Question on seats in "Raven" models

[David29]

Does anyone know if the seats in the "Raven" version of Model s are any different from the immediately preceding cars?

My 2015 Model S has terrible seats. I have back problems, so I am particularly fussy about car seats. I have read that the latest Model 3 seats are comfortable, and at least one reviewer said that the Model Y seats were "the best in the industry" or words to that effect. That makes me think that tesla is improving its ability to make seats, so I wondered what type of seats are in the Raven models. Are they similar to those in Model 3?

I realize the seats are supposed to be among the changes in the new version of Model S when it comes out. But I doubt I would buy one of those, plus new orders are delayed so who knows if or when we will see them. But if I get tired enough of my car (which is otherwise in fine shape), I might consider getting a used Raven version....

Also -- Is there a reference anywhere to all the various seat versions in Model S? I remember the "Next Generation" seats (made by Recaro), which were an option when ordered my car, but I haven't really kept track since then. I have driven a few loaners but am not clear on what various seat types might have been in those.

Thanks for any insights!

 

[Ostrichsak]

For Model S: There was the OG seats, the Nexgen seats and the "Premium seats" are the most recent prior to the all-new cars coming over someday. Maybe. (there were also lower production variants of both front and rear seats here and there but for purposes of this conversation we'll stick to the main basics)

FWIW, I specifically recall one reviewer years back stating that the Model S had the "Most comfortable seats" he had ever sat in. This was the pre-Nextgen. I have no earthly idea who hurt him to make him that that was such a glorious experience or if it was literally the only vehicle he had ever sat in.

Point: comfort is a subjective term.

I would sit in all of the above and decide what works best for your particular needs. For me, the Nextgen are great. A marketing improvement over the first generation seats. The Premium seats have an adjustable headrest with is cool but also note that this requires the seatback to have a forward tilting limiter much less tilt-y than the Nextgen seats. Discovered this the difficult way for the first time over the weekend where I had two massive boxes in my car that just fit from corner to corner if I tilted the passenger seat all of the way forward. The kicker was that I was meeting a buddy with a newer car that had the white (drool) premium seats. This few inches less tilt available resulted in having to get VERY creative to make the long boxes fit. We got it but that was a bit of info I was previously unaware of. I digress.

Back on topic, I feel like the Premium seats offer a little bit more support and more aggressive bolstering to sort of "hug" you and hold you in place. As I stated previously, comfort is hugely subjective though so I would recommend sitting in them for yourself to see if this difference constitutes an improvement for your particular flavor of comfort.

If your theory holds true and Tesla is making progressively better seats with time it may be a good idea to wait until that new Model S comes out since it will have all new seating. This could be good or it could be bad but we're close enough that it would probably make sense before you rearranged your garage just in case.

 

[DerbyDave]

My June 2020 seats have a fixed "built in" headrest. The seats are firm, but supportive. My first long trip last week proved to me that they are the least tiring seats for a long drive of any car I can remember to have owned, including Lexus, Mercedes, Audi, BMW. I think this is due to the extreme adjustability of the seat and the steering. I just move the seat around a bit, and get comfortable once again. They were not the most comforatble seats I have sat in on first seating, but for long drives they are really good when you have been seated a long time. I am 6' 4".

 

[Gridlok]

I find my nextgen Recaro seats VERY comfortable. (For what it's worth.)

 

[David29]

I find my nextgen Recaro seats VERY comfortable. (For what it's worth.)

I have not tried those for several years, but I did sit in them when they first came out. Not sure but I may also have had a loaner with them. I found them too firm. But I never drove them for long periods. I would have expected Recaro to know how to make a very good seat.
Years ago, when I was searching for a solution to seat discomfort in a Mercedes mid-size sedan (what would be called the E-class now but was not then), I bought an after-market "orthopedic" seat made by Recaro and installed it. It was simply too damned hard for me, so I returned it. It had cost me about $1200 as I recall, back in the late 1980s I think. This was back before seats had integrated airbags and after-market seats were feasible. Recaro had a line of them in different styles.
Before I turned it in, I let my physical therapist sit in the Recaro seat. She loved it. But that was a short stay so it hardly was a definitive review.
As was stated above, seat comfort is highly subjective....

 

[Chuckvvd]

I have a white interior 2020 model S and find the driver seat way too soft, with a feeling of sinking in it. Coming from a 2018 XC90 where the seats were the most comfortable ever I'm close to selling the model S for that reason.
I went to Tesla on a few occasions and they claim they're normal. I don't know of it's the sport sedan driving position that's simply not for me but the 2019 black interior performance model S I test drove before buying mine was perfect too, maybe there's a difference between performance and long range seats.
I'm giving a try with an aftermarket seat specialist to add a layer of foam.

 

[David29]

I have a white interior 2020 model S and find the driver seat way too soft, with a feeling of sinking in it. Coming from a 2018 XC90 where the seats were the most comfortable ever I'm close to selling the model S for that reason.
I went to Tesla on a few occasions and they claim they're normal. I don't know of it's the sport sedan driving position that's simply not for me but the 2019 black interior performance model S I test drove before buying mine was perfect too, maybe there's a difference between performance and long range seats.
I'm giving a try with an aftermarket seat specialist to add a layer of foam.

If XC90 was your last car, I can understand the reaction. I always heard that Volvo seats were among the best. (I think XC90 is Volvo, right?)

 

[Tforme]

I have both a 18 MS 100d with the Tesla premium seats and a 20 MS Long Range with the “new design” seats. Superficially they look about the same. But they are almost completely different. I wrote a detailed reply on this somewhere in this forum but cannot find it now. Maybe you can locate it.

 

[Art VandeIay]

I wrote a detailed reply somewhere in this forum but cannot find it now. Maybe you can locate it.

Is this it?

I have both a 2020 MS with the new seats and a year old MS with the previous ones. The seats look very similar but when carefully studying them they are completely different. The cushion assembly/sewing, frames, plastic base covers, hinge covers, back covers, lumbar adjustment - all different.

The actual comfort is similar though. The slightly lower side bolsters on the new ones offer just a fraction more width in the upper seat back - but this is subtle. The measured cushion width on both seats is almost identical. The lumbar on the new ones is an air bladder while the previous ones had a mechanical lumbar - and the lumbar control position on the seat sides is reversed.

New seats have a simpler cushion sewing (old seats actually had two separate pieces making up the seat back cushion) and lack of power headrests make the new ones less expensive to manufacture yet they look almost the same. I can not tell much difference in the “thinness” of the seats and certainly no appreciable differences in rear seat room.

 

[Tforme]

yes. That’s it.