing, but there's a couple of bigger issues I'm struggling with. For one, the back seat is a joke. I have two isofit seats in for the kids and that means there's not a chance in hell of getting a 5th person in the car. The placement if the isofit anchors really restricts the flexibility of the back seat. I don't often need space for 3 in the back, but in an ideal world, it's an option I would like.

Secondly, I'm really struggling to get comfortable in it. I'm 6'4" tall and 16 stone. If I put the seat where I think it should be, two things happen; I'm left with about a 4 inch legroom for back seat passengers but even worse, I get cramp in my right leg quite badly. I've tried numerous positions and none if them are working for me. The resultant lack of rear legroom just makes things worse...

I know what you're going to say, I should have spotted these things on my test drive. I agree, but I didn't. Now I'm getting pretty stressed that I've done the wrong thing getting the 3 series when I should have probably gone for a 5 series instead.

A guy at work suggested I speak with the dealer and see if he can be of any help. To be honest, if it comes to me needing to swap it for a 5 I can only see one winners, and it isn't me.

Anyone got any advice?

Sounds like you need an X5!

ScotX5 · 01-30-2014, 03:16 PM

Missing the GT? Could it be an option for extra space given it's slightly wider?

alibonyad · 01-30-2014, 03:20 PM

In regards to driving position the only things I've noticed are; the brake pedal seems to be really high so that I need to lift my foot almost to an uncomfortable angle to get on to the brake. Obviously if I repositioned my foot it would be OK but I should just be able to rotate my foot in order to switch between brake and throttle. There's quite a big difference in height.

Also, I'm finding it hard to get comfortable whilst being able to fully see the part of the black panel display that shows which radio station your on. I've adjusted the height of the wheel etc but still not ideal. I have also found that the driver window ledge is quite high so it's uncomfortable to rest my arm on it whilst steering.

Maybe I just need to raise my seat? I like the feel of being low in the car. Any suggestions?

01-30-2014, 01:44 PM	#1
nordberg Major 178 Rep 1,470 Posts Drives: F31 330d M Sport Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Somewhere iTrader: (1)	Misgivings...(less so now.....) Chaps, some advice please... A week in, and I'm having serious second thoughts about my F31. There's a few minor niggles which are one thing, but there's a couple of bigger issues I'm struggling with. For one, the back seat is a joke. I have two isofit seats in for the kids and that means there's not a chance in hell of getting a 5th person in the car. The placement if the isofit anchors really restricts the flexibility of the back seat. I don't often need space for 3 in the back, but in an ideal world, it's an option I would like. Secondly, I'm really struggling to get comfortable in it. I'm 6'4" tall and 16 stone. If I put the seat where I think it should be, two things happen; I'm left with about a 4 inch legroom for back seat passengers but even worse, I get cramp in my right leg quite badly. I've tried numerous positions and none if them are working for me. The resultant lack of rear legroom just makes things worse... I know what you're going to say, I should have spotted these things on my test drive. I agree, but I didn't. Now I'm getting pretty stressed that I've done the wrong thing getting the 3 series when I should have probably gone for a 5 series instead. A guy at work suggested I speak with the dealer and see if he can be of any help. To be honest, if it comes to me needing to swap it for a 5 I can only see one winners, and it isn't me. Anyone got any advice? Last edited by nordberg; 02-01-2014 at 03:15 AM..
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01-30-2014, 01:49 PM	#2
JustChris General 17488 Rep 25,115 Posts Drives: Tesla MYRWD Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Not really sure what advice we can give, its a car of fixed dimensions. However even my F10 is pretty tight for 3 in the back and similar to F30 if you had 2 ISOFIX seats you could forget using the middle seat. If you're using ISOFIX cars not sure why you need legroom also? Don't worry try to enjoy it....way too late to change now without ma££I've costs. I think everyone has a slight dip in expectations vs delivery in the early days especially once the payments kick in but give it some time. __________________ My car made front page of Bimmerpost
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01-30-2014, 02:08 PM	#4
MWA Major 154 Rep 1,224 Posts Drives: AY M4 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: London iTrader: (0)	The 5 is definitely bigger and more comfortable to be sitting in. But everyone swears by how boring it is to drive in comparison to the 3.. I know how you feel about the rear seats and the ISOFIX anchors positioning, BMW could have pushed them abit further to the door, however another way of looking at it, is that your babies are further away from the door thus safer and also away from the curtain airbags.. Finding a comfortable seat position is very difficult sometimes, especially if you have manual seat adjustment.. With electric you can save different positions and trial them out.. But whichever you have, if you put your head with it, surely you can find a good position Rear facing car seats take up more space than those facing frontwards.
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01-30-2014, 02:12 PM	#5
Tengocity General 8567 Rep 19,982 Posts Drives: 911, Cayenne Turbo, Disco 4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland iTrader: (0)	That's a tough one. Really not sure there is much to say about the back seats.. they are what they are, and getting 1 adult and 2 childrens seats in most cars would be tough I would imagine? The seat comfort may be something you can resolve though... forgetting the room behind you, can you identify exactly what is causing the discomfort, in particular the cramp? The biggest issue I have is that when on cruise control or just sitting in the car, my natural leg position (right leg) is leaning against the door handle, which I find uncomfortable! Two reasons - firstly it's relatively sharp at the angle I'm leaning against, and secondly as it's aluminium then it's cold! I'm going to fashion a little pad for it somehow. Beyond that, all I can think is whether a 5 series or X3 perhaps would be better, though not really all that helpful I grant you.
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01-30-2014, 02:15 PM	#6
ewanmac Captain 189 Rep 728 Posts Drives: m140i Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Aberdeen iTrader: (0)	A friend of mine bought a 5Gt for these very reasons and can actually get three car seats across the back. Heaps of legroom also. But it's a munter of a car to look at. __________________ M140i and Boxster S for Summer \| Previously F31 330dx, E90 335D, E92 335i, E46 320CD, E46 318ci x2... and some short-lived SUV thing
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01-30-2014, 02:30 PM	#8
nordberg Major 178 Rep 1,470 Posts Drives: F31 330d M Sport Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Somewhere iTrader: (1)	Thanks for the replies guys...Perhaps I'm making too much of it, but it's really stressing me that I might have made the wrong choice.... Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic car and the engine is incredible, but I'm feeling really antsy... What do you think my options will be with the dealer? I can only think they will sting me in a big way unless they're really desperate to move some F10s at the moment....
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01-30-2014, 02:35 PM	#11
Steve C First Lieutenant 14 Rep 347 Posts Drives: F31 330dx Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Notts iTrader: (0)	We get two child seats and an adult on the back seat. It is a bit tight but okay once everyone gets strapped in. We've done a 2hr journey like this. Admittedly these are not Isofix seats. On the odd occasion when you have 5 people in the car can you not have the two child seats strapped in via seatbelts rather than Isofix?
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01-30-2014, 02:39 PM	#13
BMWSKI Lieutenant Colonel 167 Rep 1,919 Posts Drives: E63 AMG Saloon :) Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bucks iTrader: (0)	Of course the dealers will swap it for you but unfortunately that will cost you. You can't blame the dealers for that. It sounds like your mind is made up so just swallow the extra few grand and change, simples!
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01-30-2014, 02:44 PM	#16
Chrishumes First Lieutenant 19 Rep 354 Posts Drives: 330d xdrive Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Newcastle iTrader: (0)	What about putting kid in the front? Not sure what the rules are now. We strap the child in with seatbelt, and there's room for 3, but it is a small car end of the day.
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01-30-2014, 02:50 PM	#17
nordberg Major 178 Rep 1,470 Posts Drives: F31 330d M Sport Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Somewhere iTrader: (1)	I think I've come to the conclusion that: 1.) I need to work on my driving position. This, in turn, may well help the back seat passenger leg room issue. 2.) In the rare event that I need a third back seat passenger, I will need to shuffle things about a bit. That might entail strapping the seats in rather than using the isofix, or perhaps putting one of the kids in the front in their seats. Also, my daughter will be graduating to a booster in the not so distant future so that should free some space up. At the end of the day, it is what it is. Maybe I'm just having "a moment"....
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01-30-2014, 03:16 PM	#21
ScotX5 Private First Class 43 Rep 159 Posts Drives: X5 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0)	Missing the GT? Could it be an option for extra space given it's slightly wider?
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01-30-2014, 03:20 PM	#22
alibonyad First Lieutenant 23 Rep 386 Posts Drives: 335D xDrive ordered Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: North East iTrader: (0)	In regards to driving position the only things I've noticed are; the brake pedal seems to be really high so that I need to lift my foot almost to an uncomfortable angle to get on to the brake. Obviously if I repositioned my foot it would be OK but I should just be able to rotate my foot in order to switch between brake and throttle. There's quite a big difference in height. Also, I'm finding it hard to get comfortable whilst being able to fully see the part of the black panel display that shows which radio station your on. I've adjusted the height of the wheel etc but still not ideal. I have also found that the driver window ledge is quite high so it's uncomfortable to rest my arm on it whilst steering. Maybe I just need to raise my seat? I like the feel of being low in the car. Any suggestions?
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