CarGuru

So we've had our beloved C300 for eight months counting this month, I love everything about this car but one very important area. The seats, the front's are absolutely terrible. I drive my wifes car about 2% of the time, and usually a long drive like to her folks house about two hours each way and I drive. At any rate I found that the seating surfaces in our car feel like sitting on a little league grade set of bleachers, the experience is hard and unforgiving. I can honestly say when we saw the new W204 back in august I got got up in the new look and drive and overlooked the seats in anticipation. I probably would not have purchased this car had I rented one or spent more than an hour in it prior to. Driving home from my in-laws this past weekend I brought up for the first time to my wife about how the seats really hurt my back on long drives, she agreed but knows that she would rather grin and bear it than take a bath in trading out for a new car. Anyone else having problems with theirs in this dept? or is it just me? The seats in our last 2004 Acura TL were 100X better, but the C300 handles better. Also by comparison the 2008 S80 we almost got over the C300 at the time had living room grade comfortable seats, I wish Mercedes would learn how to make a seat from Volvo.

-Ryan

Vader13

No they suck, my GFs car makes my back ache after 10 mins and a little longer my buttcheeks start to numb. Not a good reason to trade the car in though.

oblu

My back is fine, but my hips kill me and I'm constantly fiddling with the seat bottom to get the angle right.

I'm with you; when I test drove an A3 I knew right away that I couldn't live with the seats, but the W204 felt fine the four times I test drove it ... had I known I wouldn't have bought it.

norcal5

Sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with the seats. I've had mine for 6 months and have no issues with the car, including the seats.

micropower99

I like the seats, comfy and they look sporty. no complaints here

radiance

no back aches or butt aches =]

The cushions are more firm than some other cars though...it could be a tad softer and offer more support at the seating areas.

JohnGjolaj1

i fine the seats absolutely fine. i just wish they 'hugged' you a little more for a more sporty feel.

broke_R

i am waiting for my car to come in but from sitting in the seats while test driving one i know that they are not going to come near the seats i had in my volvo s60r that i just handed back in.

tanktube67

5 months and no back aches yet.

Derspeed

That's odd considering how much time they claimed to have spent developing the seats. I rather like them. I have to agree with with Broke-R though. S60 R seats are awesome.

JimPap

I too USE to complain a lot about the seats until a couple of things happened.

First, the lumbar support. I thought the neutral position was with the lever turned all the way down. Its not, its midway up. That took care of the back pain. Took Einstein over 3 months to figure that out.

Second, the seats were hard until I ran the seat warmers. I think this helps form the foam and the MB Tex covering.

I went from being fairly miserable with the seats to actually enjoying how the back keeps my spine aligned.

As a side story, I had gone to several car upholstery shops to see about getting the driver's seat rebuilt. Glad I waited.

Gotti78

I guess if you go from a high end car to this one maybe the seats are not that great, but I went from a 2000 Honda Civic to a 08 C350 and wow the seats are a million times nicer!

pgaduane

Like mine. Got back from a 850 mile trip with no back/leg/hip problems.

jstaneff

I have a Volvo XC70 (wife's car), some of the very best fitting seats ever made (Hmm). When I compare it to the C, the C comes up lacking ...

Last summer I put about 2400 miles on a KIA Optima (2007). It was a new car, and a rental, so I got it fresh. It took several days to realize why my right leg was tired. I was having to hold it up over the accelerator in order to press the gas. That was tiresome, and something you might not realize in the dealer showroom, or on a test drive.

In the C, on just one occasion in the 4 months I've had it, I've felt the same tiredness in my leg. The C has much better seat adjustments, and that has resolved the issue.

Other than that, I'd suspect that being in good physical condition will always help, no matter what car you're in.

(Nope, I don't recommend the Optima. It is nice looking, drives okay, doesn't feel all that CHEAP, but it's a killer of a ride after 7 days or so! Really bad.)

Vader13

It might have to do with weight size age and what you are used to.
Like the guy with the Civic said, hey it's an upgrade.
I am 190 and 61 with a bevvy of skateboard crashes and I am in a band that plays fast punk and we tour for months on end.
So when I get in a car it's gotta be cushy.
My GF likes the C300 seats, she is like 108 and runs the heat all the time (Chicks love them heated seats) she has no probs.
Now in the E55 I have the AMG Active sport seats. Heaven..
I really think Merc could of padded the lower part of the seats a little more.
Ya wana talk bad seats and acky backs? go drive a 996GT3 200 miles.
You feel like your whole body is in shock, so I can say the C300 seats are nicer than the 996 GT3 seats lol

jollar

Back aches? leg cramps? Butt hurt?

Time for some exercise guys!

The seats are just fine. Make them too comfy and you'll fall asleep at the wheel!

oblu

Probably just spoiled; been living with BMW & Audi sports seats for the last 10yrs.

Not used to the bleacher pad, zero tolerance mercedes cushions.

jrct9454

Well, I've spoken to this topic in the past, and will say again, these are "all-day" seats for both me and my wife, and we are vastly different in stature - I'm just short of 6' and 175 lbs, with long legs, and she's 5'2" and 105. Both of us put this car to an early test, as we left on a 5000 mile road trip two weeks after taking delivery of the car, and spent several 8-10 hour days in the car, with just short potty breaks. No problems.

But I'll be the first to say that nothing is harder to generalize than seating comfort, and nothing will work for everybody. The only complaint I've had among the 55 cars I've owned, and maybe another 30 or so rentals over the years, is when the seat is too soft, and /or with a seat bottom cushion that is too short....this combination will get to me every time. Mercedes has never had either problem.

JimPap

John,

With your experience, MB should pay you to help design seats.

blastit

Great this is exactly what i need to hear! I am making the move from a 04 TL to a 08 c350. i have never sat in the 350 seats for more than 2 mins (at the dealers) i really hope its not as bad as you say otherwise the commute to work is going to be a pain in the *** literally.

sou98

u are right!!! anything from low end to high end..you will feel the diff but for those of us that owned previous European like BMW or Audi...will see slight diff but I still prefer the old E Class seat (1990-1994).

chilledbenz

I haven't felt any discomfort while in the seats but I will say that they aren't the best seats in the world as far as fit, look, and comfort. Let's face it the C class and even the E class seats haven't been that great ever! Cars such as the new Caddy CTS, Acura TL and even the new Honda Accord all have richer more inviting seating. Sad too cause when I think of Benz I think of luxury and one of the main parts of a luxury car is its seating, Benz always seems to fall short in that department. I will give them credit for the seats in the S, CL and a few of the AMG cars, they do in fact know how to make a great seat, they just don't know how to share in the wealth.

First picture Acura TL (not type S) Second picture Cadillac CTS, Third picture Honda Accord (with leather) Fourth Picture 09 Audi A4 (actual pic is of A5 interior but it will be the same in the 09 A4) Fifth picture BMW 3 series Sixth picture Lexus IS.

aequitas300

Coming from a 2003 Lexus with some plush leather, the seats could be a deal breaker for me too..

Aggressive

I have to agree. I have not had any probems. Try adjusting the lumbar support. There are a lot of adjustments you can try and even a light touch of the button in the right direction may make these more comfortable for you.

CarGuru

Seriously guys I'm not making this stuff up, the seats are way too stiff and not forgiving at all, and the stiff sport suspension coupled with the 18" tires/ wheels is punishing for more than an hour on the road. Couple issues specifically, my wife likes the lumbar all the way out or forward. I like it all the way down or no extra support. This leaves a hard stiff back rest and flat lower portion equally as punishing. I'm probably over exaggerating a bit, I'm 30 y/o 5'6" fit I do manual labor all day so I'm in shape. I let my wife drive home this past weekend and couldn't find a comfy position in either in the passenger seat, also the pull out headrest deal is a poor design, it was more comfortable in the 90's & 80's when you could tilt the headrest forward so it would rest at the back of your neck. Seriously guys I've owned this car since it debuted and the honeymoon is over, I'm now starting to notice some rough edges and the seats are a big deal for me. I will say this when driving spiritedly they do well in supporting that type of activity but fail when you want to streatch out set the cruise control and relax.

-Ryan