Quick question re the performance seat option. Is the seat upright the same depth (ie thickness) as the standard seat, meaning does it encroach into the rear passenger seat area to the same extent??
Secondly does it still retain the same degree of adjustment ie lumbar support/bolsters etc as the standard??
Cheers

 

It might be thinner? No problem with rear seat leg room with performance seats and they have all adjustments except headrest as it is fixed. I was somewhat worried about comfort but every time I get in it is one of the things I am glad I bought as they are just great.

 

For those of you that have performance seats, did you do a long road trip in them because this guy seemed to hate it.....alot. He kept on mentioning that it was uncomfortable which seems to contradict what some of you said. And he is slim too.

 

I have the performance seats in the A45 and selected them for the C63s, too. I think they're the same seat, although the A45 misses out on the movable thigh support bit.

I find them absolutely fine on long journeys on poorly maintained Australian B roads. They're supportive and comfortable although it does take a bit of messing with to get them set up to be just right, but they're great.

 

The performance seats are one of the main features that I bought the car for. I find them supremely comfortable and having done 250+ miles in a day early in my possession of the car I can say I felt no fatigue from sitting in them. I'm a larger chap too, 6'1 and 17st of rugby player with a bad back, so it's one of the key areas that is of importance to me.


I'm sure the other seats are softer and very comfortable but, when pressing on, I need to feel held in the seat to save stressing my back. Infact, my most comfortable seats are the racing buckets in my race cars. Getting a good firm fit stops the need to control lateral movement and thus fatiguing my back.

 

+1

That is exactly what I found while testing a C63S, if you spend time adjusting them the way that feels the most comfortable, they feel great.

 

They're close (A45 and C63), but they are not the same.

However, they are extremely comfortable.

 

Funny thing is when he reviewed the AMG GT , he hated the seats too and performance seats are standard there.

 

I ended up with the performance seats by default when I fell in love with the 2015 E1 in my dealer. I was skeptical as I'm 6'1" 215lbs and was happy with the standard seats in my CLA45 but have been delighted by how comfortable the performance seats have been! Very supportive (I have neck issues) with the side bolstering coming into the play while enjoying a nice windy country road from time to time. I don't regret them at all!

 

+1 on the comfort of the performance seats. The week after I got my E1, I took a road trip to hasten break-in. I drove for 6+ hours and only took breaks long enough to refuel and use the rest room.


The seat was entirely comfortable for the entire journey and continues to be the most comfortable car seat I have ever experienced.

 

Wow, so many varied threads on this topic...this thread seems to have more people siding with the comfort of the performance seats.

 

I have a really bad back.. This was a HUGE focus of mine early on in ordering... The first thing I had to narrow down... I sat in both seats and MUCH preferred the amg seats. They are much more comfortable and supported me a million times better than the stock seats especially in lateral movement.. I didn't get thrown around as much in the AMG seats vs stock so my muscles and discs in my spine didn't have to do as much to keep my body stable.. hence less fatigue. plus you have more leg support.. you sit deeper in the seat as the base is longer front to back vs stock esp with the thigh support which I always have extended. I also feel the stock seat, even when fully adjusted still sticks in my lower back and puts too much pressure on it.. I have 3 discs 90%+ degenerated and one with an annular tear.. I HATE pressure on my lower spine. I only sat and test drove cars with it as I do not have mine yet.. But I will say I can tell right away after i have a seat fully adjusted if I can handle it for the long run.. i don't need to do a long journey to find out..my back is too sensitive. The biggest fact is the support for lateral movement and how the seat cups you vs the stock seat feels like you are sitting on a book. I'm 6 ft 170

 

 

So no butt fatigue as i'm reading others experiencing over long drives?

 

 

I got a bone-ey butt and no butt fatigue for me.

 

 

 

If they are not comfortable, why would people bother buying them at a premium? I'm sure if a majority of people complained, MB would have discontinued them.

 

I am inclined to agree, but if you do a forum search on "performance seats" you will see several individuals who actually *HATE* the performance seats. Some regretting their choice. If nothing else, it gives reason for pause. There is a general consenses that the standard seats are more comfortable for long trips, but apparently, the performance seats are garnering praise for their comfortability as well. At this point, I'm more inclined to stick with the performance seats...just wanted some more real-world opinions.

 

I've done PCH from LA to Monterey and back plus other road trips with perf seats and I love them. It took a while to find the ideal seating position. But once I did, they're amazing.

 

The issue is humans come in so many shapes and sizes, that you really can't take somebody else's word for it when it comes to judging the comfort of a seat. Ultimately, the seat is comfortable for your particular body, or its not. It also vastly depends on the history of cars somebody has had. Folks like me who've owned performance cars for over a decade are used to sport seats and have to come to like them. The body also gets used to a proper seat. Some people spend a lot of time in ergonomically poor seats and then when they sit in a proper seat that supports their body as it should, it feels uncomfortable at first due to the bad habits that festered for a long time. Lot of folks with very poor postures out there. Seats also need to be broken in. The seat cushions tend to be firmer when new and eventually one's body and the seat gets mutually broken in. Take your time to adjust the seat until it's comfortable. This tends to be an ongoing process as one's body shape changes over time.

Most people actually don't get the performance seats in the USA. Most car buyers even C63 buyers are not drivers at heart. They commute to work mostly and want cushy seats. I still remember when I got my 2007 Audi S4. It had standard Recaro seats with pretty aggressive bolsters. I got in the car on the showroom floor with the sales associate standing outside and my first comment was how much I love the seats. The sales associate had a very surprised reaction. Clearly not something he heard frequently.

I've come to favor sport seats so much that I bought a gaming chair for my home office the other day. It's made by a German company. This particular chair and similar chairs actually have lots of bad reviews online. I only discovered them after I bought the chair. Many are complaining about a lack of back support. I bought it specifically because the design is based on car sport seats and bought it, because I came across it in Japan at an electronics store and sat down in it after a day walking around and it was instantly relaxing. I've now had it for about 5 days and I'm already more comfortable than in my previous chair. If I had seen those bad reviews before I bought the chair and hadn't actually sat in it myself, I probably would have missed out on a great chair.

 

superswiss is spot on. For every two people who love sport seats. There will be two people who don't like sport seats. Only you can decide. Best thing might be to go down to a dealership and spend some time (cpl. hours) sitting in each. While you stay busy on your phone or something. As an added bonus for me about sport seats. I think they also look better as well.

 

Good stuff, agreed. It’s a totally personal decision. It’s probably a given that, based on pure comfort alone, the standard seats are going to be more cushion-y, that’s sad the trade off for a little comfort while gaining all the performance advantages are probably significant in the performance seats. I am a daily driver, but I can appreciate performance features. I would love to track this car often and a lot, but the reality is I probably won’t and will drive someone else’s car or Mercedes-Benz. Lol. I’m pretty convinced that performance sheets are for me. Thanks for your feedback.