Golf R Observations and Questions

[Maverick]

Is it just me, or do the heated seats in the R only work when you're sitting in them?

We've had a few cold mornings where I live, and having the leather seats can be a bit of a wake up call when they're cold. Yesterday, and again last night - I turned the car on before getting into it, and turned on the heated seats. This way I thought I'd heat up the seats for about 5 min before getting into the car.

When I got in (both times) the seats were not heated.... not even the slightest. But within a minute of sitting in them, the heat came through.

I checked the owners manual, but it mentions nothing about the heated seats only being activated when someone is sitting in them. This may be a safety thing or perhaps something to protect the leather from overheating/cracking/burning over time or whatever - but has anybody else noticed this? Or is it just me?

The seat heaters only work when your arse is on the seat which I'm pretty sure is mentioned in the manual unless they omitted it in the Mark VI owners manual?

[Ryan_R]

Maybe it just takes 6 minutes to warm up
I don't recall seeing anything written about it in the manual. Sometimes I turn on the passenger seat heater early if I'm picking someone up.

[bwen]

When I got in (both times) the seats were not heated.... not even the slightest. But within a minute of sitting in them, the heat came through.

As what Mav pointed out but also maybe because when no one is sitting on the seat the heat dissipates quite quickly rather than when someone is sitting on the seat the heat builds up cumulatively

[SilvrFoxX]

See this is the reason I stuch with cloth.. don't have issues either end of the climate spectrum.. though leather looks and smells the part

[Ryan_R]

Yeah, the only thing that makes me swing towards leather is it doesn't end up with cat hair, etc all over it which ends up on my suit (don't ask me how it gets there in the first place)

[Corey_R]

As what Mav pointed out but also maybe because when no one is sitting on the seat the heat dissipates quite quickly rather than when someone is sitting on the seat the heat builds up cumulatively

bwen, this is my thought too. Whilst I don't recall the MK6 owners manual stating one way or another on this topic, I was sitting in my car one day with the seat heater on and attempting to attach a suction cap bracket to the windscreen for a GPS Performance Meter. When I leant back in the seat, the seat back was still "cool" but the seat base was already quite toasty...

[Ideo]

See this is the reason I stuch with cloth.. don't have issues either end of the climate spectrum.. though leather looks and smells the part

This.

I was worried going from a car with leather to a car without leather that I would lose some of the "feel".

Not so. Love being able to sit down when it's been sitting in the sun and love not sliding around as much in hard cornering.

[Ryan_R]

Yeah, the only thing that makes me swing towards leather is it doesn't end up with cat hair, etc all over it which ends up on my suit (don't ask me how it gets there in the first place)

[police state]

Yeah, the only thing that makes me swing towards leather is it doesn't end up with cat hair, etc all over it which ends up on my suit (don't ask me how it gets there in the first place)

Leather all the way for me, especially when the seats are reasonably bolstered. I just can't stand the way cloth attracts things like hair and smells. But I guess I'm just anal, I have a leather couch at home too. I'm the guy that goes to peoples houses with pets and before I sit down I look at their couch and ask them if they've ever considered a leather one

[adzy]

Leather all the way for me, especially when the seats are reasonably bolstered. I just can't stand the way cloth attracts things like hair and smells. But I guess I'm just anal, I have a leather couch at home too. I'm the guy that goes to peoples houses with pets and before I sit down I look at their couch and ask them if they've ever considered a leather one

Couch Police but I agree. Leather FTW