Recaros vs Tech Seats

[Trackaholic]

5' 11" and 185 lbs. I love my Recaro seats. To me, they complete the car

-T

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[dean_acheson]

Dean do you mean to say you were not impressed or disappointed by the tech seats after owning a Boss 302 with Recaros???

I did not find the tech seats as supportive as the Boss recaros. Recently I drove a 2012 GT-500 with the standard seats which made me realize how much I liked the recaros. I'm afraid that if I went with the tech seats I'd end up with the same feeling. Then I hear comments in the everyday driver video about the new recaros not being as comfortable as the boss seats, and wonder what everyone's experience here is that have been in both.

When I look at photos of the GT-350 recaros they remind me more of the ones in the Focus ST then the ones in the Boss, and I would say that the ones in the Focus are quite a bit tighter than the Boss seats. Maybe not too tight for someone my size- but borderline.

I did not use the heating/cooling features of the tech seats as I just sat in them in a showroom. I would say that my wife's current vehicle has those features and I love them.

Again, I've not had a chance to sit in a track pack car- and when my car shows up, I'm going to be in it for awhile. So I'd like to not screw this up, if that makes sense.

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

I did not find the tech seats as supportive as the Boss recaros. Recently I drove a 2012 GT-500 with the standard seats which made me realize how much I liked the recaros. I'm afraid that if I went with the tech seats I'd end up with the same feeling. Then I hear comments in the everyday driver video about the new recaros not being as comfortable as the boss seats, and wonder what everyone's experience here is that have been in both.

When I look at photos of the GT-350 recaros they remind me more of the ones in the Focus ST then the ones in the Boss, and I would say that the ones in the Focus are quite a bit tighter than the Boss seats. Maybe not too tight for someone my size- but borderline.

I did not use the heating/cooling features of the tech seats as I just sat in them in a showroom. I would say that my wife's current vehicle has those features and I love them.

Again, I've not had a chance to sit in a track pack car- and when my car shows up, I'm going to be in it for awhile. So I'd like to not screw this up, if that makes sense.

Completely understand where you're coming from man. I've had significant seat time in a 2015 Corvette that had cooled leather seats and thought they were great; very good blend of a sporty supportive seat that also has full power and cooling options.

I'm in the same boat as you, I've had the chance to sit in both seats, and both felt comfortable to me during the ~1 minute seat time that I had. That comfort doesn't always translate to the road after driving for an hour or several hours.

I would prefer the Recaros, but then I feel nervous that they may not be comfortable after a while on the road, and part of my mind thinks that a 90K car (Canadian price plus tax) should have better seats with power and cooling options and not require manual adjustments...

It's weighing on my mind as I also do not want to screw this up. I'm currently 25 years old and plan on keeping this car for life, so I certainly do not want to have any regrets whatsoever as this will literally be my "once in a lifetime" car purchase.

 

[dean_acheson]

Glad to see someone else is in the exact same boat!

The comfort levels of the Boss recaros- at least to me- is great. There are times when my back hurts and I find it's one of the best places to sit. I drove the car straight from the mid-west to Utah for Track Attack a few years ago with no complaints (15 hours or so?), but a few years later my wife had a Focus ST and they recaros in it were not as comfortable to me.

Obviously the smart thing is to find a track pack car and have a seat, but that's not the same a going for a hour long drive, or having been in the seat for a couple of years and the inevitable settling of the seat itself.

I'm like you, leaning toward the recaros.

Otherwise I'd just start shopping for 16 tech pack- since I'm never going to track the car. It's going to be a daily driver and I don't picture any issues there.

Completely understand where you're coming from man. I've had significant seat time in a 2015 Corvette that had cooled leather seats and thought they were great; very good blend of a sporty supportive seat that also has full power and cooling options.

I'm in the same boat as you, I've had the chance to sit in both seats, and both felt comfortable to me during the ~1 minute seat time that I had. That comfort doesn't always translate to the road after driving for an hour or several hours.

I would prefer the Recaros, but then I feel nervous that they may not be comfortable after a while on the road, and part of my mind thinks that a 90K car (Canadian price plus tax) should have better seats with power and cooling options and not require manual adjustments...

It's weighing on my mind as I also do not want to screw this up. I'm currently 25 years old and plan on keeping this car for life, so I certainly do not want to have any regrets whatsoever as this will literally be my "once in a lifetime" car purchase.

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

5' 11" and 185 lbs. I love my Recaro seats. To me, they complete the car

-T

Asking you sir as you are the nearest poster that states to have the Recaros! My question pertains to the adjustments that can be made to the passenger side seat.

Looking at the order guide, it states that the passenger seats are only 2-way adjustable, whereas the driver seats are 4-way adjustable. This may be a stupid question, but could you possibly elaborate on what this means exactly?

I would have assumed that 4-way simply meant that the seats could move forward/backward, and recline forwards/backwards. What mobility does the passenger seat have if this is the case? Assuming it can only move forwards/backwards without adjustment of the backrest??

 

[dean_acheson]

If these are like the Boss/Focus recaros:

Driver seat base moves forward and backward, and base also goes up and down with a lever on the driver's side. The seat back has the normal adjustments.

On the passenger side there is not up and down adjustment for the base of the seat. Just forward and backward on the base and the normal seat back adjustments.

Asking you sir as you are the nearest poster that states to have the Recaros! My question pertains to the adjustments that can be made to the passenger side seat.

Looking at the order guide, it states that the passenger seats are only 2-way adjustable, whereas the driver seats are 4-way adjustable. This may be a stupid question, but could you possibly elaborate on what this means exactly?

I would have assumed that 4-way simply meant that the seats could move forward/backward, and recline forwards/backwards. What mobility does the passenger seat have if this is the case? Assuming it can only move forwards/backwards without adjustment of the backrest??

 

[dean_acheson]

I see three levers in this photo, so I'm going to assume that it works the same as I described.

 

[firestarter2]

whats the weight difference?

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

If these are like the Boss/Focus recaros:

Driver seat base moves forward and backward, and base also goes up and down with a lever on the driver's side. The seat back has the normal adjustments.

On the passenger side there is not up and down adjustment for the base of the seat. Just forward and backward on the base and the normal seat back adjustments.

Hmm, I think you're probably right there. In that case though, what does it meant when the tech seats are described as being "6-way" adjustable? Would it be the base of the seat moving forward/back, entire base of the seat up/down, and the end of the base of the seat (closest to your knees) being able to angle up or down?

And from what you posted, the movement of the backrest is considered "normal" and not counted when considering "X-way" adjustability of the seats??

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

whats the weight difference?

Only speculation but I imagine it would be fairly significant, percentage wise, compared to the tech seats. The tech seats are thicker, wider, and have the motors for power controls, as well as the heating/cooling elements. Probably nothing worthwhile or negligible in terms of overall vehicle weight though.

 

[raiderjatt02]

If these are like the Boss/Focus recaros:

Driver seat base moves forward and backward, and base also goes up and down with a lever on the driver's side. The seat back has the normal adjustments.

On the passenger side there is not up and down adjustment for the base of the seat. Just forward and backward on the base and the normal seat back adjustments.

This is correct. Up/Down, Forward/Back, Recline. Passenger seat only goes Forward/Back and Recline.

 

[Trackaholic]

This is correct. Up/Down, Forward/Back, Recline. Passenger seat only goes Forward/Back and Recline.

Yep, what these guys said.

One other thing, there is a handle on the back of each seat that allows them to fold forward for easy access to the rear. When you use those levers and push the seat upright, the backrest will return to its previous position. This makes it easier to reach the back seats without losing your backrest adjustment. It does not affect the forward and back motion though.

I personally prefer manual adjustments over automatic ones. I don't need to adjust the seats much anyway, since very rarely does anyone else drive my car, plus the seats are lighter and simpler, with less chances of failure.

For me, the Recaros are very comfortable. I drove 600 miles a day for three days when driving back home from the dealer, and did not feel fatigued at all. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by this. My father, who made the trip with me, also had no complaints.

I know we all have different body types, so you should still try to sit in them, but if you are able to find a good driving position with the more limited adjustments, I would definitely recommend the Recaros.

-T

 

[J_Maher_AMG]

This is correct. Up/Down, Forward/Back, Recline. Passenger seat only goes Forward/Back and Recline.

Yep, what these guys said.

One other thing, there is a handle on the back of each seat that allows them to fold forward for easy access to the rear. When you use those levers and push the seat upright, the backrest will return to its previous position. This makes it easier to reach the back seats without losing your backrest adjustment. It does not affect the forward and back motion though.

I personally prefer manual adjustments over automatic ones. I don't need to adjust the seats much anyway, since very rarely does anyone else drive my car, plus the seats are lighter and simpler, with less chances of failure.

For me, the Recaros are very comfortable. I drove 600 miles a day for three days when driving back home from the dealer, and did not feel fatigued at all. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by this. My father, who made the trip with me, also had no complaints.

I know we all have different body types, so you should still try to sit in them, but if you are able to find a good driving position with the more limited adjustments, I would definitely recommend the Recaros.

-T

Thank you both for confirming!

Also appreciate the detailed feedback regarding the Recaros! I've had a chance to sit in them as I mentioned, but unfortunately I could only sit in it as it was being PDI'd for a customer who was picking the car up in a few hours, so I didn't have the chance to play with the adjustments. So I wasn't able to confirm if the manual seats with their limited adjustability could be placed in the "perfect" position for me :(

I think I will end up going with these those and taking that small chance. Like you said, they are certainly simpler and with less to go wrong, I feel as though they may be a safer choice for a car I plan on keeping for 30+ years

 

[fmusignac]

Get the Recaro's. If you don't like them, I will trade you my tech pack seats!

 

[dean_acheson]

Get the Recaro's. If you don't like them, I will trade you my tech pack seats!

That would be great, but I'd be surprised if the recaros come with the air con/heat hookups and such.

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