Until I bought my TSX, I had never had a car with heated seats. Even when I took delivery of it in mid-September, I was skeptical that I would ever use the seat warmers. I had thought that it was a waste! But the abyss of winter has arrived in an early and rude manner this year. We even had the threat of frost yesterday as the lows dipped to the lower 30's. (Frost is very rude to my ferns and hibiscus!)

This morning on my way to work, the outside temperature was 43 degrees F, and I tell you, the heated seat was very very nice! I am now finally convinced of the benefit of the TSX's heated seats.

 

I use the heated seats everyday, there awesome. But you can have my Canadian Heated mirrors if you want them, they're never used.

 

The morning I had frost on my mirrors I wishing I had those Canadian heated mirrors!

 

The heated seats are nice. But I just wish they heated up more quickly.

 

I'm interested, too! Maybe we can start a "bidding war" for "used Canadian TSX heated mirrors"! I really missed my heated mirrors this morning, I'm used to checking in my mirrors when I get on the highway and the mirrors being clear by the time I get there. This AM all I could see was fuzz! I was also unimpressed by the bun warmers, definitely not up to Swedish standards. Does it ever snow in Japan? Or do they think the climate over the entire US is like Hawaii?

I know, I know, it's Sears Roebuck, not Saks Fifth Avenue, but so is the price!

 

I used my seat warmer this morning and you wouldn't think it would be an issue in Phoenix, but sometimes we get some of that Arctic (Canadian) air down here and the butt needs some warmup. We've used them in our MDX, too.

 

In my car pool. My passanger complains if the seat isn't preheated for her, she loves it. I have to say that I like it too.

 

Umm 2004_Acura_TSX, errr I mean fdl stop complaining

Seriously I think they heat up pretty fast, but then again its the first car I've owned with heated seats so I have no comparison.

 

Yeah, I'm digging the heated seats, too. I've used them a few times here in the ol' Northeast, though I don't think I've used them when the temp. is above 40°...

The heated mirrors would be so sweet. It takes forever for my mirrors to defrost. The windshield defrosts in a relative blink, though.

 

I've never used the driver's seat heaters. In fact, I've never used the window defroster or car's heater either. Out here, in dry and sunny LA, we don't have much reason for it. However, on a few nights I've been out with my female friend, and she gets cold easy. So, instead of raising the thermostat so that I feel to hot, we just put her seat heater on.

 

"So, instead of raising the thermostat so that I feel to hot"

Isn't that what the dual climate control is for

 

Are you turning them on to the HI setting first ?

 

I've never owned a car with heated seats before but I have been in cars with them. Honda heated seats seem to take far longer than say, bmw (i've felt both the accord, and now the tsx). To me the heated seats could be ausefull way to heat up before the engine is warm. But the TSX seats are so slow that by the time I feel them , my engin is warm enough to turn the heat on.

 

I think that's the general idea, to warm up the seat before the rest of the car and I'd mention that Volvo had a recall on seat heaters because they could set the seats on fire. Volvo's bun warmers DO heat up FAST! I'd also guess that they have thicker wires and higher thermostats. Different design philosophies from different companies. How important are the things you put on the seat to you? At least Honda knows it will never be sued for roasting their owners! While we're adding things to the wish list for our $50k (US) Honda Accords, a heated steering wheel as found on the 5-series would be nice, too!

 

You can get a heated steering wheel in a < $30,000 Nissan Maxima.

 

I want mirrors that always stay clean, I wouldn't have to wipe them to see.

 

My seat heats up pretty quickly, but I'm in a temperate climate zone.

Actually, I used the passenger seat's heater the first time a week ago when I picked up some Chinese take-away food to keep the food warm on my way home.

Sadly, I could see that due to the contours of the seat that the same trick will not work for a large pizza in a cardboard box.

 

i like mine, but I've only used the function a couple of times. One time, though, my husband was kind enough to turn it on when he warmed up my car. i didn't notice that it was turned on, and then halfway through my drive, i was like "why is my butt so hot?" i figured it out, though.

 

I actually use my heated seats, and I live in Los Angeles. It helps out in the cool mornings, and keeps my muscle relaxed as I go through traffic. I think I prefer to use it over turning on the heaters, since I don't like a blast of hot air into my face. Also, it doesn't get THAT cold in LA (and I keep my car garaged) and onturning the heat would be too uncomfortable.

Yes, I know there is climate control. but living here in LA it is strange to have your vents blowing warm air

 

I use the heated seats a lot. Never had them before and I really like them. What I like is that I can keep the interior air cool in car and still have toast buns. Especially on longer drives, I like to have some cool air blowing and circulating around my face and body. Heated seats let me feel warm without feeling like I'm being baked. And yeah, they could heat up a little faster, that would be nice.

 

Perhaps mine is faulty then, because the warmer on my 97' 960 isn't even worth mentioning. You can barely feel it vs how my TSX heats up very quickly.

Although considering climate, there's no "real" cold for it to compete against.

-r

 

Hmmmmm. Interesting. My Volvo has cloth seats. (But a leather steering wheel.) Maybe it takes longer with leather. I'm not sure you really need the seat heaters with cloth, Honda bundles the two - leather and seat heaters - together, it seems.

My last Saab, however, had seat heaters that I could never notice. I brought it back io the dealer X times and they continued to claim that they were working properly. Finally I gave up. At least the light on the Acura's switch works, so I know they're "on"!

 

It's curious how we are all getting different impressions on the effectiveness or speed of heating of the TSX's seats.

For those who say the TSX's seats heat up too slowly, how slow is slow? Are we looking at a minute? five minutes? ten minutes?

 

When I say slow, I mean that by the time my ass gets warm, there is heat blowing out of the vents. To me this seems kinda pointless. I'm not sure exactly how long this is. Maybe 2 or 3 minutes? Ideally the seats should heat up in 30 seconds, or less.

 

Guesstimate, I'd say about 1 minute on the Volvo with cloth seats, about 3-5 minutes this morning for the Acura's pleather seat and "never" on my last Saab.

 

You never answered my question... :P

 

Hm, maybe its the leather. It seems rather thick and it isn't perforated like the TSX. Now if I could just sell the damn thing. Used to love volvo... Now I'm not sure I'll be going back. At least for a long while.

-r

 

Sounds like a good survey. I can definitely feel mine in under 30s. Maybe 15. (that is, I turn it on high, let it get hot for awhile, then turn it to low)

Maybe everyone post how long it takes when you first get in the car and what the dash says the outside temp is.

-r

 

We also need to define what we mean by "feel". I'm not talking about feel with my hand...I am talking about feeling it through a pair of jeans.

I tested it tonight. I could start feeling some warmth after 3 minutes, and it wasnt really warm untill closer to 4 minutes.