What is it with leather???? (vehicle, SUV, versus, heated seats)

[zevin11]

What's up with the obsession of sitting on cow skins while driving? As I do my car shopping, it seems just about everything now is either leather or "leather seating surfaces." Leather sucks. It smells, and gets bloody hot in the summer, ice cold in the winter. Whatever happened to tasteful cloth?

I am almost forced to buy "down" in order to get cloth seats.

I can't be the only one who feels that way.

[jambo101]

I dont get leather car seats as they are hot in the summer and cold in the winter and one has a tendency to slip around in them if driving spiritedly on twisty roads that problem can increase to absurd levels if one puts an Armoral type protectant on the seats, the leather seats also have a tendency to crack after a while whether seat covers are used or not,,I wont buy a car with leather seats.
As for sun roofs and electronic gizmos? i dont need them either, total waste of money. About the only extra i consider mandatory would be A/C, my current car has power windows which i'm starting to like

[Macrina]

I have a '97 Avalon XLS which has a black leather interior and am not bothered by the colour. Love my old car! Since I live where the summers are very hot, I just take the extra time to use sunshades.

The interior has been well cared-for and at 16 years there are still no cracks in the leather. Creases, but no cracks. I do think there was better quality and workmanship back when it was made.

and one has a tendency to slip around in them if driving spiritedly on twisty roads

Hmmm, there's no slippin' around, but perhaps that's because I actually always wear my seatbelt. And yes, I do drive on windy, twisty mountain roads. All the time.

How can one slip around when using a seatbelt?

[Drover]

Leather is typically sold as a vanity item, but in practical terms leather is more durable than cloth. Leather seats are also easier to heat and cool now that consumers are coming to expect heated and cooled seats. Heated seats are rather appreciated by those of us in the snow belt.

I'm ambivalent about leather (or its faux-variants) versus cloth but I can see how people who tote kids about on a regular basis would prefer the former for tidying-up purposes.

[cdcdguy]

I could take leather or leave it. I have a 95 Roadmaster, and the leather still looks great. Also true, you can't by any top end model without it. I have cloth in my Malibu and like it just fine.

[jimazee]

I've had leather in most cars over the years...and love it. To each his/her own. Where one lives probably matters as does the color, seat design, options, etc.

Sun roofs are similar and depend on personal preferences and driving style etc. I agree sometimes they are a bit pricey but I usually get them.

You pay your $$$ and make your choices. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Be thankful you can choose. That's why they are still often 'options'.

Hardly a heady discussion ...

[Workin_Hard]

The heated leather seating in my 2002 GM SUV has held up well. Creases but no cracks, and it gets cleaned and treated about 3x each year. The leather in my MB is cooled as well and we'll see how that holds up over time. With the high end cars, it's not a matter of getting leather but more like do you want the "better" leather (and it's associated cost).

All that said, having had a variety of seating over many years, I really do like leather better for comfort and durability. The "dead cow" comment from the OP makes me laugh. A few years back, I caught a PETA-type on the back of my truck putting a "dead cow" sticker on the rear window, apparently to admonish me for my seating choices. I "helped" him down off the vehicle (he somehow slipped getting off) and I had to restrain him despite his protestations until emergency personnel could arrive and check to see that he was ok, having fallen very hard on the pavement.

[Archguy]

Originally Posted by Drover

Leather is typically sold as a vanity item, but in practical terms leather is more durable than cloth. Leather seats are also easier to heat and cool now that consumers are coming to expect heated and cooled seats. Heated seats are rather appreciated by those of us in the snow belt.

I'm ambivalent about leather (or its faux-variants) versus cloth but I can see how people who tote kids about on a regular basis would prefer the former for tidying-up purposes.

Vinyl is better at all of these things.

For the sake of wear-resistance and especially regular appearance, most modern automotive leathers are so processed/treated/coated to within an inch of their lives that the choice is chiefly about prestige more than anything else. Unless durability is a prime concern in which case the 'leatherette' (vinyl) wins. The 'leather aroma' exists mostly in your imagination nowadays--it's just a variant of 'new-car smell'...however vintage leather interiors can smell very heady indeed.

[ranger17]

i always preferred cloth, but good fabric and not some of the junk out there. But the last 2 toys we've bought down here (s2000 & Mustang converts) both had leather. Note we never slid around in the s2k seats playing on curves. Yeah we'll sweat a bit cruising with the top down on a 90+ degree day with the black leather seats in our black 'stang, but frankly top down in that weather is warm regardless lol. Seems correct as others post, leather is put on certain models or option groups, so if you want one ammenity you gotta take the other.


Surprisingly, all the years we lived in Wi we never had leather nor heated seats. Now our 'stang, which was originally an "SC" car, came with both. And yes my wife, now acclimated to the warm climate, has used the bun warmers.... on those cool cruise nights (temps in 60's lol)

[Sunbather]

Can't stand leather seats in cars. But I have no problem with them existing because other people like them. Different strokes