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R seats compared to Recaro LS

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whizznbyu

New member
Location
Waxhaw, NC
I have never sat on a R seat before but have been told it is a huge difference from my Mk7 GSW TDI S Trim seats (which are OK, but not really that comfortable on long drives).
I am considering an upgrade to R seats, but I had an opportunity to sit on a Recaro LX and LS seats and they are wonderfull but pricey.
Question for the experienced is how do R Seats compare to Recaro LS or LX?
Thank you.
 
kevinkar

kevinkar

Drag Racing Champion
Location
United States
The seats in my 2018 R are good for what they are but they are not the best and I've sat in better including several Recaro seats in the past. Even the seats in the 2018 Focus ST a friend had are more enveloping and comfortable. The R seats don't quite have large enough side bolsters for spirited driving and, while the seat cushion is reasonably comfortable, long voyages tend to make it feel hard and less comfortable after several hours. Kind of "traditional" for a VW seat in my opinion. After only 4 years, they seem to feel older and less cushiony than I'd have thought they'd be.
 
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Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA
I've taken quite a few long trips in my R: Philly to Nova Scotia, a ten day tour of "the Southland" covering the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, and multiple trips back and forth to Chicago. All of them incorporating multiple 400 mile stretches. For all of those drives, I've found my R's seats to be absolutely comfortable. As per others who haven't found them to be as accomodating: different backsides, different degree of "fitment" in the seats. You really need to try them for yourself. I have found, however, that it makes a huge difference with how you adjust the seat height, rake, and lumbar support, as well as the steering wheel position, to get the exact perfect fit--at least for me. They're also not true "sports seats," as the side bolstering doesn't lock you in as some other (including Recaro) seats do; then again, you don't have to do any gymnastics getting in and out of the car.

FWIW I'm 5'11" 205 lbs. and 67 years old; if that makes any difference.
 
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whizznbyu

New member
Location
Waxhaw, NC
Al_in_Philly said:
I have found, however, that it makes a huge difference with how you adjust the seat height, rake, and lumbar support, as well as the steering wheel position, to get the exact perfect fit--at least for me.

FWIW I'm 5'11" 205 lbs. and 67 years old; if that makes any difference.
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I am 5'10" 190 lbs. I have tried adjusting the seat's height, forward and backward adjustment, steering wheel and back tilt and lumbar. I cannot get enough support on this seat. Ive been advised by my mechanic that the R seats have a thicker and firmer cushion and better side bolsters than the basic seat that I have. I have read a thread on this site about spacers and I am tempted to try that just to get some thigh support. The bottom cushion still doesn't extend far enough to cradle the backside of the thighs though.
 
scrllock

scrllock

Autocross Champion
Location
MI
Agree with Al, R seats in my '19 are some of the best I've had in a <50k car. I did 12 hour stretches during lock down and hit mental fatigue before my butt/back. Contrast that with the seats in my FXT, can't go more than 4 or 5 hours without feeling like I need a back massage.

Can't imagine any of the focus seats being compared favorably, I hated being in the RS/ST after about 5 or 10 minutes just from the seats.
 
Superfreak

Superfreak

Autocross Champion
Location
Denver
Car(s)
‘19 M2C, ‘05 Taco
I find the R seats lacking in lateral support and are a little too wide for my liking. I have a weird thing about seats and find most “normal” sports car seats are not supportive enough. I’ll upgrade the driver’s seat if I keep the car for awhile, but it’s hard to find anything I want besides the Clubsport seats that seem to be pretty cost prohibitive (for me). For reference, I’m 5’10’, 190, 33 waist.

I never thought I’d miss my old Nissan 350z seats, but I have yet to experience a better seat for something that I can afford. I hope to figure out a solution sometime, but I think it’ll cost me quite a bit more than I’d like to pay.
 
yakev724

yakev724

Go Kart Champion
Location
NYC
Car(s)
2015 S3
S3/RS3 seats are an option too. I recommend the stock S3 (not fixed headrest/wingback) seats which are fully electrically adjustable, don't seem like anything special but actually quite good for long trips.

Just have an airbag seat sensor issue so that's something you may need to replace at some point (~$350 part).


EDIT: A3 s-line/sport seats are same as S3 seats. Can prob find set for cheap if you shop around.
 
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Charlotte.:R

Charlotte.:R

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte
Car(s)
'18 Golf R 6MT
I find the R seats incredibly comfortable. I visited some buddies a couple weeks ago and drove about 1200 miles in 3 days. Never once experienced any discomfort.

I find the bolstering more than adequate for my purposes, which don’t include any track time.

That being said, seat comfort is going to be highly variable for each individual.
 
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Mikejt1954

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Charlotte, NC
whizznbyu said:
I have never sat on a R seat before but have been told it is a huge difference from my Mk7 GSW TDI S Trim seats (which are OK, but not really that comfortable on long drives).
I am considering an upgrade to R seats, but I had an opportunity to sit on a Recaro LX and LS seats and they are wonderfull but pricey.
Question for the experienced is how do R Seats compare to Recaro LS or LX?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Very adjustable on long trips, but they will still wear you out. But during track days, you’ll be holding the steering wheel firmly to keep from sliding around. I’m 6’, 160 lbs.
 
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eddieMK7

New member
Location
Orange County
mopar22 said:
TBH r and gti seats suck for anything longer than an hour or two. If you have a really long drive you really feel it then. They're good for holding you but not confortablilty
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100% agree. I like my seats for spirited driving like in the canyons but for a long regular commutes, they are not comfortable and will bother you after a while.
 
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