slc4s

haha... I love this debate because I've spent time in both and disagree with plenty of people on here. I'm not a big dude. 5'10 150lbs... for me the 14 ways felt great and the 18 ways I didn't love. BUT ... I will happily admit that I also find the 14 ways to be a much better looking seat for the interior of the car (especially with 930 pack). I don't love how 18 ways look so was there selection bias in my testing.... maybe... as others have said. You really need to try them both and choose for YOU

3rdpedal

I got tired of my Levi's and my CK's and my Kirkland jeans all shredding in a few months, 4 tops. So I started buying Kuhl jeans. At $75-100 they are about 2x the price, but my first pair went over year before they started to shred. The just hold up better.

aggie57

I think it depends also on how you use your car; the 18-ways are much better on the track especially around the shoulder where the 14-ways let you move around more. Plus for taller folks (like me - I’m 6’3”) the extended thigh support is nice.

Drew46

14 ways have the extended thigh support.

Drew46

One of my favorite ads:


EDIT: I just realized that my response could be taken the wring way. It was not meant as a ******* remark. The “lift heavy” made me think of it. I am a bit of a gym rat myself and every time someone asks me to do there heavy work, I always look at them and say “I lift things up and put them down”.

Litigator

LOL - love this!

aggie57

Didn't realize that, in older models the equivalent didn't.

Panayos

Disclaimer: I have had 14-way on my 991.1 and 18-way on my 992 so haven't compared within the same gen, but assuming they are similar for my points below.

I find the 14-way seats unacceptable for a sports car like a 911.
On the track, they provide no support whatsoever, both the lower and upper part. I would bounce left and right and feel completely unstable. Even on spirited driving, I didn't feel connected to the car at all.
I am on the smaller side (5'8") but I don't think I would ever feel right unless I was super huge...
My VW Golf had much better seats with proper support on the sides to keep you in place.
I was extremely disappointed with Porsche on that front and reading online there was no clear consensus that the 18-way were much better.
Luckily, I found a 992 with 18-way at my dealer and realized this was exactly what I needed.
This was a no-brainer option for me, no matter the price difference.

I don't like making strong statements because everything is subjective but in my mind the 18-way is the ONLY seat that one should buy on a 911 that they plan on driving even slightly aggressively.
You can adjust them exactly around your body and feel stable and connected to the car. They are super comfortable too but that is secondary for me.

Litigator

Except that 4-way SS+ are almost exactly the same seat, but weigh quite a bit less, thus making them more suitable for aggressive driving.

Panayos

I haven't had a chance to try these unfortunately. I hope you are right and they are a great alternative for a much lower cost.
They must offer more support than the regular seats but I really love the adjustability of the 18-way.
You can really get them to fit your body, adjust the seat angle, etc.
If someone is already paying for the 14-way, for me the 18-way is a must have.

Litigator

All your points are well taken. Cost wasn't an issue for me - I wanted something lightweight that I could live with as a daily driver. After polling a number of Porsche owners, I decided on the 4-way SS+. I'll report back after I get my GTS in a few weeks.

F8Driver

Bottom line is try them both. That's what I did. My original configuration was 18 way. After trying them both, fiddling with the many adjustments, I went for 14 way. I can get exactly the same fit as with my bimmer sport seats (which are really comfortable over the long haul), but everyone's experience is different. On the track, short time in the seat, I'd say 18 way. Long term, less agressive driving, the 14 way. But this is an individual call. I HIGHLY recommend you try out both seats to see which you prefer.

dudeoverthere

I've always had the 18 way sports plus seats. A buddy has the 4 way sports plus in his GT3. Honestly that convinced me that the 4 way SS+ are all that's needed. If you try either 14 or 18 at the dealer you really need to fiddle with them until they are perfect. I also like that the 4 ways don't take forever to move forward when needing to get to the back seats. Plus I'm the main driver so don't need the memory function.

rk-d

I’ve had both and like both. Neither is bad. You can make an argument for either…

The 18 ways allow a much more snug fit, so if you are really pushing it, that is an advantage.

14 ways are a little easier to get in and out of.

Litigator

Same experience here - my buddy with a GT3 with 4-way SS+ seats was the deciding factor.