Recaro Seats

bsteven43 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-08, 12:55 AM

Well, you guys who have followed the develoopments better than I have probably anticipated the cost of the Recaro seat option. I on the hand, did not. Something north of $3K? I"m going to have a really hard time spending that kind of money these seats considering its my daily driver and will almost never see track time and also without seeing them. Anyone aware of any reviews or other comments about the quality of the standard seats? I'm moderately happy with the seats in my '06 V. Thoughts?

mkaresh · #2 (**permalink**) 10-19-08, 01:01 AM

The standard seats are the same as those in the regular CTS, just with synthetic suede center panels. Reviews state that they provide insufficient lateral support for the V, and I agree.

I've sat in the Recaros, and they provide must better lateral support, with adjustable bolsters, and are also more comfortable IMO. You can only get ventilated seats in the V with the Recaros.

They will be $3,400 based on the price list I've seen, though.

Varsity · #3 (**permalink**) 10-19-08, 07:39 AM

Is it a case of the Recaro seats come with the heating and cooling as an extra the regular seats don't? So your not just paying for the seat but the extras they come with.

Should be like the RS4 was, to have the sports seats was FOC and std and if you wanted the bigger, wider more comfortable seats this was a no cost option.

IMO its what the car is all about so the Recaros are a must have.

mkaresh · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-08, 02:30 AM

Standard isn't the same as free.

To get the price before GGT under 60...

That said, $3,400 does seem a bit steep, even if ventilation and metal pedals are included.

Another note: you need these seats in order to pay another $300 for the microfiber steering wheel and shifter.

CIWS · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-08, 09:54 AM

Not everyone is going to want them. Then current Vs don't offer them and although the hard core course drivers need/want a better supporting seat in the car, the "average" driver of the Vs seem to do Ok without them. Personally I would pay to get them on my 09V, but that's me.

BigFred · #6 (**permalink**) 10-21-08, 01:41 AM

At $3,400 they are no longer the no brainer I thought they would be. Almost all of the reviews mentioned the seats as worth getting, but they didn't know how much they cost

Varsity · #7 (**permalink**) 10-21-08, 05:06 AM

If you want comfort buy a CTS 3.6 and be comfortable!

tedcmiller · #8 (**permalink**) 10-23-08, 10:55 AM

My dealer ordered the Recaro seat option on my 2009 CTS-V, but I cancelled the option. The standard seats have the suede inserts just like the 2004-2007 CTS-Vs. I don't do track stuff. I also cancelled the option that provides a suede insert in the steering wheel cover. The standard steering wheel cover is fine for me.

mkaresh · #9 (**permalink**) 10-23-08, 11:23 AM

GM's order guide says you need the Recaros to get the optional steering wheel. So you probably had to cancel the wheel if you canceled the seats, unless there's a way around the system.

NormV · #10 (**permalink**) 10-23-08, 05:15 PM

For $3400 I'd take a base CTS to my favorite apolster/leatherman. Better than any of the barbed wire gouge leather that GM has used in the last 15 + years.

JEM · #11 (**permalink**) 10-23-08, 05:51 PM

I think those of you who buy the car without them are going to be unhappy you did.

Dr Chill · #12 (**permalink**) 10-23-08, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JEM

I think those of you who buy the car without them are going to be unhappy you did.

I agree. These seats define this car. The standard seats are the single thing I'd like to upgrade in my 3.6 DI CTS. After coming from the AMG E55 seats, these are a major letdown.

ABSOLUTELY GET THE SEATS. YOUR ASS AND BACK WILL THANK YOU EVERY TIME YOU GET BEHIND THE WHEEL. Omit the nav if you want to shed unnecessary dollars since the onstar directions work flawlessly.

mkaresh · #13 (**permalink**) 10-24-08, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NormV

For $3400 I'd take a base CTS to my favorite apolster/leatherman. Better than any of the barbed wire gouge leather that GM has used in the last 15 + years.

You're not paying for leather--it might be the same stuff that's on the standard seats. Instead, you're paying for the power-adjustable bolsters and cooling.

The price is crazy high. BMW charges about $900 for a similar sport seat in its 3-Series Sport Package. Figure another $600 for the ventilation, and you're still far from $3,400. Then again, the BMW seats don't have the Recaro brand name (but the excellent seats in the Audi S4 do).

JEM · #14 (**permalink**) 10-24-08, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkaresh

The price is crazy high. BMW charges about $900 for a similar sport seat in its 3-Series Sport Package. Figure another $600 for the ventilation, and you're still far from $3,400. Then again, the BMW seats don't have the Recaro brand name (but the excellent seats in the Audi S4 do).

Part of the issue, of course, is that there's orders of magnitude greater difference between the cost of a base CTS seat and the V's Recaros than there is between a BMW base seat and the BMW sport seats.

When the first-gen CTS came out, the first one I looked at was parked right next to a Saab 9-5 Aero. There was more money in one Saab seat than in the entire CTS interior.

The other part of it, too, is that Cadillac figures that people are going to want them and they're pricing them at a level that lets them make real money off of them. Judging by what Tony's had to say about the number of early orders with them leading to supply constraints it appears they're right.

I guess my view is this, based on experience with half a dozen sets of Recaro and similar OE sport seats: if you're bigger than a 34 waist, you might want to find one to try out first, and if you're a 38 you're probably going to be happier with the base seats. Otherwise, if you're skinny-to-the-narrow-side-of-average, you're going to want them for sure.

The seats in my M5 (and in my wife's 540i) were a bit snug (but still better than the base BMW seats with their too-short lower cushion) when I was a 36-plus; now that I'm a 32 waist they're loose.

Now, the aftermarket Recaro SRDs that are going in my wife's '65 Mustang convertible are pretty snug even with the reduced-fat ass.

mkaresh · #15 (**permalink**) 10-24-08, 02:07 AM

The base BMW seats aren't that hot IMO.

One thing in the Recaros and in the sport seats in the 3-Series and the Infiniti G37 is that the bolsters are power-adjustable. So they're a little more adaptable to different size people than a regular sport seat. I'm a big fan of this feature, because it's the only way they can make a seat that'll fit me well without sqeezing out larger people.