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BMW X1 (F48) and X2 (F39) Forums General BMW X1 Forum (F48) Some Newbie questions/comments re Sports Seats

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      02-01-2016, 07:10 PM   #1
hwitten
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Some Newbie questions/comments re Sports Seats

I've been searching for a while for a tech'd out replacement for our '13 Santa Fe Sport.

Almost by fluke I looked at some reviews on the '16 X1 and what stood out was all the complaints about BMW straying from their famous sport feel/drive.
That was exactly why I had not considered BMW in my search.
Comfort has always been my priority, even more so now, being in senior years. Lincoln's were looked at but eventually taken off the list due to size and lack of tech.

Until I drove the X1 today, Lexus NX200t was the only vehicle left on my list.

However.... The X1 in the Canadian market seems to only come with sport seats, with the manual thigh extension. I found it quiet comfy but my wife not so much. While the seat itself was "not bad", she commented that getting out seemed a bit awkward. I'm sure it's dues to the sides on the sport seats as we're probably just used to turning and then standing up.

My question is that with time, do the sides get appreciably softer?
Coming from regular seats to the sport, does one get used to them easily or is it going to be an "I told you so" for as long as we own the car?

The X1 would be our primary vehicle, meaning grocery runs with lots of in and out as well as occasional longer trips.
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      02-01-2016, 09:45 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hwitten View Post
I've been searching for a while for a tech'd out replacement for our '13 Santa Fe Sport.

Almost by fluke I looked at some reviews on the '16 X1 and what stood out was all the complaints about BMW straying from their famous sport feel/drive.
That was exactly why I had not considered BMW in my search.
Comfort has always been my priority, even more so now, being in senior years. Lincoln's were looked at but eventually taken off the list due to size and lack of tech.

Until I drove the X1 today, Lexus NX200t was the only vehicle left on my list.

However.... The X1 in the Canadian market seems to only come with sport seats, with the manual thigh extension. I found it quiet comfy but my wife not so much. While the seat itself was "not bad", she commented that getting out seemed a bit awkward. I'm sure it's dues to the sides on the sport seats as we're probably just used to turning and then standing up.

My question is that with time, do the sides get appreciably softer?
Coming from regular seats to the sport, does one get used to them easily or is it going to be an "I told you so" for as long as we own the car?

The X1 would be our primary vehicle, meaning grocery runs with lots of in and out as well as occasional longer trips.
Hi there. I believe you might be mistaken about the sport seats as standard equipment. I have them as part of an option package but the one I tested did not have them. I have had this X1 for 2 months now and while the seats are super comfortable with the extensions for driving I must agree with your wife that getting in the vehicle takes a little manuveuring. The bolsters are quite prominent but do keep you in place around corners. I find moving the steering wheel up and away makes the process a bit easier.
Apart from that once inside...things are wonderful. Lovely interior and lots of fun to drive. The car feels very secure and sure footed. I found the Lexus a little tight inside and the price was quite a bit more than the X1 when optioned as I wanted it.
Best of luck with whatever you and your wife decide.
Cheers
Howard
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      02-01-2016, 10:08 PM   #3
hwitten
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I guess I phrased that badly... any package that includes goodies, has sport seats in it. I.e. pano roof, HUD and all the other good tech.

Seats seem to be a bit of a double-edged sword. The regulars look short in the seat area in pictures. That's what we found with Subaru when we bought the Santa Fe.
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      02-02-2016, 01:05 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hwitten View Post
I guess I phrased that badly... any package that includes goodies, has sport seats in it. I.e. pano roof, HUD and all the other good tech.

Seats seem to be a bit of a double-edged sword. The regulars look short in the seat area in pictures. That's what we found with Subaru when we bought the Santa Fe.
Lots of GVA members on the X1 forums! Should make for a nice meet if we ever have one.

I don't think the F48's have been around long enough to tell how durable the side bolsters are... but I'd imagine that if you're not putting your full weight on them while getting in and out of the car, they should hold up nicely.

I've read in several threads that people who found the regular seats too "short" in the femur/thigh area really loved the sport seats.

Which dealer would you get yours from? Langley? I have a contact at another dealer if you're interested... just pm me!
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      02-02-2016, 06:19 AM   #5
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Just goes to show that one size doesn't fit all! The shortness of the standard seat cushion was one of the deciding factors in our buying the X1, as my wife found the cushions too long for comfort in almost everything else we tried.

If only the sports seats had more adjustment on the front bolster, I'd have preferred them.

Love the car in almost every other way.
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      02-03-2016, 06:39 PM   #6
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You can always take the car to a good auto upholster and have the side bolsters on the Sports seats modified.
A mate of mine just did that on his X3's Sport seats.
The Upholster reduced the bolster height by 1" (25mm). The seats still look sporty but it is easier to slide across them. I drove his X3 before and after, as it is only the seat, it still holds and supports very well.
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      02-03-2016, 09:34 PM   #7
hwitten
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Had the X1 booked for 3 hours this evening, primarily for seats.
After 2 hours we called it a fail.

Seats not only too narrow but the handle that makes the thigh adjustment ended up being very obtrusive and the extended seat portion is not very well padded. Simply not comfortable.

At they end, an unhappy wife just wouldn't do so I'll be backing off the X1
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      02-03-2016, 10:50 PM   #8
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Not sure how an experienced car maker like BMW could design such controversial seats. Seriously they have been making car seats for years! And they should have had feedback from 2 Series Active Tourer buyers/owners already given the seats are almost the same design. There is something not quite right about the X1 seats, both the standard ones and sports seats.

Standard seats - way too flat, quite narrow and the bases are too short. They are like 3/4 size seats. I was getting a slight leg cramp from lack of thigh support after only 10 mins of sitting in one. And I'm not a tall person by any means.

Sports seats - thigh extension design isn't great, cushion has a hard, straight edge at the front rather than gently curving downwards, with the plastic extension handle and under-seat storage directly below the thin cushion's edge. Cushion should have been slightly shorter at the fully-retracted position to allow for a greater range of drivers. Side bolsters make for a snug sporty fit but may not suit larger physiques.

Having tried both seats I decided I couldn't live with the standard seats for any length of time so definitely needed the sports seats, even though they aren't perfect.

Last edited by PF1; 02-03-2016 at 10:56 PM..
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      02-03-2016, 10:53 PM   #9
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Gosh, that IS interesting. My wife refused both the MB GLA and Audi Q3 because of the short, unsupportive seats. Nor was she (or I) impressed by the standard X1 seats. But the optional X1 sports seats? Just right!!
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      02-04-2016, 12:17 AM   #10
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The GLA & A-Class used to have short seats (I find it short in the thigh region on long trips) but the 2016 update has new seats with thigh extension as standard. I think the new MB seats are better designed than the X1 seats:



vs

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      02-04-2016, 02:41 AM   #11
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Nice To read, I have the sport seats and I came from a Volvo (where the seats are amazing) and the first weeks I had back problems, I really had to get use to the Seats of BMW, but now I am used to them, they are firm but give a good grip of the body especially when u inflate the side a bit

I liked the design of the X1 so much, I had to have one despite of the seats and now I even like them they use this seats also in Mini Cooper and more models of BMW so after u get used to them they will be fine
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      12-02-2018, 06:07 PM   #12
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Precisely.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PF1 View Post
Not sure how an experienced car maker like BMW could design such controversial seats. Seriously they have been making car seats for years! And they should have had feedback from 2 Series Active Tourer buyers/owners already given the seats are almost the same design. There is something not quite right about the X1 seats, both the standard ones and sports seats.

Standard seats - way too flat, quite narrow and the bases are too short. They are like 3/4 size seats. I was getting a slight leg cramp from lack of thigh support after only 10 mins of sitting in one. And I'm not a tall person by any means.

Sports seats - thigh extension design isn't great, cushion has a hard, straight edge at the front rather than gently curving downwards, with the plastic extension handle and under-seat storage directly below the thin cushion's edge. Cushion should have been slightly shorter at the fully-retracted position to allow for a greater range of drivers. Side bolsters make for a snug sporty fit but may not suit larger physiques.

Having tried both seats I decided I couldn't live with the standard seats for any length of time so definitely needed the sports seats, even though they aren't perfect.
Why does the thigh extension not retract further back? When it's fully retracted it still sticks out.
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      12-03-2018, 03:35 PM   #13
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I've found that if I'm not very careful getting into my X1 front sports seats (drivers seat RHD car), because the cushion side bolsters are so high, if I'm wearing trousers with a button on the rear right pocket, the leather is so thin that it can get quite scuffed. I have to either ensure the button isn't fastened, or get into the car very carefully (and I'm not oversize with a 34" waist!).
I was concerned to see the marks but, fortunately, found a UK eBay seller from whom I bought a small leather repair kit at £9.95 (just a single bottle product). I applied it with a cotton bud and, as per instructions, carefully dried it with a hair dryer on low heat and the scuffs have now disappeared. The leather is Canberra Beige and the colour match looks perfect although, for what it may be worth, it did state on the sellers eBay site that they supply to BMW/Rolls Royce. They certainly supply a very wide range of colours.
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