[parkstr8]

BMW produced 161,096 X5's in 2019.

I learned a long time ago forum members are the elite enthusiast owners. The number of owners on forums is minuscule for any brand or model.

https://www.best-selling-cars.com/us...ers-in-the-us/

I will edit this for context. Polls are always interesting. But not always telling. My 2016 Audi S6 is a good example. Only about 1600 sold in the US that year. Turbos started blowing on 2014-2017 models. All the owners on the forum lined up and also polled. High number of yes, turbos blew...I think about 80 total for 2016 MY for members on the forum. But there were about 1500 or so owners that year not on a forum. We had no idea if they were blowing or any other info. It was a high % regardless.

Now, take a Ford F150. 1.6 million sold each year. 95% of those owners are not on a forum. They are at work. Can you imagine if even a moderate amount of 1.6 mil owners (per year) were on forums and tried to track issues. SMH that would be a mess to even manage.

You see what I mean.

[Atchoom]

I think we can work AND share experience on a forum. If someone doesn’t like diverging point of view, being on a forum is not a good idea.
Yes, forums concentrate the positives and negatives; Highly concentrated. We cannot see trends from here, statistically wrong for sure. Not the point.

But that does not mean there is no topic to discuss. Even if it is a small scale concern, this is where we should share experiences and feedbacks. What’s the point in having a forum otherwise?

Sorry folks, I don’t ask anybody to agree or not. Just sharing experience to see if I am the only tight-ass to complain about those damn stitching. It helps sometimes to know you’re not alone

And if I am, well... proud to be unique...

[Frenetic]

Shameless self bump in the hopes of capturing more votes...

[UpstateCP]

Picked up my G05 with merino multi-contour last night and they are the most comfortable seats I've ever had. Coming from an F15 with non-sport Dakota seats.

[Frenetic]

Here's a summary as of today:

• 82 people responded (thank you).
• 9 people reported seat discomfort, which represents 11% of the respondents.
• Multi-Contour Seats in Merino reported the highest discomfort percentage at almost 30%.
• Merino seats reported a higher discomfort percentage than Vernasca at 12.5% to 9.5% respectively.
• Luxury-Seating reported the lowest discomfort at 2.9%.
• Multi-Contour (regardless of material) reported the highest discomfort at almost 19%.

Take it for whatever its worth, but that's a fairly high discomfort percentage. Also, isn't multi-contour and luxury seating identical sans for the massage function?

The leather material doesn't seem to influence the results and it was actually surprising to see more Merino leather seats reporting discomfort versus Vernasca.

In my opinion, poor quality control is playing a part in the discomfort reports. I think it comes down to variances in the foam used for the seat cushion, either in the material itself or the way it is built: some are just harder than the others. I verified this myself sitting in identical seats at a BMW dealership and others in this thread reported the same thing. Poor quality control.

[tellch00]

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Here's a summary as of today:

• 82 people responded (thank you).
• 9 people reported seat discomfort, which represents 11% of the respondents.
• Multi-Contour Seats in Merino reported the highest discomfort percentage at almost 30%.
• Merino seats reported a higher discomfort percentage than Vernasca at 12.5% to 9.5% respectively.
• Luxury-Seating reported the lowest discomfort at 2.9%.
• Multi-Contour (regardless of material) reported the highest discomfort at almost 19%.

Take it for whatever its worth, but that's a fairly high discomfort percentage. Also, isn't multi-contour and luxury seating identical sans for the massage function?

The leather material doesn't seem to influence the results and it was actually surprising to see more Merino leather seats reporting discomfort versus Vernasca.

In my opinion, poor quality control is playing a part in the discomfort reports. I think it comes down to variances in the foam used for the seat cushion, either in the material itself or the way it is built: some are just harder than the others. I verified this myself sitting in identical seats at a BMW dealership and others in this thread reported the same thing. Poor quality control.

The seats are really giving me trouble (multi contour merino). in your first post with the pictures, The pressure point you have in red is my issue. particularly the arrow closest to the seat back. you would think that pressure is felt on both sides of my hips/ass but it's only the right side (closer to center console).

i've tried further adjustments as some have suggested like increasing the tilt of seat bottom and tightening up the bolsters. not really helping. I've had multiple luxury cars/SUV's and there's something just not right. at least for me.

i don't think it's the firmness/hardness. as i said earlier there's nothing harder than the race seat i had in my 911 race car. that was comfy and felt totally tucked INTO the seat, as opposed to ON the seat.

[TK - 421]

Here's another question, how many of those that purchased multi contour seats had pre existing issues or 'required' comfort seats in the first place due to other influencing factors, like health, weight etc.. also consider the multi contour seats are not a standard seat either especially in merino. you need the same guy to sit in all the various seats, rate them, then get another 100 people to do the same for a more accurate reflection.
The multi contour merino seats are the comfiest of all the BMW seats when set up right, but, and there is a but, they still aren't comfy seats. Supportive yes, comfy not really. for me anyway. The pressure points are the issue with pretty much all BMW's newer seats, as mentioned above, right Hip, Thigh etc..
It's a real shame as it is a beautiful place to be in the new G05, just not for a long time.

[Frenetic]

Originally Posted by tellch00

The seats are really giving me trouble (multi contour merino). in your first post with the pictures, The pressure point you have in red is my issue. particularly the arrow closest to the seat back. you would think that pressure is felt on both sides of my hips/ass but it's only the right side (closer to center console).

i've tried further adjustments as some have suggested like increasing the tilt of seat bottom and tightening up the bolsters. not really helping. I've had multiple luxury cars/SUV's and there's something just not right. at least for me.

i don't think it's the firmness/hardness. as i said earlier there's nothing harder than the race seat i had in my 911 race car. that was comfy and felt totally tucked INTO the seat, as opposed to ON the seat.

Our right leg sits on the seat differently than our left leg because we use that leg to operate the pedals. I think that's why more people are having issues on the right side versus the left.

Consequently, I think the pressure point on the right side of the seat is tied to a myriad of issues: the seat hardness, the gas pedal angle and gas pedal position. They all must interplay somehow, but the root cause is variances in seat hardness. The harder the seat, the more the other factors come into play to cause pain in the right leg in my opinion. Also, when it comes to the pedal itself, I'm not sure if it is solely based on the angle anymore, I think the actual position also plays a role due to the transmission tunnel.

In other words, if the seats were built more consistently (i.e., softer), the pressure point on that right side might not be so pronounced. Of course, changes to the gas pedal could also potentially alleviate this issue, but it's just hard to tell. But my seat is hard as a rock. The seat cushion bolsters are also hard as a damn rock. The seats I tested at the dealership all felt different. It's like the seat lottery: are we the unlucky few who got poorly built or constructed seats?

That's what I call poor quality control.

[whtbst]

Why no Sensatec option listed in the poll? I find mine comfortable but definitely a bit firm, and the material texture could be substantially softer.

[Auricom]

Originally Posted by whtbst

Why no Sensatec option listed in the poll? I find mine comfortable but definitely a bit firm, and the material texture could be substantially softer.

OP's earlier post commented on unable to edit the poll once posted:

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Yeah I’m sorry I can’t edit the poll. I didn’t realize there were M Vernasca seats; I thought they were all Merino. You can place your vote in the M Sport nonetheless if you don’t mind?

As you mentioned there are also SensaTec 481 Sport Seats which is missing in the poll.

[Frenetic]

Originally Posted by whtbst

Why no Sensatec option listed in the poll? I find mine comfortable but definitely a bit firm, and the material texture could be substantially softer.

Yeah I apologize I left that out.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by Frenetic

So far 51 people responded. Of the 51 people who responded, 6 reported seat discomfort. This represents approximately 12% of the respondents.

The gas pedal response is even more telling. Of the 14 people who responded 5 reported issues or 36%.

Both percentages are high in my opinion. Assuming these numbers are representative or correlative of the X5 population as a whole (not likely, but lets assume for academic purposes), if 50,000 are sold, 6,000 people will have seat discomfort issues and 18,000 people will hate the gas pedal position/angle. That's a lot of potentially unhappy customers if you ask me. Whoever did their ergonomics and designed and/or manufactured the seats did a poor job based on these numbers.

Breakdown by category:
Base: 2 responded, 0 reported discomfort
Multi-Contour: 23 responded, 4 reported discomfort or 17%
Luxury Seating: 20 responded, 1 reported discomfort or 5%
Vernasca: 21 responded, 3 reported discomfort or 14%.
Merino: 30 responded, 3 reported discomfort or 10%

Please continue to vote if you haven't already done so.

Based on this survey, the leather quality doesn't seem to effect comfort. This was my experience in an F15, I have individual Merino leather and my friend has black Dakota - both Contour. My leather feels softer, comfort is the same. People who are noticing differences are probably doing so in different types of cars/seats. As far as I know the cushions are exactly the same in Dakota/vernasca or Merino. Also, the leather is very thin in all cases to make much of a difference.

Personally, I think the X5 seats are good if you're on the lighter side. Also, the G05 seats are more comfortable to me than the F15 - marginally, but noticeably.

[Frenetic]

I’m glad you resurrected this thread.

After a lot more driving time, the gas pedal angle and rake are the biggest issue; it’s still very uncomfortable, but it’s tolerable on long drives due to assisted driving and the fact I don’t have to use the gas pedal.

The seat issue centers on hardness more than anything else and it’s not nearly as comfortable as my Audi seat.

I’m 170 lbs btw.

[viperdoc]

I don't find the gas pedal position a problem but I do have pressure point issues on my right thigh from the leather stitching pattern on the seat bottom. I have the basic sport seats.

I figured out that with my seat the seam on the right side of the seat bottom is very thick and very firm. So while it is flat it doesn't give as much as the surrounding foam so I feel it within 10 minutes.

In multi contour seats the seam is stitched differently (much thinner seam) and after 40 minutes in a merino multi contour seat— no pain at all. So I think most of it is the pointless extra seams they are putting in the seat bottoms.

But I did have a loaner with sensatec with the same stitching pattern as my car and you could barely feel the same seam because the synthetic stretches better. I now have both a 45e and x7 on order with multi contour merino seats. I am hopefully they will be better.

[Frenetic]

I agree, there are definitely pressure points, but it’s due, more than anything else, to the seat hardness.

[tellch00]

Funny this thread came back up. Have had the car a little over a year and the seats are killing me lol. I know this is incredibly subjective but there is something that just doesn't jive with me. Have had many high end cars/suv's and i've not experienced anything like this. Hell, the race seats/harnesses in my 911 were more comfortable than these lol.

for me, i think it's the rake/angle of the gas pedal. I also think (for me) the gas pedal is too centered. I wish my right leg would have more room to the right.

I actually was on line last week looking at other car choices. I'll probably not do anything but was looking around. I absolutely love everything else about the car. Thankfully I don't drive nearly as much as I used to. If I did, I would definitely have to think seriously of getting something else.

[DgjoX6M2016]

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Curious how many people are having issues with their seat. Some common complaints include:

1. Too hard/pressure points.
2. Can't find a comfortable position.
3. Stitching sticks out.
4. Gas pedal position and/or angle.

The poll is private but please only select one seat option and one gas pedal option. I hope I captured everything. Feel free to add comments about what is precisely bothering you. Thanks.

Here are my issues:
1. Seat is too hard/pressure points.
2. Gas pedal angle. Although the exact reason is kind of speculative. I think it's multi-faceted in terms of the gas pedal being floor attached versus top attached and the angle.

We have the multi contour with the individual ivory merino leather (has the diamond pattern). Just drove from CT to FL and they were amazing. Not one pressure point or need to shift position in seat. Perfect balance of leather softness and support.

Was super surprised as our Merc GL before this SAV had massage and top line leather and they would cause some long term pressure or sore spots.

For comfort, the combo I mention above can't be beat. For lateral support if throwing the SAV around, there would be an issue. That's the trade off. My F86 seats in merino are awfully firm, but lock you in.

Need to pick your use case.

[tellch00]

Thinking more about this, i'm assuming the seats, say on a 5 series are the same? maybe i'll go sit in a 5 and see what it's like. Again, I think the biggest issue for me is the gas pedal angle and how far to the left it is, if that makes sense. meaning, i wish my right leg would have more room toward the console.

[Auricom]

Originally Posted by tellch00

Thinking more about this, i'm assuming the seats, say on a 5 series are the same? maybe i'll go sit in a 5 and see what it's like. Again, I think the biggest issue for me is the gas pedal angle and how far to the left it is, if that makes sense. meaning, i wish my right leg would have more room toward the console.

456 Multi-contour seating, with/without ventilation and massage features, is identical across BMW 5/X5 Series up to 7/X7 Series models. Differences will be leather options and patterns.

But the difference is the possibility that the H-point (hip-point) height where the seat is mounted to the body which can change the geometry of how a driver adjusts the seating position relative to controls - pedals, steering, etc.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by Auricom

456 Multi-contour seating, with/without ventilation and massage features, is identical across BMW 5/X5 Series up to 7/X7 Series models. Differences will be leather options and patterns.

But the difference is the possibility that the H-point (hip-point) height where the seat is mounted to the body which can change the geometry of how a driver adjusts the seating position relative to controls - pedals, steering, etc.

Initially, it took a little adjusting. But once I had dialed in the multi-contour seats, I find them to be the most comfortable from a driving perspective. I have set two settings, one for comfort and one for sport. I also noticed that being able to recline the rear seat a bit is also helpful for longer drives for the rear passenger.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by DgjoX6M2016

We have the multi contour with the individual ivory merino leather (has the diamond pattern). Just drove from CT to FL and they were amazing. Not one pressure point or need to shift position in seat. Perfect balance of leather softness and support.

Was super surprised as our Merc GL before this SAV had massage and top line leather and they would cause some long term pressure or sore spots.

For comfort, the combo I mention above can't be beat. For lateral support if throwing the SAV around, there would be an issue. That's the trade off. My F86 seats in merino are awfully firm, but lock you in.

Need to pick your use case.

One thing I have learnt from both my current, past and even Tesla cars is that the comfort of the seat is determined mostly by the design and not the material. So having the highest quality soft Hermes leather on a poorly designed seat (bolster and placement) will cause more fatigue than a properly designed plastic seat. For people who have Herman Miller plastic chairs in their office, you know how they are typically more comfortable than the non-ergonomic leather office chairs.

Just like a Herman Miller chair, BMW multi-contour seats (just the seat) are the most adjustable and ergonomic that I have used in my life. I think Tesla's out-of-the-box is probably more comfortable but once you dial in the multi-contour it is as good as it gets.

However, like anything, it won't work for everyone. Allowing for pedal adjustment would have been even better. But looks like BMW is looking to streamline their options. I would rather have pedal adjustment rather than a glass shift knob or even massage seats. JMHO.

The current results of this poll show the ratio of comfortable to uncomfortable between base vernasca and multi-contour Merino to be the same! Not just that, but the best ratio is multi-contour Vernasca. So is the result showing that you are most likely to have a comfortable seat with Multi-contour Vernasca?

[Auricom]

Originally Posted by FCX5

The current results of this poll show the ratio of comfortable to uncomfortable between base vernasca and multi-contour Merino to be the same! Not just that, but the best ratio is multi-contour Vernasca. So is the result showing that you are most likely to have a comfortable seat with Multi-contour Vernasca?

Poll seating options is incorrect - base Merino seats are 456 Multi-contour.

You'll need to add base Merino seats and Merino multi-contour votes together.

Though it only nets +2 points.

Adding ventilation and massaging hardware will reduce the padding where some owners find the luxury multi-contour not as comfortable as standard multi-contour.

Fact is Merino leather is softer than Vernasca and both are available with identical seating hardware.

Though I do agree with your observations that current Merino doesn't seem as luxurious as Individual Merino extended available on prior gen - ZAFU Smoke white, ZAML - Nutmeg, ZAN3 - Taupe, ZAP3 - Criollo, ZAP5 - Amaro Brown or full Merino from Manufaktur Individual program.

Luckily X5/6 owners don't have to sweat over seating comfort and options compared to X3/4 owners.