Vihzel

Could anyone who does not have the sport seats provide their opinions on how they feel about them? I'm a tad concerned because there was one review, as shown below at 4:18, in which the reviewer said the regular seats were not comfortable and that others said the same.


I wouldn't want to pay an extra $2,175 just to have comfortable seats. I can't imagine that Mercedes would make their regular seats as bad as she says.

StanNH

I believe, except for additional side bolstering to improve lateral support on the Sport seats, the seats are essentially the same.

In any form, standard or Sport, these are very comfortable seats. That one negative comments about seat comfort is the exception, with virtually all other testers and owners praising the seat comfort.

The seats are not soft and cushy, but rather quite supportive and almost infinitely adjustable. The seat backs feel harder than some other cars I've owned but, then again, I've never gotten out of this car with my back aching. Between the tilt and height, seat back angle, variable thigh support, and power lumbar support, it would be tough to not find a sweet spot.

Based on my experience, seat comfort on any 2015 C Class is simply not an issue.

Leslielp

Just about any seat you get will be more comfortable than the Subway

The AMG Sportline interior seats are supposed to be the best in this line for lateral side bolster support. The stitching pattern is unique to this seat as well with multiple horizontal rows that fill out the back portion.

The best way to answer your question is to get your seat into both versions, preferrably on long test drives.

ddeliber

2 things:

1) Even though she has a strong German accent and the video appears to be European, not sure why I think that but, I just get that feel. She is reviewing the US spec C400. I don't understand why the discussion of the seats even comes up. There is no option. The C400 comes with the AMG package standard so every c400 here is delivered with the sport seats.

2) Now if you are looking at a C300, don't worry, the standard seats are great. MB spends an inordinate amount of research money on their seats and I believe what they say and love what they build. I read an awesome article about this (can't find the link) where they describe the design methodology and why they made the decisions that they did. One interesting point of focus in this article was the padding. All MB seats are on the firmer side and this is by design. They do this despite the fact that in a short test drive people tend to have the misconception that a softer plush seat is more comfortable. As to the issue raised in the video, sure you get more supporting side bolsters in the sport seats I simply do not believe that any back pain is related to problems with the seats. Now I don't own a w205 so my direct experience is limited to two test drives of C300s so please get opinions from current owners. However, I felt that the seats are better than those in my E-class.

Glyn M Ruck

Seats are excellent. All Benz seats are firm for a reason. You can drive all day with the correct posture & still feel fine.

Anagram

My C300 seats must be the most uncomfortable I have ever had in any car.
I have never had any back problems and have driven and owned many cars in over 30 years of driving. This is a company car and the thought of driving a further 70k miles fills me with dread.
I am about to get a knife to the backrest and cut out the offending padding in the upper back area or send the car back.
The gearbox still jumps, rears seats still squeak and the traffic reports have just stopped working and the MB info button has stopped functioning again.
Probably the last MB I will get.
Dealer has had the car back twice.

floridadriver

The seats remind me of the 'Stressless from Ekorns" chair more than a "Lazy-boy plushy recliner". Tight, well designed an ergonomic. The seats aren't very wide before the side support, very obese people will find they're uncomfortable. The differences in the seats in sport and standard are minute. I saw the same video before I bought and thought that she must have different seat selections than I tried in the states.

Boudicca

I am very happy with the seats on my non sport w205. I have the seat comfort package with the additional lumbar support and I now realise how bad for my back the seats in my previous 5 series BMW were. No back pain now

Unnimon

I have non Sport seats as well. Have done almost 5K miles on my car in 2 months. I can tell you that the seats are good. Good support for your back and thighs. Nothing to worry. But I miss the sport package. The Sport suspension and the wheels make a lot of difference to how the car handles. If you are looking for a better handler, make sure you get the sport package. Else, the non sport model is just fine.

StanNH

I had my original C300 for seven months, and have now had a new C300 Sport for over a month.

Personally, I can now say I prefer the extra side bolstering of the sport style seats, but never found the base seats uncomfortable. The sport variation does keep you more planted in your seat, but the adjustments and padding are otherwise the same.

The seats are quite firm and do take some getting used to, especially if you're accustomed to softer cushions, but they are very supportive.

Depending on one's own anatomy, it's certainly possible to find these seats uncomfortable, but you can say that about any seat in any car. I think it's safe to say that the majority of users do not have a problem with the design of these seats.

SLK172

I have had my SLK 172 for a little over a year now and I find the driving position dreadful.
I like to drive in an upright position and due to the lumbar support on my sport seats, this is impossible. I am constantly trying to push my backside into the seats to try to get into a more upright position.
My SLK is the most uncomfortable car I have ever driven and even though I will lose 5K of its value if I sell now, I can't wait to get rid of it. I hate it!

cajun1689

I prefer the standard to the sport seats. This is just my opinion however. I would go try out both though.

Mike5215

I was there on an A5 that I leased. The hit would have been $10k. Luckily my wife loved the car and gave me hers to trade. Totally demoralizing to buy a reward car that punishes you.

A couple of things I've done that worked (not on the A5, way too many problems).

Visit your local auto upholstery shop. Have them pull the seat, remove the skin and remove the lumbar assembly. Likely an inflatable bladder but not sure in the SLK. If it's just a mechanical thing even better. Put the assembly somewhere so it can be reinstalled for trade in. While they're in there you can have them put a thin extra layer of medium density foam (which is what's under the skin anyway) before buttoning it back up.

Less invasive, go to comfy sheep.com and order a sheepskin seat insert. It's a swath of sheepskin that runs down the just the center of the seat, between the bolsters. Get a couple of small sheets of 1/2" foam at a craft store.

Measure a section to go on the seat back above the lumbar bulge and below the bulge. Place those under the sheepskin insert to create a flat seat back. The sheepskin hides the foam and keeps it in place.

You can also pad the bottom of the seat to position your body higher relative to the lumbar bulge and reduce that void between your low back and the bottom of the seat back.

Not the most elegant solution but you might actually start enjoying the car.