A client called me today. He took delivery of a 2003 Limited mini-van. He noted that the seats were mostly vinyl and vinyl covered cloth (velour?), and only the inserts were leather. This is at odds with the promotional material but typical of what Chrysler builds into these vehicles. Any comments?
Ads that I've seen call out "leather trimmed" seats, as do most ads for other moderately priced vehicles. What this amounts to is leather where the body contacts the seat, vinyl everywhere else.
I don't think it's at odds with anything I've seen in the promotional material for this vehicle -- what statement in the promotional material does the owner think his leather-trimmed seats contradict?
Sunlight destroys them. Now, if you can garage your car, then maybe.
Leather seats can be recovered also. Leather is also much more durable than cloth. One day try this experiment - sit down with a plastic pen in your back pants pocket. Sit back in the seats so the tip of the pen is catches a fold of cloth. Now get up suddenly and watch your pen rip a hole in the cloth. This doesen't happen with leather.
Or better yet, second experiment:
Obtain 4 year old. Obtain ice cream bar. Place 4 year old in the car. Give 4 year old ice cream bar on hot day. Wait a bit.
Now, try to remove stain of half-melted ice cream bar that fell on the seat from your cloth seats. Now try it on your leather seats.
Leather that is taken care of does not crack and fall apart. There are many leather care products on the market. Use them.
I used to restore 10 to 12 year old German 2 seater sports cars. All had dried out leather, including the dash. It was sad. Today my cars with leather have good well over 150,000 miles and the leather has always held up. That is until my dog get locked in the vehicle. Don't ask.
That's why they offer choices. I've only driven cars with leather seats a couple of times, but I'd never own one. My last trip to Boston a few weeks back was in a Buick Regal rental that had leather seats. This is about a 6 hour trip for me. It was terrible. The leather started out cold and slippery and ended up hot and sticky after 6 hours in the saddle. I've driven my personal cloth covered seat cars for twice that many hours in a day with much greater comfort.
The only think I liked about the Regal's seats was the smell! Lest you think it is just a Buick issue, I've ridden in friend's M-B that had leather seats ... same basic problems with the expensive car.
| >>>With all due respect, leather is less than ideal for car seats. | >>>
| >>
| >>I disagree. | | That's why they offer choices. I've only driven cars with leather seats | a couple of times, but I'd never own one. My last trip to Boston a few | weeks back was in a Buick Regal rental that had leather seats. This is | about a 6 hour trip for me. It was terrible. The leather started out | cold and slippery and ended up hot and sticky after 6 hours in the | saddle. I've driven my personal cloth covered seat cars for twice that | many hours in a day with much greater comfort. | | The only think I liked about the Regal's seats was the smell! Lest you | think it is just a Buick issue, I've ridden in friend's M-B that had | leather seats ... same basic problems with the expensive car. | | | Matt |
I own three cars, one with leather. Cloth holds up fine these days and is more comfortable overall than the leather, especially on long trips. Plus cloth isn't so blasted cold in winter or hot in summer when you sit on it!! But the leather sure does smell and look good! :-) I probably won't buy another car with leather. I prefer comfort over status!
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