I have just bought a 2019 AMG C43 and found out Mercedes ventilated seats are ridiculous. I have friends with Hyundai's or Jeeps or whatever other car that you just do not feel the fans working as on the Mercedes, it actually cools down the seat.
What happens with Mercedes is that the system only uses the cabin's air temperature through the little fans to ventilated the seat and of course this is not enough. I AM SO DISAPOINTTED. Such a luxurious car without a proper cooled seat. Worth mentioning that one of my top 5 requirements on the car was the ventilated seat and it is a big bummer not having that now.
Other cars manufactures actually have proper conduits to take the cold air to the seats and then the fan will blow a proper already cooled and dedicated air outlet. This thing about just using the cabin's air temperature is not acceptable in such a high standard car.
I wish I new it so I could have picked another manufacturer.
My car has just 650 miles; I have just returned from the dealer to find out that the car does not have a problem, what happens is a poor design comparing to the other cars available in the market.

well technically it is ventilated, maybe not cold air though lol. welcome to the board, just you know, you will not get a lot of help here, a lot of MB fanboys and apologists.

I am just curious about other brands you mentioned, so you are saying they have dedicated vents blowing cold air from evaporator through seats?

MB sucks air from back of seat for seat backs

most other cars suck air from underneath which would be cooler.
Also they blow way way more so it actually feels cooler.

I had a 2015 Ford Fusion titanium with cooled seats. They worked amazingly. I have them on my 2019 c43 and they are complete crap. Couldn’t be more worthless. The first few times I used them I thought they were defective also because nothing was coming out really. After researching real quick on google I realized Mercedes just crap the bed in this department.

test drive before you buy? sorry - probably coming off as a fanboy

Only time I wanted the ventilated button was in winter when I go for the heat button and get disappointed looking at the empty button spot.

M-B has VENTILATED seats, some manufactures offer COOLED seats-- seems pretty clear to me. Had M-B called them cooled seats, the OP would have a very valid point, but they do not . It would seem the OP does not know the difference. Perhaps he should look at a nice new Kia . . .

IMO, not at all here. Not a fanboy opinion as I don't have them and can't comment on efficacy, or lack there of, but you're spot on. Not defending MB in the slightest. If the system sucks, it sucks. This is what test drives are for.

From a two year old thread...

Just curious, which seats do you have? I have the ventilated AMG performance seats in my C63S and they work quite well actually. They are not cooled seats and I knew that going into it. Ventilated seats ensure that your back can breath and that the moisture gets out. I was worried about going with full leather seats again, because of the typical sweaty back syndrome, but with these seats I have yet to sweat. If I get a little warm I just turn the ventilation on at the highest setting and within a few minutes I'm comfortable. Now I do not live in an area where temps are 100+ during the summer, and currently I'm actually in Europe with the car. It's been in the low 90s for a few days and my car is black on black and the ventilation does make a noticeable difference compared to past cars with leather seats and no ventilation. However, if you are looking for actively cooled seats, that's not offered by Mercedes.

They’re not great for quickly cooling over short periods of time, but I’ve found them to be quite effective on longer road trips. On the long haul they prevent swass and sweaty back, and I even end up using them in the winter for this reason.

For what it’s worth, I’m on my 3rd W205 with ventilated seats. So, yes, a bit of a fanboy.

You're driving a C-Class. Its a 30k $ Car. Why are you expecting "luxus" from that Car? A Jeep doesnt cost less than a C160 with ventilated Seats.

I found them great to prevent sweaty backs wearing a Suit driving 100-150km. But i also let the AC run and cool down the Car Cabin.

The C43 is a $60k vehicle sir.

I completely agree with the OP. I was expecting a much more breezy backside in these seats. Especially for the brand and price. My son bought a Hyundai Elantra Limited and whether they are ventilated or cooled (I really could care less) they have much more air flow. This is the second thing that I'm really disappointed in MB. The Sirius/XM reception is very poor.

What's especially ironic is that you may select among three levels of this undetectable ventilation.

I have ventilated seats on my C43. I have never used them, and never will. It can get well into the 90-degree F range here, with high humidity, and I've just never felt compelled to use them.

The air conditioning works like a beast and that's good enough for me. Then again, I'm a pretty simple guy. Although the car is pretty much loaded from an option(s) perspective, I never use any of the tech, never mess around with the HUD, etc.

I just want the car to drive and handle in an enjoyable, sporty manner.

Now thats funny right there!

The amount of ventilation in the seats seems to be a strange minor system upon which to pick which car to buy. To each his own I guess. I picked my car based on styling, performance, quality, safety. On my '16 S550C4 the seat blowers are quiet and unobtrusive but provide an acceptable (to me) level of ventilation when needed, usually on extended trips.

It doesnt matter if its a C160 or C43. The basecar stays the same, the Seats stay the same. As someone said the Performance Seats ventilate better than the standard Seats that come one the C160/C180.
The Build Quality of the Car is based on the lowest Price Modell, or do you think just because the Sedan will be an C43 the poor workers in South Africa will tighten the Plastic a bit better than if it will be an C180?

Hence the Build-Quality of an E200 Coupé is a LOT better than a C63S Coupé.

That is not entirely true. They do use different materials on the higher end models such as the C63, not sure about the C43. The chassis is also braced more and stiffer on a C63 and probably a C43 than it is on the C160, which ultimately will make the car feel more solid than the lower priced models. The interior parts are perhaps not all that different other than the type of trims you can get and maybe they do brace the interior somewhat better on the higher performance models due to the stiffer ride of the car and increased vibration.

Yea sure, Car companys totally care about how your Car will rattle after 4 years. They gladly take a hit in their margin just so a small buyer (C-class) is a happy boy after buying a 5 year old C43.
You may also look up partnumbers, they are the same for ventilated Seats in a C160 and a C43.
Do you also think Mercedes lets the Sedans and Wagons be built in South Africa because people there have more expertise than the ones building the Coupés in Germany?

Are you on drugs? My car was well over 70k. My 25k ford had really good cooled seats. No excuse for changing $450 for the ventilated seats that don’t do ****.

Are you aware how an automotive is build? Since you're starting your sentence with an insult i'm guessing you're american and therefor lack quite some education. But thats fine, i'll help you out:
Humans learn the easiest by learning by doing, so now think to yourself (i understand if that could boo-boo your head-y): Do the Workers in South Africa build the C-Class Sedan Chassis different if its an C160 or an C43?

I see, i guess it was a bit too complicated for the US-users. Excuse me.
I try it again: Your C43 is a C160 with a different Engine and Software and 4-matic. Low-paid fabric workers in South-africa don't care that you'll get an AMG-Badge on your Trunk and build it the same Quality as they do with an 30k $ Sedan.

Mine was made by grumpy American on Monday.