Leather is luxury. Not.

[ammolab]

Some of the Vinyl seats in European cars are NICE...Audi of America does not offer vinyl anymore and I think that it was so close to leather, the price of the leather was a bit hard to sell in the showroom.

That said, the leather in my 2000 S4 was SO NICE. Looked like new after 10 years. I did take care of it and the car was garaged at home and at work.

The fabric in some of the cheaper cars looks like the fur off of a mouse with MANGE. Not pleasant when new and worse when dirty!

 

[JHZR2]

vinyl/leatherette is the best!

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I was riding in a 2011 camry with cloth seats. Very low nap, very smooth and soft. Moving around on them was no issue whatsoever. Yet they gripped better than leather. It really was a nice feeling cloth. No idea about how it wears, but real leather develops lines, wrinkles and even cracks, and plastic leather is plastic... so its all varying levels of lousiness.


I guess it's just a point of personal preference. As you know, I used to OWN a 2011 Camry, with the cloth seats. After owning a number of Cadillacs with leather, and then two Toyotas with cloth, I decided that I was done with cloth. The thing I disliked the most? I'd go to sit down into the seat and the seat back would un-tuck the back of my shirt for me. I really disliked that; don't have that issue with leather seats.

The CR-V's leather is far and away more comfortable than the Camry's cloth, to me. I guess that's what's great about having a seating material choice. I drove in my in-law's 2011 CR-V this weekend (same leather as our 2008 model) and it's much harder. Leather needs time to break in. The leather in our Acura is mighty soft. It's also perforated, so you don't get the issues with heat/sweat in the summer. If I ever recover the CR-V's seats, it'll be with a perforated leather.

 

[SteveSRT8]

The whole thing is highly personal and far from subjective.

My SRT has great seats, leather with some faux suede inserts to hold you still. Great looking and extremely comfortable even on long trips.

My Silverado has the [censored] leather ever, and the seats really aren't that great either.

 

[VicVinegar]

Alcantara rules. Too bad it isn't exactly common.

I'm a big fan of Subaru as they are one of the few places (maybe only?) to find heated cloth. Love heated seats, hate that I need to get leather to get them nearly every time.

 

[D189379]

I like leather because it looks good, doesn't hold in [censored] smells, and is super easy to clean.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
... what was Mazda thinking putting a light grey cloth interior in a car clearly intended for families with small children?

Long time ago a colleague of mine ordered a station wagon from one of the local assembly plants. He picked it up and noticed the factory goofed and put vinyl for the rear seats, in a car that was supposed to be cloth. Realizing he has kids, he did not complain and instead relished on how well this error works out for him.

 

[Kestas]

After spending $950 in material to recover the cracked driver bucket seat in my Mercedes, I don't much care for leather.

My 71 Cutlass needs new vinyl seats. The whole interior, front and back, will cost me only $600.

I love the crushed velvet in my 91 Marquis "chick magnet".

There are new materials on the horizon. One is a vinyl that imitates leather, including the smell.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: Kestas

There are new materials on the horizon. One is a vinyl that imitates leather, including the smell.

Tell me more!

 

[ammolab]

Originally Posted By: Kestas

I love the crushed velvet in my 91 Marquis "chick magnet".

There are new materials on the horizon. One is a vinyl that imitates leather, including the smell.


I can only wonder just what imitates the smell of those crushed velvet seats in that old "Chick Magnet"?

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
There are new materials on the horizon. One is a vinyl that imitates leather, including the smell.

MB-TEX is as close to a real looking fake leather that is very durable. You will see 30yr old Mercedes with MB seats still looking like new.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
MB-TEX is as close to a real looking fake leather that is very durable. You will see 30yr old Mercedes with MB seats still looking like new.

Mine do.

 

[G-MAN]

I agree. My 77 240D had MB Tex seats and they were still soft and supple after 275,000 miles when I sold it. The perforated center panels kept the seats from being overly hot in the summer. And they were super comfortable.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
My new 300 is the first car I've had in over ten years that doesn't have leather upholstery...and I'm loving it. The interior is just so much more cozy, and makes you realize just how much "bright noise" gets reflected off of a leather surface.


Leather seats are to cars what granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are to home decor these days...yuck.

Blazing hot in the summer, cold in the winter and no matter how well you care for them they will not hold up as well as a good cloth interior over time.

My friends 2008 Lexus ES 350 drivers seat was starting to show some cracking at 2 years old and 18,000 miles.

I really miss the luxurious cloth interiors with multiple colors and trims lines GM use to offer in their higher end makes; Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobiles. Not the gray and tan mouse fur they, and others, pumped out by the millions in later years.

 

[supton]

I've been surprised at how easy it is to vacuum my wife's Camry. The "lousy" rat gray carpet is low cut, and gives up dirt easily. No idea on how long it will last, just that I pleasantly surprised, at least compared the deeper cut carpet in my Jetta.

Driver's seat in my Jetta, leather seat, is just starting to show wear at 8 years / 260kmiles. Yes, cold in winter, and hot in summer. Big deal: summer is short in NH, and seat heaters make do in the winter. I think I "slide" across the seat easier on entry/exit with leather.