E65 7 series -why are heated seats so rare?!

[DeltaTango]

I'm currently fiendishly searching for a pre-facelift E65 730d Sport to replace my M135i. I found the perfect car this morning. Except for one thing. No heated seats. It seems as though most of them don't have this option fitted either. I am baffled as to how these weren't standard.

I've checked the forums for discussion on retrofitting and couldn't see anything.

Do I really need heated seats? It seems bizarre that such a basic option isn't standard fit on all models.

Thoughts?

[Smuler]

DeltaTango said:

I'm currently fiendishly searching for a pre-facelift E65 730d Sport to replace my M135i. I found the perfect car this morning. Except for one thing. No heated seats. It seems as though most of them don't have this option fitted either. I am baffled as to how these weren't standard.

I've checked the forums for discussion on retrofitting and couldn't see anything.

Do I really need heated seats? It seems bizarre that such a basic option isn't standard fit on all models.

Thoughts?

I had h/seats on my 335i. I bought it used and they weren't a factor in it's purchase but found them great for adding comfort on cold, wet, mornings. I'd now only do without them, if the car I was buying was sufficiently rare that there were precious few around.
Chap I know was looking for M3 and wanted h/seats, found one without and dealership said they use a local contractor to retrofit. cost was £500 and only one setting. No comment on cost, but one setting, no way.

[DeltaTango]

Smuler said:

I had h/seats on my 335i. I bought it used and they weren't a factor in it's purchase but found them great for adding comfort on cold, wet, mornings. I'd now only do without them, if the car I was buying was sufficiently rare that there were precious few around.
Chap I know was looking for M3 and wanted h/seats, found one without and dealership said they use a local contractor to retrofit. cost was £500 and only one setting. No comment on cost, but one setting, no way.

My thoughts exactly Smuler. I specced them on my M135i and use them almost daily. I'm confused as to why a luxury car wouldn't have them.

Does the E65 have a function where you can start the car remotely? That's the only way I can make this disastrous situation tolerable I reckon.

[Smuler]

DeltaTango said:

My thoughts exactly Smuler. I specced them on my M135i and use them almost daily. I'm confused as to why a luxury car wouldn't have them.

Does the E65 have a function where you can start the car remotely? That's the only way I can make this disastrous situation tolerable I reckon.

I didn't know which years the E65 7 Series was in production, but having just googled it's 2001-2008 by which time I thought heated seats were a fairly common option on many BMW, so yeah surely standard on the luxury version!!
Remote start, no idea, I'm afraid.

[anonymous-user]

DeltaTango said:

Smuler said:

I had h/seats on my 335i. I bought it used and they weren't a factor in it's purchase but found them great for adding comfort on cold, wet, mornings. I'd now only do without them, if the car I was buying was sufficiently rare that there were precious few around.
Chap I know was looking for M3 and wanted h/seats, found one without and dealership said they use a local contractor to retrofit. cost was £500 and only one setting. No comment on cost, but one setting, no way.

My thoughts exactly Smuler. I specced them on my M135i and use them almost daily. I'm confused as to why a luxury car wouldn't have them.

Does the E65 have a function where you can start the car remotely? That's the only way I can make this disastrous situation tolerable I reckon.

You use them almost daily? Aren't you well? I only use ours odd days in the winter.

[Mike335i]

I use mine a lot, really helps with backache regardless of outside temperature. Really glad I have them, wouldn't want a leather interior without it.

[Longnose]

It's because only the chauffeur sits in the front.

His instructions would be to make sure the car is nice and warm inside before he collects The Boss from his mansion.

[Philv8s]

The 730d is poverty spec model remember. Most of the larger (more expensive) engined cars had them, along with massage and or cooling options if specced at purchase. As always with these things it depended on the budget of the initial purchaser. My ex 760i had the cooled and heated options front and rear. The first thing I always looked at in adverts was the buttons on the centre arm rest to check what seat options had been fittted to a specific car.

[DeltaTango]

REALIST123 said:

You use them almost daily? Aren't you well? I only use ours odd days in the winter.

I had a disc removed in my back a few years ago and suffer from acute back pain regularly. So yes I suppose I'm not totally well and this is one helpful coping mechanism.

[DeltaTango]

Philv8s said:

The 730d is poverty spec model remember. Most of the larger (more expensive) engined cars had them, along with massage and or cooling options if specced at purchase. As always with these things it depended on the budget of the initial purchaser. My ex 760i had the cooled and heated options front and rear. The first thing I always looked at in adverts was the buttons on the centre arm rest to check what seat options had been fittted to a specific car.

Absolutely Phil. I'll find the right car soon I'm sure. I keep seeing well specced, keenly priced A8s which are threatening to tempt me. However, I am told they just aren't as wafty, which is the goal.

[hornetrider]

DeltaTango said:

I'm currently fiendishly searching for a pre-facelift E65 730d Sport to replace my M135i. I found the perfect car this morning. Except for one thing. No heated seats. It seems as though most of them don't have this option fitted either.

So, when I do a search for 7 series post 2005, I get 629 results. When I put 'heated' into the search filter, it's reduced to 472. Is it heated something else that's being picked up?!

[JakeT]

Heated rear screen? I thought it was standard fit to have heated front seats on the E65. Colour me wrong in this case.

[DeltaTango]

JakeT said:

Heated rear screen? I thought it was standard fit to have heated front seats on the E65. Colour me wrong in this case.

Definitely not standard I'm afraid.

[DeltaTango]

hornetrider said:

So, when I do a search for 7 series post 2005, I get 629 results. When I put 'heated' into the search filter, it's reduced to 472. Is it heated something else that's being picked up?!

There are 36 730d's on autotrader with under 150,000 miles costing £6,500 or less. Only 15 of these claim to have heated seats. Most of these cars then have a black interior, which is just miserable, so my options are currently limited, but I'll find it.

[DeltaTango]

DeltaTango said:

hornetrider said:

So, when I do a search for 7 series post 2005, I get 629 results. When I put 'heated' into the search filter, it's reduced to 472. Is it heated something else that's being picked up?!

There are 36 730d's on autotrader with under 150,000 miles costing £6,500 or less. Only 15 of these claim to have heated seats. Most of these cars then have a black interior, which is just miserable, so my options are currently limited, but I'll find it.

Oh and when you check the ones which claim to have heated seats, lots of them don't.

[hornetrider]

DeltaTango said:

DeltaTango said:

hornetrider said:

So, when I do a search for 7 series post 2005, I get 629 results. When I put 'heated' into the search filter, it's reduced to 472. Is it heated something else that's being picked up?!

There are 36 730d's on autotrader with under 150,000 miles costing £6,500 or less. Only 15 of these claim to have heated seats. Most of these cars then have a black interior, which is just miserable, so my options are currently limited, but I'll find it.

Oh and when you check the ones which claim to have heated seats, lots of them don't.

I'm not a huge fan of the E65 but this looks good.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

Edit: The first 4 cars I've looked at all have them... what are you looking for?

[DeltaTango]

hornetrider said:

I'm not a huge fan of the E65 but this looks good.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

It does indeed and I'm tempted to look at it having spotted it on Monday. Sadly I have to do a fair amount of parking (I'm an estate agent), so I think a LWB will be a bridge too far.

[motoroller]

As far as I have read, swapping the seats out is an option. A bit involved but if the right car doesn't come up might be something to look into.

I've been looking for an E65 with ACC for a friend for a while but they're rare or ridiculously overpriced.

[Welshbeef]

REALIST123 said:

You use them almost daily? Aren't you well? I only use ours odd days in the winter.

I use ours frequently find it very relaxing whilst driving (clearly I don't use it mid summer- unless I have any back pain/tight muscles)

I cannot wait to get heated and air cooled and massaging seats utter bliss.