Electric driver's seat - memory function?

[elephino]

It's not exactly necessary, just another gizmo..

True, but technically a radio isn't necessary either.

[G-rig]

True, but technically a radio isn't necessary either.

But you can still adjust the seats.. having no radio is more of a difference.

[Dubya]

It's not exactly necessary, just another gizmo..

The point is that it is not unreasonable to expect such a gizmo as an option, as opposed to plain electric seats which others have pointed out offer no real benefit to most people over manually adjustable seats.

A tilt function however should be standard on the driver's seat (as it is in US GTIs, for example).

[G-rig]

The point is that it is not unreasonable to expect such a gizmo as an option, as opposed to plain electric seats which others have pointed out offer no real benefit to most people over manually adjustable seats.

A tilt function however should be standard on the driver's seat (as it is in US GTIs, for example).

Not everything is the same as the US, different markets.

The normal elect lumbar controls are quite good and don't konw what all the other settings are for. Quite easy to slide your seat forward/back to the correct position.. i wouldn't pay 800$ for the privilege.

[thelairster]

The leather option in the GTI / GTD / R also gives you the seat heating and the electric 4-way control for the lumbar support, on both seats.

Dang. I noticed the switch for lumbar support switch on my passenger seat and it was non functional, I presumed that maybe it was just a blank switch and lumbar support was drivers side only. First my parcel shelf cord and now this, service centre here I come.

[G-rig]

Should work.. Warranty time.

[thelairster]

Just did some further reading, apparently its a pretty common problem with either a fuse or the motor going kaput. Unfortunately it's a seat out job so I'm going to make sure to take some pics first because someone claimed their leather was damaged in the process as it is quite fiddly. Bah not fun.

Help Broken Lumbar Support - VW GTI Forum / VW Rabbit Forum / VW R32 Forum / VW Golf Forum - Golfmkv.com

Another thread leads on from that.

[Dubya]

Not everything is the same as the US, different markets.

That very difference was my point: if they can offer a tilt-adjustable driver's seat in a ~$24k(USD) GTI in the US why cannot they offer such a seat here?

The normal elect lumbar controls are quite good and don't konw what all the other settings are for. Quite easy to slide your seat forward/back to the correct position.. i wouldn't pay 800$ for the privilege.

Even at the RRP of $600 I believe most here are agreeing that automating the seat it is not worth it (apart from it adding a tilt function).

[Maverick]

That very difference was my point: if they can offer a tilt-adjustable driver's seat in a ~$24k(USD) GTI in the US why cannot they offer such a seat here?

Why don't you ask Volkswagen?

There could be any number of reasons from ADR's to lack of market demand.

[Dubya]

Why don't you ask Volkswagen?

There could be any number of reasons from ADR's to lack of market demand.

I have pointed this out to the VGA.

And while I understand that you often take exception when people express a desire for better value for money from VGA ("they should also fit Xenon lights as standard if you want a tilt adjustment", you have opined in the past), there is no ADR that prevents many other manufacturers from fitting a tilt-adjustable driver's seat to their Australian-specified cars, so an ADR would be a lame excuse in my opinion.

[Maverick]

I have pointed this out to the VGA.

I look forward to seeing their response.

And while I understand that you often take exception when people express a desire for better value for money from VGA ("they should also fit Xenon lights as standard if you want a tilt adjustment", you have opined in the past), there is no ADR that prevents many other manufacturers from fitting a tilt-adjustable driver's seat to their Australian-specified cars, so an ADR would be a lame excuse in my opinion.

VW part share across many models including different marques so it's entirely possible that the tilt adjustable version of the seat in the Golf in Australia doesn't meet our ADR's in some regard hence why it's not offered and Volkswagen are not willing to modify it to suit one country due to the cost. Purely throwing this out there as a possible reason why as it wouldn't be the first time our ADR's have required a manufacturer to modify their offerings in this country.

[Dubya]

I look forward to seeing their response.

I don't think you'd be interested as when the missing tilt function was raised in a 2008 thread you sarcastically told the OP, and I paraphrase "oh, yeah, if you expect a tilt-adjustable driver's seat then why not expect Xeonon's and Sat Nav etc" as if such costly features were comparable with a relatively inexpensive tilt function being added to a driver's seat on a $40k car.

Elsewhere you've opined that because of the features added to the Pacific (which replaced the Comfortline for the same RRP) that maybe Xenon's should be standard on the GT Golfs to improve their value.

So on the one hand you say it is unreasonable to expect tilt-adjustment but that it is not unreasonable to expect Xenons. Go figure!

It seems you are very anti tilt function and the reasons are not cost-based.

VW part share across many models including different marques so it's entirely possible that the tilt adjustable version of the seat in the Golf in Australia doesn't meet our ADR's in some regard hence why it's not offered and Volkswagen are not willing to modify it to suit one country due to the cost. Purely throwing this out there as a possible reason why as it wouldn't be the first time our ADR's have required a manufacturer to modify their offerings in this country.

I am not sure what such conjecture adds to the disucssion - maybe it is ADR, maybe not. Whatever the case, VAG is an enormous multinational with sufficient volume in Austrlalia and in countries with comparable design rules to sought it out.

Tilt function should not be an insurmountable problem worldwide for VAG in a $40k car.

[Maverick]

I don't think you'd be interested as when the missing tilt function was raised in a 2008 thread you sarcastically told the OP, and I paraphrase "oh, yeah, if you expect a tilt-adjustable driver's seat then why not expect Xeonon's and Sat Nav etc" as if such costly features were comparable with a relatively inexpensive tilt function being added to a driver's seat on a $40k car.

What I said at the time should be read in the context of the thread.

And how do you know that it's a reasonably inexpensive process for VW to add a tilt function.

BTW the Golf's start off sub $30,000 on road so I don't know why you're making them out to be a $40,000 plus car just to bolster your argument.

Elsewhere you've opined that because of the features added to the Sportline over the Comfortline that maybe Xenon's should be standard on the GT Goldfs to improve their value.

Once again this was in the context of a long thread.

So on the one hand you say it is unreasonable to expect tilt-adjustment but that it is not unreasonable to expect Xenons. Go figure!

Once again taking comments out of context to suit your requirements.

It seems you are very anti tilt function and the reasons are not cost-based.

So what are they?

I am not sure what such conjecture adds to the disucssion - maybe it is ADR, maybe not. Whatever the case, VAG is an enormous multinational with sufficient volume in Austrlalia and in countries with comparable design rules to sought it out.

Australia is one of the few countries with it's own sets of standards that require manufacturers to make changes to cars that are sold all around the world, most ADR's are useless and out of date and have no place when there are far better standards that are better thought out used in Europe and often based on the UN standards. The ADR's do refer to the UN standards at times but often add extra un-necessary parts that force manufacturers to make changes.

You claim that the volumes sold in Australia are sufficient to warrant the development of a new seat base but you offer no costings to back this up, the same as you claim that their are other countries with the same rules that we have but you offer nothing to back that up.

What I provided was a few likely examples of why they might not offer the seat base.

Tilt function should not be an insurmountable problem worldwide for VAG in a $40k car.

Does it help saying $40,000 multiple times? Last time I looked it's a sub $30,000 car that is avaialble in specification levels that take it above this but it doesn't change the fact that's a it's a sub $30,000 car and at least 40% of that $30,000 is due to the costs of doing business in Australia (based on the GTI being nearly half what it is in Australia in the USA along with nearly every other car).

[Dubya]

BTW the Golf's start off sub $30,000 on road so I don't know why you're making them out to be a $40,000 plus car just to bolster your argument.

I thought you said you didn't know why? Clearly you think you do.

But I am talking about a $40,000 car so clearly I am not referring to the entry-level Golf.

Indeed, I lamented this was standard in US GTIs but not here.

Can you guess what model Golf in which I might be expecting tilt adjustment as standard?

So no. I am not trying to "bolster" my argument.

But it seems you're trying to weaken my argument by suggesting this is an unrealistic expectation in a $30k car when I am explicity referring to the $40k version (which has a turbo and lots of other enhancements one would not expect on the $30k version).

Nor do I believe you were paraphrased out of context:

When metrolex pointed out the extras on the then new Pacific over the Comfortline, you suggested that it would be reasonable for the spec on the GTs to be increased by the addition of Bi-Xenons and PDC.

However later, when metrolex opined that a $40k car should have a tilt function on the driver's seat, you made all sorts of comments about VAG losing money on every Golf they made and there being no way that VAG could afford to add tilt and justified this by saying how the GTI model cycle had had a history of being despecced.

While that may be so, it is still hypocritical to suggest Xenons could be added one month and then later take the piss out of someone for suggesting a tilt function be added and make sarcastic comments about adding Satellite Navigation and a whole host of features added as standard too if one had the temerity to expect a tilt function on the driver's seat.

But that's what you did:

Maverick: "Why not offer standard bi-xenon's to the GT Sport and GTI along with PDC?"

For full context:

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f15/pacific-new-sportline-undermines-value-gt-tdi-15499-2.html

But later:

metrolex: "At $40k, the GTI should have an 8-way (ie tilt AND height) adjustable driver's seat."

Maverick: "And is should have AWD, RNS510 and a K04 turbo going by your logic. Heck let's toss in 8 way seats in the rear as well. And a massage option along with seat cooling. Oopps got carried away and for $40K VW can only fit the 1.6l FSI engine and 14" steel wheels."

For full context:

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f15/4-way-8-way-adjustable-drivers-seat-gti-leather-option-27832.html

Something about a petard comes to mind.

[GTI mk6]

Electric seats are utterly useless without a memory function.

Without it they are just slower to adjust.

Once you have memory seats, you can never buy a car without them again.

Totally agree with you BBP!
Our last car had 8 way memory function(drivers seat) and 3 person memory settings (hubby & I different heights etc) so
brilliant to just hit our own memory button and see the seat change to our own settings.

Once we found out the optional electric drivers seat didnt have memory settings....FORGET IT!
The demo we had for 3 hrs had the electric optioned drivers seat and while it was great to have tilt adjust (I am short legged) so really
miss that option (hence another reason to go with leather for me as its not quiet as padded under the knees as the cloth seats....checked
that one out) oh what an absolute PAIN trying to adjust it after hubby had been driving....took too long and we both knew it would drive us
crazy having to do this manually each time, soooo pleased we didnt get this option as its much quicker to make the adjustments on the manual
option, so even though I do miss the tilt action, as I do like the seat a bit higher being a bit vertically challenged, Ive still been able to find a pretty
good outcome.
Just wanted to add this observation to this thread as it may be of help to someone