Can you recommend decent seats for my new Volkswagen Golf?

Is it possible to add an Alcantara sports seat into my new Volkswagen Golf Edition-R? If so, how much would VW charge?

Reason I'm asking is that I'm finding the "Comfort" seats quite uncomfortable and after two months on the road I still cannot find a comfortable driving position. The main issue is the side supports on the seat are too far apart. As I'm fairly thin, my back tends to move side to side a lot when turning etc. no matter what position the seat is in. It's driving me mad. My old BMW had sports seats and I never had this problem. It's detracting from what is an otherwise excellent car. I cannot find any seat cushions for my back that will help me fit more snugly. It's gotten to the point where I'm willing to shell out a few hundred if necessary to get a sports seat put in.

Any help appreciated!

Eoin S (Dublin)

Apr 2012 Filed under: seating

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Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

We contacted Volkswagen in relation to your question and 'officially' there does not seem to be a simple solution.

Thankfully there is the unofficial way of doing things and this is something we have experience with having swapped the sports seats in a Mk IV Golf for Recaros from the GTI. A quick search of a certain well-known online auction site reveals that Alcantara sports seats are available, but the shipping costs can prove prohibitive - unless you live near the seller of course.

Our advice would be to contact a large car dismantlers like http://www.traynors.co.uk/ or http://www.eddietorrensinternational.com and see if they have the parts you require. The actual fitting of the seats is just a case of undoing a few bolts and clips with the only problem you might encounter being the possibility of the airbag wiring loom not matching up. This is a simple fix for any auto electrician though and should not cost much to rectify.

We hope this helps.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D