Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan: Interior
27 messages, Last post on Nov 07, 2008 at 4:14 PM
You are in the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
|
|---|---|
|
I agree with both of you - kind of. I personally think leather looks more attractive than cloth (at least for the first year or so). Yet, I much prefer cloth for car interiors. Leather is more breathable than vinyl, but it's silly to argue that it's as breathable as cloth - no matter how "fine" it is. If you doubt me, stroll around in leather pants for a few hours (don't ask). And while I have leather furniture in the house and I rather enjoy it, I don't want it in the cars. Of course, the inside of the house remains at a constant 70 - the cars... not so much. Maintenance is a concern too. The argument is often made that leather requires less care, but that too is false. Perhaps it's easier to do a quickie clean-up if you dump a mocha shake on a leather car seat, but that same seat will crack and split after a few years of summer sun without a lot of conditioner. That said, I have seen 25 year old cars with 100K on the clock and velour seats that still look new. I have never seen a 25 year old car with leather that looks new. I'm actually flummoxed by the number of people with leather in their cars that have told me they don't much care for it. In America though, it's so commonly associated with "luxury", it's a must-have item for a lot of folks. Plus, it's a relatively cheap luxury nowadays: on many Ford models for instance, it's a free or low-cost option. 25 years ago, opting for leather could add 10% or more to the cost of a new car. Now the guy a lane over driving the Focus or Elantra might be sitting on leather. It's interesting that in Europe, where the open display of wealth is more a vice than a virtue, even luxury cars are available with cloth interiors. Before someone jumps on me for that statement, let me add that's not the reason EVERYONE here chooses leather over cloth, but I fear that's the reason a lot of folks do (e.g., the Joneses). On a different note, not too long ago I was at a dealership where the salesman was attempting to talk me into a car on his lot that was exactly what I wanted EXCEPT it had leather. Of course, he wanted to know why I was insistent about having cloth so I told him that I liked the grip of cloth in turns. He replied that his wife preferred leather for just the opposite reason - she could easily slide in and out of the seat without wrinkling her skirt. Perhaps that would've been a good point, but I don't wear skirts nor do I intend to anytime in the future. Thank God it's a free country. My vote is for cloth.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: gogophers1 (Oct 10, 2006 8:41 pm) I pretty much agree with all of that. I would agree that leather, when new or well cared, for does look better. Some leather seating is so heavily coated that it really is pretty much the same as vinyl. My wife's parents have a Crown Vic from a few years back that is like this...very slick and heavily coated leather. It really more like the leather substrate has been laminated with a vinyl type material. Other leather I have sat on (Maxima, Honda Pilot, VW) was much nicer and would be something I could tolerate, if I had too...but I'd still not choose it over cloth. That many take leather strictly for the looks is made clear by the fact that most buyers will even take vinyl ("leatherette") over cloth.
|
|
|
Replying to: jeffyscott (Oct 11, 2006 5:48 am) Lumbar not electric, no lumbar or electric for side passenger. No heat in back. Leather could be higher quality. The recline is the most annoying part though. Personally I don't use the lumbar but other drivers of my car have and wish it were electric. I also don't mind that it isn't all electric or heated. But these are things to be pointed out.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: otaku18 (Feb 25, 2007 7:30 pm) |
|
| I'm looking at buying a 2006 Milan Premier with the wood grain interior, but I would prefer the silver interior. It looks to me like it should be able to be switched easily, is this possible? | |
|
Replying to: otaku18 (Feb 25, 2007 7:30 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: mtnman1 (Oct 21, 2008 12:57 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: akirby (Oct 22, 2008 4:57 am) |
|
You are here:
Forums
Sedans Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan: Interior
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Ford Fusion
2010 Mercury Milan
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
