[Debzter]

I’m waiting for my allocation so my dealer said I still have time to add the carbon buckets if I want them. I’m 5’2” female. I figured out how to get in and out of them without hitting the side bolsters but some of the used ones I saw have excessive wear on the bottom seat cushion. My dealer (northern NJ) has a used Isle of Man manual with Yas Marina buckets. It has 28,000 miles on it. The seats were in great shape. Is there a chance this car belonged to someone here? If so can I ask how you kept the seats in such excellent condition? I have also seen a few that had less than 10,000 miles and they looked pretty bad. Almost neglected. I want to get the buckets but I’m concerned they will look really worn after less than a year. Does anyone have the buckets with higher mileage on them and do they still look good?

[mike@x-ph.com]

i would get them if i were you, they are gorgeous

[stevefullgas]

If you have a proper ceramic coating (Gyeon for instance) and the owner is decently careful, no problem with wear&tear .

I daily drive mine with buckets and no issues at all.

They are fantastic and a MUST have in my opinion .

[Vic55]

I have had 3 G8X's with the Sport Seats and now 2 with Buckets....

ZERO regrets- ingress and egress while different, is a learned process and once in- damn these fuckers hold you right and tight. It makes the driving experience even that much more better IMHO with our 3/4's. Wear and tear is fine but I dont have alot of miles on these yet.

[m4bimmer7]

I ain’t reading all that

yes.

[SwankPeRFection]

If you’re small frame and light, it’s even more of a reason to get them. You should have no issues getting in or out and the cushioning also won’t take a beating because you don’t weight much. In terms of keeping them in good shape. Leather will always absorb oils off your skin and other things and that’s when they get dirty and shiny. A really good detailer can get all that out very easily one a year or more to reset the clock on them sort of speak. I would get them, you won’t regret it.

[yousefnjr]

You mentioned you figured out how to get in/out without rubbing. The beat up ones you saw are from folks who didn’t. Mine are almost 3 years old at this point and still look new. Get em if you like em.

['Cane]

1. Add buckets
2. Add moonroof
3. Install a lift system in the garage
4. Exit/Enter through moonroof

and that's how you keep the bolsters in good condition.

[CJ421]

You'll develop a routine where you don't rub the seats getting in and out.

Get 'em.

Charles

[Skyscraper]

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

You mentioned you figured out how to get in/out without rubbing. The beat up ones you saw are from folks who didn’t. Mine are almost 3 years old at this point and still look new. Get em if you like em.

Ditto. The seatbelt rubbing on the shoulder area has caused more issues than me getting in and out.
I think body type has a lot to do with damage.

[SwankPeRFection]

Originally Posted by Skyscraper

I think body type has a lot to do with damage.

Good point. I agree, we’ll need to see a selfie in the buckets to be able to formulate a true suggestion for the OP. 😉

[RUNSOK]

My only regret was not to get them. I tried and drove bucket seats. They fit my body with no issues. I still did not get it. If this car is not a daily driver, and your body is good with it, don't hesitate. As little as I drive this car like 6000 miles a year, it was a NO brainer I should have done it...

[formerpiced]

I might get torched for this - I have IOMG and Yas Marina Blue buckets, 6MT - it's only about six months old, and only about 2k miles. I usually have a towel on the seat - roughly the color of the blue part of the seats. Keeps a lot of the dirt/perspiration/skin oils off the seat. If I were on the track, no towel.

When car's parked in the garage, I drape the towel over the top of the headrest and the front of the seat. Oh, towel is usually over the bolster during entry and egress.

Use your preferred leather conditioner. Did all that on previous E36 and E46 M3 seats.

[seis-speed]

All seats show some wear and tear, you can restore seats many years later, black has always been a better choice for those that are fixated on this issue. They can “clean up” with restoration and dark colors hide an amount of coloring/deterioration in aging seats.

I have buckets, I cannot imagine owning this car without them, got IND bolster protectors and will never worry once about wear and tear….as getting black, buying protectors, and having an entry/exit routine is the best I can do.
Whatever happens, happens.

This is not a low number collector car, I would get the options you prefer, do the best you can, and enjoy your car.

[M6-Coupe]

I believe Carbon Bucket seats looks much nicer than regular one The only issue is to get in / out ( as others said) and that CF in the middle which is annoying but for small size people none of them is issue at all.
I highly recommend you test drive a car with bucket seat before you order it.

[HarrisonK]

Only thing I’ll add that no else seems to have discussed is the difficulty getting in and out as a smaller female. My wife is 5’3 and can not get out of my buckets without pushing herself out using the bolsters. Being small makes the buckets more comfortable while driving but presents its own unique challenges with respect to ingress and egress.

Other than the above, I love the buckets. I had a G82 without buckets previously and now a G80 with buckets and I can’t imagine ever going back.

[astroricardo]

Originally Posted by Debzter

…I’m 5’2” female..

It’s funny how any other post about ‘should I get buckets’ just gets the ‘use the search you idiot’ : replies

If in doubt, just get them.

[rak299]

If it is very hard for you to get in and out, you are likely to show more wear. I have very long legs, so I can just sit down while stansing and lift my legs over the bolster. My car is a daily drive and I live in a big city so life is mostly short trips. I just replaced my '21 with a '25. Both have buckets. On my "old" car, seats had no protection and were cleaned exactly once, but showed no wear.

[Debzter]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the responses. Even the gentle reminder to use the search feature. But the search results were mostly about ingress and egress. Not much about wear and tear. Getting in and out, while weird, isn’t a problem. So again, thanks. I’ll include them in the build. Now I just need to decide on Fiona or Kyalami.

[Swami1994]

I have the buckets, use as my daily and they look great after 17K miles. They’re quite comfortable on trips (have done up to 7 hours straight).

[chicagofan00]

As others have said, as long as you take care in how you get in and out of them, there should be very little wear on the seats themselves. The buckets look great, are comfortable once you are in them, and hold you well while doing some spirited driving.

The one thing that sucks about them is the ingress/egress in tight parking spots/garages on a daily basis. It is also nearly impossible to ever get into or out of the car with items in your hands if you are trying to make sure that when you get in or out you are taking care not to put extra wear on the seats.

I loved the buckets in every way possible but after nearly two years of ownership, I was so done with them. Just my two cents. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[BryanCO]

Originally Posted by astroricardo

It’s funny how any other post about ‘should I get buckets’ just gets the ‘use the search you idiot’ : replies

If in doubt, just get them.

Female M3/M4 buyer and buckets. Unicorn! Throw in Manual and this place will loose its sh$t.