[Anonymous]

Hi Guys

I took delivery of my new car yesterday and the dream has turned into a nightmare 🙁
Ive waited with anticipation ever so excited to get the new car only to find the seats are crippling me and nothing like the one i test drove whatsoever 🙁

After 1 day and around 50 miles I just feel like I want to take a pill and never wake up 🙁 Dont worry guys im not going to do anything stupid but I do feel like I am backed up against a wall “again” my Spine is falling apart and the seats sent me to bed drugged up to my limit on my meds in excruciating pain 🙁

The car I ordered was the BMW X1 Xline S Drive 18d Automatic. I can not fault the way it drives but the seats have no padding whatsoever I ordered it without Lumbar because Lumbar doesnt help me at all it just dig into my spine surgery scar and inflames it 🙁

The car i test drove was a 2018 SE model it had the same shape seats but with lumbar they told me how to switch it off and it was fine.

I was assured that the Xline would be exactly the same in seat comfort just leather and not speccing lumbar support would be the same as having it switched off on an equipped car but it clearly isnt!

It feels like it has an amount of lumbar at a fixed position that you cant turn off and although I can tell and feel that the leather is soft whats supporting it isnt 🙁

So I have a £36k car with £1k of extras I saved like mad to afford thats nothing like the one I test drove and is leaving me in crippling pain 🙁

My friend who I live with and has been my rock who is the second driver thought I might be imagining it so we swopped over and we both said hang on the passengers seat is considerably harder and more uncomfortable than the drivers seat! my outgoing Golf both seats were identical.

she often drives me around,I do still drive but you all know what its like when you get days where the pain is soo bad you just cant drive.

So I increasingly spend more time in the passengers seat.

The passegers seat nomatter how I set it I was getting severe thigh pains and back and spine pain.

That said the back of the drivers seat is more of the same as the passengers seat but at least the base seems comfortable.

So im stuck! we are back off to the dealers today 24 hours after delivery to see if anything can be done but I dont hold out much hope.

I have had this issue in the past its all down to short test drives in a car you are assured will be the same as the car you get delivered then its not!

Then Motability make you feel like a trouble maker because you signed that paperwork on order stating you are happy with the car you test drove but that is not the car you get delivered!

I just feel sick to the stomach today a car that was supposed to be a dream a car that drives beautifully rides lovely but the seats are toturing me 🙁

Would be happy to hear from other BMW X1 Xline Owners on here,hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel?

Jo

Topic

[joss]

So sorry that your new car is not comfortable for you spinaB.

When you go to your dealer, ask to speak to a BMW Genius. These are specially trained people in BMW cars.

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/footer/contact/local-genius.html

Also do not be afraid to contact motability and let them know about the problem. It is their job to help you.

 

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Anneka]

I’m so sorry to hear your issues with your new car. Dealers need to allow motability customers to test drive a car identical to the car that we would potentially be getting. When I test drove an X1 I had it for 24hrs and couldn’t wait to hand it back, that came at a £250 refundable deposit for the 24hrs though. But was well worth it.

I hope you get things sorted, sorry I have no useful advice as I’ve never had a motability car waiting for my first.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Joss 🙂

We are going over to see the dealer shortly ive not slept much last night. Im hoping something can be done like the webbing inside the seat is just too tight?

I imformed Motabilty via Email in the early hours of this morning when I couldnt sleep,hopefully it wont need to go that far but thought it best so at least its on record it was a problem at the start.

I do sometimes wonder why motability dont allow shorter leases on nearly new cars?

I get they dont want old cars on the scheme but 12 months old 2 years lease could be the difference between somebody getting the car they really need and a car thats unsuitable

I also think Disabled customers needs are so vast that we should be given test cars for a week a few hours simply isnt enough.

Ill let you all know how I get on

Trying to stay cheerful and positive 🙂

[Wigwam]

We’ve had our X1 X-line 15 months now. On the long journey home on collection, I couldn’t get comfortable in the driver’s seat. After a lot of experimentation with the position it improved, but I found seat height and backrest angle was quite critical, reclining the backrest more than I would normally do.

Half the trouble seemed to be that the seat leather (or what’s under it) when new was very tight and stiff. It gradually improved with use and is now fine.  In fact I sat in the car for an hour yesterday while Mrs Wigwam had a hospital appointment, without even thinking about the seat.

It is the case that swapping drivers between her and myself needs more adjustment than previous cars, so there is something odd about the seats.

It could be SpinaB that the car you test drove had been well used and the seats had softened up, but clearly you’re not in a position to wait for that to happen.  I do hope the dealer can fix the problem for you, but I suspect you may have to get Motability to change the car.

 

 

[Philjb]

I’m in the same position as you and seat comfort and hight is crucial I found the same problem with the Bmw active grand tourer, on model we tested I couldn’t get comfortable at all.

The dealer told us the seats were changing to a more comfortable seat but there was nothing like it in stock.

so we left it.

if the car is causing you physical pain then it’s not the car for you, Motability can and should help you, It may be they suggest a small cushion at the base of your back and then see if the seat softens up?
But I would suggest they let you test models with different seats, maybe the seat with lumbar set to off is what you need, rather then a standard seat which must have a small amount of lumber support in built.

as you say a short test drive and a dealer telling you the car you order will have suitable seats is asking for trouble by bmw as how would they know until you tried them for yourself.

I hope you get a suitable outcome.

[vinalspin]

That is one of the main problems these days with dealers keeping hardly any stock at all, how are we supposed to make a choice without being able to drive the car we want.

If I was buying a car and they couldn’t provide the same model I wanted then no way would I commit to spending tens of thousands of pounds on a guess and the word of a salesman, it’s bad enough with the scheme that we are having to do just that and spend between ten and fifteen thousand over the 3 years.

[Lee]

Bmw seats are terrible 16 months on and mine is still so uncomfortable hate driving it,, cripples me for days

[Oscarmax]

Our Honda CRV SR seats were extremely comfortable, our Ford Kuga are not very comfortable, maybe you try one of the new Honda CRV for size.

Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.

[solent60]

The BMW X1 seats are well known for being terrible. There is a lot of info regarding them out there on the internet. The following is just one of many forums where the seats come up for discussion. Type about the seat problem into the forum and you can read many more posts about the problem.

Not everyone is unhappy with them of course – but many are. It would appear the ‘sports seats’ are the only ones that are half decent.

As always with choosing a new car – best advice is always do your homework! 

https://f48.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1462963

[martino]

hi anne why did you need to pay £250 for a test drive

[Philjb]

All that matters is what motability can do for you, 3 years is a long time in a car that you find painful to drive.
plus your paying for the pain.

others have changed because the spec or colour was wrong. So if it’s unsuitable due to making your pain worse I can’t see a problem.

[Elliot]

I used to have a BMW 5 series and the seats in that were the worst I have ever known.

[Dragonfly]

A car may be the fastest and have all of the gadgets in the world but to the majority of us comfort and ease of access are at the top of the list.  We had a sit in the X2 and it was no where near as comfortable, seat and driving position, as the Qashqai, we also looked at the a couple of other manufactures then ordered another Qashqai.

Each to their own 🙂

 

[solent60]

Dragonfly wrote:

A car may be the fastest and have all of the gadgets in the world but to the majority of us comfort and ease of access are at the top of the list. We had a sit in the X2 and it was no where near as comfortable, seat and driving position, as the Qashqai, we also looked at the a couple of other manufactures then ordered another Qashqai. Each to their own

Wise words Dragonfly.

In my 40-odd years of driving (25 of those on the Motability scheme), nothing has been more important (to me anyway) than the comfort of a cars seats. I have had many makes & models – some with more tech than you could shake a stick at! – but what is the point if the seats cause you severe pain & discomfort driving 10 miles down the road? (or even further?).

I might add incidentally that, love it or hate it, my current Toyota C-HR has the most comfy seats I’ve ever had the pleasure to sit in & was the No.1 reason I chose the vehicle 18-months ago on Motability (well… that and the gorgeous futuristic looks 😉 )

As you quite rightly say ; each to their own!

[Kev]

New leather is always tough/hard. Especially “Dakota” which is their cheapest plasticky leather.

Get some leather conditioner and heat the seats with a hairdryer.

Its likely the demo car had seats that were really broken in, hence softer.

[Wigwam]

I agree C-HR seats are good as are Qashqai. Proves you don’t need premium brands to get good seats. BMW could do better.

[Elliot]

SpinaB, did the car you tested have leather or cloth seats?

[Philjb]

Once you start heating and trying to force the seats to soften yourself and cause any accidental damage, you’ll have then given them a reason not to take it back.

I’d let bmw and Motability sort it. It sounds like the basic seat has a fixed lumbar support right were you don’t want it.
mine on the Vw is electric and I switch it right down until I feel nothing at all.

If any of my family drive with the seat like this they think it feels strange. But  they have no spine problems.

[Menorca Mike]

My goodness I’m glad I didn’t have an X1 I have back problems following a spinal injury I’ve always found my Golfs drivers seat comfortable

[joss]

@spinaB

If it comes to having to return the car, then you might be interested to know the following.

It would cost you £250-00 for early termination of contract.

Any extras that you paid for are refundable on a pro-rata basis.

Any advanced Payment; AP, is also pro-rata basis.

Motability should advise you of this.

 

Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.

[Menorca Mike]

Joss how are your seats ?

[SaintsMan]

I’ve found the sports seats much more comfortable in the X1 and grand tourer, but both of mine have been cloth seats as I only went for the sports models. The xline can be ordered with sports seats at around £350ish. Like you I can’t have lumbar support as it presses on the wrong part of my back but I’ve found my seats comfortable enough, especially for my frequent European trips.

Sorry to read that you are in so much discomfort I hope you can get it sorted, line Josh says, speak to the genius they really know their stuff.

[Philjb]

Joss I’ve heard Motability wave the £250 cost if it’s for a genuine medical reason, painful seats I’m guessing would be one.

[fwippers]

I had an X1 x line for 6 months, gearbox issues resulted in an early lease termination but the seats were not great from memory. Have a Tucson now and the seats are really comfy. A 350 mile round trip in a day and no ill effects. Hope you get a resolution soon,

[Zaheer76]

Sorry to hear! My previous car was an X1 xLine 25d but the standard seats were very poor and flat and hard. SO the first thing i did was to spec `Sports Seats and Lumbar. The sport seats were a bit more comfortable and gave better support whilst cornering. However, overall they were still not great overall and too small (I’m only 5ft 11) leading to back pain/sciatica over longer drives.

Now I’ve got Tiguan R-Line with bigger seats and more comfortable.

My advice is to first to read up online to adjust your seat and driving position initially as that could be the problem.

If not, then don’t waste time and contact Motability to get this car cancelled. However, I’m not sure you will recoup the £1000 for the paid extras. Just ring them and see what they say innit?

[Author]

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