Sore back

[the dink]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Have lots of questions first time owning a bmw. Just took 2 hour drive in our new too us 2005 z4 and my wife and I have sore lower backs and we normally don't have this problem, and were not big people. How comfortable are your seats, mine only has 28000 miles on the car and we feel like were sitting in a hole. Thanks again !

[intoflatlines]

I'm not sure what the differences are between the Z4M vs. Z4 seats but I am disappointed in the lack of lumbar support in my Z4M seats. My back doesn't get sore, but I can feel some tension after longer drives. Maybe that's the price you pay for getting sporty seats?

[yousefnjr]

Run flat tires make a good difference on non-M's, however it's a pretty firm ride no matter what you do. I'm under 30 and I still won't take long trips in the car, but that's almost expected in a little sports car like this. It isn't a GT after all

[3002 tii]

Z4 seats have terrible lumbar support. I remember constantly fiddling with the seat adjustments but nothing ever felt right.

[seank]

It's a sports car. I don't know of a sports car that has comfortable seats.

Did they hold you in place on the twisters?

[Endless619]

Originally Posted by randyf

Thanks for all the help everyone. Have lots of questions first time owning a bmw. Just took 2 hour drive in our new too us 2005 z4 and my wife and I have sore lower backs and we normally don't have this problem, and were not big people. How comfortable are your seats, mine only has 28000 miles on the car and we feel like were sitting in a hole. Thanks again !

Unfortunately for me this was the main reason I had to get rid of my Z4MC. Seats were very thin with no support. I owned it for 2 years and on long drives my right leg would go numb and I had a lot of lower back issues that I don't have anymore moving over to the M3.

[krusty]

I really like my seats - I think they are fabulous. I've never had a seat with so much control. And heated I chose the regular seats for the coupe (with leather) - not the sports seats - perhaps that is the difference.

[ My reason for choosing the standard seats, btw, was because the sports seats obviously rise up much more on the edges ... more bucket like ... which made getting in and out much more difficult, in my view, and also makes them much more prone to wear on the edges, as you push and brush against the raised edge every time you get in or out of the car. ]

[psygnosis]

Originally Posted by intoflatlines

I'm not sure what the differences are between the Z4M vs. Z4 seats

Nothing, well aside from ///M logos on the headrests.

The Z4M has the M Sport seats that were an available option from about late 2004 on.

[Vanne]

Oh you know they are different!! Those ///M logo's are special and good for an extra 3hp each ; )

[bosstones]

I'm happy with the seat in my Moupe. For Mini's, to add lumbar support, some people just pop off the seat back panel and fit/stuff in some cushioning. Anyone ever tried that in their Z4?

[psygnosis]

Originally Posted by Vanne

Oh you know they are different!! Those ///M logo's are special and good for an extra 3hp each ; )

There's like 11 ///M logos on the car, it does add up!

[beta]

I was having some pain in my lower back. After some research and lots of trial an error, what worked best for me was:

1. Put the seat all the way down, including the front incline.

2. Move the seat-back to about a 15+ degree angle from vertical.

3. Adjust steering wheel so that if you extend your arms, the bottom of your wrists hit the top of the steering wheel.

4. Keep 20% pressure in your lower abs. This is something we should be doing all the time (sitting, standing, etc.) but takes some mindfulness to learn.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by psygnosis

There's like 11 ///M logos on the car, it does add up!

I think there's more like 18, but who's counting....

Get the Leather Z armrest, it really made a huge different in comfort since both elbows can rest at the same height. I went for the door armrest to balance out the package. The stock setup made me lopsided, which caused my back to hurt on long drives. Try a pillow that puts your elbows at the same height for a temporary armrest to see it that helps, if it does, buy the Leather Z armrest. Oh, some people hate them and say it gets in the way of shifting, I have zero issues shifting with the armrest in place.

[Z4inAZ]

I was planning to get a Z4 3.0si Coupe as a long-distance driving car, I will have to rethink this... I want a Z4 Coupe in my life and a Z3 roadster, I was thinking a Z4 non-M for comfortable DD or road trip car and Z3 M roadster for drop top fun. I dont want or need 3 cars but if the Z4 isnt comfortable long distance I may need to consider an E39 or something for long distance cruising.

I have noticed BMW seats are never particularly plush but even so, most of them seem designed to be comfortable and even the "hard" sports seats in the Z3 were fairly comfortable to me during a long journey. I assumed Z4 would be more comfortable if anything...

[Jstic]

Most of the complaints I have heard are centered around the sports seats. I find the standard seats extremely comfortable, and I have a very sensitive back.

[ANUSTART]

I had the base model seats and swapped them for M Sport seats. It takes some time, but once you get the right position, they are incredibly comfortable. I find that leaning them back a little and then pulling the end of the seat up a bit helps put the weight further back and takes it away from your lower back. It kind of cradles you. The standard seats may be a little more of a challenge if you're having a hard time.

[ricanbandit]

I have no issues at all with my seats. I have driven to and CT/Miami twice with no significant pain other than the normal discomfort of driven for 1.5k miles. I have also had a few smaller (long) trips about 3-500 miles or so with no ill effects. I guess I am lucky, maybe that is why I have put on 30K miles in 3 Years. That being said, it is difficult to get them exactly as you want them, pisses me off when I take it to a car wash and they move them, arrrgh!

[gghg]

I have the same problem with my 06 M coupe. What I found that helped was putting the front seat extension back in, raised the back of the seat up and use a gel pad seat cushion. That works for a while after about the 3.5 hour mark I have to stretch my legs.

[GammaZeta]

Funny, my Z4M seats actually HELP my back pain!. Every time I go for a ride, my back feels better, the seats stretch right it where it needs to.

Of course, being 6/3, my legs do tend to get cramped after a long time.

[Endless619]

Originally Posted by ricanbandit

I have no issues at all with my seats. I have driven to and CT/Miami twice with no significant pain other than the normal discomfort of driven for 1.5k miles. I have also had a few smaller (long) trips about 3-500 miles or so with no ill effects. I guess I am lucky, maybe that is why I have put on 30K miles in 3 Years. That being said, it is difficult to get them exactly as you want them, pisses me off when I take it to a car wash and they move them, arrrgh!

You must be a short guy, under 6 foot.

[puciorek]

I don't know what I did buying this car with 4 mm bulging disk pressing on my sciatica nerve, but this is what I normally use...morning commutes are tough, but later is ok.
at least I won't scratch the leather.

[TCZ4]

I concur that the sport seats are uncomfortable over long distances and do not offer much in the way of lumbar support. They do grip you well though. With all of the adjustment options it would have been nice to have at least some manual lumbar adjustment. I drove across country in my 06 S2k and did not feel much in the way of lower back pain. Although that was a good 5-6 years ago... I could just be getting old