Aftermarket heated seats with factory buttons

[subieworx]

Recently changed my wife's car from an e92 335 to e53 x5 sport. So far she loves it but the one thing it is missing is heated seats.

I know most people will tell me to get heated oem seats and install them but I don't feel like paying $1000 for seats right now. Others will tell me to install an aftermarket kit which I am fine with but she really wants the stock buttons.

It seems to me that there would be heated seat wiring already run to the seat area for an easy retrofit by the factory when a car with heated seats is ordered. I haven't specifically looked for this wiring but have seen it for the rear heated seat option.

I have also looked on realoem.com for the heat pads from BMW but they don't seem to exist outside of the full seat assembly. I have no problems taking the seats apart to install the pads and have no problem doing light wiring. If someone can point me to part numbers for oem heat pads and wiring I would be all over it.

Beyond that has anyone tried to use e oem buttons to control aftermarket heated seat pads?