Ventilated seats?

[basscadet]

Any chance we will see an option for ventilated seats in this car? Seems to be a pretty common option these days. Even some of my Avis rentals lately have come with the cooled seats.

[BMW Haus]

I don't think so, as the 3 series in general does not offer cooled seats. In shopping ATS, 3 series, Q50, S4, its not a common option. It seems like they all want you to move up a class for that option. Example CTS, 5 series, A6/S6, Now you do see it on cheaper cars like the new Impala/Taurus/300 and a lot of the Kia(Korean) models.

[m2michael23]

i saw a guy did a aftermarket vent seat on his f30 in China. pretty awesome feature!
i ll find out the photo and post on here.

[Rookie84]

It's lame of BMW to not offer it. Lexus offers ventilated seats in IS. If Lexus can do it, why not BMW? It's not that costly(well, BMW will charge for the option anyway) nor require significant level of engineering to the seats to include the feature.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by Rookie84

It's lame of BMW to not offer it. Lexus offers ventilated seats in IS. If Lexus can do it, why not BMW? It's not that costly(well, BMW will charge for the option anyway) nor require significant level of engineering to the seats to include the feature.

The ventilated seats on my wife's IS 350 are fantastic. I have no experience with the BMW ventilated seats but I have read a lot of comments on the boards about them. And they don't seem to work all that well.

[GOLFFRR]

Originally Posted by m2michael23

i saw a guy did a aftermarket vent seat on his f30 in China. pretty awesome feature!
i ll find out the photo and post on here.

def post that up I would be interested in seeing how and what they did

[aajami]

I must be getting old if people are calling for ventilated seats in a sports car.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by aajami

I must be getting old if people are calling for ventilated seats in a sports car.

I was also hoping for a Jacuzzi and a wet bar.

[m2michael23]

This is what I found.

[BMW Haus]

Originally Posted by aajami

I must be getting old if people are calling for ventilated seats in a sports car.

CTS-V has them, and thats a pretty sporty car. Although i understand what you are getting at. Most sporty cars don't offer cooled seats.

[gblansten]

Originally Posted by BMW Haus

CTS-V has them, and thats a pretty sporty car. Although i understand what you are getting at. Most sporty cars don't offer cooled seats.

Porsche does.

[///M ARMY]

Will the m has optional seats besides standard ?

[Rookie84]

Sports car or not, it is a nice feature to have and it does not add a ton of weight. Maybe 10 lbs per seat maximum. Anyway, there are aftermarket solutions available but I wish BMW offered it as a factory option.

[BMW Haus]

Originally Posted by Rookie84

Sports car or not, it is a nice feature to have and it does not add a ton of weight. Maybe 10 lbs per seat maximum. Anyway, there are aftermarket solutions available but I wish BMW offered it as a factory option.

I agree, M cars are big boy toys, and you should have the option of selecting cooled seats. For the race car guys, don't force them and make it standard, just an option PLEASE.

[basscadet]

Originally Posted by aajami

I must be getting old if people are calling for ventilated seats in a sports car.

The M3 is not a sports car.
GM offers it in the Corvette, Porsche offers it in the 911 (both ARE sports cars)

It's not a significant weight increase to add ventilated seats.

Mercedes offers it on the C-class, including the C63 AMG. Hell, even a Kia Optima comes with this option.

What's BMW's excuse? We don't all live in the Alps and need ski pass-thrus and heated mirrors, but those are made available to us. (which I do appreciate).

[tdizzle]

BMW likes to keep some options/features in the 5 series and above. The poor 3 series shouldn't have all the cool luxury features as the big dogs even if it's not a costly move to make. The marketing team probably puts a lock on certain things until it becomes a standard feature, then the 3 series can get it as optional.

Too cynical?

Only logical reason I could come up with as you can get some of these options on Kias and Nissans but not on a 335 or M3.

[basscadet]

Originally Posted by m2michael23

This is what I found.

Thanks for posting that!

I am sure it is not a cheap customization. If I lived any further south I would consider cooled seats mandatory. Especially since the technology has been around forever, is proven, and has such real relief from the heat.

My wife's '12 Jeep Grand Cherokee has ventilated seats and it is mind-blowing just how less fatiguing driving around in the heat is with the seats keeping you cool. It sounds like a stupid feature but once you try it out, it is hard to go back.

[535DMSport]

Originally Posted by aajami

I must be getting old if people are calling for ventilated seats in a sports car.

Or fat, so they are not soaked even with the airconditioning on.

[tdizzle]

I think it should be an option at least, who knows how many people would grab it out of necessity.

I think I've used my heated seats twice in over a year. Didn't even bother turning them on and it was 36 degrees on my way to work this morning. This is coming from a southerner who would probably appreciate ventilated seats more than heated given how hot it gets.

[basscadet]

Originally Posted by tdizzle

Too cynical?

Only logical reason I could come up with as you can get some of these options on Kias and Nissans but not on a 335 or M3.

Probably not too cynical. Good point.

If this is the way BMW thinks they really need to stop. I reject the idea that the 5 class is "more upscale" than the 3 class. I do not want nor do I need a bigger car like the 5-series. I am willing to pay more to have the features I want in the car I want. Why must I settle for a larger, heavier car?

[jbockrd]

Wouldn't that add weight that everyone on this forum is trying to shed?

[jbockrd]

Originally Posted by basscadet

The M3 is not a sports car.
GM offers it in the Corvette, Porsche offers it in the 911 (both ARE sports cars)

It's not a significant weight increase to add ventilated seats.

Mercedes offers it on the C-class, including the C63 AMG. Hell, even a Kia Optima comes with this option.

What's BMW's excuse? We don't all live in the Alps and need ski pass-thrus and heated mirrors, but those are made available to us. (which I do appreciate).

The Kia needs something to market those cars and the Merc AMGs are tanks already, so whats a few more pounds? Maybe its not something that is essential for the M's?