Leather vs. Fabric for Toyota Camry.

Currently, I have a Honda Accord with the fabric seats.

I am thinking of buying 2007 Camry and can't decide whether to buy it with leather or fabric seats. I recently rented a car with the leather seats when I was travelling on business and was unpleasantly surprised how hot the seats got in the summer heat. When I got into my car, the seat was pretty much burning my behind.

If we forget about the cost differential, what would you recommend? Is the leather in a camry models (SE and XLE) good quality?

Thanks.

Reply to
success_ny
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If you were unhappy with the leather seats in the Accord you will always be unhappy with the ones in the Camry also. After you drive a Camry with leather seats while wearing shorts you will be able to make a better decision.

Reply to
badgolferman

The leather does tend to feel hotter in the summer and colder in the winter, but you can get around this if you get the heated and cooled seats. On all but the hottest and coldest days, the leather is comfortable. In my experience, leather tends to wear longer and is easier to clean. The leather will develop cracks over time that do not seem to affect longevity or comfort. Most people consider the cracking as a natural part of leather and do not consider it objectionable, like on a weathered leather jacket. You can slow down the appearance of cracks by using a good quality leather cleaner and conditioner like Lexol.

You can help keep the fabric seats clean by investing in a fabric protector like Scotch-Guard and applying it yourself. To me, the fabric will tend to appear to be threadbare as it wears.

Reply to
Ray O

Yes, the leather is good quality, but the quality is not what makes it hot, or cold. Cloth is not as hard on your behind as leather is, either hot or cold, but leather is more durable and resists the ill effects of spills better.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

I always get leather. More durable and does effect the resale value.

If the seats being hot are the only concern, get a cover or the below:

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Reply to
Brady Sakoda

I almost always where shorts and hot seats for 2 seconds don't bother me. Most people who buy leather never go back to cloth but it is a personal decision.

Reply to
Art

If you get cloth, be aware that the XLE cloth is better quality and more durable than the LE cloth. Not sure about SE.

Reply to
Mark A

Not ever having had leather seats in a car (but remembering vinyl ones way back when - ouch! - required dishtowel on seat in the summer), I wonder if the color would affect how hot they become in the summer. IOW, would cream or light gray or beige or tan ones be comfortable, Vs. dark gray, black, etc.

Cathy

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Reply to
Cathy F.

I think it was "Cathy F." who stated:

Leather is NOT vinyl; leather can BREATHE and is much better in every way than vinyl.

Yup. Lighter colors are less hot in the summer.

To get around the problems with ANY seat covers, I immediately install lambskin seat covers over the seats. I've gotten really good ones at our local Sam's Club (I don't know if all Sam's Clubs or Sam's online carry them). They help keep your tush cool in the summer and warm in the winter. How they know which is which, I don't know; must work like a thermos jug or something . . . .

-Don

Reply to
Don Fearn

I am the other way, I keep ending up with cars with leather seats wishing I had cloth. I find good quality cloth holds up at least as well as leather and I prefer the feel of cloth. It seems most of the world prefers leather since they are willing to pay hundreds extra for it. Often the only way I can get a car equipped like I want with cloth seats is to special order the car. The cars on the lot with cloth seats tend to be poorly equipped, and the cars with the good equipment almost always have leather seats.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Yes, I know leather & vinyl are different, that leather is is natural Vs. man-made vinyl, quality/pricey Vs. cheapo, etc. OTOH, nor is leather like cloth - & the OP stated that the leather seats were too hot for one's legs on a hot day. So... having experienced how scorchingly hot vinyl seats were on hot days, & knowing that fabric seats do not get hot....

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

Hmmmm... the last 3 of my Toyotas (Corollas) have been the LE version with extra options - IOW, fully -oaded cars. But they've all had cloth seats. OTOH, I've always felt that to have leather seats in a Corolla would be a bit much; it's a perfectly good car, but leather would just be... OTT. IMO. But yes, I agree that the cloth seats are well-made & hold up fine. I've had no problems with tears, stains (even pizza oil/sauce leaking from a pizza box)... anything. (OTOH, the vinyl seat on the driver's side of my '72 Plymouth Duster developed a tear before its 4th year.)

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

I had leather seats once in a lincoln I had last year. The seats were hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. Then again, I didn't have an heat or a/c either.

Reply to
Reasoned Insanity

Most, if not all prestige cars come with leather but I prefer a good quality material like the one on my 15 years old Acura.I have two other cars with leather. John

Reply to
John

Leather is an animal skin that will 'breath' much better than the man made material used in car seats, much like the difference in a good shoe and a cheap shoe. ALL luxury cars have leather seating. My last ten or more cars have all had leather seating. My cars are all equipped with remote starters so hot seat are not a problem. One thing to watch for is to make sure the leather is included in the manufacturers build specs, not dealer installed. Many Toyota and other dealers use after market leather packages to earn a larger profit, made with cheaper split leather, which is not nearly as good as full hide leather ;)

mike hunt

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I am in the minority here. I've been driving high end cars for YEARS and finally concluded that leather is overrated. My current Lexus LS430 (2004) now has a custom fit lambskin over the driver's seat. (My kids call ie "Lammy"). I understand from another post here as well as from others that you can get them much cheaper than my $200 (per seat...I only did the driver's side) custom skin by going to Walmart. I live in the snowbelt and it's damn cold in the winter. Lammy is great however. Similar in the summer.

Get the stock cloth, save the cash, and buy a lammy. Baah!

Reply to
D.D. Pallmer

Those things run when the cars parked or what? Getting in a parked car on a hot summer day before I take off down the road is the time I would want it.

Dan

Reply to
Danny G.

Next time you board a commercial airliner, take a gander at the captain and first officer's seats.

Watch the wrap:

Lambskin is well known for being cool in the summer and warm in the winter, with wool being a popular athletic fabric before stuff like Coolmax was around.

Reply to
Bonehenge

The last nice cloth seats I've seen were in my 2 1983 4WD Tercel Wagons. If you see one of them on on the road you will probably find the fabric still in great shape. I would probably take them over leather but no one makes them like that any more,

Reply to
Art

I doubt Toyota uses full hide leather although there are a large variety of leather qualities out there and I am sure dealers can find cheaper/worse stuff than factory leather to increase profits. But you can actually do better than factory leather too by a long shot.

Reply to
Art

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