I agree. I'm perpetually hot, usually liking the temp a good 5-10 degrees lower than my wife, so a) they're awesome for stopping that, but I'm loving getting into my car these last cool days in the northeast and popping the seat on while the car warms up. It's just on and off, and I guess a dial would be cool, if you were going to leave them on all the time, but as far as I'm concerned, you pop them on while the climate control does it's thing, and then turn them off once the car itself is to your desired level of toastiness. Glad I got the four.
I have a 2012 Four...!st car I had with heated seats....Was thinking of putting in a remote start but today I used the heated seats for the first time (was 39 degrees this morning). Warmed up nice and toasty in no time like I was still in bed....No need to put a remote starter in with these seats....Too bad they didn't have a high-low button......But like my moon roof, I won't buy a car without heated seats now!!
Heated seats is on or off. Lumbar support is worth it's price in gold if you spend many hours behind the wheel. I paid extra for the 4 with solar and do not regret the investment. However I like the technology.
I'm curious if other Toyota's have multi-level or hi-low, or thermostatic controls for their heated seats. Seems like that would be better than just on and off. And who knows maybe that's a minor change that might make it into the 2013? [I'm just looking for reasons to wait a couple months.]
Other Toyota models have high low, but I don't see them changing it in the Prius until they change the body style. They only have room for one button as it is now, and it's a stupid location of you ask me. The button they use now is typically high and low, with one button (which actuallyis two buttons) for each seat. They only have one button now, which means simply on/off. That might not be explained very well... DROID RAZR ? 2
Yes, other Toyotas have hi/low. My 2002 Sequoia Limited has a hi/low button. I am hoping I don't regret not getting heated seats when winter really kicks in! As for leather or softex, I have not been happy with Toyota's quality of leather...in my Sequoia, it was already cracking by 6 years, and I noticed just the other day, the leather on the side of the seat is splitting. (I'm not a heavy person either) We also have a 2001 Tundra Limited and those leather seats seemed to crack and split prematurely, too. Compared to our 2002 Mercedes C240 leather, the quality is light years apart, and the C240 is entry level, where the Limited trim is supposed to be "top of the line." If it were me, I don't know if I'd spend the money to buy Toyota's leather, but would go to an apholstery shop and get better quality leather. Unless, Toyota has started installing better leather, or the softex is an improvement, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Yes, the switch is just on/off, but nobody has noted yet that there is some sort of thermostat. I don't know where it is (for all I know, it might even just be a timer), but if you leave it on for more than 10 minutes, you'll notice your butt gets extra toasty when it turns on again. Sometimes when it's just a little cool, I forget it's still on once I get comfortable, until it kicks back in.
