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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo GT (F07) Forums General 5-Series GT (Gran Turismo) (F07) Forum Rear Seating Questions
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      04-10-2012, 01:58 AM   #1
mikelaca
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Rear Seating Questions

I see there is a 2 or 3 person configuration for the GT. The 2 seat seems to have a fixed center arm rest, whereas the 3 person is traditional bench.

Besides the permanently folded down arm rest, what is the difference? Are the seats themselves different? Is the always-down arm rest of the 2 seat config different than that of the 3 seat config?

Anything else come with that rear seat config? I'm considering getting one of two GTs for sale, one with the rear as 2 and one with the rear as 3.

I have no kids and will spend a majority of my time in the rear seat so I'm trying to find which will be the most spacious, comfortable, practical for working/relaxing in the rear.

I'm quite new this car so any advice/thoughts are very welcome.

Oh, and the cars I'm choosing between are used. When I went to price a new one online, I didn't even see a 2 vs 3 seat option. Did that disappear for 2012?
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      04-10-2012, 10:43 AM   #2
jdubbs
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The 2-seat option is called something like Luxury Rear Seating package; it should still be available on new GTs. The rear seats in this package are much more like the front comfort seats... fully power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, etc. The package also includes the powered rear window shades, which used to be available separately (not on 2012s, unless I'm mistaken). With the 2-seat option, the seats can be folded down -- and up -- at the push of a button in the trunk when you need extra cargo space. In the regular 3-seat package, this is a manual process and there is a second step involved.

I have the regular 3-seat package on my GT, because I did not like being limited to 4 seats (total) in my last car, a 650i convertible... granted, a very different rear seat experience from the GT... but after the 6, practicality was key. The middle seat is not comfortable at all... much harder on the butt and back than the M5 I had before the 650i, but since it's rarely used, I can live with it in exchange for the added flexibility. Instead I juiced up the rear cabin by adding heated seats and the automated rear window shades, which were still available as a standalone option when I got my GT.

My favorite thing about the GT (speaking as someone who's in the driver's seat 95% of the time) is how comfortable and spacious the cabin and seats are. If you're going to spend most of your time in the rear seat, don't have kids (or need to transport 5 people), and otherwise the two cars you're considering are fairly equivalent, I'd go for the luxury rear seating package.
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      04-10-2012, 04:57 PM   #3
jadnashuanh
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Not too many people might want to use it, but with the 'stock' rear seat, you could put three child seats back there! The stock seats do have recline and slide adjustments, but they are manual. You can get them heated with the cold weather package, but you get the power (more adjustments) and ventilated with the Luxury Rear Seat package as well.
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      04-10-2012, 05:13 PM   #4
mikelaca
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Thanks for the feedback guys. Do you know if the actual seat construction (width, bolstering, padding, etc.) is the same or different between the packages?

Also, to save my life, I can't see that option on a new car from the BMW Build Your Own website.
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      04-10-2012, 05:46 PM   #5
jadnashuanh
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If you go to the options page and run your mouse cursor over the various luxury rear package parts, it'll pop up a small box with a picture and description. Other than the included ventilation, heating, and motorized controls, I don't think the shape is different. The leather choice options apply to the whole car, so you get the Dakota as stock (base) at least in the USA. In Germany, you can get fabric/vinal on the base vehicle.

If your dealer doesn't have a vehicle with that option, he should at least have a hard-copy GT brochure that does show it. While different sizes, I copied these out of one of the brochures...the first is the Luxury Rear Seat package, and the second, smaller one is the 'stock' rear seats.
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Last edited by jadnashuanh; 04-10-2012 at 06:09 PM.. Reason: added pictures
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      04-10-2012, 06:29 PM   #6
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It looks like they took the luxury rear seating package off the 535 GT build-to-order screens. It is still there on the 550 GT build-to-order screen though. It *might* still be available for the 535, but only as a Priority 1 option... which basically means you'd have to custom-order the car via your dealer... the dealers aren't supposed to order Priority 1 options unless they have a paying buyer lined up, usually because they're niche or expensive options that would make a stock/lot vehicle harder to sell.

There are two Luxury Seating packages: one for the front seats and another for the rear. I would not be surprised if the latter requires the former. And it looks like the power side (rear) window shades are actually part of the (front) Luxury Seating Package, which doesn't make much sense. 4-Zone climate control is included with the rear package... neither of these appears to be available individually any more (I got both a la carte with my standard rear seating package). Very confusing...
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