[Numark318i]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

The Dakota in my 2014 535i, build date 11/13, looks just like new. No wrinkles, creases or any other visible deformity.

It gets hard from my experience, no deformity or wrinkles, just doesn’t stay ‘plush’.

My E46, E92 and E91 all had Dakota and I didn’t like how it felt after a few years. I test drove a used G30 with it and found the same feeling.

I do miss the smell however…

[stormchaser]

I posted this a few months ago and was told it is Sensatec however the actual pattern does not match the US market. This was my fantastic rental in Germany with Multi Contour seats with SENSATEC I believe? I am trying to match up the pattern with something similar in the US. The POST LCI sport seats that are standard on the G30 in Sensatec have a pattern on them where this pic is just straight fabric. These were the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. Can you identify it? The BMW folks in Munich said this seat should match our market but obviously it might not

I am also posting a pic of the standard G-30 seat POST LCI to compare (In black).

[remmib]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

Attachment 3294203I posted this a few months ago and was told it is Sensatec however the actual pattern does not match the US market. This was my fantastic rental in Germany with Multi Contour seats with SENSATEC I believe? I am trying to match up the pattern with something similar in the US. The POST LCI sport seats that are standard on the G30 in Sensatec have a pattern on them where this pic is just straight fabric. These were the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. Can you identify it? The BMW folks in Munich said this seat should match our market but obviously it might not

I am also posting a pic of the standard G-30 seat POST LCI to compare (In black).

Those brown seats looks to be Dakota leather.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

This was my fantastic rental in Germany with Multi Contour seats with SENSATEC I believe?

I am trying to match up the pattern with something similar in the US.

The embossed grain pattern looks like it’s either Sensatec or Dakota…the obvious embossed grain pattern looks similar to a basketball or football…which means it’s definitely not Nappa or Merino leather which have a smoother finish. And the seat switch looks like it is a MC seat with upper articulating back, power side bolsters, and lumbar support.

But more importantly, the seat DOES NOT have any ventilation fans which will make the cushions below the material softer than those that do. You will have to let US KNOW if the seat had any massaging options. If the seats were soft (and not firm) then more than likely they did NOT have massaging feature either.

The 2nd image you pictured of the darker colored seats…are not MC seats…you can see that the material is perforated which probably means the seats have the ventilation feature….or are the new Sensafin (vegan leather) seats which I believe come perforated. If they are ventilated…this will make the seat cushion firmer than the MC seats that were in the BMW you rented in Germany.

The softest seats regardless of what material covers them are the non ventilated/non massaging seats. Again, these two features require a cushion that is firmer to compensate for the mechanicals in the seat. And the MC seats will be the most comfortable due to their 20-22 adjustable ways.

My personal experience is that I have an f15 X5 w/MC seats in Nappa leather that have NO ventilation or massage features and the cushion/padding is a lot softer than the Nappa w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06 as well as the Merino w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06. Although the MC seats with no vent/masssage are softer…I only prefer them during the fall/winter/spring. The ventilated seats w/massage…though firmer…are preferred in the summer during really hot days…as well as on long trips where I do miss the massage feature if I’m driving the X5. They all have their pros & cons. The non vented/non massaging MC seats in my X5 are always “soft”…but in the heat of summer, they can be somewhat uncomfortable when compared to the firmer ventilated MC seats in either of my 6 series.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Numark318i

It gets hard from my experience, no deformity or wrinkles, just doesn’t stay ‘plush’.

My E46, E92 and E91 all had Dakota and I didn’t like how it felt after a few years. I test drove a used G30 with it and found the same feeling.

I do miss the smell however…

I haven't noticed any increased hardness; it feels the same as when we bought it over 6 years ago with ~26K miles. It now has ~82K miles.

[stormchaser]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The embossed grain pattern looks like it’s either Sensatec or Dakota…the obvious embossed grain pattern looks similar to a basketball or football…which means it’s definitely not Nappa or Merino leather which have a smoother finish. And the seat switch looks like it is a MC seat with upper articulating back, power side bolsters, and lumbar support.

But more importantly, the seat DOES NOT have any ventilation fans which will make the cushions below the material softer than those that do. You will have to let US KNOW if the seat had any massaging options. If the seats were soft (and not firm) then more than likely they did NOT have massaging feature either.

The 2nd image you pictured of the darker colored seats…are not MC seats…you can see that the material is perforated which probably means the seats have the ventilation feature….or are the new Sensafin (vegan leather) seats which I believe come perforated. If they are ventilated…this will make the seat cushion firmer than the MC seats that were in the BMW you rented in Germany.

The softest seats regardless of what material covers them are the non ventilated/non massaging seats. Again, these two features require a cushion that is firmer to compensate for the mechanicals in the seat. And the MC seats will be the most comfortable due to their 20-22 adjustable ways.

My personal experience is that I have an f15 X5 w/MC seats in Nappa leather that have NO ventilation or massage features and the cushion/padding is a lot softer than the Nappa w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06 as well as the Merino w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06. Although the MC seats with no vent/masssage are softer…I only prefer them during the fall/winter/spring. The ventilated seats w/massage…though firmer…are preferred in the summer during really hot days…as well as on long trips where I do miss the massage feature if I’m driving the X5. They all have their pros & cons. The non vented/non massaging MC seats in my X5 are always “soft”…but in the heat of summer, they can be somewhat uncomfortable when compared to the firmer ventilated MC seats in either of my 6 series.

Correct, the 1st picture is a MC seat (EU Comfort package) and did not have massage or ventilation that I know about. Question: You mentioned the new sensatec? Did the sensatec change post LCI? I noticed the newer seats have a pattern to them where the older ones had a smooth look. Is the new sensatec softer or firmer??

[Gautam]

I'm fairly certain that your pic is dakota, not sensatec. Basing it off the roughness and the wrinkles, and it looking just like my last car with dakota.

But Qsilver7 is most likely correct, I'd actually put money that its the massaging mechanism alone that's giving you trouble. Try one of the same year, of the same material, of the same market without it, and you'll likely be a lot comfier.

AFAIK the G60's don't even have massage as an option. Perhaps this is why.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

... Did the sensatec change post LCI? I noticed the newer seats have a pattern to them where the older ones had a smooth look. Is the new sensatec softer or firmer??

The new vegan leather (Sensafin) is much discussed on the new gen BMW forums...especially the G07 X7 and G05 X5 forums. Should be comparison pics too (on those forums) as the curiosity/questions/discussions/debates about this new interior option percolates.

[stormchaser]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

The embossed grain pattern looks like it’s either Sensatec or Dakota…the obvious embossed grain pattern looks similar to a basketball or football…which means it’s definitely not Nappa or Merino leather which have a smoother finish. And the seat switch looks like it is a MC seat with upper articulating back, power side bolsters, and lumbar support.

But more importantly, the seat DOES NOT have any ventilation fans which will make the cushions below the material softer than those that do. You will have to let US KNOW if the seat had any massaging options. If the seats were soft (and not firm) then more than likely they did NOT have massaging feature either.

The 2nd image you pictured of the darker colored seats…are not MC seats…you can see that the material is perforated which probably means the seats have the ventilation feature….or are the new Sensafin (vegan leather) seats which I believe come perforated. If they are ventilated…this will make the seat cushion firmer than the MC seats that were in the BMW you rented in Germany.

The softest seats regardless of what material covers them are the non ventilated/non massaging seats. Again, these two features require a cushion that is firmer to compensate for the mechanicals in the seat. And the MC seats will be the most comfortable due to their 20-22 adjustable ways.

My personal experience is that I have an f15 X5 w/MC seats in Nappa leather that have NO ventilation or massage features and the cushion/padding is a lot softer than the Nappa w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06 as well as the Merino w/vent & massage in my 2013 F06. Although the MC seats with no vent/masssage are softer…I only prefer them during the fall/winter/spring. The ventilated seats w/massage…though firmer…are preferred in the summer during really hot days…as well as on long trips where I do miss the massage feature if I’m driving the X5. They all have their pros & cons. The non vented/non massaging MC seats in my X5 are always “soft”…but in the heat of summer, they can be somewhat uncomfortable when compared to the firmer ventilated MC seats in either of my 6 series.

Great info. Is the new Sensafin any softer than the previous Sensatec? I assume Sensafin came out Post LCI? Also, the rental (Brown seats) was a MC seat without the ventilation that I know about. My current 23 530 has Nappa with the MC and ventilation. Perhaps I can just get a seat cushion to soften things up under the legs? I wonder if the standard Sensafin seat would be a better choice?

[Neusser]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

Attachment 3294203I posted this a few months ago and was told it is Sensatec however the actual pattern does not match the US market. This was my fantastic rental in Germany with Multi Contour seats with SENSATEC I believe? I am trying to match up the pattern with something similar in the US. The POST LCI sport seats that are standard on the G30 in Sensatec have a pattern on them where this pic is just straight fabric. These were the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. Can you identify it? The BMW folks in Munich said this seat should match our market but obviously it might not

I am also posting a pic of the standard G-30 seat POST LCI to compare (In black).

Brown seat is the M-Sport seat in Dakota leather.

[r1cero]

nope, it's comfort(MC) seat. Color could be dakota but increased grain pattern tells me it's sensatec(I have this color comfort dakota so I would know).

And it was discussed many years now. It is the massaging function that makes it more uncomfortable, not the ventilation.

[stormchaser]

Originally Posted by r1cero

nope, it's comfort(MC) seat. Color could be dakota but increased grain pattern tells me it's sensatec(I have this color comfort dakota so I would know).

And it was discussed many years now. It is the massaging function that makes it more uncomfortable, not the ventilation.

Thanks. I am stuck with the massage seats. In a few recent 30-minute drives the seats felt perfect. I need to give it another 1-6 hour ride and see if they stay comfortable. I know my rental in Europe had a luxury line but I don't remember massaging seats (Did not look). So far I love the car but need to address the seats or sell it and find one with sensatec. THE NON multi Contour seats with sensatec in the US have higher bolsters on the seat bottom (They come up higher) which could create new issues. The MC seats have flatter bolsters on the seat bottom. In the US it would near impossible to find MC seats without massage on a newer car.

[ted99]

I've had all 3 types of covering in Sport seats and none of them were 8-hour seats. For what it's worth, an editorial in the latest edition of Car & Driver states that in all of their testing, Volvo had the most comfortable seats and were truly 8-hour seats.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by ted99

I've had all 3 types of covering in Sport seats and none of them were 8-hour seats. For what it's worth, an editorial in the latest edition of Car & Driver states that in all of their testing, Volvo had the most comfortable seats and were truly 8-hour seats.

Volvo has had a reputation for the most comfortable seats for years. Some say the most comfortable seats ever in a car. I haven't had the privilege of testing them out myself.

[Gautam]

Originally Posted by ted99

I've had all 3 types of covering in Sport seats and none of them were 8-hour seats. For what it's worth, an editorial in the latest edition of Car & Driver states that in all of their testing, Volvo had the most comfortable seats and were truly 8-hour seats.

I still think it strongly depends on the person. I have done more than 8 hours in both my f30 with Dakota sport seats and my g30 with nappa multicontour/massage ventilation with no aches or pains on multiple occasions. I also had lots of aches and pains in my first two weeks with the g30, as I was getting it right, which was a frustrating period. I’ve rented a Volvo xc60 a few years ago. I don’t remember it too well, other than the tech, infotainment and speakers being very good, though that’s probably a good thing.

Unsurprisingly, Nissan and Hyundai rentals tended to get uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. I’ve done around 10 hours in both a Cadillac xt5 and gmc Yukon Denali. Both excellent and didn’t take any effort to get there.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Gautam

I still think it strongly depends on the person. I have done more than 8 hours in both my f30 with Dakota sport seats and my g30 with nappa multicontour/massage ventilation with no aches or pains on multiple occasions. I also had lots of aches and pains in my first two weeks with the g30, as I was getting it right, which was a frustrating period. I’ve rented a Volvo xc60 a few years ago. I don’t remember it too well, other than the tech, infotainment and speakers being very good, though that’s probably a good thing.

Unsurprisingly, Nissan and Hyundai rentals tended to get uncomfortable after 2-3 hours. I’ve done around 10 hours in both a Cadillac xt5 and gmc Yukon Denali. Both excellent and didn’t take any effort to get there.

I have to agree. I've spent 12 hours driving the base & comfort seats and found/find them quite comfortable. Had a Lincoln LS with such good seats, that after a horrible night in a motel in Green River, UT, I couldn't wait to get back in the car!

[stormchaser]

Originally Posted by ted99

I've had all 3 types of covering in Sport seats and none of them were 8-hour seats. For what it's worth, an editorial in the latest edition of Car & Driver states that in all of their testing, Volvo had the most comfortable seats and were truly 8-hour seats.

I would agree with you. not sure why BMW can't figure it out. Audi has it figured out as well with an A6 TDI currently that is an 8-hour seat. Also, I have hears Volvo is good (Thank You) but my only interest might be a wagon or the XC 40

[stormchaser]

Well, I am going to be in Germany in 2 weeks so will go back to Sixt in Munich and figure out exactly what seat I had on my rental 530D. Those to me were 8-hour seats. I wish they would offer cloth as an option in the US. I will report back from Munch.