Other than design, is there a difference between the seat types in a 2011-2014 (the years I've seen them) XKR? I'm looking at one XKR that has "Performance Seats" and they are the ones with the solid back that has a built in headrest. The other seats have a removable headrest and look to be somewhat more padded.

Are the "Performance Seats" worth the original upcharge?

Thanks!

 

Go sit in them before deciding. You seem to be doing a ton of internet browsing without sitting in many cars. There are at least three different versions. From what I've read and seen the XK has a cushier seat. The XKR is less padded and more grabby. Then there's the bat wing racing seats like you are asking about. Personally I don't care for them since they take up so much room in the cabin. You'll find out once you get one that you do most of your backing up looking out the rear side windows since the rear 1/4's are so massive and the back window so narrow.

I like the base XKR seat. Once I got it adjusted so my but was in the corner and my legs were supported everything lined up and supported my body very well. I needed to lift the front bottom @ 1/4" with some washers under front bolts but it's been perfect since. I'm actually disappointing when I can't take the car for whatever reason since it's so comfortable to drive.

 

I liked the performance seats but they don't come with the heat/cooling feature.

 

Thanks for the comments. In this area there just aren't any XKRs to "go sit in", or I would. Not counting traffic, I'm looking at least three to four hours round trip just to check one out, and that's time prohibitive at the moment. So, absent something to examine first hand, I do the next best thing; educate myself by researching and asking questions of those who don't have a financial interest in the answers.

 

Well, that just bites.

 

Now that I think about it, since someone mentioned that there were more than two styles, I should post the two that I've seen in cars that I've considered.

The charcoal/tan seats are the ones that I saw advertised as "Performance" and the all charcoal colored seats are the ones that are the other design.

Thanks!

 

I didn't think there were more then 2 seat options in the 2010-2015 MY cars. Those are the only 2 that I know of unless the base XK came with plain seats without heat/cooling. I believe the performance seats are heated .

 

I can verify that the performance seats are heated, but not ventilated. I've ridden in plenty of cars with ventilated seats though and most of the time I can't even tell that they're on, so I don't really miss that feature (and I live in Atlanta where we have very hot summers).

The performance seats are quite firm but with so many ways to adjust them, you can get them to conform perfectly to your body. All in all, they're quite comfortable and with the large side bolsters your body stays locked in place during high speed cornering.

Also, I use my rear view camera and side mirrors every time I park the car so the seats are never obstructing my vision. If you haven't driven one yet, the rear view camera is the type where the on-screen guidelines move as you turn the steering wheel. It makes parking very easy.

 

My seats cool very well especially after a hot day of golf. Just sayin.

 

I had the standard seats in my XKR, and have the performance seats in my F Type. The standard seats are very nice though it took me forever to get the position right because there are so many variables. As in, I was still tweaking it several days down the track. They soften up after a while, but are quite firm to start with.

The performance seats are much firmer. They come with a double seam in the middle that rubs on your spine and is very uncomfortable for the first few thousand km though I applied heaps of softener (which very likely did nothing). After a while it does soften up. The seat itself also softens up after 5,000km or so, mine in the f type is probably about as comfortable at 13,000km as the XKR was with 40,000km on it, though the XKR was a lot more elastic.

Ultimately I dont think that the performance seats are any better or worse to sit in, they just look sportier.

 

I've never been in a car with ventilated seats, so it would have been a nice perk, but it is far from a deal breaker, especially if they don't seem to do a whole lot. The seats sound like the ones in my Lotus, though the Lotus doesn't have adjustable seats, just good bolsters that keep you in place.

Ah...the rear view camera...I'm not a fan of government regulation, but this one thing I'm glad that they've mandated on new cars. I've used it almost exclusively (and the side view mirrors) on all the cars I've owned since 2013. Outstanding kit to the point where I had one integrated into the Lotus.

 

Thanks! In the end, the seats will really depend on which car is still available in mid/late December.

 

It wasn't a deal breaker for me either but having had them in our Lexus it is something my bride enjoys in the summer. Also like you being in the north east we don't have a long hot summer to need them. Now in the fall and early spring I use the heated seats and steering wheel which I find useful as I always drop the top when I leave so some mornings at 45* it make driving enjoyable. Also my heated windshield works great. Just a note on the rear camera . I assume you know that the 1st year with one was the 2012 MY. So far no one has integrated an aftermarket system into the Jag infotainment system. On second thought I recall maybe someone did do it. Check the search function. I don't know about the coupe but you need it in the convert if the top is up.

 

I live in Tucson and the cooled seats in the XK are NICE! Heated seats, not so useful in Tucson.

 

Agree. The cooled seats are awesome down here in the heat. Not sure how much they would be needed in York PA for the OP though

 

There is another seat available in the pre MY2012 cars - the standard 10-way R-Design XKR seat with the ribbed sides and bond-grain leather. The black ones above are the soft-grain 16-way R-Performance seats with cooling and if they are working correctly, they definitely cool. The other additional features on the R-Performance seat are lumbar support and chair wing adjustment iirc.

The MY2012 seats look cool though