Alcantra versus Leather - opinions?

[jcliff1974]

Hi - this is my first post. I am from Australia - shortly moving to the UK. looking at buying an R Class. Have found one i'm interested in. its a320CDI sport 2006. the interior is a mix of black leather and very dark grey Alcantra for a the main portion of the seats. I have 4 kids who will use the car everyday so I am a bit concerned as to how serviceable the alcantra will be.

anyone know if this material marks badly or easily?
is it easy to clean?

 

[Mr.CAP]

I have the same interior in my R320. First of the leather is not leather, it is vinyl which is very easy to clean and maintain. The alcantara is easy to clean when it comes to ordinary dirt but stains from almost all liquids are not as easily cleaned and could be potentially permanent. I recommend that you use some liquid repellant treatments if you now that the kids will be allowed to haves beverages in the car. Other than that I can highly recommend this type of interior which doesn't get to hot in the summer nor to cold in the winter.
/ Mike

 

[Spin_bowler]

I had half leather/alcantara seats in my last car and I preferred them to all leather seats but they do show the dirt more easily as the previous post says but they're certainly less clammy in hot weather.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Hello and welcome to you.

 

[BTB 500]

I had half-alcantara seats in my VW Sharan ... I put covers on the ones that the kids got to sit on. Easier than worrying all the time about what they were doing and how the hell I'd get it off the seats

 

[mct_cars]

I have Alcantara in the S-Max. Very easy to clean - just use a low foam soap (type of stuff you stick in carpet cleaners), and use a very soft nail brush gently in a circular motion to clean and they come up like new. Of course, it's still not as easy as wipe clean leather!

 

[markjay]

There is a lot of confusion regarding MB leather seats... Many cars have MB vinyl which MB originally refereed to in its sale brochures as several names including 'man-made leather', Artico, and Mb-Tex, carefully avoiding describing it as real leather for obvious legal reasons.

Unfortunately second hand dealer don't seem to bother - if it looks like leather, they'll advertise is as 'leather', even if it is actually plastic.

 

[James]

There is a lot of confusion regarding MB leather seats... Many cars have MB vinyl which MB originally refereed to in its sale brochures as several names including 'man-made leather', Artico, and Mb-Tex, carefully avoiding describing it as real leather for obvious legal reasons.

Unfortunately second hand dealer don't seem to bother - if it looks like leather, they'll advertise is as 'leather', even if it is actually plastic.

That's true - it seems to have more of a 'I cant believe its not leather' mystic attached to it than MB Tex ever did and this is why confusion reigns in the used market place. MB Tex was always frowned upon in the used market because of its 'Beirut Taxi' connotations especially in an S-Class, but it doesn't seem to now. Its an abomination that a £40-50k car has plastic seats in the first place. It feels tackier than leather, especially on a warm day - it's why plastic shoes have never caught on except for the vegan market.

Anyway I had Alcantara in an Audi once and it did tend to 'bobble' after 50k miles so will always go for leather.