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      05-21-2009, 07:32 PM   #1
dmlgc
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Question for those with comfort seats

Folks,
Just returned from a trip to Nevada and was wondering are the butt paddles operational on driver and the passenger side or just driver. I punched the button and I could feel them but my wife could not . When we returned home I checked and no movement on passenger side.

Last edited by dmlgc; 05-21-2009 at 11:13 PM..
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      05-21-2009, 11:29 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmlgc View Post
Folks,
Just returned from a trip to Nevada and was wondering are the butt paddles operational on driver and the passenger side or just driver. I punched the button and I could feel them but my wife could not . When we returned home I checked and no movement on passenger side.
That's because BMW does not offer passenger side active seats in North America. There are two different codes for this option. European spec cars with this option have both front seats fitted with this feature but North American cars only have the driver side fitted!

If you read the description of this option carefully, you will notice that it refers to the DRIVER side only!

I had looked into getting this option put on my original X6 order for both front seats but was told that I couldn't even get this done through the special order process. No explanation was given as to why they can do this for other countries but don't offer it on NA cars?!?
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      05-22-2009, 01:50 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xDrive50i View Post
That's because BMW does not offer passenger side active seats in North America. There are two different codes for this option. European spec cars with this option have both front seats fitted with this feature but North American cars only have the driver side fitted!

If you read the description of this option carefully, you will notice that it refers to the DRIVER side only!

I had looked into getting this option put on my original X6 order for both front seats but was told that I couldn't even get this done through the special order process. No explanation was given as to why they can do this for other countries but don't offer it on NA cars?!?

Thanks xDrive , BMW has really slipped it's trolley on this. Comfort amenities is one of the things that the female demographic will consider when making a purchase. BMW should just say "We are only want to sell our cars to men" because we are manly men or some such nonsense...
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      05-22-2009, 02:29 PM   #4
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It comes down to simple cost cutting.

Most people won't noticed until after they purchase a car.

Honda did a similar thing for decades. The passenger seat was never power.
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      05-22-2009, 03:20 PM   #5
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Its like the the one click power window in my toyota. There are two on the drivers side to control both windows. Only the left one works with one click auto up/down. It is retarded.
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      05-22-2009, 05:09 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck92103 View Post
It comes down to simple cost cutting.

Most people won't noticed until after they purchase a car.

Honda did a similar thing for decades. The passenger seat was never power.
True didn't occur to me until after I bought X6 ( there's a button for a front seat function but it only works on drivers side...), but the next car being purchased in the family will be by my wife and she notes all these things.
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      05-23-2009, 10:00 AM   #7
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How did you all miss this on the web site build screen?

Active ventilated seat package $1,100
• Front ventilated seats
• Active seat for driver
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      05-24-2009, 12:07 AM   #8
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I don't see how much cost savings you're looking at cutting by providing only one side - I'm sure BMW would price the option accordingly. Regardless, they should at least offer it as a separate option and ppl could decide if they wanted to pay for it or not.

When I saw the single seat aspect of the option on the web site some time back, I assumed that their reasoning was the driver would be less able to move about than the passenger, not knowing that they offered this option to European customers.

For a loaded $65K - $85K x6, you'd think BMW wouldn't be cutting corners.
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      05-24-2009, 04:51 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teagueAMX View Post
I don't see how much cost savings you're looking at cutting by providing only one side - I'm sure BMW would price the option accordingly. Regardless, they should at least offer it as a separate option and ppl could decide if they wanted to pay for it or not.

When I saw the single seat aspect of the option on the web site some time back, I assumed that their reasoning was the driver would be less able to move about than the passenger, not knowing that they offered this option to European customers.

For a loaded $65K - $85K x6, you'd think BMW wouldn't be cutting corners.
Sure they cut corners, u just don't know where.
They've got accountants just like they have engineers!
compare paint jobs on different models of BMW & different models of MB, Lexus & Jaquar, then look @ a Rolls or Bentley.
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      05-24-2009, 10:49 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by archwerks View Post
Sure they cut corners, u just don't know where.
They've got accountants just like they have engineers!
compare paint jobs on different models of BMW & different models of MB, Lexus & Jaquar, then look @ a Rolls or Bentley.
+1 All companies are doing it. I noticed BMW is doing several things.

1. The premum sound system is no longer standard in the 335.
2. The 3 series lost it smokers package (don't care) but they just have a hole in front of the shifter, not even a nice laminated wood cover.
3. The 5 and 6 series are losing the expensive to build Grav aluminum front ends.
4. The spare tire is now an option in the X6. Used to be standard.

These are just the things I noticed or read about. I am sure they are more.
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      05-26-2009, 01:04 AM   #11
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I agree with teagueAMX, BMW SHOULD allow the customer to decide what they want and what they don't want and offer ALL possible options.

Then again, this is something I have been saying for quite some time now that BMW SHOULD make all options available on an individual basis so that you can build your car EXACTLY the way you want/like it and NOT based on ridiculous packages!

They do that for European (and possibly other) customers, so why can't they do that for the North American market?

Especially considering that some of the cars (e.g. X5, X6, etc) are actually build right here???
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      05-26-2009, 10:38 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xDrive50i View Post

They do that for European (and possibly other) customers, so why can't they do that for the North American market?
because they don't like us...
Yes really boggles the mind that the cars are all built at same plant but on certain options available in certain regions.
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      05-26-2009, 12:08 PM   #13
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Actually I suspect it is probably a regulatory issue rather than a cost-cutting one... the M3 for example also comes with a different seat base in the US market.

If I recall correctly, it has to do with occupation sensors in the seat which are unique to the US market and as such, they would need to certify each seat type individually if they offer all the options.
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      05-26-2009, 01:30 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShaneV78 View Post
Actually I suspect it is probably a regulatory issue rather than a cost-cutting one... the M3 for example also comes with a different seat base in the US market.

If I recall correctly, it has to do with occupation sensors in the seat which are unique to the US market and as such, they would need to certify each seat type individually if they offer all the options.

Huh? Regulation is what causes costs to increase.
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      05-26-2009, 03:26 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck92103 View Post
Huh? Regulation is what causes costs to increase.
You're partly right... but in my view there is quite a difference between cutting cost by taking something out and avoiding the added cost of offering something extra!

I'm sure that if the bean counters could justify it, the option would be offered... but most likely the extra cost of certification for a different seat would not be recovered by the expected number of sales of that option. It's the same reason the awesome Recaro bucket seats were not offered on the RS4/R8 etc. in the US for example!

I don't think it's always right to blame BMW for 'hating the US' as some people have put it... it's often just the complex regulations that make it difficult/impossible to offer certain items in your market.
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