Haha, good point!

 

I’m 99.2 percent sure that the LS460 uses a thermoelectric element in conjunction with a fan for the ventilated heated and cooled seats. You could take the seat out of the car along with its associated electronics and supply power to it and it will heat and cool like it did in the car.

 

it does not, I'm entirely sure. Sure it will heat, the heating elements are electric elements, and sure it will blow air just like it does in the car, but it doesnt cool the air. You can look at the exploded part diagrams for the seats, there is no cooling element.

 

I’ve been utterly unable to come up with any actual data to back up my claim of the presence of a TEC. Therefore I concede the point to you, sir.
edit: concession redacted. Ha!

 

Sucking air into the seat seems counterintuitive for cooling, not to mention the issue of building up sweat and odors in the seat cushions as alluded to above. How much cooling do we really need on our butts when the cabin temp is kept at 70 degrees or cooler?

I find leather seats, especially black leather seats, need more cooling than cloth or perforated leather seats (while understanding seats must be perforated for active ventilation and/or cooling). I rarely feel the need for ventilation or cooling when sitting on cloth or perforated leather, especially when light-colored, however, I do live in an area with a moderate climate.

 

Very underwhelming in the IS. A forum member in the sub created a 3D printed duct that really improved it in mine.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...nted-duct.html

 

Went for a 60 mi drive in LC500 today and a couple of times i felt the 'ventilated' seats come on and the air is cold.

 

My old 2009 Maxima had cooling elements built in. But over time, the filters would become clogged and you'd have to pull them out to clean. I never had the opportunity to do so in my 160k worth of ownership, but they worked good enough and increasingly got louder as the mileage went up. Lol. My Stinger from I have read is just ventilated, but in my opinion work way better than the old maxima system.

 

It depends on the car but in most cases Ventilated/Cooled seats don't do all that much or make a huge difference like your regular vents blowing on you. IS350/ES350/GS350 are blowing regular cabin air through the seats, the LS460 and likely LS500 are blowing AC air through the seats, I guess there is some air being channeled directly from a AC pipe. Can you feel the difference, not really, I couldn't when I drove them, the GS350 seemed to blow air at a little higher velocity then the LS, both are pretty week, once the cabin is cooled the IS350/GS350 are basically blowing cooled/AC air too. In most cases the seat fans just aren't that powerful but you do somewhat feel the air especially if you are wearing thinner/lighter pants/shorts/shirts and it is nice to have. When you lean forward you really do hear that air blowing from the seats and sometimes I feel it on the back of my neck.

I remember in a Doug Demuro review him saying a new Cadillac had one of the best seat cooling systems and was the most powerful/effective he ever felt so maybe they are going more effective with newer models.

 

My '05 deVille has true A/C seats as it will cool your rear end. It works great when we are driving in Las Vegas or Phoenix . The ES350 does seem more of just blowing air. However, it does help.

 

I have the Lexus 2019 ES 350 and am not at all impressed with the front seat heating and cooling; I am not even sure they work.. What ever they are supposed to do they don't do much of or very quickly. On the other hand, I own a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUV. The front seat heating and cooling in SUV work beautifully. Virtually everything else about the Lexus is very close to wonderful.

 

There is definitely a difference between ventilated and cooled seats (to me anyway). The ventilated ones in my 2017 ES are so unproductive I really don't use them anymore. However the heating side to them are fine (and I love the rest of the car). On the other hand, the cooled seats in my 2015 Roush RS3 Mustang get so cold I have to turn them off after a few minutes of operation. You would think that the higher-end automobile would graduate to a much-more effective cooling system. Just my 2 cents.

 

am xurious how is gonna be after yrs of use, and the moment to sell it.... lol and the next owner turns it on

 

Yeah, it's just another way for salesmen to blow air up your ***! I used to test drive new Saab's that had A/C cooled ventilated seats in2001-2002, they would freeze your butt in 5 minutes on max cool !

 

This is a common misconception. People who are disappointed or think that the effect is too weak often completely misunderstand the point of ventilated/cooled seats, which is not to necessarily cool you down (although that is an excellent side effect of the whole ordeal). You should instead look at it as an instrument by which to keep you fresh. If you've ever gotten done with a 20+ minute drive on a humid day and found your shirt disgustingly stuck to your back, just remember that this would not have happened (or would have at least been reduced) if you were using ventilated seats. If you can conclude a longer drive feeling fresh, then the feature did its job, often without you thinking about it or actively "feeling" the effect. Whether it's just standard ventilated seats sending ambient air through the perforation, or the models that provide cooled air, (either from the HVAC system or a peltier device in the seat) the result is similar. It allows you to drive more comfortably, and therefore more efficiently & safely over time, ultimately saving money, sanity, and even lives.