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Leather vs Cloth Seats

103 messages,  Last post on Feb 20, 2013 at 3:10 PM

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What is this discussion about? Interior, Car Leasing, Car Buying

Messages Page 9 of 11

#74 of 103 Re: In defense of cloth seats and plastic wheel covers [62vetteefp] by imidazol97

Jan 11, 2007 (6:18 am)

Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 10, 2007 6:54 pm)
>impregnated with vinyl and do not need any upkeep.
 
Are you saying that absolutely nothing should be done to clean and maintain the leather seats in my Limited? Are you saying it's not leather?
 
I used Meguaier's and then Mother's leather cleaner and the seats sure felt better afterwards. The Mother's took the dark crud out of the depths of the wrinkles in a thorough cleaning last summer. The light-colored leather looked great. Washing with water didn't do that.

#75 of 103 Re: In defense of cloth seats and plastic wheel covers [imidazol97] by 62vetteefp

Jan 11, 2007 (7:00 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Jan 11, 2007 6:18 am)
Here is what GM says about the leather in thier normal leather interiors.
 
"A soft cloth dampened with water may be used to remove dust. If a more thorough cleaning is necessary, a soft cloth dampened with a mild soap solution can be used. .....Many commercial leather cleaners and coatings that are sold to preserve and protect leather may permantly change the appearance and feel of your leather are not recommended. Do not use silicone or wax-base products, or those containing organic solvents to clean...."
 
Most OEM's-GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, etc. use leather that has been coated for protection and wear. Europeans tend to (at least they used to) use untreated leather that would wear and need maintenance. Perhaps you feel I am wrong but most americans do not like the look of worn leather in their cars and do not want to do maintenence. Yes untreated (semi-analine and full analine) leathers are what are used in high end house furniture and some vehicles (some ford ranch truck or something and MB) but they need work and lose their new look.
 
All GM cars that have leather interiors are leather. They are just coated for wear and protection. Some parts of the seats may be vinyl.

#76 of 103 Leather w/o the extras? by phinneas519

Jan 13, 2007 (8:12 am)

I'm really not much of a gadget head, but I love leather. I've never had a car with the stuff, but I know that the next car I buy will have it. The problem is, I don't want to take a higher trim level that comes with electronic crap I don't want, like navigation, DVD systems, inside/outside temperature, bluetooth, etc.
 
Does anyone know of sedans or wagons that offer leather seats without having to take such a high trim level that I would be stuck paying for all of those extras I don't want?

#77 of 103 Re: Leather w/o the extras? [phinneas519] by litman

Jan 13, 2007 (9:33 pm)

Replying to: phinneas519 (Jan 13, 2007 8:12 am)
I would look at entry level luxury branded vehicles like Acura and Infiniti. The Acura TSX and the Infiniti G35 might be good places to start. However, I think the TSX starts in the mid-twenties, and the G starts around 30K.
 
I'm pretty sure leather is standard in the TSX. I know it is standard in the G35 in all models after 2004.
 
If you are not opposed to buying a used car, you can easily find a 2-3 year old used sedan with leather but fewer gadgets. For example, I have a 2002 Infiniti I35 which I bought used last year. The car is basically a rebadged "luxury" Nissan Maxima, and it was discontinued after 2004. I bet you could find a 2003 or 2004 for under 20K.
 
If you want to drop even lower in price, and you don't mind used, try the Accord at the EX trim level, the Maxima at the GLE level, and I think the highest trim level on the Camry is the XLE. I'm focusing on used cars because a few years ago Navigation (the option currently "bundled" with the most tech options and accompanying price increase) was still a newer technology; leather, however, has been around for a while. I'm focusing on Japanese models because I am biased towards them, know the models better, and consider them to be more reliable - especially if we a talking about used cars.
 
My wife and I both switched to leather seats in 2001, and I doubt we will ever go back to cloth.

#78 of 103 Re: Leather w/o the extras? [phinneas519] by suydam

Jan 14, 2007 (7:29 am)

Replying to: phinneas519 (Jan 13, 2007 8:12 am)
You can always have leather put on aftermarket. That way you aren't stuck with higher trim levels if you don't want them. Sometimes it's even nicer than the factory leather.

#79 of 103 Re: Leather w/o the extras? [phinneas519] by bill731

Jan 14, 2007 (5:28 pm)

Replying to: phinneas519 (Jan 13, 2007 8:12 am)
We have the new Saturn Aura XE,(NA car of the year) You can get this car with heated leather without any of the options you mentioned.
 
  Bill

#80 of 103 So how much trouble are leather seats??? by kmauss

Jan 21, 2007 (7:50 am)

Hello! I was casually car shopping yesterday and I ran across a 2006 leftover that is really, really tempting. One big hesitation is that it has leather seats. I'm envisioning an awful lot of "maintenance" to keep them looking good. Are my fears unfounded? I'm not a complete car freak, but I like my vehicles to look decent inside. All of you with leather interiors -- how much trouble are they? Thanks!

#81 of 103 Re: So how much trouble are leather seats??? [kmauss] by suydam

Jan 21, 2007 (9:22 am)

Replying to: kmauss (Jan 21, 2007 7:50 am)
Your fears are completely unfounded! Leather is so much nicer and easier than cloth! There is very little maintenance -- swiping them with leather cleaner once in awhile. They don't have fibers and hair cling to them like cloth and stay much cleaner. I will never go back to cloth seats.

#82 of 103 Re: So how much trouble are leather seats??? [kmauss] by nj2pa2nc

Jan 21, 2007 (10:01 am)

Replying to: kmauss (Jan 21, 2007 7:50 am)
i second it-unfounded. Both our cars have leather seats. I put a leather conditioner on them every month or so. I don't really know if that is necessary but I figured what the Heck. I do love the smell of the leather.They are easier to keep clean. They do get hot when they are exposed to the sun but I put up a sun shade.

#83 of 103 Re: So how much trouble are leather seats??? [nj2pa2nc] by mikes2

Jan 27, 2007 (5:39 pm)

Replying to: nj2pa2nc (Jan 21, 2007 10:01 am)
Just to add another data point - they are indeed not too much trouble, and much more resistant to stains, *but* if you don't do clean them once in a while, they can be a HUGE pain to clean. We let our '00 Maxima SE go way too long without cleaning the drivers seat (we seem to focus all our attention on the back seat where the kids are), and getting that dirt out now is turning into an immense pain.
 
For what it's worth, I think cloth and leather can wear just fine, but if you have kids, leather is the only way to go. When car shopping, one of my key factors has become what the *back* of the front seats is made of - if it's fabric, I'd rule the car out. You can't imagine dirty, wet, slushy, salty winter boots will do to the back of the front seats....
 
Cheers,
 
Mike

Messages Page 9 of 11

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