[XenaBimmer]

Give it some more time and try different settings. If all fails, you could always swap out the drivers seat

[nicknaz]

I think the lumbar support might be something specific to you, or your current seating position. I think personally if there is a gap between your lower back the seat back, that is a symptom that changes need to be made in your driving position

You can also try other stuff like putting a towel behind your back

[Falafel Combo]

VW does make damn good seats, but make no mistake, BMW and Volvo are the best in the business.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

VW does make damn good seats, but make no mistake, BMW and Volvo are the best in the business.

So they say. All I know is that the seats in the GTI were perfect. They had manual control and required very little fiddling to get right. The seats in my wife's Tiguan are crap. The seats in the GLI I drove were not great. The seats in the CC R Line I test drove were nice. Hit and miss I guess.

The car is a lease and its pretty unlikely I'll swap out the driver's seat, seems pretty extreme. I did get this self inflatable lumbar thing in the mail today so we'll see if that helps. Absurd that its come to that honestly. Really its my only qualm with the car all in all. I can't fault the car for options it didn't come with except lumbar not being started is straight out of the dark ages but oh well.

[DesertSmokeBBQ]

Get a small lumbar pillow, problem solved

[CLittle]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

I have the electric Sport seats with lumbar option and I really wish I could raise the front of the seat bottom while keeping the rear of the seat bottom low. My seats will only raise/lower the entire seat.

The seat bottom can tilt if you press the seat bottom button in a certain way. Lift the whole button to lift the seat. Slide the button back and forth to slide the entire seat. Tilt the front of the button to tilt the seat up and down.

[Professor///M]

Chiropractors can be quacks. Get a second opinion.

[rallybull]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

I realize there are other threads on this but I figured I'd share my story. I have had the car almost three months and cannot for the life of me get comfortable in these seats. I have the 10 way adjustable manual sport seats, no lumbar and since getting the car I have developed chronic low back pain which I have never had before. I never had this issue in the GTI which had, IMO, fantastic seats. I have a history of back pain but never in the low back, always upper - until now.

I recently saw a chiropractor and he checked it out and said that he believes the pain is from three things.

1. Lack of lumbar support
2. Narrow non-adjustable thigh bolstering which essentially pinches the driver's legs causing sciatic pain
3. Bucket nature of the seats where there is a gap where the seat bottom meets the seat back, causing my lower back muscles to strain to support myself since I'm never truly upright.

I have tried every adjustment combo of height, tilt, recline, seat back etc. and no luck. I have bought a few different memory foam lumbar support pillows which now defeat the best part of the sport seats which is the upper back bolstering, pushing me too far forward. I have even rolled up a towel. This adjustable feature is excellent BTW. Any lumbar pillow addition basically pushes me too far forward and defeats the bolstering benefits for the upper back.

In short, these are Spanish Inquisition torture seats. I test drove the car for about 20 minutes when I got it and didn't notice but after living with it, it's a daily problem.

That's really it. Open to suggestions but I feel like I've tried everything and it feels ridiculous using lumbar pillows etc. in my new BMW coming from a $25k VW that had the most comfortable seats I've ever been in.

I recently drove my wife's e90 328i which has the leather power comfort seats heated with lumbar etc. and they were worlds more comfortable.

Guess I should have gotten a used e90. Gonna be a long 3 years.

Then you will definitely believe me that the reason I did not purchase an M-sport / sport line was due to these seats and the pinch in the thigh area.

[chiefneil]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

^ Thanks. I have tried all of these things and then some. I am only 5'8" so the lowest setting would have me staring directly at the steering wheel. I have tried every combo imaginable since getting the car. I am even remotely considering swap a lease and seeing if i can get out of it. I doubt it will come to this but I'm this way with a lot of things. If I don't like something, I get up and leave. I don't see the point in an almost $400 p/month car payment for something that is painful. I know for guys dropping 8 bills a month on their 335's or whatever, 4 bills doesn't seem like a lot but honestly I could probably find a used high mileage car for $10k that would be more comfortable than this. What a drag. Otherwise I really like the car. I was trying to keep costs low and in BMW world, this is what you get when you try to keep costs low: pain. BMW punishes the poor, hahaha. It's like trying to join a country club with a coupon or something. If you can't or won't spend the money for premium package, lumbar, leather, the whole 9, you shouldn't get the car. Message read loud and clear.

That's too bad about the seats. You probably should look into getting out of the lease. My wife has an E70 X5 with the comfort seats that everybody uniformly raves about, but which I can't quite seem to get comfortable in. So there's always somebody that a seat doesn't fit.

I personally fine the electric sport seats with lumbar support ok, just a touch too narrow. I didn't really need or want anything from the premium pack except the lumbar support, but I paid around 1k just for the lumbar support since I wasn't willing to risk the situation you're in.

Good luck, hope you can swap into a car that fits you better.

[chiefneil]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

I have the electric Sport seats with lumbar option and I really wish I could raise the front of the seat bottom while keeping the rear of the seat bottom low. My seats will only raise/lower the entire seat.

The switch that raises and lowers the seat - try twisting it clockwise/counter-clockwise to adjust the seat bottom tilt.

[Kafkaesque328]

This came in the mail today and I drove for around 40min with it in as it's the best one so far.

https://www.thebetterbackstore.net/VARILITE.html

Memory foam I've found is either too soft or firm but this combines air and foam and is easily adjustable. Perfect size too. We'll see how it is after a week or so by it's promising. Luckily the seating is really the only real qualm with the car and it drives beautifully. Getting out of my lease would either costs thousands, not an option, or swap a lease which I'd consider if the problem can't be resolved. We shall see.

Self inflatable foam memory lumbar pillow. I don't want to be too optimistic But this one instantly felt the most supportive and "right" so we shall see.

Originally Posted by PAMidge

Chiropractors can be quacks. Get a second opinion.

Some can be but not this one. I've had back problems for years and this guy is a keeper. This guy has saved my life before. I've thrown it out so bad where I couldn't stand up straight or get out of bed without help and this guy fixes me up every time. People without back problems have it made. I can't imagine how nice that would be

[tturedraider]

I didn't read every post. I rather doubt this will help, but here's a suggestion. The seat should be at a good height. You should still have a bend in your knee when the brake pedal is applied with force. The back rest should be positioned so that your wrist rests on top of the steering wheel with your hand dangling over. I'm 5'8", too. I sit slightly farther back so that the heel of my hand rests on top of the steering wheel.

But, this is my actual suggestion - consider buying a power seat with lumbar support. I'm almost 100% certain the power connector will be wired in regardless of the car having manual seats. You may have to order a new OEM seat or you might get lucky and find one in a salvage yard. Check www.car-part.com

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

I have the electric Sport seats with lumbar option and I really wish I could raise the front of the seat bottom while keeping the rear of the seat bottom low. My seats will only raise/lower the entire seat.

Originally Posted by CLittle

The seat bottom can tilt if you press the seat bottom button in a certain way. Lift the whole button to lift the seat. Slide the button back and forth to slide the entire seat. Tilt the front of the button to tilt the seat up and down.

Originally Posted by chiefneil

The switch that raises and lowers the seat - try twisting it clockwise/counter-clockwise to adjust the seat bottom tilt.

^ these. The seat cushion does tilt independently front and rear.

[S4NoMore]

Love my electric sport seats

People keep missing the point that OP has manual seats, NOT electric. With manual seats you lose the infinite adjust-ability and must find the best notch of each adjustment.

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

3. Bucket nature of the seats where there is a gap where the seat bottom meets the seat back, causing my lower back muscles to strain to support myself since I'm never truly upright.

Your chiro said this? Every chair has this issue unless it's curved. Really, I think anyone would agree that sitting with a curve to your spine is not ideal. Solution? SIT UP! Put your butt as rearward as it can go in the seat, and adjust the seatback so that you are not leaning back at all.

I see too many people leaning their seats back thinking it's more comfortable. The result is that they're forced to lean forward for visibility which puts a load on your body.

Try driving awhile with the seat bottom flat or maybe even sloped down towards the front (takes much of the load off your thighs - at 5'8" you really don't need to extend the thigh support) and the seatback in an upright position. As in, comically upright. I mocked my dad for having his seat like this because it looks a little strange (no gangsta lean!), but in trying it I felt that it does work. Your upper body should be straight upright so that there is minimal bending in the spine, IMO. Scoot your butt back to where the seat bottom meets the seat back to minimize the effect of point 3 above. You can be truly upright in the seat, give it a shot and see what happens.

I've read several of your posts, though, and maybe you're just fishing for a reason to get out of the F30?

[335BOY]

I have to get power seats all the time for this reason too. My 335 didnt have Lumbar which came standard in every Audi I have ever had so I never even thought to check. In manual seats i always feel like I'm falling forward. In one of my very first cars I actually shimmed the front of the seat rail. Worked pretty well.

[doug piston]

I have the mechanical sports seats and am only 5'5"

Have them on the lowest setting and I have no issues. Just did a 6 hour round trip and felt fresh as daisy after.

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by doug piston

I have the mechanical sports seats and am only 5'5"

Have them on the lowest setting and I have no issues. Just did a 6 hour round trip and felt fresh as daisy after.

Come to think of it the 320d rental I had in Germany was manual seats and I did a lot of driving on the Autobahn with no issues. I'm only 5' 9".

[Kafkaesque328]

Well I may have found the 40 dollar solution to my problem. This inflatable lumbar cushion is great. Did a grueling hour long commute to work today with zero lower back fatigue. That same commute before this cushion left me with some kind of stiffness or low back pain every time. Best part is it doesn't stick out far so the side bolsters still hug the upper back and hold me in place.

It self inflates and you can deflate to meet desired firmness, very supportive without being hard. I googled bmw sport seats pain and a lot of threads came up so I'm glad I'm not alone. Still this is promising and I'm feeling optimistic. But anyway lesson learned. Next time I'll pony up the extra dough for the power leather with lumbar but I think this will be fine. Feeling alot better about the car today than I was yesterday

[falar]

Originally Posted by PAMidge

Chiropractors can be quacks. Get a second opinion.

IMO replace "can be" with "are". While I'm a major detractor of mainstream medicine as a whole I still view "alternative medicine" and anything based on pseudoscience the same as a snake oil salesman.

[Kafkaesque328]

No one with legit back problems see a good chiropractor as a snake oil salesman. The results have spoken for themselves time and time again for me. Just my personal experience. I've had times where I have slept wrong and woke up not being able to hold my head upright or turn it more than a few degrees to the right or left and a visit to the chiropractor instantly fixed it or at the very least, made a huge reduction in pain and a huge gain in mobility. I have 3 bulging discs and slight herniation. Most likely a combo of the following: serious car accident in highschool, several skateboarding and BMX accidents and 15 years of being a pro bass player, touring in rock bands. Having that added 10+ lbs hanging on one shoulder night after night for years at a time takes a toll.

[orangebang]

After 3 weeks with my m-sport and the sport seats, my only complaint is the thigh bolsters are not adjustable .

Every guy I know likes to sit with their legs splayed open. Probably because we like to be ready to get felated at any given moment. But the bolsters kind of make that seating position uncomfortable . the protrusions stick into the bottom, sides of my thighs.

Next time I'm getting the luxury line.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by orangebang

After 3 weeks with my m-sport and the sport seats, my only complaint is the thigh bolsters are not adjustable .

Every guy I know likes to sit with their legs splayed open. Probably because we like to be ready to get felated at any given moment. But the bolsters kind of make that seating position uncomfortable . the protrusions stick into the bottom, sides of my thighs.

Next time I'm getting the luxury line.

Yes I agree. Honestly the main reason I got the sport package was for the summers, the suspension for better handling and he steering wheel but I wonder, if we're talking about a 328, how does a luxury or no-line handle compared to one with sport or adaptive m sport suspension, in daily driving? I wonder if luxury would be that much o a compromise in terms of driving dynamics. I did drive a luxury f30 at the dealer and it felt kind of boatish compared to my current set up