I Hate Electric Adjustable Driver Seats

"450X_FTW" (mistermic) 04/23/2015 at 09:19 • Filed to: None

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My wife and I moved recently to an area that allows us to carpool to work, since her new route takes her right past my office. Since her lease car is over on miles, we take my truck almost everyday. It has electric power seats for the driver and passenger, forward/back, up/down, tilt forward/rearward, lumbar support.

I liked it, could fine tune to the exact seating position I wanted, and that seat position stayed that way for several months at a time since I was the only one driving my truck. But, now that my wife (who’s about a foot shorter than me) and I are sharing my truck that seat always has to go from one extreme position to the opposite. And I can never get it back to where it was before. Having the button to store seat settings was not an option for my truck otherwise I would have opted for it.

The problem is that because the electronic seat has 4 inputs that can make extreme small positional changes each time you press it, there’s damn near an infinite number of positions the seat can be in. Now every time I go to drive my seat position just doesn’t feel right and the my OCD won’t let me keep it where it is, I need to have it where it was before. Also feel the need to mention that electronic seats are so slowwwwww when making adjustments.

Now to my previous owned vehicle Jeep Wrangler, it had mechanical seats, up/down, front/back, and tilt forward/rearward. But every adjustment lever had a notch essential that it would lock into. Meaning there might be only 4 settings for height, 5 for front/back, and 5 for tilt/reverse (rough guess). Now there’s only 100 total positions the drivers seat can be in and it made it far easier to find “your” driving position, since one notch either way puts you in a very different driving position.

Either give me mechanical seats or make the stored settings a standard feature when you get power adjustable seats.

Vimto > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:26

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My Fusion has 3 person memory power seats but honestly I prefer manually operated seats. The motors are super slow, heavy, and another part to break on a complicated vehicle. Additionally, my preferences as far as where I want to seat change frequently so I’m always adjusting the seat to weird angles, but I don’t want to overwrite my set places for the other people who drive the car.

Milky > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:27

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Your first world struggles are showing. Please cover up sir.

450X_FTW > Vimto 04/23/2015 at 09:28

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Agreed. Big annoyance is I can’t even get into my truck after my wife drove because the seat is so close to the steering wheel. So on those fun rain days I get to stand outside my truck pushing the seat button for it to move back just so I can get in, which feels like a lot longer than it should ever take.

yamahog > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:29

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I’m the other way... Hate my mechanical adjust seats in the Jeep. It’s like when you finish your drink and try to get an ice cube: try to scoot forward, nothing, nothing, nothing, BOOM YOU’RE IN THE DASH.

The power Recaros in the Camaro are consistent and I just need to get close enough to put the clutch in, then make the minor adjustments on the fly if I’m uncomfortable. Not that my SO drives very often because I haaaate being the passenger in my own vehicle and I’m definitely not letting anyone take it out without me.

Brian, The Life of > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:30

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I really, really prefer multiadjusting manual seats. Volkswagen do those especially well, I think. U.S. brands have never done this well, your Jeep notwithstanding.

But, yeah, auto seats should always feature the stored settings button (that also sets the mirrors), because it is hell on us OCD people ;)

450X_FTW > Milky 04/23/2015 at 09:30

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I’m white, I have a good paying job, what else do you expect me to complain about?

450X_FTW > yamahog 04/23/2015 at 09:32

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Now that you mention it, I do recall the none none none then sliding all the way of the jeep seats.

twochevrons > Brian, The Life of 04/23/2015 at 09:37

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My wife has a 2-door Golf. VW do it especially well, except for the part that folds the seat forward for access to the back seat. The seat only slides if the backrest is already folded forward, which is all very well, but when it comes to returning the seat to its original position, you have to push the seat back BEFORE you set the backrest upright, otherwise it locks at full-forward, and you have to get out and do it all again. Drives me nuts.

McMike > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:38

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20-way adjustable seats are like a Cheesecake Factory menu. Takes for-fucking-ever to figure out what you want.

And you just want to eat.

Snooder87 > yamahog 04/23/2015 at 09:39

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So agree. Manually adjusted seats are pain because they never quite get the right position. Instead you always end up making some compromise between too low and too high that doesn’t quite feel right.

450X_FTW > McMike 04/23/2015 at 09:41

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haha yes spot on analogy

itschrome > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:41

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see that’s why I love my Caddy. each set of keys has presets. start the car with one set of keys and everything from the seat, steering wheel, mirrors, even radio go to the presets set for that key. two drivers two keys two presets. problem solved

RockThrillz89 > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:43

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That’s the point. You’re not supposed to complain. Check your privilege sir.

Also, why not negotiate with her? Tell her that if she puts the seat back when she is done with the truck for the day, you will continue to put the toilet seat down when you are finished. I’m lucky enough that I have to drive with the seat all the way back, so it’s easy to adjust the forward/back position in a car. Just go until it stops.

Milky > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:44

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Riff raff ruining the neighborhood?

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Brian, The Life of 04/23/2015 at 09:45

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This is the one thing I miss on my GTI. My old A6 had memory seats that also stored the mirror position.

Of course my big issue is I’m 5’6” and where the lumbar area is on my back is lower than “normal” people. First world problems.

450X_FTW > Milky 04/23/2015 at 09:46

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Nope no riff raff, moved the country area, love it, quiet, calm. But I need something to complain about so I chose my seats.

yamahog > itschrome 04/23/2015 at 09:46

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The CTS-V I test drove for a week had a feature that auto-adjusted the seat to let you in and out easier and then put the seat back where it was. Really convenient since I’m short and really wish it was an option on my new car.

Milky > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:48

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Damn, well carry on. I bid you a good day.

450X_FTW > RockThrillz89 04/23/2015 at 09:48

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Because it’s not just forward and back. Being that she is a foot shorter than me she has to change the tilt and height just to be able to see the mirrors and over the hood. Which if it was mechanical seat, easy to flip back to the previous position

RockThrillz89 > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:50

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I understand that (I promise, I read your post!), I was just saying for her to put it back so at least you wouldn’t be caught in the rain. You could just jump in and fix it from there.

450X_FTW > RockThrillz89 04/23/2015 at 09:50

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Ah that yes, yes I agree.

RockThrillz89 > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:53

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Just a little quid pro quo. She helps keep you dry, you continue to help keep her dry.

Azrek > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 09:55

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My first world problems coming up...

I bought a brand new E92 M3 and I decided not to get the electric seats as they were more $$ and I was tight on my budget as it was. Looking back, I realized my error. There are 8 mechanical levers, knobs and buttons that all adjust something different in the seat. It is like a medieval Spanish torture device.

So, when I get a mechanic to work on my beauty, he is usually a foot shorter than me and likely pulled/pushed every lever/knob/button to figure out how to scoot the seat forward (Hint: it is in the upper right, not the other 2 next to it.) I will get the car and spend the next few minutes trying to get comfy in the seat again all while shaking my head at this nonsense.

itschrome > yamahog 04/23/2015 at 09:58

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Yeah my SLS has the same feature. they all have going back to about 96. it’s great. I love the how my wheel will tilt up and back out of the way for easier ingress and regress.

450X_FTW > Azrek 04/23/2015 at 09:58

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8?! If you can provide a picture of this craziness please do so, I’m curious. Did a quick google search but being I’m not a BMW person not sure I was looking at the right version.

Sethersm > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 10:03

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Obviously there is only one answer. You must divorce your wife and find a new one of similar body proportions to you.

Azrek > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 10:06

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You can see 4 right here on the side, plus one at the top of the seat that scoots it down and forward.

Nibbles > Brian, The Life of 04/23/2015 at 10:13

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That was a major selling point on the Volvo S40 vs the VW CC we were looking at. The S40 stores seat and mirror position and ties it to the keys so they re-adjust when you unlock the car. Already in position before you sit down!

Nibbles > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 10:14

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My power memory seats (and mirrors OLOLOLZZZ) are tied to the keys, so they are adjusted before I sit down :3

450X_FTW > Azrek 04/23/2015 at 10:21

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Wow that is not very german of them.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > yamahog 04/23/2015 at 10:49

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try to scoot forward, nothing, nothing, nothing, BOOM YOU’RE IN THE DASH.

This is worryingly similar to the way my mom described driving my Jeep the other day... Like, practically verbatim. I’ve noticed the opposite in her Mini. It goes from “who could possibly fit in here” to “well, I’m in the back seat” SO fast.

450X_FTW > RockThrillz89 04/23/2015 at 11:01

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why keep her dry when it’s more fun for her to be wet? Ba Dum Tsssssss

RockThrillz89 > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 11:13

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Brian, The Life of > Nibbles 04/23/2015 at 11:19

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That is a super nice feature. My wife’s van does that. So handy since I’m a LOT taller than she is.

TheOnelectronic > Brian, The Life of 04/23/2015 at 18:08

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VW’s seat adjusts are great until you want to recline the seat for a while at a rest stop.

*crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank* *crank*

TheOnelectronic > 450X_FTW 04/23/2015 at 18:09

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I just want seats that are lower to the floor.

I really loved the new WRX, and probably would own one if I didn’t have to tilt my head sideways to drive it properly.

AM > Nibbles 04/24/2015 at 23:58

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My ‘03 Yukon is similar to your car. It has GM’s “easy entry/exit” system so it slides the seat back upon key removal and re-adjusts it when key is put in ignition. It also knows whether to adjust for driver 1 or driver 2 based on which key fob is used to unlock the vehicle. My memory settings also store seats, mirrors, pedals, radio presets and vehicle settings.

Cloud9Blue > Azrek 05/01/2015 at 00:17

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Didn’t even know E92 for the US market come with manual seat option! It came with electric seat as standard as I remembered placing the order for mine years ago.

Cloud9Blue > 450X_FTW 05/01/2015 at 00:23

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I think the source of the problem is that you never setup the seating position correctly, but your body sort of just get used to it over the time.

Perhaps this guide could help: http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/d…

You can relax it a bit for street driving, but I have never had any problem adjusting my seats in any car. Even with a rental car, it only takes me a minute to adjust to my liking and be comfortable enough for me to drive 500 miles afterward.

LoriElsa > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 09/17/2020 at 19:33

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I sat in a Toyota Rav 4 at a dealership and I was badly offended by the electric seats. I could not find a comfortable position or how to raise or lower the seat height. I noticed that moving it into any position is incredibly slow and as far as I can see, is just another way for the manufacturers to insult and degrade their customers while they make more money for themselves . I despise all the electrically controlled seats, doors and windows.