Decades ago most seats were vinyl or cloth with some leather. Then came more cloth and then more leather and then back with the vinyl. Most seats today that aren't cloth are being marketed as leather, but many really aren't true leather as said.
How do your leather seats look?
- Thread starter gregk24
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All seats sold as leather I have ever bought were leather only on the surfaces you actually touched. Everything else was vinyl. Even as far back as 1968.
Quality varies wildly, but many seats can still look good after a ton of wear. My Wife drove one of my Silverados for years in home health with her getting in and out dozens of times every day. When we sold the truck the seats were still virtually like new. Almost no maintenance except Pledge once in a great while.
I feel many over maintain the leather in their cars and thus soften it, making it more susceptible to wear...
Quality varies wildly, but many seats can still look good after a ton of wear. My Wife drove one of my Silverados for years in home health with her getting in and out dozens of times every day. When we sold the truck the seats were still virtually like new. Almost no maintenance except Pledge once in a great while.
I feel many over maintain the leather in their cars and thus soften it, making it more susceptible to wear...
Originally Posted By: Win
...The leather in the Solstice still looks like new, but its hardly been driven. It's a soft leather, comfortable, like in the Torrent. The leather in my G8 is wearing well, but it's a hard leather that has always looked cheap to me - not nearly as nice as the terrific pigskin style leather my GTO had...
That's funny, I love the leather in my G8 and hate the leather in my Solstice. Both are wearing quite well however, with minimal maintenance.
OP, leather is not cloth. IMO it is not designed to look exactly like showroom 10 years later. And if you have coated it multiple times in the short time you have owned the car, your probably putting too much into it.
...The leather in the Solstice still looks like new, but its hardly been driven. It's a soft leather, comfortable, like in the Torrent. The leather in my G8 is wearing well, but it's a hard leather that has always looked cheap to me - not nearly as nice as the terrific pigskin style leather my GTO had...
That's funny, I love the leather in my G8 and hate the leather in my Solstice. Both are wearing quite well however, with minimal maintenance.
OP, leather is not cloth. IMO it is not designed to look exactly like showroom 10 years later. And if you have coated it multiple times in the short time you have owned the car, your probably putting too much into it.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
This thread is why I won't buy a vehicle with leather seats.
I wish all cars were available with vinyl leatherette.
Cloth has its issues and leather is worse because it wrinkles and you have to be pretty worried about it...
I'd be happy with a vinyl seat in everything of mine.
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
This thread is why I won't buy a vehicle with leather seats.
I wish all cars were available with vinyl leatherette.
Cloth has its issues and leather is worse because it wrinkles and you have to be pretty worried about it...
I'd be happy with a vinyl seat in everything of mine.
Meh its because pretty much all leather sucks unless you spend big bucks on the car.
MBtex is the best seating material in the world, I wish they sold it, it lasts for like 30+ years.
MBtex is the best seating material in the world, I wish they sold it, it lasts for like 30+ years.
Kestas
Staff member
Leather and convertibles don't mix well. The leather seats didn't last long in my Mercedes E320 cabriolet. I wish they were MBtex.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Equinox has some sort of neoprene type material. The say it is cloth, but it doesn't clean up like that. I love it! Cleans up easy with the kids and shows no wear.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
The M5 had the best leather I've ever experienced, it was incredible (and THICK) and wore like iron. The "leather" in my wife's '06 Charger is cracking. The Expedition has some small cracks in the driver seat bolster, but it has 180,000 miles on it, those seats are allowed to show age, LOL!
My Town Car seats started splitting once it closed on the 200,000 mile mark but they held up well before that.
It is way too early to know how the SRT-8 leather is going to stand the test of time.
My Town Car seats started splitting once it closed on the 200,000 mile mark but they held up well before that.
It is way too early to know how the SRT-8 leather is going to stand the test of time.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Meh its because pretty much all leather sucks unless you spend big bucks on the car.
MBtex is the best seating material in the world, I wish they sold it, it lasts for like 30+ years.
Emphasize the plus. I totally agree and it looks like new in my old MBs.
Meh its because pretty much all leather sucks unless you spend big bucks on the car.
MBtex is the best seating material in the world, I wish they sold it, it lasts for like 30+ years.
Emphasize the plus. I totally agree and it looks like new in my old MBs.
My '06 G35 leather looks and feels like new. My '06 FX45 has had the driver's seat replaced for cracking and is now cracking again on the vinyl side. Leather parts look great. I am intrigued by the obvious quality difference between two same year, same mfg vehicles. Especially since the cheaper one is holding up better.
Our '08 BMW w/ Dakota leather (I don't know what that means) looks like new.
With all of them I use Lexol every few months.
I think creasing is normal, cracking is not.
Our '08 BMW w/ Dakota leather (I don't know what that means) looks like new.
With all of them I use Lexol every few months.
I think creasing is normal, cracking is not.
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