Hi F-Type owners,

How comfortable do you find the seats? What's the longest road trip you've done and did it give you back pain?

 

I find the seats firm. 2.5-3hours trips. I like the firmness. Possibly a little more cushion on the bottom would be good.

 

It's a sports car so they are more sporty seats than your typical luxe vehicle. That being said, I've only had the car for about 2 months and taken trips as long as 2 hours without stopping. I find it plenty comfortable on the highway with the sport suspension turned off, no back pain (more comfy than a BMW 6 series would be). I wouldn't drive it for endless hours in a city environment though.

 

I have the performance seats and find them very comfortable. With all the various ways to adjust them, even my wife is comfortable. No problem driving for 3+ hours in them. And with all the many settings, they will remember up to three different settings even for the passenger seat.

 

Seat adjustments are superb, did a 3 hour trip with no back pain or fatigue. Now is it as comfortable as my BMW 535i F10, probably not, but I dont expect it to be.

 

I have the sports seats (i.e. not performance seats) and find them very comfortable. Have done six 13-14 hour drives with no issues. The adjustable bolster is nice.

 

+1

 

I'm 35 and think the seats as pretty comfortable. When I first got the car, I removed thinking to myself that the seats were firm and just need to be broken in but I purchased the car used with around 13k miles and think that might not ever happen. I got used to them and personally find them comfortable with a few 3 hour trips under my belt.

​​​​​​My one complaint: I wish they could recline and move backward an inch or two & I'm only 5'9.

 

64 years old. Several all day 10+ hour trips, all on back-to-back days. No fatigue, no pain. I love this car!

 

I find the seats very comfortable - try a Lotus Elise, now those are hard seats!

I also find the ride to be fine - certainly better than a BMW I used to own.

 

I've had back surgery and I still have chronic back pain (the surgery made things better, but this is just the way I am). With that, I have done 4.5 hour road trips without issue. I have the Performance seats and I've never needed to augment them with a small pillow or towel for good lower back support. They are some of the more comfortable OEM seats I've used.

 

I was particularly focussed on the seats before I bought the F Type. I'd originally come out of volvos which make some of the best seats around (IMO) especially in the S60R, and my first XF was a step backwards from that. Comfy but not great. My second was an improvement.

My XKR had great seats, though there was a noticeable difference in comfort from the well used driver seat (where the leather had stretched and you could feel it taking up the bumps) and the passenger where it was pretty much new and on the same section of road it would be jolty.

My first drive in a F Type (new 2014 base with sport seats) was not promising. After an hour driving around I felt like an 18 year old after his first night in general population. Not good, and the XKR was massively better in comparison. But in hindsight, I think it was the new seats more than the suspension.

Test driving the one I bought with performance seats was much better. They have a seam that initially hurt your spine, but other than that they are very supportive and more comfortable than expected, even when new. That was the big issue that got me over the line. After about 5,000kms, they were very, very comfortable. Not as comfy as (say) the XE, but more supportive. After 10,000km I have never gotten out of the car with a sore back or legs, even after long drives.

I did put a lot of conditioner into them initially because they were very firm. I'm not sure whether it was that or just using them that helped. Kneeling on them will stretch them a bit too, but it involves some contortions.

 

I love the seats. Like Unhinged I have done many 8+ hour trips and never felt any back issues. I have always used my wife as a real barometer of comfort as she has real back issues.......she falls asleep in the Ftype. Nuff said for me!

 

Love the Performance seats. Crazy cost, but I've done 400-500 mile days in comfort. The 4-way power lumbar support is brilliant. I love the inflatable side bolsters: you can give yourself a hug, or relax. Best seats I've had: easy to toughen up for track or relax on a trip.

 

Exept the age (I am "only" 56 😉 ), my experience is exactly the same as Unhingd.

It's an exeptionally great car 😊

 

I'm afraid that I have a dissenting view. Ride is harsh and the seats are very firm (but of course, I still love it.) And that is coming from an AMG Benz so that ride is not exactly soft. The piping killed my back at first but I got used to it after a bit. Could be that I am so skinny that I don't have any natural insulation, but got one of these seat cushions and it helped out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7N9Y3X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got a back pad that Unhingd got for his passenger seat:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKN33ZI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but it was too wide, wrapped over the bolsters so it wasn't comfortable for me. Perhaps if I cut it down to only go across the flat part it would work better for me. Have it on the ofc chair now. Also have back issues so the bolsters and lumber positioning really help out. That leather is so beautiful that I hate to cover it up!
(Oh, and I don't think they are as comfortable as OP's XJ8L )

 

That's odd. It was almost a perfect fit on my seat.

 

That is a good thing to reference. No, the ride is not as soft or comfy as a 4-door sedan. It shouldn't be.... However, it's not "sports car" stiff even with the dynamic suspension enabled.

 

I know! I remember you posting that pic on what I think might have been my first thread here. Maybe I got an extra wide one by mistake or something. With it up against the bolsters, it feels like a python squeezing the life out of me... And that is with the bolster pump at zero and me being skinny...
But it is now making my crappy ofc chair more tolerable

 

I am 39 years old, 6'4", 175lbs.
1. SEATS:
In EVERY car I've EVER owned (including the 2015 XF S/C) the seats did not fit me well. Lower back was hurting after 1-1.5hrs of continuous driving. 2003 Ford Taurus SES came closest to pain-free traveling, but it was you know, a 2003 Ford Taurus. And it was Geriatric Gold in color so...
However, the F Type R's Performance Seats are absolutely, 100% ideal fit for me. If you are taller or ahem, wider, they may not work as perfectly, but for they are amazing. I drove this car from San Diego to San Francisco, along the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway and it took 13 (!) hours with the fill ups, food, bathroom breaks, photo opportunities, etc. My back did not hurt one bit! I was tired from driving so much, but the level of comfort was simply unprecedented!
2. RIDE
F Type is a GT car with "sporty" inclinations". On 20" wheels. It's my daily driver and the roads in San Diego are mostly pretty bad, especially where I live (area called Pacific Beach), but I do not find the ride uncomfortable at all. Stiff, yes, but not uncomfortable. It manages bumps well, without throwing you off your line in corners and only the harshest impacts (potholes, etc) are felt.
In conclusion, to each his own, but right now the F Type R is a great only car for me and I am very comfortable in it.