[moldcad]

I did search this forum (plus some other 2-series ones), but haven't found anyone complaining about the strange and - let's be honest here - screwed combination of the driver's seat design, it's position (offset slightly to the right), and the resulting tendency of the driver's left leg to rest _over_the seat left bolster rather than both legs _between_ the 2 seat bolsters.

When I want to rest my left foot on the dead pedal, my thigh literally goes outside the in-between the bolsters position, and rests on top of the left bolser. Not only does it negate the very purpose of the seat (not backrest) bolsters, which is to keep me nailed to the seat in spite of the quite high G-forces the car is able of, but - after prolonged trips - causes serious fatigue of my left thigh

Hasn't anyone noticed it before me?

[3.0L]

No problem here. Everything seems to line up comfortably for me.

[bradM235]

I've done 30 hours driving over 2 days and never had any fatigue experience at all other than my eyes at night...

[dcfella]

I haven't felt any comfort issues on mine.

[davefromfla]

My seats are great. Couple 400+ mile trips and very comfortable.

[vh2720]

Whenever I first get into the seat, my thigh is slightly up on the left bolster, but then I shift and angle myself slightly to the right and the problem is solved. I have noticed that the bolsters hug me pretty tightly. I am glad I lost some weight before I got the car.

[moldcad]

Originally Posted by vh2720

Whenever I first get into the seat, my thigh is slightly up on the left bolster, but then I shift and angle myself slightly to the right and the problem is solved.

^^^this, but then your left foot is not naturally resting on the dead pedal, does it.

I wonder why You're the first persons out of the several who maintain they see no problem at all. Is this what we call being a fanboy?

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by moldcad

^^^this, but then your left foot is not naturally resting on the dead pedal, does it.

I wonder why You're the first persons out of the several who maintain they see no problem at all. Is this what we call being a fanboy?

It has nothing to do with being a fanboy, it's just ergonomics. Every person has a different range of body dimensions and proportions. It's possible that something about your seating position or proportions just doesn't agree with the seats. You might have wider thighs or longer legs, etc. I'm 6'4, 180'bs with long legs, this world has yet to make a pair of pants that fit me properly.

I have no issues with my seating position either. I drove 3000 miles on a road trip in my F30 and neither my wife nor I had any issues with comfort.

I'm modestly annoyed by the lack of pivoting headrests in the F22 but I've learned to deal since buying it and it hasn't bothered me.

[vh2720]

Originally Posted by moldcad

^^^this, but then your left foot is not naturally resting on the dead pedal, does it.

It does actually rest comfortably on the dead pedal then, it is just a slight shift to the right. I am pretty sensitive to comfort issues and I have not been bothered by it once I shift, but now that you brought it up it probably will start bothering me.

Pivoting headrests would definitely be on my wish list, but the headrest protrusion is less severe than in many cars.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

It has nothing to do with being a fanboy, it's just ergonomics. Every person has a different range of body dimensions and proportions. It's possible that something about your seating position or proportions just doesn't agree with the seats. You might have wider thighs or longer legs, etc. I'm 6'4, 180'bs with long legs, this world has yet to make a pair of pants that fit me properly.

I have no issues with my seating position either. I drove 3000 miles on a road trip in my F30 and neither my wife nor I had any issues with comfort.

I'm modestly annoyed by the lack of pivoting headrests in the F22 but I've learned to deal since buying it and it hasn't bothered me.

I am comfortable with the car as well at 6'2" and 185lbs. These seats are among the best fit/most comfortable I've had over several different brands' models .

[xtremcarl]

I have the same issue as moldcad on my 228xi with sports line. It does feel like the seat is slightly turned to the middle of the car which is causing me to have my thigh up on the bolster. Leaning the seat forward a bit has helped as its hitting the front of the bolster so it helps clear it a bit but still not perfect.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by vh2720

Whenever I first get into the seat, my thigh is slightly up on the left bolster, but then I shift and angle myself slightly to the right and the problem is solved. I have noticed that the bolsters hug me pretty tightly. I am glad I lost some weight before I got the car.

I take it that your seat bolsters are not adjustable?

[crawfordbay]

I have to agree with moldcad. I've had the same discomfort after an hour or two on the road and find I have to stop more often on long trips than in any car I've had to ease the pain. And I do mean pain. I'm only 5'7" 185 and 35 years old. Not sure why it gets so uncomfortable. The only thing that helps a little is cruise control and alternating the seating position every 20 minutes. But even that is not enough.

Maybe we are both sitting wrong? Any sitting tips?

[Supernaut]

I wish the bottom was a little more padded and get irritated "centrally" on long drives, but have no issues with the angle. Could the seat be aligned incorrectly - one side further forward than the other?

[hoppy6698]

Originally Posted by crawfordbay

I have to agree with moldcad. I've had the same discomfort after an hour or two on the road and find I have to stop more often on long trips than in any car I've had to ease the pain. And I do mean pain. I'm only 5'7" 185 and 35 years old. Not sure why it gets so uncomfortable. The only thing that helps a little is cruise control and alternating the seating position every 20 minutes. But even that is not enough.

Maybe we are both sitting wrong? Any sitting tips?

I have not had long drive pain or issues, but I also have not gone over 2 hours at single time so far. I guess if I get the chance to drive the PCH this fall (bucket list), I will find out. We are almost the same ht/wt and I have the same issue - my left foot does not naturally fall to the dead pedal location.

Again, its not uncomfortable, I just shift after getting in to get my left foot solid on the dead pedal and then I am fine. But maybe I do shift in my seat more than normal. Like VH said, I will probably notice more often now :P

[moldcad]

OK, so I was so curious that I checked it carefully, and voila! - it turns out the driver seat's rails on the car's floor are not parallel to the car main axis. It's designed so that the seat is twisted slightly inwards - this way, the driver has the steering wheels more or less in front of him, and not to the right (if the seat was placed parallel to the car's axis, the steering wheel would be off-center and to the right). Since the other reference point is the dead pedal, they must have chosen a sort of compromise between the two - the result being that if you want your leg in a natural position while resting the foot on the dead pedal, your thigh "axis" is again not parallel to the bolster - resulting in resting on top of it slightly rather than next to it... All is clear now, but somehow I can't think high on BMW engineers!

And mind you - I'm not comparing the M235i driver's uncomfortable sitting position to the F10 I used to have, which was big enough for the seats to be wider, steering wheel on its center axis, and dead pedal where your left foot lands naturally. The car I'm comparing it to is my other small car - the Golf R, which has perfect seats and seating position... So if it's possible in the VW, why not in the BMW?

[moldcad]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I take it that your seat bolsters are not adjustable?

Are yours? In the M235i, I mean...

The backrest bolsters are adjustable, but not the seat's ones...

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by moldcad

OK, so I was so curious that I checked it carefully, and voila! - it turns out the driver seat's rails on the car's floor are not parallel to the car main axis. It's designed so that the seat is twisted slightly inwards - this way, the driver has the steering wheels more or less in front of him, and not to the right (if the seat was placed parallel to the car's axis, the steering wheel would be off-center and to the right). Since the other reference point is the dead pedal, they must have chosen a sort of compromise between the two - the result being that if you want your leg in a natural position while resting the foot on the dead pedal, your thigh "axis" is again not parallel to the bolster - resulting in resting on top of it slightly rather than next to it... All is clear now, but somehow I can't think high on BMW engineers!

And mind you - I'm not comparing the M235i driver's uncomfortable sitting position to the F10 I used to have, which was big enough for the seats to be wider, steering wheel on its center axis, and dead pedal where your left foot lands naturally. The car I'm comparing it to is my other small car - the Golf R, which has perfect seats and seating position... So if it's possible in the VW, why not in the BMW?

So, driver's with shorter legs would likely notice this more than longer legged folks, correct?

[moldcad]

Absolutely correct. And I'm a rather short person, which I was hoping would be better for a small car like the 2-series....

[moldcad]

I think I might try to reposition the seat's sliders on the floor slightly to accommodate for my short legs , but hate to think about drilling in my new car's floor and such... I hope it'll be enough to elongate the bolt holes in one of the rails - e.g. the left one, to push it slightly backwards...

EDIT: I also think that my hexagon fabric/alcantara trim, which sticks to my trousers much more than leather would, adds to the problem by not allowing my thigh to "drop" from the bolster down and next to it...

[Kiwi]

I have no problems right hand drive.
Buy some quality manufacture cloths and you will not have any problems. Even my wife doesn't have your clothing problem and woman's cloths are bad for static.

[moldcad]

Thanks - I don't have "clothing problem", I just mean the coefficient of friction cloth-to-cloth is much higher then cloth-to-leather. Generally, it's a good thing - the cloth upholstery keeps your body much better, and you don't slide on it like on leather seats...