Cloth or Leather trim - which do you prefer?

[PINBALL]

Bout time for another poll ?
Praps this has been covered before, so please accept my apologies & point where to find this topic.

How many of you have had cars with leather or cloth and how did they compare in extreme temperatures.
Personally, I've never owned a car with full leather trim, and don't desire to after having a leather suite at home, I find that its cold to touch in the winter & sweaty in the summer sun.

Interestingly, was once told by a proffesional CAR THIEF that it was wiser to have a car in full leather trim, because it was less likely to get nicked to order, as any muslim country will refuse it due to thier worshipping the cow!

Any other thoughts / opinions out there?

 

[niva441]

Although I ordered leather for the latest car I prefer cloth because of the problem with the hours I work and leather always being the wrong temperature.

What swung it for me was my parents may use this car on occasion and it's easier to remove paw prints from leather. At least the leather option mantains it's value when it's time to sell.

I hadn't considered the muslim preference, makes me feel better about the choice.

 

[jberks]

Well, after years with cloth, this is the first full leather motor I've had. The Mrs insisted I got a leather one this time, but I wasn't that bothered. I did have a leather seated loan E last summer and my main memory of that was a wet back after a trip down the motorway, even with the aircon on.

My experience so far is that it looks good and smells nice. However, the heaters in winter are essential and still don't help in the first few mins and there is already some evidence of stretch on the seat swab. Something I never had a problem with on cloth seats.

So, my view hasn't changed from when I had a cloth one. Leather smells nice but the rest is snobery. Leather hasn't joined aircon, auto and rain sensors on my list of must haves.

Anyway, I thought it was Hindu's that hold the cow in reverance. Muslims merely have strict rules like the Jews have kashrut but they still wear and sit on leather as far as I know.

 

[madf]

Leather looks and smells nice.
BUT
Anyone tried to sit in leather seats wearing shorts when the car has been in the tropical sun 40C for 4 hours? I have.
Only way possible is slide in, don't sit down, start engine , open windows, air con full blast cold at feet. Slide out and wait 5 minutes.

Or in winter, the reverse.

Cloth anytime.

 

[littlebrooklyn]

Our last two cars had leather, our current one has cloth. I prefer leather everytime. Yes I agree leather can be hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter, but it looks just beautiful and is so easy to keep clean. Our cloth trim never seems to look really clean.

 

[mlc]

I didnt realise cars were still made without Leather

Joking apart they have all the advantages on no real disadvantages. Yes they can be hot / cold at the wrong time, but thats what aircon and heated seats are for. I have had leather interiors for the last 19 years and would not consider otherwise. They look good, dont show wear, hold the value and are easily cleaned, when the kids were young they were sick in the car and worse, but it was always easy to clean because nothing soaks in like it does with cloth.

It is worth noting that we also have a Leather suite for the same reasons, maybe it just me and Leather, but thats another story!

Mark.

 

[w124_E280]

Leather it has to be what is the point of owning a merc with cloth.
Might aswel buy a ford focus!

 

[gary350]

Never thought I would say this but after having leather in my last 6 cars I always found that after 6 months they never looked the same mine always went shiny, after test driving the new ML in sports spec which has Artico man made leather and alcantara centres I find this to be more attractive and I would imagine more hard wearing than the usual leather, might even be tempted.

gary

 

[RichHammond]

I prefer leather, Ive got 3 kids and leather is easier to keep clean. Yes its not as cosy in the winter and gets hot in the summer but I cant stand things looking dirty in my car so leather for me until they grow up.

 

[Juddian]

dont know about the leather and cow worship thing (cor roast beef) the export range rovers we carry for middle and far east are ALL leather (and supercharged petrol so much for the £5 gallon). Georgeous's got leather on both of hers (lucky so & so) but has a sheepskin cover on both the driving seats cos they are perishing for the first 5 or 10 mins. Funnily enough she doesnt need to use the seat heaters anymore. I do like leather for ease of entry/exit to the car...sexy stuff too!?

 

[jon_harley]

Never thought I would say this but after having leather in my last 6 cars I always found that after 6 months they never looked the same mine always went shiny, after test driving the new ML in sports spec which has Artico man made leather and alcantara centres I find this to be more attractive and I would imagine more hard wearing than the usual leather, might even be tempted.

I might be tempted by manmade leather too, I would never buy a new car with real leather because I'm a vegetarian. I just think there's something obscene about raising and killing animals just because their skin smells nicer than fabric on car seats.

 

[mlc]

Jon,

Not an expert here but I would expect that the leather isnt coming from animals used exclusively for that purpose. Surely all aspects of the animal will be used for economic reasons if nothing else.

Whilst I cant agree with your choice here I can respect it, however your choice simply means that you are unable to offer an unbaised opinion on the merits of Leather aginst Fabric seating as you are ruling out Leather for none related reasons.

Mark.

 

[Scooby Don't]

Personally I prefer cloth but if you are buying a Merc then leather is probably a better option when it comes to selling, after all they are supposed to be "luxury" cars.

If you are lucky enough to own a Merc cabriolet then IMO it has to have leather trim or else you could find yourself climbing out with a soggy bot if you park it with the hood down and there's a shower (you can at least wipe the suface water off leather although it may mark it)

The quality of the leather used by car manaufacturers seems to vary a fair bit and some interiors look very dated after a relaitvely short space of time. Others just look hard, shiney and uninviting (and they don't always smell nice) .

Maybe those zebra print car covers suggested by a member (I forget who) some months ago might just be the answer...

Hmmm Nylon animal "pelt" .... could be the happy medium we're looking for.

 

[television]

The leather used by RR came from Sweden and Finland where the animals were kept inside special fencing so as not to mark the surface. Do veges wear plastic shoes only, and leather is far from waterproof, since the animals are eaten, it is a bi product.

Malcolm

 

[gary350]

I might be tempted by manmade leather too, I would never buy a new car with real leather because I'm a vegetarian. I just think there's something obscene about raising and killing animals just because their skin smells nicer than fabric on car seats.

I am not a veggy but I do not intend to eat the seats but for those that are hooked on leather need to go to their MB dealer and look at the new ML (sports spec) seats, I test drove an ML last week previous owner Gavin Henson it had 12k on it and had not been looked after but the seats were perfect as new. Problem is I do not know any other MB that has these seat covers yes they have cloth but look awful, as a newish vehicle MB may be thinking of introducing the manmade look into its other cars.

gary - i,m hungry I will just eat the headrest.

 

[Blobcat]

I prefer leather, but not in black.
One my reasons hasn't been mentioned so far. It does not pick up animal hairs. All the cloth seats I've had have picked up my cats's hairs from transfer, then when I'm in a suit I end up with them all over it. I keep a sticky roller in the boot but with leather I don't pick them up to start with.
Never had an issue with the leather being too hot or too cold, even in Southern Europe in the middle of summer. Although the heated leather seats in my wife's Honda are nice. I maytry and find the comfort cooled and heated seats on my next one.

 

[Robert Cox]

In the temperatures we get down here (Oz), cloth is certainly the most comfortable, but it's nowhere near as durable as MBTex or leather.

My C180 ('94 with 180K kms) is the first Benz I've owned with cloth seats. They have a fancy zig-zag pattern and look more sporty and modern than plain leather. However, they've almost worn through on the driver's seat edge, despite being very careful getting in and out. In comparison, my wife's 230E ('86 with 380K kms) has MBTex which still looks like new.

The solution down here is to fit sheepskin covers, but even with the number of sheep we have, they're still a very expensive choice, if custom-fitted.

 

[Blobcat]

In the temperatures we get down here (Oz), cloth is certainly the most comfortable, but it's nowhere near as durable as MBTex or leather.

My C180 ('94 with 180K kms) is the first Benz I've owned with cloth seats. They have a fancy zig-zag pattern and look more sporty and modern than plain leather. However, they've almost worn through on the driver's seat edge, despite being very careful getting in and out. In comparison, my wife's 230E ('86 with 380K kms) has MBTex which still looks like new.

The solution down here is to fit sheepskin covers, but even with the number of sheep we have, they're still a very expensive choice, if custom-fitted.

I would have thought that Kangaroo Skin would have been the choice for you, very tough yet still elastic.

 

[Alfie]

Leather without question.

Easier to keep clean. Cool in summer, warm in winter, better resale. Some cars are very very difficult to sell without leather (Jaguar, bigger Mercedes, BMW's etc)

 

[angus falconer]

Leather all the way. Much easier to keep clean, looks much smarter

Over the last ten years and four cars, leather, heated seats and aircon.