[mnx5er]

Has anyone sat in the Multicontour and Luxury seats? I'm wondering if the regular multi contour is more comfortable since it does not have the fan or massaging stuff in it?

I cannot find both on a dealer lot. I have the luxury seats now for 17K and am considering a G05 with multi contour instead. Historically the multi contour seats have been excellent.

Thanks

[mmm50i]

Originally Posted by mnx5er

Has anyone sat in the Multicontour and Luxury seats? I'm wondering if the regular multi contour is more comfortable since it does not have the fan or massaging stuff in it?

I cannot find both on a dealer lot. I have the luxury seats now for 17K and am considering a G05 with multi contour instead. Historically the multi contour seats have been excellent.

Thanks

From what I’ve read, the main issue is the ventilated seats option. It makes the entire seat less cushiony

[Marty in NY]

There's a lot going on in those seats between the heating, ventilation and air bag massage. Mine have all that and I find them to be harder than I was hoping for but there seems to be a price to pay to get all those features. I can tell you that I have gotten used to them and I do appreciate all those features. In NY I use the heating, I think it's the first button I press after starting the car, then the steering wheel heater. I just drove down to Florida and used the massage most of the way down, I'd rather have a roller for my spine but the bumpy massage did in fact help and now that I'm down here I use the ventilation and it works well to prevent a sweaty backside.

[E91toG05]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

There's a lot going on in those seats between the heating, ventilation and air bag massage. Mine have all that and I find them to be harder than I was hoping for but there seems to be a price to pay to get all those features. I can tell you that I have gotten used to them and I do appreciate all those features. In NY I use the heating, I think it's the first button I press after starting the car, then the steering wheel heater. I just drove down to Florida and used the massage most of the way down, I'd rather have a roller for my spine but the bumpy massage did in fact help and now that I'm down here I use the ventilation and it works well to prevent a sweaty backside.

No need to push the buttons when you are in NY cold - set up a rule to run the heaters when it gets cold!

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by E91toG05

No need to push the buttons when you are in NY cold - set up a rule to run the heaters when it gets cold!

I did that when I first got the car but in reality I found that sometimes I didn't want the heated seats on even though it was cold out so I turned that feature off and simply hit the button. Actually, when I first got the car, I read through the manual and then went out and configured it so all the features that could be automated, were. Once I started driving it, I started turning a number of the automated features off, they were just, .....well.....too automated for me I mean I really like bacon but don't want to eat it every day

[E91toG05]

Ha! I actually did same. Moved from Fla to NY (backwards move, I know) and at first turned on the automated heating options but eventually left them in manual for same reasons you state…

[Bakdraft21]

Originally Posted by mnx5er

Has anyone sat in the Multicontour and Luxury seats? I'm wondering if the regular multi contour is more comfortable since it does not have the fan or massaging stuff in it?

I cannot find both on a dealer lot. I have the luxury seats now for 17K and am considering a G05 with multi contour instead. Historically the multi contour seats have been excellent.

Thanks

Newbie here so be ez....I don't see an option for these mentioned types of seats,I must be missing something?? I'm looking to do the massage seats as I had them in a Escalade and they were great....TIA

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by Bakdraft21

Newbie here so be ez....I don't see an option for these mentioned types of seats,I must be missing something?? I'm looking to do the massage seats as I had them in a Escalade and they were great....TIA

They should be there.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

There's a lot going on in those seats between the heating, ventilation and air bag massage. Mine have all that and I find them to be harder than I was hoping for but there seems to be a price to pay to get all those features. I can tell you that I have gotten used to them and I do appreciate all those features. In NY I use the heating, I think it's the first button I press after starting the car, then the steering wheel heater. I just drove down to Florida and used the massage most of the way down, I'd rather have a roller for my spine but the bumpy massage did in fact help and now that I'm down here I use the ventilation and it works well to prevent a sweaty backside.

I have multi contour with just heater in them, they are very soft.
I have a g05 loaner with the standard seat, they are like rocks.
Do you find the multi contour wirh all the bells and whistles still softer than the standard seat?

[Bakdraft21]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

They should be there.

I checked the build your own options and do not see the luxury seating part option?? I guess I could just ask at the dealership, or being new to BMW I am just missing it??? Thanks for all the info, will probably ask a few more freshman questions, bare with me..

[mlurker]

Originally Posted by Bakdraft21

I checked the build your own options and do not see the luxury seating part option?? I guess I could just ask at the dealership, or being new to BMW I am just missing it??? Thanks for all the info, will probably ask a few more freshman questions, bare with me..

If you're building a car online, "luxury seating package" available for both x5 40i and x5 45e on US BMW website.

[Bakdraft21]

Originally Posted by mlurker

If you're building a car online, "luxury seating package" available for both x5 40i and x5 45e on US BMW website.

Ok figured it out, yes I was looking at the M series which I want.....its NOT a option, what seats comes with the M50i would be the question, if I get massage seats???

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

I have multi contour with just heater in them, they are very soft.
I have a g05 loaner with the standard seat, they are like rocks.
Do you find the multi contour wirh all the bells and whistles still softer than the standard seat?

It's been so long since I sat on the no frill seats that I don't remember what they were like. I have the merino leather, its great, the leather itself is soft and pliable and as you sit in the seat, you start to sink it till a certain point where it becomes very firm, too firm for my liking and that's why I blame all the internals.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by Bakdraft21

Ok figured it out, yes I was looking at the M series which I want.....its NOT a option, what seats comes with the M50i would be the question, if I get massage seats???

The Multi-Contour seats with ventilation are standard on the M50i. Adding massage gets you the equivalent of the Luxury Seating package.

[chefwong]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

There's a lot going on in those seats between the heating, ventilation and air bag massage.

THIS. I've been just saying less foam due to more guts in the coverings

[Celos]

I have a 2023 45e with Sensafin and luxury seating. I’m only a month in but the seats felt pretty uncomfortable at first. With all the supply chain difficulties last year, I hadn’t really been able to try out the seats in that configuration. I ordered them based on the features.

I have found that adjusting the seating position has been really helpful. I initially thought they were too firm and the gap between the main seat pan and the thigh bolster was in a really bad spot. I was in post-purchase regret mode. I’ve had a couple tailbone injuries and was concerned that I was going to exacerbate old pains.

I ended up needing to lower the seat more than I would have thought. With a bit of break-in and some adjustments to seating position I now quite like them. I took a roughly five hour drive to the mountains a couple weeks back and was very comfortable. The heating and massage were very useful on that drive.

That all said, seats are very individual. Some people would choose a wooden chair, some want the pillowy lounge.

[MystroX5]

The seats are designed by osteopaths. They are firm but like a good mattress, firm is better than mushy. I drove 1100 miles in one day beating an ice storm up the mid Atlantic coast from Florida to PA. The massaging and ventilated seats were a big contributor how my wife and I could do that and be in comfort. You have to dial them in after a few hours of driving to your body type to get them perfect because short trips don’t give your body enough time to calibrate them.

What I found optimal for long distance cannonball driving is if you keep the ventilation on low all the time as it eliminates any swamp butt or hotspots. Then adjust your front thigh supports out closer to your knees. This distributes your weight from your butt and lower back all the way down your thighs to almost your knees. Get this right and you almost feel like you’re in a cockpit flying a jet. Activate massage as needed.

[Bakdraft21]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

The Multi-Contour seats with ventilation are standard on the M50i. Adding massage gets you the equivalent of the Luxury Seating package.

once again TB thanks for the info...

[Justgothere]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

It's been so long since I sat on the no frill seats that I don't remember what they were like. I have the merino leather, its great, the leather itself is soft and pliable and as you sit in the seat, you start to sink it till a certain point where it becomes very firm, too firm for my liking and that's why I blame all the internals.

I’m getting merino leather and we’re trying to decide if we should skip the massage and ventilation features, for this reason. We don’t want to reduce the comfort of the seat. Has anyone tried merino leather with and without?

[Justgothere]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

The seats are designed by osteopaths. They are firm but like a good mattress, firm is better than mushy. I drove 1100 miles in one day beating an ice storm up the mid Atlantic coast from Florida to PA. The massaging and ventilated seats were a big contributor how my wife and I could do that and be in comfort. You have to dial them in after a few hours of driving to your body type to get them perfect because short trips don’t give your body enough time to calibrate them.

What I found optimal for long distance cannonball driving is if you keep the ventilation on low all the time as it eliminates any swamp butt or hotspots. Then adjust your front thigh supports out closer to your knees. This distributes your weight from your butt and lower back all the way down your thighs to almost your knees. Get this right and you almost feel like you’re in a cockpit flying a jet. Activate massage as needed.

Thank you. We’re getting merino leather and trying to decide whether to skip the ventilation and massage. It sounds like you’re a fan. But others say it lessens the comfort / cushion of the seat.

[Fahrfun]

Originally Posted by Justgothere

Thank you. We’re getting merino leather and trying to decide whether to skip the ventilation and massage. It sounds like you’re a fan. But others say it lessens the comfort / cushion of the seat.

As many have stated before, it ultimately comes down to the individual’s physique. I’m in the “bony ass category” and less tolerant to firm, ungiving seats. My wife on the other hand can handle anything but a park bench on long rides.

My recommendation is to absolutely try before you buy. Unlike shoes ordered online through Amazon Prime, a car is not an easy free return if you don’t like it. One may even consider a Turo rental for testing it out, if it really matters. Here is my personal story, timely for this thread.

In 2019, the Merino comfort with heating ONLY were the softest most comfortable seats I’d experienced in a BMW. That was an X5 50i. This was also the era of “wrinkle gate”, which may have been related to it as a side effect of that plushness. Then last June, when I sat in the M50i I ended up buying, I thought crap, these are hard with vent and massage. I also noticed the rears were as tight as a guitar string without wrinkles. Anyway, because I wanted the dynamic handling package and all the other options that came with it, and supply was so tight, I convinced myself I’d get used to them. Fast forward to today. Just came back from a 4000 mile road trip yesterday. By the end of the second day of that trip, we had decided to sell the car when I get back and already placed an order for a different vehicle during the trip.

So, if you absolutely can’t test sit the seats and are going to buy before you try, and value cushion comfort over everything else in a seat, I recommend the Merino comfort seat with the heating only, i.e. no vents nor massage.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Fahrfun

Fast forward to today. Just came back from a 4000 mile road trip. By the end of the second day of that trip, I had decided to sell the car when I get back and placed an order for a different brand without all that hardware built into the seat.

Yup, this was my experience as well. I use the massage and ventilation but dang, sitting in the seat on a trip makes my butt start complaining.