New rear seats

[AmpedRealtor]

It sounds more like you are complaining more about personal taste rather than a real deficiency with the car.

You don't consider the lack of the most basic upholstery features, like a rear armrest, to be a deficiency with the car? Why don't you just sit on top of the battery, then? Who needs an interior, as that is all personal taste and nothing to do with "the car"? Model 3 has better looking seats than Model S. Tesla should be embarrassed and held accountable for giving their highest paying customers the sh*ttiest interior.

Maybe Tesla is being super smart here, it's clear they can milk their deep-pocket customers endlessly by charging them double, giving them half, and being thanked for it! My god people, raise your standards!

 

[jelloslug]

You don't consider the lack of the most basic upholstery features, like a rear armrest, to be a deficiency with the car? Why don't you just sit on top of the battery, then? Who needs an interior, as that is all personal taste and nothing to do with "the car"? Model 3 has better looking seats than Model S. Tesla should be embarrassed and held accountable for giving their highest paying customers the sh*ttiest interior.

Maybe Tesla is being super smart here, it's clear they can milk their deep-pocket customers endlessly by charging them double, giving them half, and being thanked for it! My god people, raise your standards!

If what you really did not like was the lack of a folding armrest, you should not have complained about the stitching. I agree that there should be some kind of folding armrest or a return of a better designed rear drop in console.

 

[V-Pops]

Given that this seat HAD to be designed after the Model 3's rear seat-- which has a fold down armrest-- how the HELL did Tesla manage yet another revision without including what nearly every budget car since the 1980s has had?

I mean, seriously-- how hard is it to make a fold down freakin' armrest?? Certainly can't cost more than a couple bucks a car. Oh-- and here's an idea: drill two holes in it for a cupholder!

I agree wholeheartedly. A simple built in folding armrest for the S should be standard for a luxury car that is competing with others in the category which have them.

 

[PrGrPa]

I saw the row of three regular-sized headrests on a backseat of a display model in the local Tesla showroom. They’re more comfortable than the previous ones. And a bit safer for rear passengers in the event of an accident. They do obscure the rear view through the window. I suppose that’s a reasonable trade-off given the wide angle rear view camera a number of users seem to favour over the rear view mirror.

As to the lack of a rear armrest or foldout console, that seems common in many cars. Slightly unusual in a larger, premium, car. Its absence gives a more usable middle seat though.

 

[Newscutter]

... that seems common in many cars. Slightly unusual in a larger, premium, car. Its absence gives a more usable middle seat though.

Really?? Only car I've ever seen without it is the Model S/X. And I think the idea that its absence makes the middle position more usable is dubious given that the new seat has that position raised and narrowed compared to the outboard seats, so it's already less usable.

Full disclosure: One of my other cars is a Subaru Baja-- so I know all about unusable middle rear seats... and did ponder retrofitting an Outback bench just on principle.

 

[Mike75d]

Reminds me of the p85d rear seat, anyone remember those?

 

[commasign]

Reminds me of the p85d rear seat, anyone remember those?

Yes. I remember those several times per day.

 

[K-MTG]

Any comfort reviews of the new seats?

 

[sniperside]

Didn't know that tesla was redesigning the rear seats. Long overdue and much thanks for sharing the info and pictures. Big ups

 

[FlatSix911]

I saw the row of three regular-sized headrests on a backseat of a display model in the local Tesla showroom. They’re more comfortable than the previous ones. And a bit safer for rear passengers in the event of an accident. They do obscure the rear view through the window. I suppose that’s a reasonable trade-off given the wide angle rear view camera a number of users seem to favour over the rear view mirror.

As to the lack of a rear armrest or foldout console, that seems common in many cars. Slightly unusual in a larger, premium, car. Its absence gives a more usable middle seat though.

I think Tesla needs to have a folding headrest for the middle rear seat to allow for an improved rear view of the road

 

[mknox]

Anyone actually sat in these new seats? How is the center seat passenger affected?

 

[EV-lutioin]

Given that this seat HAD to be designed after the Model 3's rear seat-- which has a fold down armrest-- how the HELL did Tesla manage yet another revision without including what nearly every budget car since the 1980s has had?

I mean, seriously-- how hard is it to make a fold down freakin' armrest?? Certainly can't cost more than a couple bucks a car. Oh-- and here's an idea: drill two holes in it for a cupholder!

Fold down armrest seats can be really uncomfortable, look a the difference in the shape and bolstering in the M3 and MS middle seats. It's a tradeoff I suppose. And I agree those clever Tesla engineers could probably design a comfortable middle seat with an armrest... if they put their minds to it. Fortunately, I sit in the front seat.

 

[SuisseDriver]

Really?? Only car I've ever seen without it is the Model S/X. And I think the idea that its absence makes the middle position more usable is dubious given that the new seat has that position raised and narrowed compared to the outboard seats, so it's already less usable.

Full disclosure: One of my other cars is a Subaru Baja-- so I know all about unusable middle rear seats... and did ponder retrofitting an Outback bench just on principle.

For me, having 3 real seats is a MA-JOR plus of the Model S against almost every other premium sedan or even SUV. There are just nearly NO other sedan with usable 3 seats that I know.
I have 3 kids and am using an Audi A6. My children keep fighting and complaining every single fuc... time they are on the middle. I do not know ANY middle seat with arm rest which is confortable.
I am SO glad that Tesla keep the 3 seats and does not useless cupholders on the back. Who is using them honestly? Is it an American thing? I do not know or remember having seen anyone using cupholders on back seats.

So definitely, your opinion is just an opinion and not shared by everyone. Also, I do not think that the width of the central seat has change. Would you be able to tell how you come to this conclusion?

 

[mknox]

For me, having 3 real seats is a MA-JOR plus of the Model S against almost every other premium sedan or even SUV. There are just nearly NO other sedan with usable 3 seats that I know.

Maybe for kids, but I have once had three adults in the back and it was not fun. The person in the middle had to kind of lean forward and turn sideways... and these were not particularly "large" individuals either. Thankfully I wasn't going far.

Funny thing is my 90 year old mother loves to sit in the center position whenever she goes out with us. With no one else in the back, she say's it's as comfortable as either the left or right seats, but she likes looking straight out the windshield. That's why I'm wondering how the center seat is with the new raised style.

 

[SuisseDriver]

Maybe for kids, but I have once had three adults in the back and it was not fun. The person in the middle had to kind of lean forward and turn sideways... and these were not particularly "large" individuals either. Thankfully I wasn't going far.

Sure, it could always be larger. Do you know any sedan with significantly larger central seat than the Model S?
Because honestly, I don't think there are any...

 

[marksvend]

I've had my S90D with the new rear seats for two weeks now, and they are very nice for adults, but fitting car seats in the back from my kids has been a total pain. The car seats sit on top of the seatbelt latch so I had to get a belt extension to make it work. One car seat I have is too wide and won't even sit level in the bucketed seat. It's really hard to fit a third adult in the back even with the two narrowest car seats I can find.

 

[babyjocko]

Maybe Tesla is being super smart here, it's clear they can milk their deep-pocket customers endlessly by charging them double, giving them half, and being thanked for it! My god people, raise your standards!

I've been saying that for a long, long time and have given up. Tesla message boards are like cults where Elon is God and the MS is Jesus.

I'm glad there is at least another who has a sense of reality around here.

 

[SuisseDriver]

I'm glad there is at least another who has a sense of reality around here.

I do not see how what AmpedRealtor can be backed by any type of facts. He is claiming that Tesla charges double and give half.
Beside the fact that Tesla as NO EV competitor in the whole word yet, there is ZERO sedan (or even SUV) which are 4 wheel drive, as spacious, as performing and as well equipped.

So please enlighten us how you can back this claim that Tesla is charging more than the competition. Genuinely interested.

 

[SuisseDriver]

I've had my S90D with the new rear seats for two weeks now, and they are very nice for adults, but fitting car seats in the back from my kids has been a total pain. The car seats sit on top of the seatbelt latch so I had to get a belt extension to make it work. One car seat I have is too wide and won't even sit level in the bucketed seat. It's really hard to fit a third adult in the back even with the two narrowest car seats I can find.

Sorry but I do not know where you are coming from but there is no car where an adult can sit in the middle when you put 2 children seats on each side.
I think you have completely unrealistic expectation:

• A standard baby seat is around 45cm wide minimum.
• A standard child seat is 50cm wide

It means that even on an Mercedes S Class, among the largest sedan in existence, you would have only 44cm left for an adult to sit. And those 44cm is also for the shoulder space. In a Range Rover, this is even less!

Long story short: sitting an adult (normally) between 2 child seats is just not possible in any sedan or SUV.

I do not understand when people seems to have irrational expectation toward Tesla that no one can match.

 

[marksvend]

Long story short: sitting an adult (normally) between 2 child seats is just not possible in any sedan or SUV.

I do not understand when people seems to have irrational expectation toward Tesla that no one can match.

I'm comparing my experience to the test drive in a Model S with a flat bench back seat. I could put the two kids next to each other while I sat at the window. The new seat design is much harder to work with.