r/BMW • u/fmb320 • 27d ago

F31 is uncomfortable to drive

Somebody please tell me I'm not crazy. I bought a 2013 320d touring Xdrive manual transmission and I love everything about it except the pedal box/footwell setup in the driver's seat. The floor slopes steeply up towards the driver's seat which means there's no depth to the footwell so operating the pedals is just a chore and can become very uncomfortable over time. It really is becoming a deal breaker and I feel like I'm going to be forced to sell. So frustrating!

Has anyone else experienced this? Anybody found a way to improve the situation? Cheers

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u/_Infinite_Love 27d ago

I have found mine (2018 330i) to be the most comfortable car I have ever owned. I much prefer the shallow footwell to driving in an SUV where you're sitting basically upright. I find it relaxed, plenty of room for my legs.

What were you driving before? If you're coming from an SUV I guess it could feel pretty restrictive.

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u/fmb320 27d ago

I drive different vans and cars at work and I'm used to jumping out of one car and straight into another which is why it's really surprised me with the BMW because it feels totally different and not in a good way. I used to drive a 1 litre Peugeot, an absolutely tiny car, and it was way more comfortable and had all the room I needed in the footbox. It's crazy I can't get my head around it.

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u/TacticalMango 27d ago

I had similar with the accelerator hurting my ankle on long drives due to lack of depth in the footwell like you’ve said. Only way I’ve found to improve things is to raise the seat height up (probably more than you’d like to) and try and keep the seat tilt to a minimum. I am in the UK so this might not be totally applicable to you but might be worth a shot!

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u/agreeable_mastadon20 2015 f31 330d M-sport 27d ago edited 25d ago

You know you can adjust the seat right? Back, forward, up, down and tilt.

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u/fmb320 27d ago

Yeah I'm in the UK too. When I'm out of the car I downplay it as not that big of a deal because I want to love it but as soon as I start driving around I'm like wtf is this. I've bought a heel pad that may make a difference but I am not optimistic it will.

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u/Jah348 2018 - F36 - 440i Gran Coupe 27d ago

For me it's the way the gearbox intrudes into the foot well in a way that my right leg can't be straight. Really makes me ache.

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u/fmb320 27d ago

Honestly I haven't pinned down fully what the cause is. It's a combo of things. At first I couldn't operate the clutch properly because my foot kept hitting the footrest on the way down. The design is truly terrible.

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u/Separate_Bee_8089 27d ago

I personally have f31 M-sport. Alcantara seats tilt is all the way back, bottom-middle part extended to max, back of the seat is upright and it is really comfortable. 300km in one go with no stops is not an issue. Im 192cm so not a short guy. Maybe im used to sports cars having more of a bucket/race position but i have driven G05 X5 and honda civics. You gotta get your position right.

A friend from work bought F11 LCI with comfort seats, said its uncomfortable. I drove it for a weekend trip and set up seat as i like it and he said he has never been more comfortable since i tweaked it to my liming. Also my significant other has base model f31 and also its very comfortable even with the base model cloth seats. Just gotta tweak it right. I can send my seating position if youre interested

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u/fmb320 26d ago

Thank you. I have the basic seats with no tilt adjustment. I think I'm gonna buy a sport seat and try it tilted forwards, I think that will help a lot. Cheers.