I don't agree with the sciatic nerve comment. I've had sciatica for decades, two discectomy surgeries already, and have a herniated disc as I sit here and type. And I've owned nothing but 18 ways and/or LWBS since 2014. Did 4.5 hours straight in my LWBS last Saturday and they're more restrictive than 18 ways.

You need to go sit in them before you decide which is best for you. I do think that Porsche has improved the 14 ways in recent years as you sit a bit more "in" them than you used to. But for connection to the car, the 18 ways are still better. If they fit you.

 

I am 5'7" and 219 lbs- the 18's are great and I have to tighten the bolsters ~30% to feel comfortable. The 4 ways are too wide and the 14's are as flat as my dad's old 65 Oldsmobile's.

 

Which is the better option for a fat person, asking for a friend.

 

OP: Other people’s experiences and seat preferences should have little influence on your choice. By far the best (and maybe only) way to get the seat that’s right for you is to get your butt in them, and preferably do at least a half hour drive in each of the variants. If that’s not possible due to lack of inventory at your local dealer, make your best effort to at least get some seat time in the one you think might work best for you. Be aware that 992 seats - especially the 4-way and 18-ways - are a re-design from the 991 and trying seats in an older car won’t be representative of the “fit” in a 992.

There are just too many variables around body size - from length of legs and torso, to hip and shoulder width, to weight and “fleshiness” where body parts meet seating surfaces, etc. - for a person to offer a valid suggestion for you based on what works for them. As to your original questions, size/width of seating surface and bolster heights on the different seats are just part of the equation. Along with steering wheel choice, you’ll know by feel which direction to go. FWIW, after testing my wife and I ordered the base steering wheel and 18-way seats, but we would never even have considered the base wheel until the dealer GM suggested we drive a car with a base and a Sport wheel.

 

If you feel the 18 way seats are narrow, try sitting in a Corvette C7 base or sport seat. I am not a skinny person by any means and feel ze Germans got the 18 ways just right.

 

I didn't say they were narrow. I said they were narrower than the 14 ways.

 

I drove 3 hours to a dealership that had both. They let me test drive and I went with 14 way, but on track wish I had 18 way.

 

how long were your test drives?

 

they gave me the keys and said be back before they closed.

 

Yes, I'd keep calling around and around and around until you find a dealer that will call you when one comes in to sit in them. For me, I'm going with the 18 ways since they are included with my car and I'm not fat. Also, I have the exact same type of seats in my 2012 so I'm hoping/guessing/praying that the new car will be as comfortable. I can drive all day in my tight 911 Turbo S seats from 2012. All day... and night. So so comfortable. Like, Mercedes Benz S Class comfortable. I am fully convinced that the new 18 ways will be the same or better. If they hurt at first, I'm sure my body will adjust to them over months of driving. I used to drive a 1970 AMC Hornet with a spring popping up through the driver's set that was so bad, I had to sit on a telephone book. Yet I still drove that car for a year since I had no money to get a nicer car. If I can drive that car, I can be comfortable in any car, including the new Chevy Malibu I rented last week that was horrible on my back, but I toughed it out anyway and got kind of used to it by the 4th day.

 

Hey folks, I tried to gather some objective data. Its clear the configurator is wrong (in not showing raised squab bolsters). Anyway, here are the measurements. Blue is 18-way, beige is 14-way. I think I've convinced myself to switch my build from 18- > 14. Hope this data helps!

• One interesting oberservation, if you don't get ventilation, you get non-perforated side squab and side backrest bolsters! I love that look.
• I also tried my best to feel the difference b/w ventilated and non ventilated, and I'm almost certain ventilated is a bit stiffer. There is no ducting as such, there is an air permeable mat in the foam that is connected to the fan - I was able to track down the part https://teile.com/en/porsche-parts-s...eats-L-R/54531
• The seam joining in the 18-way non-ventilated is very different compared to the 14-way ventilated (and even the 18-way ventilated in this post https://rennlist.com/forums/992/1139...l#post17027943). Hard to describe, but the seams in the blue seat are joined edge to edge (just like in Sport-tex seats) vs the seams in the ventilated are joined over/under (probably due to the perforated leather). Or maybe its just the stitching playing with my eyes. :P But its definitely different. The ventilated ones have a hard raised seam edge for sure.

Another thing I noticed in comparing these seats to 991, additional bolstering/padding has been added at the hinge section between the squab and backrest.


I tried my best to have matching photos but some measurements are only of one seat. Also, it was hard to measure the backrest with one hand and take a photo with the other lol.

So my conclusions are, the seat bottoms are very different in inner width and the seat bottom bolsters are thicker towards the front (less difference at the back).

















missed this measurement in the 14 way

missed this measurement in the 14 way


would someone mind uploading a front shot like this of the 18-way?

 

Good job putting a tape to the two options. Thank you for the empirical information. Seems like this will be helpful to many wondering which to choose that may not be able to sit in them in person. Fortunately, I was able to do so. The lesser bolsters are the deciding factor for me as I live in a large, tall body so I need more room than an average size American.

 

Does anyone know whether the 18 ways are lighter in the 992 versus the 991?
Even though I don't like the added weight, because I am 6' 3" and absolutely need the seat pan
extensions on the 18 ways.