Leather or Leatherette

[jefft325i]

I should know what type of interior my car has, but the truth is I don't. I'm 95% sure it's leatherette - it seems to harsh and stiff to be leather. Can anybody tell from this pic?

As well, are these the only 2 interior options, or can you opt for cloth when buying new?

[playdrv4me]

Hard to tell, something about it like the edges or wear looks different than leather, but then you also seem to have the extending leg bolster cushion, I dont even have that in my 330 and I have leather, so it would seem weird someone would go to the extent of getting the sportier seats and not go with leather.

[jefft325i]

I assumed the extending leg cushion came standard on all E46's - apparently not. Perhaps I have them because I have the Sport Package which comes with the sport seats?

I'm still not sure on the actual material.....

[gbf1lm]

the wear on it looks like leather, mayeb they just didnt get teh high quality, so it may feel rough.

[jefft325i]

Can you purchase different grades of leather, or is it either leather or leatherette?

Is the leatherette more along the lines of Vinyl? I did notice this past summer that it cooled off quite quickly after sitting in the sun all day. My first car ('88 Civic) had vinyl, and in the summer I couldn't drive it on hot day it was so unbearable to sit on.

[gbf1lm]

ok i checked it out. for the three series, vinyl is std and montana leather is optional. form that picture it seems to have grain which vinyl doesnt. some leatehrs dont have grain but ur seat lok like leather, maybe leatherette but i dont think vinyl so most probably u have leather.

[woobiee]

that is 100% leather. i can tell.

leatherette does not crease like that and also does not shine as much as that

[jefft325i]

Is there a difference between the leatherette and vinyl? How many seat options are there?

[mankiks323i]

Originally posted by jefft325i@Jan 21 2004, 11:16 AM
Is there a difference between the leatherette and vinyl? How many seat options are there?

leatherette vinyl same thing just a upscale name for vinyl .

[Fangs]

My kid ripped my 'Leather' seat in my 4Runner. I thought I had leather, anyway. It was creased just like that... (Is the pic a right-hand drive car?)

When I looked at the inside of the rip, It certainly did NOT look like leather. It looked like vinyl, and even had a cotton backer! Repair guy fixed it for $40...

I'm not saying you are wrong Woobie, just that my 'leatherette' creased (like the above pic) in a Toyota product.

[woobiee]

there is another way to see, check your door panels; if it has nice stitched weaves along the individual pieces' edges (nice stiched weaves i mean like the stiches along your seats...the nice dotted pattern on the edge. if you find those on your door panels, then you should have leather. if the edges are just edges, with no stiches, its leatherette.

[E46BMWRIMS]

if you want to see the difference between leather and leatherette, if you ordered leather, the part of the seat you sit on is leather, on the other hand... the back of your headrest is leatherette... you can feel the difference, but you cant see...

also, I beleive the lumbar support, or whatever that pull out peice is, comes with the sport package seats...

[bezor]

Thats leather. Why? It has double stitching, as can be seen with the white dots, there are two rows of them. Leatherette has single stitching.

The leather has folded and creased near the hip area.

The seats are sport seats, they have the extendable thigh cushion.

The attached is leatherette in sand without the sport seat for comparison.

[jefft325i]

Well, based on all the replies, it would seem I'm wrong in my original post - I guess I have leather and not leatherette.

Thanks to everybody who replied :wink

[nick_g_evans]

Originally posted by woobiee@Jan 21 2004, 02:28 AM
that is 100% leather. i can tell.

leatherette does not crease like that and also does not shine as much as that

This guy nailed it. That is for sure leather.