2014 Mazda MAZDA3 S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2014 Mazda MAZDA3 S Long-Term Road Test

The heated seats on our long-term 2014 Mazda 3 S stay on, even when you restart the car.

Read the full story here

zimtheinvader

I wish they had some sort of timer so if you go back 8 hours later they would be off. That way when it is cold in the mornings and warm in the afternoons I don't end up forgetting to turn them off when I leave work.

joner800

another plus for hard-button controls in some places vs touchscreen all over.

s197gt

mazda seat heaters must suck.

we just bought a used 2011 cx-9 and i almost brought it back to have the seat heaters checked. the service manager kind of hinted to me that this is a common complaint... he said they would be glad to check the seats but as long as they got to the designed temperature at some point they would be considered properly functioning. even if it took 20 mins or more...

when it is cold outside i want warm seats within 5 mins or less!

i do love that they stay on when i come back to the car after running into a store and what not.

yutach_

Personally, I would appreciate a more mild, lowest setting. In most cars, I never set the seat heater above the lowest setting anyways, cuz it just makes me uncomfortable. Having higher settings that I would actually use would be nice.

pumaman1

Perhaps a reason the cheaper cars which have a broad appeal have such mild heated seats lately (this is a common complaint from edmunds about most cheaper cars lately), is that there is a disease called "heated seat rash." a legitimate rash from having sweaty backs and backends heated with an overly warmed seat heaters and pressure. SO while they get unfrozen, they arent designed to get HOT! It may be time to asses the value of heated seats from "mini saunas" to just enough to be comfortable.

zimtheinvader

pumaman1, I've also read where for some reason that escapes me people that don't have feeling in those areas will turn on the seat heaters and not be able to tell that they are getting too hot from them. So the companies might be getting paranoid about lawsuites. http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/heated-car-seats-could-pose-burn-danger.html

ocramidajzj

I like the idea of persistent settings, but in the case of seat heaters (and side view mirror heaters) a timer would be best. Our CX9 also keeps the heaters on forever, but with kids and less than attentive adults I prefer having them cycle every time the car is started. It's maybe less convenient on cold days, but no doubt better for the long-term life of the heater. My VW comes from the factory this way with the added option of using VAG-COM (VW software /diagnostic tool) to tweak the software setting to constantly on if I want.

caramelo91

The reason that they probably don't have a timer is so that if you get the remote engine starter, when you start the car remotely in the winter months the seats are already warmed up when you get in the car.

laurasdada

If you like nuclear powered heated seats, check out the Jag XF! Three settings, and I can't even keep the lowest setting on for my full morning commute, even given this ongoing frigid New England winter. Seat just gets too hot... Such problems.