C205 facelift - swap Artico for Leather

[gscotte72]

Hi all - first time poster so go steady on me please.. Apologies if this has already been discussed but I have looked and cant find it anywhere.

After looking for ages and not being able to find the exact spec I wanted - I have just agreed the purchase of a C300d c205 facelift with the "leather/ artico" interior and i am wondering if I can swap this out for the leather interiors I am seeing on EBay. Online would suggest I could buy a full set for about 650-750, but i wondered specifically:

1. if there is a difference with the seats pre and post facelift that would cause an issue - I haven't got it yet so cant compare with mine
2. I couldn't get the seat memory pack (I wanted it) and some of the leather interiors look like they come with the memory buttons (and I assume the seat modules) but will the wiring be the same? Is there anything i need to be aware of
3. if the interior it is coming out of doesn't have the memory pack, will it just be a straight swap

Would love to hear from anyone that has tried it and peoples thoughts

Many thanks in anticipation

Scott

 

[Petrol Pete]

Hello and welcome. Does the spec sheet actually state 'leather and Artico' ? Many cars are built with leather panels where you sit and the rest of the covering in Artico type materials. So effectively you get the leather feel and smell with the 'unimportant' bits looking the same , so a good compromise. You might have that option installed and you might end up buying a set of leather seats that are no more leather than what you already have.

You can check what is in the car through the VIN number, rather than trusting what the sales person tells you.

Swapping seats with memory/heat etc is a bloody minefield , some members on here have done it and it is never as straightforward as you would like it to be.

 

[C240Sport97]

I think the C300d only ever came in a spec with leather seats ...

 

[SpikyMikey]

As Pete says, just be careful about interiors described as "leather"- quite often these are actually Artico. Even dealerships have been known to do this. As far as wiring is concerned it's best to assume that if your car hasn't got a certain feature, then the wiring loom will need changing/modifying and remember that 9 times out of 10, anything added to the car that wasn't put there from the factory will need coding. Most things can be done of course, but a lot of stuff is not plug and play.
Welcome BTW !

 

[SarahAnn200]

When I was buying mine, the dealer kept saying leather over the phone. I said oh great, has it got leather, I expected the artico fake stuff. His reply, yes it's the artico leather. Your comment is interesting Petrol Pete. I thought it was always one or the other, fake or real leather

 

[gscotte72]

this is what the interior looks like - I cannot find the spec sheet at the minute - but apologies if my terminology was wrong with what the material actually is. I appreciate that they aren't normally leather but I think they call it something weird like "man made artico leather" from memory.

sounds like they would fit then - just the electrics wouldn't work unless they were non memory.

Fantastic advice really appreciate it

 

[SarahAnn200]

I'm sure those seats look nicer than mine...... pops to the garage to check my seats

My seats look more plasticky fake than those unless it's just the photo. The photo looks like you have too different types of material going on unless it's just the photo.

 

[Petrol Pete]

You might well find that there is some leather in them .

 

[SpikyMikey]

Difficult to see from the photos, but are the centre panels of those seats Dinamica Microfibre?

 

[gscotte72]

@SpikyMikey - yes that’s what they are....

just think the leather looks a bit better, seen a lovely brown......

 

[SpikyMikey]

I have to say, the seats in your car look rather good. I like the contrast in material but each to their own and all that!

 

[C240Sport97]

View attachment 111002
this is what the interior looks like - I cannot find the spec sheet at the minute - but apologies if my terminology was wrong with what the material actually is. I appreciate that they aren't normally leather but I think they call it something weird like "man made artico leather" from memory.

sounds like they would fit then - just the electrics wouldn't work unless they were non memory.

Fantastic advice really appreciate it

looks like the artico/dynamica combination - so not real leather. don't think leather/dynamica was an option on C clsss

 

[gscotte72]

HA!

Funny isn't it how everyone likes different - i don't dislike them but compared to these - think they are a bit bland

 

[SarahAnn200]

I like the brown, I see what you mean. If I show you mine, I think you will fall in love with your new ones that come with the car though

 

[SarahAnn200]

There, I bet you love your own seats now. These look really plasticky compared to yours with the contrast in the middle.
Brown does look nice too though. I like the brown wood look console too but I think I'm in the minority. I have black gloss at the moment but my c43 had black ash look wood and that was nicer
Let us know what you decide

 

[gscotte72]

There, I bet you love your own seats now. These look really plasticky compared to yours with the contrast in the middle.
Brown does look nice too though. I like the brown wood look console too but I think I'm in the minority. I have black gloss at the moment but my c43 had black ash look wood and that was nicer
Let us know what you decide

Hi Sarah

Yeah - I see what you mean... Thanks for all the help...

Will do