Why leather

[R2e]

I was having a conversation the other day with someone who had just bought a Jap import Toyota MR2 which unlike the UK model, has fabric seats. He says he prefers them to his previous car which had leather and I got to thinking...........

When I was a kid in the 50's, my Dad usually bought prewar Wolseley bangers and the like, all with leather. My Mum used to make fabric covers for them to make them more comfortable in the cold or heat. Move on a bit and leather was largely replaced by vinyl which had similar characteristics, and I was living in Africa in the 70's when fabric upholstery really started to catch on. What a pleasure! No more burning ourselves after the car had been sat in the sun, no more having to carry around bath towels to sit on, particularly when wearing shorts! Move on even more and my most recent cars have had leather as is the current fashion. Heated seats is essential in the winter, leather without is very cold to sit on and of course it gets damn hot if the car is sat in the direct sun.

So, I know leather looks nicer, but is it really the best product for our car seats? Apart from it's affinity for heat and cold, it is usually more slippery than fabric, is leather just ultimately a fashion thing like silver paint on a Merc?

 

[d w124]

I would have cloth anyday before leather,but with young ones leather is much easier to clean

 

[Charles Morgan]

I like both. It is interesting if you look at very old limousines leather was used for the chauffeur's seat as it was hard wearing and durable, while Russell cord or velvets were used for the higher status passengers. Now it seems to be the other way round, cream leather as popularised here by Rolls Royce and Connolly, seems to have become the epitome of luxury. Certainly the velour upholstery of 70s Benzes was extremely comfortable.

A good cloth will last better than uncared for leather and be much more comfortable. As however cloth has become an economy option, the problem is that it is rather cheap and not very pleasant to look at, an attempt no doubt to get people to upgrade to the much more lucrative leather.

 

[Ted]

MB-Tex was always the best seat covering imho.

Hard wearing, cool(ish) in summer, warm(ish) in winter.

 

[trapperjohn]

Has it got leather? Is the usual question asked when you have a new to you car.

For me its total snob value because I think a car with a cloth interior is inferior to one with leather. Why so? You pay more for leather. Victim of a con - Could be.

But thats just me. Now has anyone got a "sportline" leather interior for a 124 in grey please. Saloon "M" Reg Oh and a nice Brabus leather steering wheel for the same.

 

[fuzzer]

I'm going to great lengths to restore my cloth seats and make them heated to give me the best of both worlds . Cool in the summer and warm in the winter

Ive had loads of leather and tbh , i like the cloth for a change. MB cloth is great.

 

[d w124]

But thats just me. Now has anyone got a "sportline" leather interior for a 124 in grey please. Saloon "M" Reg Oh and a nice Brabus leather steering wheel for the same.

You`re not asking much are you John,a Brabus engine on top of that maybe

 

[Charles Morgan]

A Brabus 300D at that!

 

[d w124]

A Brabus 300D at that!

I`m talking something like 6.0 or maybe 6.5 V8

 

[Benzowner]

I have found that many cloth type seats give electrostatic shocks when getting out of the car even with an earth strap attached. Man made fibre clothes, man made fibre seats a recipe for static electricity. I certainly prefer leather.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I much prefer cloth. Leather is great the day you buy the car, and the day you sell it, but it's an inconvenience in between.

We really didn't want leather (or privacy glass) when we bought our ML, and it was difficult finding one without it. We managed to find one though and it was the right decision.

The C has nappa which looks lovely, feels lovely, but is still either red hot or stone cold just like normal leather, and it's soft too and so it;'s off limits to children, animals, and people wearing jeans or buckles.

 

[artyman]

Whilst leather can look smart, I prefer the comfort and feel of cloth particularly when the car has been in the sun. I have heated cloth seats, and am happy with them and no great desire to have leather, though I suspect that with higher spec cars it becomes more difficult to find a used one with cloth seats.

 

[moonloops]

I have found that many cloth type seats give electrostatic shocks when getting out of the car even with an earth strap attached. Man made fibre clothes, man made fibre seats a recipe for static electricity. I certainly prefer leather.

+ your nylon knickers

 

[WDB124066]

Some of the patterns on the fabric covers look good too, especially on the 124's. Love the light coloured striped fabric.....

 

[WDB124066]

Mind you Chaps this new leather with heating and cooling looks like it won't suffer the normal leather shortcomings, does it.............??

 

[fuzzer]

heated and cooled leather is great

 

[markjay]

I personally much prefer leather, and indeed had leather seats in my previous car, but now have cloth because the wife does not like the leather... so I guess it's pretty much down to individual taste.

But the other issue is that once leather becomes the de-facto preference for executive cars, many people who wouldn't otherwise mind, insist on leather so that the car is easier to sell on... a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[camerafodder]

Leather for me. Heated and cooled too, just like fuzzer

 

[WDB124066]

Can you dial up a temp and the thing will keep itself in the set temp range, or is this Luke Skywalker stuff.......?

 

[Charles Morgan]

I suppose one might call it progress that to counter the genuine shortcomings of leather of being too cold in winter and too hot in summer that you heat the seats in winter and cool them in summer, at the price of making the leather look like aertex, adding a lot of expense and weight, and even more of a bugger to clean....