Just picked up o5 tl here in houston. Iv'e noticed over the last week that the seat bolsters are HARD. I find myself sitting ON the seat instead of IN them. I am considering taking the car to have the padding in the bolster changed to something softer/more forgiving. My question: will these bolsters loosen up over time or do I have to do somerhing drastic?

Welcome to the forum


I think that will get softer after some time. 05's seat seems to have more support to me, not sure if it's really that stiff. Your height and weight??

wow, this is a new one....

lol...why can't people just be happy with their cars....i don't understand this....me being only 17 and having an 04 TL...i feel like the luckiest piece of shit alive.....some of my friends are even luckier...my friend who just got his license got an FX45 and my other friend got a VOLVO S60R...come on people be happy with what you have.....

I'm 6' even and about 200 lbs.

I'm still palying with seat controls, maybe i'll find a better seat height/angle

front seats aren't comfort enough for me either.

Seat comfort was one of the reasons I picked the TL over the BMW. It just fit better. A friend of mine, who’s shorter than me, picked the BWM over the TL for the same reason.

Sooner or later, hope to see someone similar could tell you how they think...

Wait for a while. Honda/Acura usually have firm seats, but they do strech/loosen a little over time, and you get used to them.

I thought my TL seats were too hard also, but now I like them after just one month.

Easy for you to say. Daddy bought you your ride...


BTW - I'm 6'2", 250lbs and the seats seem fine for me. Maybe I just crush 'em down.

I'm 5'9" 195,, seat is fine for me. the most comfortable car I've ever owned.. fits me much better than the Nissans did.

Seats are great for me. I liked them better than the G35 seats. Visit that forum and you'll see a 25+ page thread on how uncomfortable those seats are (for some drivers). The G35 seats were ok but I was afraid of problems during long distances.

If anything, the seat is too big for me.........I'm 5' 10" and 160. The old VW/Recaro seats are what fit me best!!!!

HA! I second that!!...By the way, I think Be happy with whats "handed to you" is more appropriate... :gheyfight:

6'1" - 200lbs and the seats are coo with me...

I'm 6' 3", 195 lbs.

I found my seats somewhat uncomfortable at first. I didn't like the way the top of the seatback hit me in the shoulderblades and my legs would fall asleep on long drives. It took me a couple of weeks of subtle tweaks here and there on the many adjustments and now I could fall asleep in the seat as it fits me very nicely. Thank God for seat memories or my 5' 3" wife would really screw it up for me when she drove the car!

One of the problems I had in finding the right adjustments was that the motors move things very quickly. If I wanted to lower the front of the seat by 1/4", for instance, I'd have to give the switch a quick tap. Sometimes, it would go too far so I had to keep fiddling with it.

The seats didn't bother you when you took a test drive?

You old folks crack me up. :killer:
I didn't start feeling like an old man until I joined this forum. Don't forget these youngsters will be taking care of us in the future.

Hey Hey!! 25 isn't THAT old!

i don't know about you guys but i love how the seats feel in my TL. and i'm not exaggerating when i say that it feels more comfortable and snug than my parents LS430.

My 2004 seats are the most comfortable I've ever been in, bar none. I'm a Physical Therapist and am waaaaay too aware of ergonomic positioning, and this car is about as good as it gets. With all the different ways you can put that bad boy combined with the good lumbar support, these seats rule.

I did mention in another post the differences I between the 2004 and 2005 seats, but didn't ride in it long term enough to find out if the new stitch line was an issue for me.

I'm about 5 ' 11" and 210 - an admitted weightroom junkie. I don't fit into a bunch of stuff (clothes or carseats for that matter), but these seats are fantastic for me. I *never* have my legs fall asleep like they used to in my old Pathfinder or Accord. Granted, they didn't have all the tweak options, but they killed me on long rides. For those of you with your legs falling asleep, fiddle with the tilt option to adjust where the pressure hits your sacrum (butt-bone) and see if it gets better. After tweaking here, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And don't make drastic changes. Most of the time it only takes the hair off a gnats proverbial arse to make a huge difference.

There's 200,000,000 configurations possible with all the buttons you can play with folks -- use them and find the way that fits you best! It can be done. Promise...good luck!

you just got owned....

Time to start talking to pops about that trust fund, buddy.

Guys --

Quit picking on a guy for getting a TL from mom and pop. It happens. He wasn't being rude, just trying to say that we *maybe* should appreciate what we have rather than barking so much that our $35k car doesn't have the features, fit, and finish of a $50k ride -- which many of us tend to do.

It sounds like he appreciates what he has, and isn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. I could be wrong (haven't look at other posts by him), but there's a lot of venom going his way for a rather innocuous statement.

Just my opinion...

I have to buy my own ride, maybe 1-2k of help, but thats it ...BUt if the USMC covers collede then my parents may get me a car(mainly for me graduating out of the mil) Anyway, these seats have to be more comfortable then our current car, and I liked the back middle seat in the test drive, so I cant imagine the front seats are too horrible. Until its broken in you could get some of that temper foam and wrap it in some matching leather.

This is my first car ever (I've never owned one before the 3G TL, even a used one), and I'm 24.. Bought with my own hard-earned money.. As you can probably tell, I'm more than ecstatic with what it has, even in light of some shortcomings. Its a beautiful car, and I certainly don't take it for granted or gripe too much (unless its a show-stopper or moderately serious problem, both of which I may have, but at least I will know how to deal with them if they come). It certainly treats me well, despite "my" driving imperfections..

Besides the seat problem that started this thread, these other things REALLY upset me too:

1 - pushing the SportShifter up when I am in 5th gear doesn't take me to 6th gear
2 - voice command "what is the meaning of life" gets only a response of "pardon?"
3 - I don't get 40-50 mpg ike the hybrids
4 - the sleeve for my Starbucks coffee gets kidnapped by the cupholder
5 - my bluetooth gets good phone reception, but I can't see my e-mail from my PDA
6 - DVD-A has only 6 independent channels (my ears are way more sophisitcated)
7 - there are too many choices for configuring the cargo nets in the trunk
8 - the navigation system does not include a map of Antartica
9 - the keyfob and memory system won't allow storage for all 4 members of my family
10 - I actually have to press the homelink button to open my garage door - there's no voice command
11 - cruise control still requires me to hold the steering wheel

Other than these items, I'm pretty happy!!!

I wasn't picking on him. More like poking fun. Hence the big grin smiley at the end.

I think the reason is there are no maps of antarctica, is cause there are no roads there, Im sure it will still give you your coordinates(am I wrong?) P.S. I know your playin

Understood, Epik. Fast reading and the follow up responses led me to think otherwise...

And, btw Terminader, I don't know why your homelink doesn't work on voice command. Mine does and it's great. I just say "Open Sez Me", just like Popeye, and violla!

LOL, you're too much... You're just like BJ months ago!!! Good for you.




Give jcnuke a break, please. He will soon discover the positions more comfortable to him...

I am 6' and 200 lbs and I find the seats perfectly allrite and comfortable...I like the support...

ALTHOUGH...if you are comparing them to some of the american cars and you like your seats like a lazyboy in motion then I can see how you could be dissappointed...I used to have Jeep Grand Cherokee and boy it was easy to fall asleep in those seats..

Jeeze, there's no reason to complain about the 3rd gen TL seats. I've sat in the passenger seat for an extended period (friend's parents car), and I felt GREAT! My 1st gen TL has much firmer seats, and after a long trip, I'm NEVER sore even in that. In fact I feel great even after 6 hours in my car. And they only improved the seats over the generations, so it can only be better now...

I guess if all you have to complain about is the seats ... then it's a pretty good car. The last gen TL, I had the privilege of complaining about how my TL-S would dump me into 2nd gear at 80mph, independent of anything I did.

Quite frankly, I welcome these seat complaints over any tranny/mechanical issues.

Oh, and when I ask for the meaning of life, it says "Menu choices are, 1) Top 10 reasons why you should have bought a G35, and 2) The optional 11th reason."

Visit www.sparcousa.com

How did everyone miss this?

You have what for comparison, your sofa?
I weigh 185 Lbs and I'm 6'0'', just put 350 miles on my car today and I feel great. As others have said, play with the controls a bit including the lumbar support. You want firm seats as opposed to overly soft. It should feel much better about the time your butt prints appear. Enjoy your ride.

I'm 6'2" and just under 200 lbs. I find the driver's seat to be very comfortable.

Mike

Anyone who doesn't fit in the TL seats need to go on a diet.

I found the driving position did need some tweeking, however once done..they are quite comfortable. I do wish they had adjustable thigh support, like the A8.

well, thanks for all the suggestions (and comments). Most of you are indeed correct, a little tweaking goes a long way, unfortunatly, I have a tendency to do this while driving.
As for the comments regarding being appreciative of what I have, you may never know true apprecition for something until you buy it with your own money earned as the fruit of your own work.
The reason I bought the TL was VALUE. Everybody on this forum understands all too well that purchasing a car is a losing proposition. A depreciating asset that we still have the need to throw money at (tinting, wheels, etc). part of the value proposition is how much do you get for your (hard earned) cash. the other is more visceral: how do we FEEL when we drive. If the car meets our expectations for comfort and performance, we feel better about our choice. These expectations are differenct for everyone. Nothing wrong with that. I didn't FEEL good because I couldn't get comfortable in the car. After much adjustment, its getting better. My wife reminded me that it took a month to get my 540's seats to where I wasn't constantly fiddling with them.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I do love this car. It's very BMW like in that it performs efficiently, effectively and transparently.

I don't like the seats at all. They are made for the masses, AKA fat people. The side bolsters are 6 inches from either side of me!! I suppose I am spoiled coming from argueably the best seats in the industry, the Volvo S60R!! They were phenominal, so soft and supportive!! Its like the seat was just holding you like a mother holds an infant!!

Well, I'm 6'2" and 280 and I'm very comfortable in the seats. I had to lower the seats a bit and fiddle with the settings to get the right fit but the bolsters are great. They are certainly better seats than the ones on my previous car (2002 ABP TL-S)

And TerminaderTL, you need to add to that list #12, XM radio presets only 6 per band (XM1, XM2), about 10-15 per band, even 20, would be great so you can store all of your favorite XM stations.