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White seats are too soft

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I have an S with the Napa leather seats which I really like. I drove a P3 today and the white seats are terrible. The material is too soft for the foam and there are no bolsters of any practical mention. The white is also softer than the black interiors. These seats disconnect you from the driving experience and have no place on the P version or any 3 for that matter. Seems Tesla is catering to overweight Americans that like Lazy Boy seats in their Tesla. I find it odd to drive a car with stiff suspension and great handling but seats that are like marshmallows. I know they dumbed down the seats as they were nicer than the S seats in prototypes but do they have to be so bouncy and lack any side support unless you are 250 lbs and your body pins you to the doors? I was interested in the white but there is no way I would order these and I'm on the fence about the black seats. Try both side by side in two NEW cars and see what you think. After the drive My S seats felt like after market racing seats.

Recaro VS marshmallow - Google Search:
 
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Reactions: Mr X
Foam is the same material makes it feel different.

What do you mean by that? The colour makes it feel different?
I don't get it.

I am completely set on the white interior. Never in my life will I get a black interior ever again. Hate black. Every car I ever had had black interior for lack of options. Hated every day in summer in those cars.
The e-Golf I ordered will have cream interior, and the Model 3 will be white. Even if the seats feel like mushy peas - which I doubt they will.
 
What do you mean by that? The colour makes it feel different?
I don't get it.

I am completely set on the white interior. Never in my life will I get a black interior ever again. Hate black. Every car I ever had had black interior for lack of options. Hated every day in summer in those cars.
The e-Golf I ordered will have cream interior, and the Model 3 will be white. Even if the seats feel like mushy peas - which I doubt they will.


The white material seems more malleable and seems to move more and seem softer. The black seats in later model cars are already pretty soft but the white makes them seem softer. I have no idea whey they used such soft foam, perhaps they used the same as the S but they material is more firm on the S. Regardless I just can barely tolerate the black but the white is bouncy and like rubber. When I go from a 3 seat to mine it is a night and day difference. I also think the lack of boosters on the 3 is really a poor but very popular choice today. Try the seats first many people like soft mushy seats, if you are buying a car for more performance they you likely won't like them and IMO they have no place in a P3. The same color in an S seems to feel different because of the seat design. Many things in the 3 are "sporty" the seats are not in any way, shape or form. I love the white interior without the blinding dash piece but they is no way I would get those seats. Try them if you have concerns.
 
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Reactions: AustinPowers
The older Tesla real leather seat is very flat, hard, and slippery. I had one for loaner for 2 weeks and I felt like my butt was sliding around in the seat all the time. I like the new gen vegan leather seat much better.


New Gen vegan is good, M3 seats are way to soft and I can't imagine what they will be like when the foam wears in. The material in the black seats is fine but the foam and bolsters is very questionable at best. FYI, the original M3 seats were nicer than those in the S, they downgraded them before production. If you like soft these are for you. I suggest checking them out before you buy if you like sport seats or if you don't like feeling like you are sitting on a pillow. There is a slight difference between the white and black feel, even the sales guy noticed it prompting us to check several M3 cars.
 
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Reactions: neroden
I will definitely try out the seats before ordering.
My current BMW 330 sports seats are quite firm, have good side bolstering, and pretty good electronic adjustability. The seats in the e-Golf are also excellent, even though they adjust manually. I hope those in the Model 3 won't be much worse.
 
We have a 3LR with first-gen seats and a P3D with second-gen seats, both black.

The first-generation seats are fine ... a close runner-up to the “Next Gen” seats in our old S85D. And, the second-generation Model 3 seats are better: Better fit (at least for short drivers). Better bolstering for curves. Yet, softer foam and softer, more buttery surface. Great combo!

I test drove a P3D+ with white seats and, yes, they were noticeably more buttery, still. Frankly, I liked that. And, they were plenty supportive on a mountain road that definitely required supportive seats.
 
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Reactions: neroden
What do you mean by that? The colour makes it feel different?
I don't get it.

I am completely set on the white interior. Never in my life will I get a black interior ever again. Hate black. Every car I ever had had black interior for lack of options. Hated every day in summer in those cars.
The e-Golf I ordered will have cream interior, and the Model 3 will be white. Even if the seats feel like mushy peas - which I doubt they will.
I always had black interiors and wanted something different. Now that I´ve had 2 cars with cream colored interiors for a couple of years....I´ll go back to dark interiors. As great as light colors may look in the beginning the worse they age as you can see anything and everything on them.
On light leather even blue jeans rub off. Cream is bad already, white is a lot worse.
Nice to look at, terribly hard to keep it that way.

My next car will be dark cloth, I´m done with 70°C leather in the summer and the perma-cleaning demands of light colored interiors.
 
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  • Informative
Reactions: AustinPowers
Seems Tesla is catering to overweight Americans that like Lazy Boy seats in their Tesla. I find it odd to drive a car with stiff suspension and great handling but seats that are like marshmallows. I know they dumbed down the seats as they were nicer than the S seats in prototypes but do they have to be so bouncy and lack any side support unless you are 250 lbs and your body pins you to the doors?

Recaro VS marshmallow - Google Search:

The seats are most definitely not made for "fat Americans". They are rated up to 220 lbs, per this thread.

Driver seat: metal bar in the middle is pushing after just 1 month
 
I always had black interiors and wanted something different. Now that I´ve had 2 cars with cream colored interiors for a couple of years....I´ll go back to dark interiors. As great as light colors may look in the beginning the worse they age as you can see anything and everything on them.
On light leather even blue jeans rub off. Cream is bad already, white is a lot worse.
Nice to look at, terribly hard to keep it that way.

My next car will be dark cloth, I´m done with 70°C leather in the summer and the perma-cleaning demands of light colored interiors.

I mainly wear light coloured trousers and hardly ever blue jeans, so that might help me. Plus, from what I've heard, Tesla's fake ultra-white leather seems quite easy to clean. Let's hope that turns out to be true.
 
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