ok so i have had my 335 for 5 days now and i was in heaven when i first got it but i have become increasingly more frustrated with the uncomfortable seats and rough ride. i am having trouble judging my past 48 hours versus the prior 72 hours since those first 3 days were like a honeymoon. i loved sitting in the car but now it is starting to make my mid/lower back feel uncomfortable and tight. i've got the sports package with sport seats. i wish i had got the adjustable lumbar support seats but i wasn't thinking it would be a big deal.

also, i have notice that every little bump seems to be amplified compared to my old 2001 camry. maybe it's just the sport suspension...maybe i am just a chump who doesn't know what a sport suspension is supposed to feel like...i dunno...the honeymoon is ending very quickly. it's very frustrating. when i am driving on my regular highways in austin it seems like i am being thrown around whenever i hit a minor bump in the road and thats when i am going 70 mph. FWIW 2 days ago when i was driving out of my apartment complex and going about 25-30 mph i noticed a strange vibration that felt like i was going over a very bumpy road and i know the road isn't bumpy. the vibration went away so i just kind of noted it and ignored it.

i guess i will call the dealer tomorrow and ask him about it, but i just wanted to know if anyone else has had these problems.

The lumbar adjust does help the lower back issue a lot. Always moving it up and down on long trips as my back gets sore. I think most of the source of the rough ride is the run-flat tires. I notice a lot of jarring when goin over the seams on bridges and the like. Just watch where you drive is about all the advice I can give you. IMO, that at times uncomfortable ride is worth it when I put my right foot down!

I have the non-sport seats and find them pretty comfy, maybe you can find someone to trade with you? Most of the non-sport guys would love to upgrade.

Comparing the isolated ride of a Camry to that of a sport sedan is silly. I know it sucks if you didn't test drive it, or if your entire basis of what a ride is supposed to feel like off your Toyota.

If your back hurts, I'd first look at your seating angle. Most people drive in the wrong position. You should have your arms as close to a 90-degree angle as possible and be seated more upright. I'm 6'3" and I drive closer to the pedals than people 6 inches shorter than me, since I don't ride ghetto style.


You actually get used to feeling the road, it's what the communication is in a BMW, knowing what the tires are doing.

I have to agree that comparing to the ride of the Camry is the silliest thing I have heard, no offense. There is a reason you don't feel anything with the Camry while you feel it all with the BMW (esp. sports) package, the former tries to isolate you from the road for comfort and granpa style driving while the latter tries to communicate everything so you can drive with confidence. That being said, you should drive a dedicated sports car and then see if you still believe the BMW ride is harsh.
Since ride smoothness is your thing, I am surprised you went with the SP (or BMW for that matter, why not the comfy floaty Lexus). Anyway, we welcome you to the BMW experience and in an effort to make your life a bit more tolerable to your taste, here are a couple of things you could try (individually or combined):
Swap your RFT (run flats) with non-RFT tires.
You probably got the 18" tire/wheel package with the SP, you can swap them for 16s to improve the ride quality. Yes you loose lots of grip and they don't look as nice, but life is all about sacrifice and you seem to care more about comfort.Good luck.

Comparing the isolated ride of a Camry to that of a sport sedan is silly. I know it sucks if you didn't test drive it, or if your entire basis of what a ride is supposed to feel like off your Toyota.

If your back hurts, I'd first look at your seating angle. Most people drive in the wrong position. You should have your arms as close to a 90-degree angle as possible and be seated more upright. I'm 6'3" and I drive closer to the pedals than people 6 inches shorter than me, since I don't ride ghetto style.


You actually get used to feeling the road, it's what the communication is in a BMW, knowing what the tires are doing.


yes i test drove it and i absolutely loved how everything felt when i first got it. i guess i just never noticed any bumpiness when i drove it before. and the seat issue has just come out of the blue. it is just odd to me because i loved how it felt when i first got in it and now it is bothering my back. i have been fiddling with seat position and i guess i will try being closer up.

and it's not about what the tires are doing...it's about hitting a bump and feeling like i am going over a speed bump. maybe i just never noticed it during my test drive and the first few days i got the car and i am only noticing it now.

Swap your RFT (run flats) with non-RFT tires.
You probably got the 18" tire/wheel package with the SP, you can swap them for 16s to improve the ride quality. Yes you loose lots of grip and they don't look as nice, but life is all about sacrifice and you seem to care more about comfort.Good luck.

FWIW 16" rims won't fit the 335i. He could go with 17" and a larger none run-flat tire like a 245/45 General. That is what I did with mine, anyway. Very smooth on the street.

I have to agree that comparing to the ride of the Camry is the silliest thing I have heard, no offense. There is a reason you don't feel anything with the Camry while you feel it all with the BMW (esp. sports) package, the former tries to isolate you from the road for comfort and granpa style driving while the latter tries to communicate everything so you can drive with confidence. That being said, you should drive a dedicated sports car and then see if you still believe the BMW ride is harsh.
Since ride smoothness is your thing, I am surprised you went with the SP (or BMW for that matter, why not the comfy floaty Lexus). Anyway, we welcome you to the BMW experience and in an effort to make your life a bit more tolerable to your taste, here are a couple of things you could try (individually or combined):
Swap your RFT (run flats) with non-RFT tires.
You probably got the 18" tire/wheel package with the SP, you can swap them for 16s to improve the ride quality. Yes you loose lots of grip and they don't look as nice, but life is all about sacrifice and you seem to care more about comfort.Good luck.

well this is my first new car and my first BMW. i did test drive the ls460 but it was just too nice and isolated. i didn't want to look at the 7 series because it was too big and too nice and i actually want to feel like i can do stuff in my car. when i test drove the 335 i was like "OMFG i have to have this car". the only reason i am posting about this is because i never noticed these issues when i test drove the car and when i drove it for the first 3 days. obviously, i am still trying to get used to the sensitivities of the steering, braking, and acceleration but that will come with time so i am not worried about that.

i guess the main thing is the seat comfort issue. hell that maybe what is making me irritated when i am driving. i loved the way the seat felt when i first got it but now it's just terrible and i can't get comfortable like when i first got it. my back is still tight from driving a couple hours ago. i guess i will just ask the dealer what his recommendations are for the seat.

yes i test drove it and i absolutely loved how everything felt when i first got it. i guess i just never noticed any bumpiness when i drove it before. and the seat issue has just come out of the blue. it is just odd to me because i loved how it felt when i first got in it and now it is bothering my back. i have been fiddling with seat position and i guess i will try being closer up.

and it's not about what the tires are doing...it's about hitting a bump and feeling like i am going over a speed bump. maybe i just never noticed it during my test drive and the first few days i got the car and i am only noticing it now.
Believe me the tires have a lot to do with feeling the road harshness. Yes the suspension setting and it bushings transmits quite a bit, but it is dampened and should be enough to make you feel the road not get jerked around. Check your tire pressure too, it may be too high. The RFTs definitely give a harsher ride and the lower profile tires amplify that (less cushioning).

P.S. your seats are 8 way adjustable, so play around with the various settings, you should get a better more comfortable position. I know I adjust my stance on longer drives for comfort, while in town I sacrifice comfort for more control/sproty stance.

Believe me the tires have a lot to do with feeling the road harshness. Yes the suspension setting and it bushings transmits quite a bit, but it is dampened and should be enough to make you feel the road not get jerked around. Check your tire pressure too, it may be too high. The RFTs definitely give a harsher ride and the lower profile tires amplify that (less cushioning).


good info. thanks for the help.

FWIW 16" rims won't fit the 335i. He could go with 17" and a larger none run-flat tire like a 245/45 General. That is what I did with mine, anyway. Very smooth on the street.
+1, sorry forgot the larger brake rotors of the 335. 323/328 can take 16s. Thanks for correcting.

I actually test drove a used 328i coupe with the sport package with 7000 miles on it that the owner had sold back to the dealership because it bothered his back, so you're not alone.
Pat

switch to non-RFT tires like everyone else says, and then keep working with your seat.

i have notice that every little bump seems to be amplified compared to my old 2001 camry.

No offense, but I'd hope the ride is substantially stiffer than in your 2001 Camry.

No offense, but I'd hope the ride is substantially stiffer than in your 2001 Camry.


after today i think my frustrations were more related to the seat and back pain. i've finally found a position where the seat doesn't bother my back as much. it's kind of an odd position...i have it to where the seat and back make like an 80 degree angle. anyone know of anybody who has had their seat replaced?

You're supposed to drive in about that position. Maybe you should see a doctor if you need a LAZY BOY in your car :)

You're supposed to drive in about that position. Maybe you should see a doctor if you need a LAZY BOY in your car :)

even in that position i am uncomfortable. and i never knew i was supposed to sit in that position since no other seat in the world is angled at an 80 degree angle, but whatever. i don't need a lazy boy...i need something that i can sit in for more than 20 minutes that doesn't feel stiff as hell. i dunno...i love the performance of the 335 but this is fking frustrating since everything started off with zero issues. further, i have never had back issues in my life. i guess i wish i would have been better experienced when buying this car, and i guess i am gaining that experience now. it is awesome on the open road but for city driving it can be frustrating. when you hit any sort of bump it doesn't feel good at all. it's like i am off roading at times when i am driving on the freeway. i haven't been able to relax in the car for the past 3 days. i still think my seat comfort is exacerbating any issues i come across.

just ranting about this because i hope these issues get cleared up for me because i love how the car performs. it's just so discouraging going from complete love for a car to dissatisfaction so quickly, especially after waiting 2 months for the car. :(:(:(

Sorry to say this, but you should have bought a Lexus or a Caddy, you seem to prefer floaty disconnected drive. You can't get sporty drive and no road feel at the same time, it still blows my mind that you got the sports package when obviously you don't care about the sporty driving while at the same time you want a plush ride. No offense huh, just stating the obvious.

don't worry about offending me because that is an impossible task. i guess i haven't got my point across by repeatedly expressing the fact that my main issue is the seat and back discomfort that it has caused me in the past 3 days. i don't mind the feel of the road when my back is fine. i mind things when the seat is causing my back to be irritated. i guess i am just a donkey for not better analyzing how the seat would treat my back since it provided no clues of this happening until it did happen. i guess i am lost because it seems as if you guys think that i can't have a sports car with a comfortable seat or that the seat is actually comfortable and i just don't know how to sit in the seat.

like i have said in multiple posts...i believe my discontent is solely due to the back pain the seat has been causing me. i have driven some very crappy cars in my life and i have never had seat issues but i am having them now and they have popped out of nowhere. if i could retitle this thread "my back is sore from the seat" then i would.

thing is bro, the position your sitting in is really what you need. With a car like the 335, the power would just knock you around in a Non-bucket style seat, which is I think your problem, the bucket style is probably cramping your back, because your unused to the compact feel.

Honestly, I'd suggest you hit the gym and do back exersizes, that will help immensly, and If you still dont like it, trade it in for a 5 series.

don't worry about offending me because that is an impossible task. i guess i haven't got my point across by repeatedly expressing the fact that my main issue is the seat and back discomfort that it has caused me in the past 3 days. i don't mind the feel of the road when my back is fine. i mind things when the seat is causing my back to be irritated. i guess i am just a donkey for not better analyzing how the seat would treat my back since it provided no clues of this happening until it did happen. i guess i am lost because it seems as if you guys think that i can't have a sports car with a comfortable seat or that the seat is actually comfortable and i just don't know how to sit in the seat.

like i have said in multiple posts...i believe my discontent is solely due to the back pain the seat has been causing me. i have driven some very crappy cars in my life and i have never had seat issues but i am having them now and they have popped out of nowhere. if i could retitle this thread "my back is sore from the seat" then i would.
This could all be psychological, related to Buyer's Remose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyer%27s_remorse). I have no psychiatric expertise so I am not sure if Cognitive Dissonance can manifest itself Psychophysically.

Another theory is that maybe your back it used to crappy car seats and can't adjust to good ones.

If you got the sports package and sports seats you should have lumbar support. It took me a while to get the sitting position and seat adjustments just right until I was perfectly comfortable.
Also, after I got rid of my run flats the ride quality got much, much better, even with 19's!!

If you got the sports package and sports seats you should have lumbar support. It took me a while to get the sitting position and seat adjustments just right until I was perfectly comfortable.
Also, after I got rid of my run flats the ride quality got much, much better, even with 19's!!

yeah i think i am going to get rid of the run flats and try to find a seat with lumbar adjustment as soon as i have free time. i've got a friend of a friend who does that pimp my ride stuff so maybe he knows where to get seats.

also, i talked to the dealer and he said he has never heard of anyone having back issues with the sport seats so he wasn't much help. he just gave me some suggestions and some websites that i might want to check out.

thanks for the help guys.

I put two different positions on each program and then after about 30 mins I switch. I think this helps maybe try that to mix it up a bit

Throw it into a corner at over double posted limit. make sure it is a rough corner pavement wise. then tell me how she is. It will make you feel GREAT!
Try that with a Camary

I'm not sure if this helps - but this could be the result of a minor injury that is being perpetuated by the seats. Essentially, you could have "tweaked" your back doing something else... and now the seats are just making it worse (or simply preventing it from feeling better).

I suggest getting your back to feel better first - then revisit the seat issue to make sure it's actually the seats.

I'm not sure if this helps - but this could be the result of a minor injury that is being perpetuated by the seats. Essentially, you could have "tweaked" your back doing something else... and now the seats are just making it worse (or simply preventing it from feeling better).

I suggest getting your back to feel better first - then revisit the seat issue to make sure it's actually the seats.

the problem only happens when i am sitting in the car. when i get out i am fine. any other place i sit my back is fine, so i think that pretty much narrows it down to one thing. the dealer said i might want to talk to an upholstering place and see if getting the seats restuffed would help, so i guess that's the next step.

I'll also add to the camp that you should be sitting as upright as possible, and that you should have lumbar support. Playing with my controls it felt like there was both upper and lower lumbar support (the round control with four arrows).

Sitting upright helps your spine contour to the seat and lets the lumbar settings take effect, and also keeps you from bending your neck, the further you lean back the further you bend your neck forward to keep your head level, which strains muscles in your neck and upper back.