I'm coming from a 2008 TL with physical buttons for heated seats. In winter (in Wisconsin), I just left the button set on high and they were always on. With my 2016 TLX, the heated seat function is now a digital toggle and it turns itself off every time the car is powered off.

Is there any way to have it set to on automatically, every time I start the car? It's annoying to have to wait for the system to boot up, click heated seat, and then select the heat level.

 

You are correct. With the Technology trim level:

1) There is no known way to turn them on and leave them.
2) You have to turn them back on every time you start the car.
3) It's a very poor user interface. True it's a "first world problem" but it's a pain.

My wife and I went black Friday shopping and we were in and out of the car probably 10 times. After the third or fourth stop even my wife started to complain about how the lack of a physical button is stupid.

 

Maybe this is different with the Advance package which has heated/cooled seats. Setting the climate on auto and the seats heat or cool automatically as needed. Of course this does not do the "hot seat" warn up that my old TL had. Still, here in So Cal that is not a serious issue. (Even though my wife used the feature often.)

 

I do not think this feature differs between Tech and Advance. Also, you can, of course, manually override the seat heating.