[Atty]

Long time Bimmerpost member here (since 2005!)

Has anybody compared the optional comfort seats to the Individual Composition comfort seats to see what the difference is?

Shopping for BMW #5 right now. Torn between the 535 and and X5. (Current ride is an 09 X5 48i M-Sport with sports seats and 19" M-Sport wheels.)

I'm gettin old…so comfort and smooth ride is much more important to me now than handling.

Test drove the new 535 and X5 back to back and, for sure, the X5 is the comfort king. But…the 535 lease deals are *much* better than the X5 ones, making me want one instead.

So ---- question: what happened to the "comfort" seats on the 535? In my '08 528, the comfort seats were supremely soft. Now they are more like the sport seats - too hard for me to get comfortable in.

On the 535 configurator, I noticed that there's a choice of 2 different comfort seats - one when you check the "Individual Composition" box on the configuration and the other when you check the regular seat upgrade option. The Individual seat looks different and comes in Merino, and is more expensive - but would be worth it to me if I could get the overstuffed comfort seat I remember. Are the two really different?

Thanks.

[Luminor513]

My wife and I have both cars, I have '14 535i msport w standard seats, and she has '14 X5 luxury line w standard seats. I would say seat comfort is a draw, maybe slightly more comfortable in X5. I sat in both standard 5 series seat and the $1300 multi contour seats, and I just didn't see the need to spend the extra money for the seats. I chose to spend the money on HK sound and sport auto rather than the seats.

[NewM3driver]

The luxury seating package is a must have option for me as it completely upscales the interior comfort. With nappa leather being offered as a no cost option, I'm not sure why anyone would opt for the dakota leather. Going with the individual merino takes the nappa to the next level. While the seat is bolstered the same, the piping, stitching and quality of the leather gets much nicer. The amaro brown individual leather with the red sycamore individual wood trim and ceramic controls is about as nice a combination as you will find.

You can't spec an X5 interior that nice.

[NewM3driver]

I might add, if you are looking for comfort ditching the run flats immediately after taking ownership is a must. The difference in the the way your vehicle will drive and handle is amazing. Just join AAA.

[Atty]

Thanks. I've replaced run flats a few times on my cars, but the ride quality of them is getting better these days.