Sorry if this has already been covered, but I could not find any other threads on this topic.

I ordered my 08 MC with the regular seats in Tuscan leather. I am now having second thoughts, thinking that I should have gotten the sport seats instead...

Does anyone have experience with both? Or has anyone found the non-sport seats to be uncomfortable over long distances?

I just realized that the sports seats add the lumbar option...

Thanks for any potential advice on this matter.

 

I have had a chance to sit in both, I chose the regular, seems a better fit my current Mini has Sport, the are nice, butthey are like the regular seats they have now

 

Depends upon your width. The sport seats from someone fairly wide may not be as comfortable as the regular seats as they provide a more snug environment. If you are of average build the sport seats are good.

 

Agreed! I've always loved sport seats but have friends who opted for regular only because they fit them better.

 

I have standard seats w/vinyl. Comfy, but you DO slide around on the seat some while getting jiggy in the curves/corners.

If your driving style is more aggressive, go with the sport seats. If you sweat a lot and you live in a warm climate, go with the punch leather or cloth option, as the vinyl doesn't breathe very well.....

Your decison is fine! Most of your driving will be non-crazed, and the standard seats will serve you well.

 

I'm definitely average width... 6ft 180lbs...

I know the sports seats are more aggressively bolstered, and the ones I sat in on the test drive were the lounge leather, and very nice.

Unfortunately my dealer did not have a car with regular seats in stock for me to try.

My commute is mostly on straight highway, so my main concern is long term comfort.

I test drove an R50 a few years ago and the stock seats on that were not too comfortable...

 

I have a semi bad back and have taken a few long trips, like 360 miles in a day, and the regular leathertte seats have been very comfortable. More so than in other cars.

 

you will be fine

 

Lumbar comes with leather or cloth/leather (either sports or standard seat). A sports seat does not have lumber if it is leatherette or all-cloth.

 

i like my sports seats adn its make me wan to go FAST.....

 

I have the sport seats and prefer the extra bolstering. No comfort issues at all; I'd rank them up there with the regular seats.

 

Go with sport if in doubt. The seats in my car are the most comfortable seat since I got rid of my 1988 325i with sport seats. There's nothing like a mechanically adjustable seat for comfort.

 

True.

We haven't had standard seats since number 1. They were fine when I had nothing to compare them to.

When we got Quentin he had cloth sports seats, they were quite snug about my rear end, maybe a little too snug, you definitely don't want to keep your wallet in the back pocket with sports seats. They're sculpted and have lumbar support, but its not adjustable, and even though I suffer with lack of lumbar support, it was maybe a bit much. After getting the sport seats in Quentin, I really didn't like the standard seats anymore. I don't know if the standard seats are any different these days than back then (2004).

After I drove a MINI which had the half leather/half cloth option sports seats, I decided they were the right ones for me. They had adjustable lumbar support (so it could be dialed down a bit), and they were ever so slighly more generously proportioned, or the leather better molds itself to you shape. They were the most comfortable MINI seats I'd ever sat in. (This was on a 3 week vacation driving 2500 miles.)

We've ordered those cloth/leather seats for the both the next 2, and they're still really comfortable, they fit us. So it may not be just sport vs regular, the material they're finished in makes quite a bit of difference. You may not find your dealer has the right seats in the right material, and its difficult to gauge long term comfort from just 5 mins sitting in them

 

cloth/leather is only available on sports seats. (And only in ever so slightly garish blue or red, not the restrained black you can get in the UK.)

 

I had the leatherette regular seats in my old MINI Cooper, which were eventually covered in custom leather to match the steering wheel and shift boot. My new Cooper S has the cloth sport seats (no lumbar option) and after almost 10,000 miles, I can say the difference is huge! Totally worth getting sport seats if your backside fits in them comfortably (I am 6' 2" and 195 lbs...) I have taken a number of long trips (150 to 270 miles at a time) and get out of the car feeling refreshed and ready to go, not all sore and tired (I have a bad back) The other option that is worthwhile is the heated seats. MINI seat heaters have coils in the bottom and lower back area, wonderful for a cold winter night!

 

Certainly get the sport seats if your build isn't too wide like mentioned. Otherwise the bulster on the seat will dig into your thigh, not good. Taking a sharp turn the sports keep you nice and tight in the saddle.

 

My MA told me the same thing earlier this week.

 

I have the stock leatherette seats and find them comfortable for the way I sit. Am actually petite though so am not sure that a person's frame always comes into play with preference.

The only thing I would change about them is to have alittle more lumber support for long drives.