[SantaCruzin]

Heya folks!

I was in the market for an e91 and ended up pulling the trigger on a friend's as I knew it's history back to new and know that it was never beat on and was well kept. (plus I got it for $2-3k below market)

Unfortunately, it's a non-Sport model and while this car is really for family hauling duties (I have an e46 M3 for spirited driving) I do notice the lack of lateral support in the seats. I shouldn't be driving that quickly but...well...old habits die hard.

For someone who has gone from Non-Sport to Sport seats, was it really worth the cost?

I seem to have relatively uncommon interior color (Saddle Brown) so sport seat options are few and far between. My options seem to either be to live with mismatched front seats or spend around $900-1,200 for the Saddle Brown seats and none of them seem to be in as good of shape as the ones I have now. I don't want to lose the heated/electronically adjusted seats nor do I want to deal with tears/stains.

[cerealwars]

Originally Posted by SantaCruzin

Heya folks!

I was in the market for an e91 and ended up pulling the trigger on a friend's as I knew it's history back to new and know that it was never beat on and was well kept. (plus I got it for $2-3k below market)

Unfortunately, it's a non-Sport model and while this car is really for family hauling duties (I have an e46 M3 for spirited driving) I do notice the lack of lateral support in the seats. I shouldn't be driving that quickly but...well...old habits die hard.

For someone who has gone from Non-Sport to Sport seats, was it really worth the cost?

I seem to have relatively uncommon interior color (Saddle Brown) so sport seat options are few and far between. My options seem to either be to live with mismatched front seats or spend around $900-1,200 for the Saddle Brown seats and none of them seem to be in as good of shape as the ones I have now. I don't want to lose the heated/electronically adjusted seats nor do I want to deal with tears/stains.

128i guy here, I bought a base manual car and converted my car to the sport suspension and seats.

Seats were nearly $600, I was hesitant to spend that much because I'm a cheapass. But i did it, and I would do it again without thinking twice. Sounds like you drive like I do. I didn't think to stock seats were all that bad, but after one drive with the sports seats, I could never go back. The lumbar support is also life-changing if you have a bad back. Best car seats I have ever sat in. No joke, one of my favorite parts of the car.

Congrats on your e91. You probably know this, but e90/e91 seats supposedly have different mount spacing from e82/e92.

[SantaCruzin]

Legend, appreciate the reply mate.

I've gone back and forth a dozen times. I was about to pull the trigger on a set for $900 but balked, telling myself that if my kids are in the back being flung about, I shouldn't be swaddled in comfort up front. It would be my sign to slow down.

But last night I drove over highway 17 here in California for an appointment which is about 9 miles of turns at 55 mph. I was slip sliding around quite a bit...

Damn this car hobby!

[oVeRdOsE.]

Ive tried many cars in my life, and for ''standard'' seats , they are the most comfy one.

lumbar support on point, adjustable leg support and adjustable bolster are awesome .


Depending where you're from, those a quite frequent on market, in good shape and cheap. E9x are getting old !

swap is quite easy.

[eljay]

Yes, yes, hard to find, but very much worth it! I went through the same upgrade.

From a E91 Saddle Brown owner.

[SantaCruzin]

Originally Posted by eljay

Yes, yes, hard to find, but very much worth it! I went through the same upgrade.

From a E91 Saddle Brown owner.

Thanks for that input! Do you mind if I ask what you paid? I found a set that I can get for $600, but they're charging $300 freight to get it across the country. FWIW, I need them to be LCI, heated, and with electric adjustment.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by SantaCruzin

Thanks for that input! Do you mind if I ask what you paid? I found a set that I can get for $600, but they're charging $300 freight to get it across the country. FWIW, I need them to be LCI, heated, and with electric adjustment.

I've been trying to find some gray ones for the E91 and zero luck. I imagine saddle, white, or the red ones are even harder to find. So if you can get them for $900, that seems around the going price for a set delivered. I'd say do it, but I'm an internet enabler.

[SpartanMitch]

I am in the exact same spot! Looking for saddle brown sport seats for my 2011 E91 with heat and electric controls. There are plenty of black ones for sale on eBay. Does anyone have experience with recovering the seats? I found a company called Lseat.com that sells the leather covers. You need to remove the old leather and then install the new stuff. The cost is about $350. I wonder how close of a match the leather is to OEM?

[tlow98]

The standard seats are like trampolines. I swapped to sport and then m3 seats.

The car is barely worth driving with the standard seats. It changes the entire feel of the car and are more comfy. Hands down do it

[Pistols]

I have the E90 318i with M Sport package, first car I've had with sport seats.
It's a whole different driving experience.

At first I thought the sides felt a bit tight (I'm 6'5" and fairly broad) but having had soft standard seats in all my previous cars, I just wasnt used to it.
Great back and leg support. As a tall guy I suffer with lower back issues.

Been driving it for nearly a month now and I would definately recommend them.

[krhodes1]

Counterpoint. I am a huge ape of a dude, and I do not fit in e9x sport seats AT ALL. WAAAAY too narrow for me, and I find them horribly uncomfortable. So between that and the ruined ride, I did not order my e91 with the sport package.

BMW mostly fixed this in the FXX cars, the seats are notably wider. I fit fine in my M235i sport seats. Just didn't really love the car.

I do think that with either seat, the lumbar support adjustment is absolutely manadatory for me. Thankfully, that is easily added to seats that don't have it. BTDT on my e88 - driving that car from KS to ME after I bought it was near torture. Fixed ASAP before I drove it home to FL at the end of the summer.

[eljay]

Originally Posted by SantaCruzin

Thanks for that input! Do you mind if I ask what you paid? I found a set that I can get for $600, but they're charging $300 freight to get it across the country. FWIW, I need them to be LCI, heated, and with electric adjustment.

I paid that amount, but in Canuck dollars. I drove 2.5 hours each way to get them. Yes, $300 freight is about right for a set of seats shipped on a pallet.

[eljay]

For the record, there are always 3 things that a must for me on any car to the point that I always swap/upgrade these items first if they don't come on the car:
- sport seats
- steering wheel, shift knob
- headlights if they are halogen

The first two are things you always touch and I like seeing at night.

[tcphoto]

My E92 came with Sport seats and my mods came in this order, ZHP shift knob, M Sport steering wheel and M Sport retrofit. The phrase I heard was, "change the things that you touch first".