Leather vs Fabric Seats?

Ush1

Which do you prefer?

Leather:
Colder in winter.
Stick to them in summer.
Cleaner.
Look nicer.

Any opinions?:)

TestTransmission

Leather:wipes clean

Anan1

I have leather, but i'd prefer fabric. Leather is better if you're going to have babies puking on it, though.

biko

Leather if I can get it, but fabric won't turn me away.

00_ghost_27

Never had the pleasure of having leather interior. Still, Has to be leather. I could deal with the hot/cold extremities.

shanel23

Leather without a doubt - had a fabric 156 and a young child who didn't like travelling in the car - never got the fabric clean with all the milk puke stains .

Leather - brilliant - just wipes clean

peasant

The most important thing is a proper seat construction, the covering really is only a matter of taste.

For looks only, personally I prefer leather.

neilthefunkeone

Leather ftw!!

Could never get the chocolate out of my old fabric seats..

And the cold or hotness dont boter me as i dont often get into my car naked!!!:D

TestTransmission

Identical to my interior,half and half.Fecker to keep the white fabric clean tho

theglynny

As leather is a skin, (proper leather), it will always be at room temperature, so it shouldn't be cold/hot unless the room/car is!

Anan1

theglynny wrote: »

As leather is a skin, (proper leather), it will always be at room temperature, so it shouldn't be cold/hot unless the room/car is!

Which the car often is.;) One other point is that unless you're paying a lot of money the leather you get is likely to be akin to something you'd buy out of the back of the ILAC centre.

Ush1

theglynny wrote: »

As leather is a skin, (proper leather), it will always be at room temperature, so it shouldn't be cold/hot unless the room/car is!

Yeah but certain materials absorb cold and heat much more don't they?

Ush1

TestTransmission wrote: »

Identical to my interior,half and half.Fecker to keep the white fabric clean tho

Nice, that looks spankin'!

Andrew33

Ush1 wrote: »

Which do you prefer?

Leather:
Colder in winter.
Stick to them in summer.
Cleaner.
Look nicer.

Any opinions?:)

If its real leather and not manmade leather(what used to be called leatherette) you don't stick to it in summer.

Ush1

Andrew33 wrote: »

If its real leather and not manmade leather(what used to be called leatherette) you don't stick to it in summer.

Ah right. I spose decent A/C or climate control would avoid that anyway.

smash

You really should have added a poll.

bazz26

I prefer leather.

This is mine:

Matt Simis

Andrew33 wrote: »

If its real leather and not manmade leather(what used to be called leatherette) you don't stick to it in summer.

Yup, leather in the Phaeton and 8series didnt/doesnt stick or get very cold. Had it in other cars and it was harder wearing but clearly manmade.

Ush1

steve06 wrote: »

You really should have added a poll.

Can I retro add one? Can't see where.

Leather would be my first choice for sure. It looks much better and I find it comfortable also. I have cream leather in my car at the moment and it really looks the part. I don't find it overly difficult to keep clean but I try not to get it dirty in the first place. The drivers seat does show up some wear but thats inevitable really.

The biggest weakness I think is that the seats are quite prone to scratching. I have a few scratches on the back seats especially from people (who got an earful after) dragging out their back pack out or people with buttons on the back of their jeans sliding alone the seat when getting out.

Leonard Hofstadter

Another person who prefers leather, especially in big cars, has anyone seen how poverty looking a 5 series or even an S40 looks without leather?

testicle

Half & Half for me!

SV

For looks I'd pick leather..for everything else fabric

but now I have a mix of leather and alcantara so..yeah!

Absurdum

Anan1 wrote: »

akin to something you'd buy out of the back of the ILAC centre.

a bag of heroin

Eoin

I have Alcantara suede in mine. Feels nicer than leather when it's quite warm or cold out. It's lasted quite well I think (for a 10 year old car). I don't think it looks "poverty spec" anyway.

MarkN

Heated nappa.... only way :P Cold problem solved and you don't stick in the summer.

A mate of mine has a Lexus with air cooled seats!!

Alcantara like Eoin's car above is very nice too I think though.

tossy

Leather recaros for the win



Heated for the coldness and air con for the hotness :P

rebel.ranter

Has to be leather, would be a deal breaker for me now if no leather.

paultf

In the process of buying a new car. For the seats I have narrowed it down to:-

Supreme Black interior – (leather/artificial leather)

OR

Alcantara Black interior – (Alcantara/leather/artificial leather)

Never heard of Alcantara. Had a look on the web: 68% polyester and 32% polurethane.

Suppose to be more durable and stain resistant. Appearance and feel similar to suede.

Which is better?

Ush1

eoin wrote: »

I have suede in mine. Feels nicer than leather when it's quite warm or cold out. It's lasted quite well I think (for a 10 year old car). I don't think it looks "poverty spec" anyway.

I think that looks a winner actually. Defo not poverty spec anyway.

ION08

Definitely leather, for comfort, practicality and luxury and also for smell which I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet!

eoin wrote: »

I have suede in mine. Feels nicer than leather when it's quite warm or cold out. It's lasted quite well I think (for a 10 year old car). I don't think it looks "poverty spec" anyway.

Sorry to break it to you but you have 'alcantara' not 'suede'. Big difference.

BlackWizard

ION08 wrote: »

Definitely leather, for comfort, practicality and luxury and also for smell which I can't believe hasn't been mentioned yet!

Sorry to break it to you but you have 'alcantara' not 'suede'. Big difference.

I would choose alcantara over suede anyway, so it's not big loss.

I have had leather in the last two cars. I HATE getting into it in the cold mornings :mad: I have heated seats but they take a while to turn on.

Any tips, tricks or gadgets for the sensitive arses and backs out there?:)

bazz26

BlackWizard wrote: »

I would choose alcantara over suede anyway, so it's not big loss.

I have had leather in the last two cars. I HATE getting into it in the cold mornings :mad: I have heated seats but they take a while to turn on.

Any tips, tricks or gadgets for the sensitive arses and backs out there?:)

Termal underwear.

The Recliner

I had cloth on the last car and it was very nice, I think once it is decent quality it is fine

However having moved to this interior I don't think I could go back

Ush1

I don't think leather is any more comfortable than fabric either?

Eoin

ION08 wrote: »

Sorry to break it to you but you have 'alcantara' not 'suede'. Big difference.

My bad. I know it's really a synthetic material rather than the real deal, but I wouldn't consider it as tacky as the synthetic leather you see in some cars.

I still really like it though, so don't feel sorry for breaking it to me! A few e39 owners actually swap out their leather in favour of Alcantara.

I absolutely hate heated seats though.

Edit - my dad had a sort of corduroy-like velour in his 156 and it was really nice. Much more durable than the thin fabric covering in my 156

Matt Simis

eoin wrote: »

I absolutely hate heated seats though.

The Phaeton had heated and cooled seats. They were great. Why would you hate an optional feature? Its not like it heats whenever it feels like it, turn it on when cold, leave it alone when not..

Eoin

Matt Simis wrote: »

The Phaeton had heated and cooled seats. They were great. Why would you hate an optional feature? Its not like it heats whenever it feels like it, turn it on when cold, leave it alone when not..

OK, to be more precise then - I hate it whenever an optionally heated seat is being heated. It's never a feature I like to use, regardless of the weather.

robtri

persoanlly i like half leather seats....

leather sides and back for look and cloth for sitting on....
find on warm days sitting on leather for long trips your arse sweats like a paedo in a barney suit....

BlackWizard

eoin wrote: »

OK, to be more precise then - I hate it whenever an optionally heated seat is being heated. It's never a feature I like to use, regardless of the weather.

I had heated leather seats in my old Passat. They were great. But a friend said he doesn't want to turn them on because they make him feel like it sh*t his pants.

I never quite understood him until I turned on the heated seats in my current car. It does kinda feel all warm down there and makes you wonder.. It must be the way the heating element is positioned.

bongi69

Never had a car with leather, have always had fabric. Found that there can be differences in quality of the fabric depending on the manufacturer.

For now I'm happy with the fabric, even with 2 very active, often muddy staffies and a cream interior. Muddy pawprints come out pretty easily once dried using a hoover, hairs are a b*llix though. Will probably get a car with a leather interior when I decide to have kids