This is the reason I chose to take our 2008 Smart Fortwo over the biodiesel Jetta last night. I don't know about you but 58 degrees is pretty chilly out and I wanted to keep warm on the drive home. OK, I use seat heaters even when it's 72 degrees out.
In any case, I kinda like the cloth seats with the seat heater, it makes the seat feel like I'm sitting on a heated blanket. And at the highest level -- the two bars -- I was comfortable, not scorched. The heating seems focused primarily on my lower back though and not so much my bottom. But I'm not complaining. Rush hour was nice and cozy.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor
dragonflight says:
07:21 PM, 12/10/08
I live in the midwest, and I find myself only using heated seats when it's below 40...and only sometimes. Can't imagine using it in warm weather in any of my cars..
bluesunit says:
07:33 PM, 12/10/08
Personal preference, I guess. I use them pretty much year round. They are killer after you've been on your feet all day.
cwc1 says:
07:35 PM, 12/10/08
I used to think seat heaters were gimmicky until I got a car with them. Now that I'm used to having them, they're quite nice on cold winter mornings, especially with leather seats.
jaguar36 says:
04:34 AM, 12/11/08
I think seat heaters are generally worthless, by the time they warm up, my legs are already warm. and then they just get hot. Heated steering wheel, now thats awesome, I just wish BMW would make that a separate option, instead of packaging it with the heated seats in the 3-series.
dougtheeng says:
05:59 AM, 12/11/08
I love heated seats and have vowed to never drive another car without them. That being said, 2 of the 3 settings for the heated seats in my MINI are waaay too hot and I don't know how anyone could sit in them.
neatnick79 says:
06:50 AM, 12/11/08
I would love to try these; anything to feel warmer until the interior of the car heats up a little! It was less than 20 degrees here in New England the other day, and it's below freezing a lot in the winter months!
oachalon says:
07:42 AM, 12/11/08
58 degrees is not chilly. If it was 58 degrees here in december i would have the windows and the sunroof open in the car. I understand 58 degrees in the middle of July. I usually dont turn the heated seats on unless its below 30 degrees then the leather gets a little cold to me.
chavis10 says:
08:48 AM, 12/11/08
I only use mine when it's say 40 or below. We had a couple days this past week in the low 30s.
athakur999 says:
10:40 AM, 12/11/08
The seat warmers in my car only take about 30 seconds to heat up. This is much faster than it takes for the heater core to warm up to point of being able to blow some hot air.
superbird52 says:
01:44 PM, 12/11/08
Ummm....here in Idaho, it was about 10 degrees this morning. And i've never needed or even wanted heated seats. Heated steering wheel sounds nice, though. If it was 58, i'd break out the shorts and sandals again.
firstwagon says:
03:16 PM, 12/11/08
Back when I lived in Ottawa, I would have loved heated seats. Here in Vancouver where it rarely goes below freezing, I don't see much point in them.
sandcountry360 says:
07:14 PM, 12/11/08
If you've ever had an achy back, you would probably Love heated seats. I do. I use them in the summer when it's hot outside. Back Pain > Temperature Pain. But I've gotta say, I'd have to be doubled over in Call-the-Ambulance-I'm-Dieing pain before I'd take the Smart over the Jetta.