CX-5 Heated Seats...Kind of weak?

[rlp2955]

Hi all,
CX5 GT owner since mid August. Love it so far. Great gas mileage and smooth ride. I guess my only complaint so far...maybe it's just me, but I don't think the seat warmers are all that strong. My wife has a 2008 Saturn Aura with seat warmers and hers seems to warm up faster and with more heat than mine. I have never previously had seat warmers so maybe I was expecting too much. What is everyone else's opinion on theirs? How much heat should these produce? Is there a way to test to make sure mine aren't defective? I do feel heat...but don't notice a big difference between level 1, 2, and 3.

 

[jeremy44]

I can actually feel it searing if I put it on 3.
Usually i would put 2 when I first start the car up and leave it on 1 after the car is all warmed up.

 

[CX-SV]

Haven't noticed they are weak compared to my other 2 sedans. But my home climate is moderate with lows rarely going below 32 degrees F.

 

[rlp2955]

Wow...definitely would not consider mine "searing" by any stretch. But I would say that it's consistent across both seats in terms of the warmth which makes me wonder what the chances are of both seats being defective? Maybe it's my expectations were for something more. I have to take it in for its first oil change in December so maybe they can look at it for me real quick.

 

[WNJ]

Mine take a bit to warm up (a good five minutes or so) but after that 3 is pretty hot, 2 fairly warm and 1 is a comforting warmth!

 

[HandA]

I haven't had much of a chance to try mine yet. Although I did bump the switch in the summer and they seemed to get plenty hot when it was 100 degrees out.

They may have toned the power down on them in response to articles like this:
http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/heated-car-seats-could-pose-burn-danger.html

 

[Bopper]

Do the heated seats reset to off when car is turned off? I am wondering about the remote starter feature. I understand that I have to leave the fan/heat setting where I would like them when I auto start, what about the seat heaters?

 

[Nodnerb]

Do the heated seats reset to off when car is turned off? I am wondering about the remote starter feature. I understand that I have to leave the fan/heat setting where I would like them when I auto start, what about the seat heaters?

The seat warmers retain the previous setting when the car is started. I set mine on low when winter started and haven't had to touch the button since.

 

[johnhus]

I'm with jeremy44. Setting it up to 3 is too much! 2 is plenty and 1 is perfect after about 2-3 minutes.

It takes 30-45 seconds to feel the heat from when I first turn it on.

 

[pharoz]

I agree that the CX-5 heated seat isn't warm enough. The heated seats on my Mazda 3 has 5 settings and it's 3rd setting is equivalent to the CX-5 max setting. It also takes longer to warm up as well. I'm curious if it's something the dealers can adjust...

 

[HandA]

On the highest setting I find the heaters cycle on and off a fair amount because they hit their maximum temperature setting. They do seem to heat up fast but I find I get more consistent heat when it is on the middle setting.

The article referenced in my prior post is about people getting burned by seat heaters so it probably has the car manufactures nervous with all the class action suits that go on. I wouldn't be surprised if most all cars from now on get weaker ones.

 

[SayNoToPistons]

I wouldn't call them weak. They are on par with other Japanese makers like Infiniti and also BMW. My Infiniti maxed out on high is about the same as the CX-5 on medium. Same with my RX-8. Now if we are talking about comparison it to Audi's. Holy s*** Audi heated seats burn on high.

 

[dergibog]

I'll chime in.
Just got done with a most unpleasant experience at the dealership we got our car from.
We live in Colorado. Heated seats are nice to have here. Long story short, our '14 seats hardly heat at all. So much so it's a joke. I have taken it back to them twice, raised holy hell & have only owned the car for two weeks.
Here is the bs story we got. They told my wife (who happens to be a lawyer) and I that according to Mazda your heat has to be cranked up to 90 in order to have them "kick on" and that they make them so weak now because of people getting burned. Also told us that the passenger side is connected to the same weight sensor that the airbag is, so someone must be occupying the seat in order for them to activate. I called BS and demanded I sit in another brand new CX-5 so I could see how it worked. Sure enough, same thing. I am blown away by this. Even the Customer Service Manager admited that it's a joke, but wouldn't/couldn't do anything about it. So, if you are in the market for a '14 CX-5, and you're thinking about upgrading to the GT package because of the "heated seats" and that's the thing you're really after, don't do it. NOT worth it. Also, when we were told about the 90 degree bs and the activation via passenger occupancy, funny how they couldn't show us in any book or manual where is specified that pretinent information.
I guess my advice would be if you are having seat heater issues, call and note them with your dealer and who knows if they get enough negative feedback, perhaps they'll work on a fix. Right now I feel like I have purdy lower console lights that I get to toggle from 1 to 3. Schweeet.

 

[Exspeedaway]

I find mine to work perfectly.
I set them at "3" for a few minute after that "1" is enough.
They are not as quick as my 2001 Jetta1.8t but it work's fine for me.

 

[dergibog]

I find mine to work perfectly.
I set them at "3" for a few minute after that "1" is enough.
They are not as quick as my 2001 Jetta1.8t but it work's fine for me.

Do you have a '13 or '14 out of curiosity?

 

[dergibog]

Nevermind. When all else fails, read. He spoke of the '14 specifically.

 

[CongaJon]

I can't vouch for any colder, but I can tell you that they are good for -25 degrees. Or, perhaps any heat is acceptable at that point! 3-2-1 does pretty well for me in the cold.

 

[P5stillalive]

Compared to my old BMW they are awful. I am going to try riding around w/o pants from now on.

 

[Exspeedaway]

'13

 

[Kayger12]

Much weaker than my BMW.

Highest setting on the CX-5 is similar to the lowest setting on the Bimmer.