I just sat in another new E55 and the seats still feel too tight to me. I adjusted the bolsters all the way out. I haven't gain any weight since the last time I sat it in.

Has anybody seats loosen up after owning the E55 with Dynamic Seats for a few months? Has any of your passengers complained about it over a long trim ( 6 hours). What does your wives say when they ride in the passenger?

Just curious. 2-2.5 months to go.

amgB

 

Compared to the 2002 E55, the seats in the 2003 E55 did feel tighter to me. When you refer to Dynamic Seats, is this the standard seat for the 2003 E55 or are Dynamic Seats something special or optional? Did the regular seats feel tight to you? Did the dealer have any explanation?

 

I have a 03 e55, with the dynamic seats option and yes they are tight and do not open up as much as I would like them to.

 

The E55 seats feel amazing. In the audi world, everyone would ***** about their S4's seats having no support (which they didnt) and I guess Audi must have finally heard them somehow because the new S4's come with Recaro seats. We should be happy Mercedes gave us these sporty seats, this is after all a SPORTS sedan right? It's better than if they just threw in some seats from a ML.

 

I've had my E55 for 3 months, and I must say that these are the best sport seats I've ever had in a car (including 3 Porsches and a BMW 740i sport)--period.

Sport seats are designed to keep you from moving around during spirited driving, so you would expect them to be less "comfy" feeling than the standard Mercedes seats. I keep the side bolsters adjusted to the full open position, and have drive dynamic seats, and the self adjusting side bolsters are great.

This is a sports sedan, so if you don't like sport seats, stiffer suspension, 18" wheel ride characteristics, etc., perhaps this isn't the right car for you. No offense intended--no flames, please!

 

Thanks for the info.
I am just worried for my passengers. I take clients and co-workers in my car for meetings and also on road trips to San Francisco and Las Vegas. I don't want to have to switch cars just for these long road trips to make my co-workers comfortable.
I do have a need for speed.

amgB

 

The seats are my one concern about the 2004 E55 I have ordered, and I did specify the drive-dynamic ones.

I went to Autobahn Motors in Belmont, CA, which had the CL, CLK, S, SL and E 55s all in stock one recent Saturday, and I measured the seat width between bolsters in every car. By more than an inch, the E55s is the most narrow. I agree that a sport seat should hug, but the CLK (next most narrow) did it right.

The reality is that the E55's front seats were designed improperly. I spoke with AMG about replacing the E seats with CLK ones, and they said it was impossible due to the width of the center console on the E55.

Currently, I intend to keep my 2001 E55, drive my new one -- when I get it -- for a few days, and then, if I continue to feel the seats are too narrow to be comfortable, sell the 2004 and keep my 2001; I am that concerned about this problem.

By the way, I have driven the S55, which is no slouch of a vehicle, and in that car the seats are also superb. As a consequence, my next AMG (even if I do keep the new E55) will be an S65 without question.

 

Jonathan,
If you keep the 2004 E55 for a few days and then sell it, will the dealer take it back at your cost or will you take a financial loss? Has the dealer offered to let you try it out for a few days?

 

Defective? Poorly designed? I think not!!

I am 6 foot 2 weigh 190 and have a 45 inch chest -- I have one on order and have spent time at the MB challenge and in my friend's 03 and the seats are great. In fact, I need to bring the bolsters in. My lats are not small either.

They say something like 60% of all Americans are overweight -- Maybe you folks need to lay off the chocolate cake and fried foods for a few weeks -- Oh, and park your cars once in a while a walk, ride a bike, run, go to the gym. That ought to help.

 

Alz:

I am really glad that you are so proud of your physique, but your response negates a vital glitch in MB's presentation of their product. The problem is that the seat does not fit a sample of their intended audience. This quickly equates to a dollars and cents problem as prospective buyers will seek other alternative solutions. Maybe MB conducted an economic analysis to determine the risk of losing some customers in order to attract others with respect to this issue. Maybe their keen insight has already acknowledged that E55 drivers are the most fit of all the prospective AMG owners and thus deserving of tighter sports seats. Maybe it is all marketing genius, or madness after all?!?

So anyone who does not fit into the E55 seat, buckle down, work harder, exercise less, and make more money for a more exclusive AMG product!!!

 

When I test drove an 03 E55 I found that the problem with the seats occured at the shoulders not at the lats. The shoulder supports were so angled in and bolstered that I had great dificulty getting the top of my back against the seat back without taking a very round shouldered posture. I am of avg size and wt. My 04 E55 will be delivered in Oct and I plan on taking a long test drive to test these seats out.

 

It is not that I am proud of my physique -- but that I am by no means small or medium, but actually on the large side and think they fit wonderfully. In fact, I would think they were terrible if they were any wider.

Given your response, I called my brother who did the AMG Challenge with me and asked his opinion on the seats -- He is built a bit wider than I am -- 5 foot 11, 230. He said they were fine and fit well -- in fact, he remembers they were much better than the CLK seats.

We were both keen on checking the seats out because my wife wanted a bit more thigh bolster and we were keting in on that (for the record, she is 5 foot 10 and 125).

Neither Boeing nor Airbus make their seats any wider (except in Biz Class and First). And I have sat next to some folks who literally blubber over the seats. That's life -- Pay up for Biz Class or First or deal with it. Same here -- go with the S55 if you can't fit into the E55.

I will speculate that every single AMG will be sold, so I don't think there is a problem in the target market area.

AJOE -- I hear what you are saying re: the shoulders -- I have wide shoulders and thought they were a bit tight, but realized that it was just that I was not used to support in that area -- sort of when you get a tooth filled - you think it is higher, etc. 'cause you are not used to it being there.

 

Neither Boeing nor Airbus make their seats any wider (except in Biz Class and First). And I have sat next to some folks who literally blubber over the seats. That's life -- Pay up for Biz Class or First or deal with it. Same here -- go with the S55 if you can't fit into the E55.


Well, one cannot argue with the "bottom" line!

 

BOTTOM LINE:

The very fact that there is controversy about the E55 seats proves the point that this seat design is, to be generous, poor.

I have been buying cars for nearly 40 years, am not a walking mound of blubber and certainly don't propose that Mercedes Benz offer bench seating in front. This is the only time in almost four decades that I have sat in a car -- especially a very expensive car that is not intended to be a street version of a racer -- and not instantly felt the seats were great.

 

I wholeheartedly disagree. I find the seats very comfortable and very supportive. Yes they are a bit snug, but that doesn't make it uncomfortable. Maybe they just take a little getting used to, but they remind me of my friend's 968's seats.

 

Got 4100 miles on the car so far, including two eleven hour days and four 6 six hour days of driving. The seats are snug but very comfortable - no problems on the long trips.

I give them 5 stars! *****

 

In my personal opinion the seats are fantastic!

I also have a 2003 ML500 Inspiration package (sport seats), and they are snug (similar to the standard ML55 and E55 - without drive dynamic), but very comfortable.

When I drive loaners frm MB, the difference is immediately apparent. I would not drive the normal seats, if I have an option.

my 2 cents.