[//TMT]

How long does it take your steering wheel to become truly warm? In 18F temperatures today, mine was easily 10 minutes, maybe 20. It's toasty once it gets there, but it takes so long!

[dianebrat]

about 8-10 minutes from mid-20's to toasty
about 4-8 to be "I no longer need gloves"

[rice_rocket88]

I think I would agree.. maybe 5-10 minutes. Usually the time it takes for me to get all the way down the parking garage to the street it's warm enough. I do, however, think that the wheel isn't very toasty compared to my E60. I wish there was a way to code the temperature like the seats, but everyone I have inquired said they haven't found a setting for the steering wheel.

[Destroya]

Here we don’t often get severely cold weather. Instead it’s usually chill and damp so I find the heat level just right.

[billnchristy]

I shut it off at the second stoplight, maybe a mile into my journey. Seats go off at first light, I don’t like the feel of heated seats. I switch from defrost to vent at the second light too, it’s generally warm enough to tolerate it blowing on me by then.

[//TMT]

Originally Posted by rice_rocket88

... I wish there was a way to code the temperature like the seats, but everyone I have inquired said they haven't found a setting for the steering wheel.

I doubt there is one. It seems to be a simple on/off thing, built into the wheel itself unlike the seats, which are activated from the dash with selectable levels. And the wheel is special too, since we have to choose between heating and adaptive cruise presumably because of some button or other signal that doesn't cross over.

10 minutes sounds like the normal ballpark, sigh. Maybe we can wish for a "remote wheel heat on" button like a remote starter!

[Glazonyoursix]

The other day I turned it on and it barely heated up my steering wheel. Like it was Warm but not hot like other cars I've been in.

[Tom Tallon]

jeez guys you must have cold weather in the States. In the north east of England I find the wheel is warm at 1 minute and hot at 2 minutes! Only one gripe, my hand strays on to the broad silver cross bar on the wheel which is of course stone cold!

[Glazonyoursix]

Originally Posted by Tom Tallon

jeez guys you must have cold weather in the States. In the north east of England I find the wheel is warm at 1 minute and hot at 2 minutes! Only one gripe, my hand strays on to the broad silver cross bar on the wheel which is of course stone cold!

Weather in my state rarely gets cold. The day I turned it on it was 57F which is 13C. It's not like extremely cold either way but still was warm rather then Hot.

[xcelir8bmw]

2 minutes, full warmth for me.

[dianebrat]

Originally Posted by Tom Tallon

jeez guys you must have cold weather in the States. In the north east of England I find the wheel is warm at 1 minute and hot at 2 minutes! Only one gripe, my hand strays on to the broad silver cross bar on the wheel which is of course stone cold!

does -4c sound cold to you? that's what a lot of the Northeast US had this week, in my area it's not uncommon to be -12c in Jan/Feb, there are parts of the US that get much colder than we do, that's why I don't move there

[rice_rocket88]

It's also a lot to do with relative humidity.. in Canada where I come from the absolute temperature can be much lower but doesn't feel as miserable here in Boston. However last year I visited home (in Canada) it was like -40C or something.. balls it was cold, and the rental didn't have heated seats nor steering wheel.. egads! I remember a time growing up it was so cold it actually froze my transmission fluid. I pressed the clutch in to start the car but it wouldn't come back up. I had to sit in my idling car for 30 minutes or so before it came back up and I could drive!

[billnchristy]

I had a morning in ny where my shock fluid froze or more likely got super thick. Car was bouncing around like crazy and when everything warmed up got normal.

[//TMT]

It was +16F this morning, did some testing with bare hands.

7:01 start car, steering wheel heat on
7:03 first warmth perceptible
7:08 slight improvement in warmth/comfort
7:16 steering wheel actually feels warm
7:20 steering wheel noticeably warm, but definitely not toasty
7:21 arrive, disappointed

I'm sorry to say that I'm unimpressed with this feature. Maybe it's an issue, I'm going to take it up with the dealer.

[billnchristy]

Works great in Georgia

[Glazonyoursix]

Originally Posted by //TMT

It was +16F this morning, did some testing with bare hands.

7:01 start car, steering wheel heat on
7:03 first warmth perceptible
7:08 slight improvement in warmth/comfort
7:16 steering wheel actually feels warm
7:20 steering wheel noticeably warm, but definitely not toasty
7:21 arrive, disappointed

I'm sorry to say that I'm unimpressed with this feature. Maybe it's an issue, I'm going to take it up with the dealer.

My car is the exact same but for some odd reason after awhile the heated turns off then turns back on. Don't know if it's like that so it won't mess up the leather but it's weird.

[//TMT]

Today it was +23F and the same trip was more comfortable. I'd say the warmup stages were at least 5 minutes sooner. Still, this is definitely not an Arctic-sleigh type design.

[dianebrat]

Originally Posted by //TMT

Today it was +23F and the same trip was more comfortable. I'd say the warmup stages were at least 5 minutes sooner. Still, this is definitely not an Arctic-sleigh type design.

That's because you didn't order the reindeer edition...