Leatherette Or Leather - BMW Forum

JWK · 01-10-2005, 09:03 PM

Just got my 99 328I, but I don't know if I have leather seats or leatherette. Is there a way I can tell?

Thanks for your help.

Delmarco · 01-16-2005, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JWK@Jan 10 2005, 09:03 PM
Just got my 99 328I, but I don't know if I have leather seats or leatherette. Is there a way I can tell?

Thanks for your help.

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try smelling them...you can't miss the smell of real leather...
Leatherette will not smell as strong, especially after the car has been out in the sun on a hot day and the windows are up. Leather will smell very organic and well....like leather...

Hoppy's535i · 01-16-2005, 03:10 PM

smell your wallet, then your seats.

Delmarco · 01-18-2005, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hoppy's535i@Jan 16 2005, 03:10 PM
smell your wallet, then your seats.

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not the nylon velcro wallet i hope

Rooz · 01-19-2005, 03:20 PM

I dunno if he probably seats on his wallet all day, so, not such a great idea to smell it...

bimmer_boy · 01-20-2005, 01:49 AM

Damn, if it's that hard to tell apart I might just opt for the leatherrette on my new car..

Rooz · 01-20-2005, 02:02 PM

it's not, lol, leather has a unique smell.

Delmarco · 01-22-2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rooz@Jan 20 2005, 02:02 PM
it's not, lol, leather has a unique smell.

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yeah....that would be...like uh...leather....

i suppose

M3RAZORBACK · 02-25-2005, 11:25 PM

Feel the new M3 seats, then your pleather [grin]

CiscoKid · 02-26-2005, 07:47 AM

leather is softer

BeachBunny · 03-13-2005, 04:41 AM

Wait, wait, wait, wait! ... Okay, I feel like an idiot now, but I thought they all had leather seats! Does that come as an option?! If so... wwhhhyyyy?

Boxbrownie · 03-13-2005, 05:04 AM

A quick question......I have a 318ti with very good condition cloth interior, which is very comfy, but yesterday I had the chance (and still do) to buy a complete leather interior (black) in perfect condition for £400.......should I?

I decided not to because quite frankly I think cloth is way more comfortable than leather and harder wearing. I have had many cars with leather interiors and never really been as comfortable on them as in cloth trimed cars. I know the done thing is to have leather in a posh car but what do you think?

I am not to concerned that it will look more expensive with leather, after all I have to drive this everyday and comfort should be the priority......so I guess I have made my own mind up already?

But I still have a yerning for that lovely LOOKING leather interior!

Almost undecided.......David

ghead

BeachBunny · 03-13-2005, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Boxbrownie@Mar 13 2005, 03:04 AM
A quick question......I have a 318ti with very good condition cloth interior, which is very comfy, but yesterday I had the chance (and still do) to buy a complete leather interior (black) in perfect condition for £400.......should I?

I decided not to because quite frankly I think cloth is way more comfortable than leather and harder wearing. I have had many cars with leather interiors and never really been as comfortable on them as in cloth trimed cars. I know the done thing is to have leather in a posh car but what do you think?

I am not to concerned that it will look more expensive with leather, after all I have to drive this everyday and comfort should be the priority......so I guess I have made my own mind up already?

But I still have a yerning for that lovely LOOKING leather interior!

Almost undecided.......David ghead

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Haha, you have to figure that one out on your own. Hm, maybe you could try making a list of anything else that money could get you for your car (or even not on your car) and decide which you'd like more. I would try checking on what reupholstering it would do to the value of the car. If doing that increases the value enough to make a gain from it, you may want to consider that.

If it's purely VISUAL, would it be cheaper to get pleather instead?

Boxbrownie · 03-13-2005, 08:13 AM

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Haha, you have to figure that one out on your own. Hm, maybe you could try making a list of anything else that money could get you for your car (or even not on your car) and decide which you'd like more. I would try checking on what reupholstering it would do to the value of the car. If doing that increases the value enough to make a gain from it, you may want to consider that.

If it's purely VISUAL, would it be cheaper to get pleather instead?

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hmmm Bilstein suspension set? oh yeah.....new speakers? nah......will need new Michelins soon.....oh yah (sarcastic)......oh bummer......looks like the leather is going to another home I guess...not mine

Delmarco · 03-13-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BeachBunny@Mar 13 2005, 04:41 AM
Wait, wait, wait, wait! ... Okay, I feel like an idiot now, but I thought they all had leather seats! Does that come as an option?! If so... wwhhhyyyy?

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Before I begin let me clear up leatherette is part leather/part vinyl....the quality of the leatherette increases as the part that is leather goes up....so a 60% leather/40% vinyl leatherette seat is better than a 30% leather / 70% vinyl seat.

The mixture is actually a patchwork of the panels on the seat and not a mixture of materials. Some panels (like the inner seat cushion and lower back area will be leather while the edges, door panels and headrests remain vinyl.) This is not an outdated process. BMWs today still use leatherette. The difference today is that Leatherette is completely 100% synthetic polymer fabrics and not a patchwork mixmatch of leather and cheap vinyl surface panels on the seat cushion. Todays leatherette is (so far) really good quality stuff that is easier to manipulate and dye than real leather so it's cheaper, lighter and wears well.

Go to the www.bmwusa.com website right now and you'll see even the 2006 E90 have leatherette as standard and leather as a package option.

BTW...for alot of reasons other than economic leatherette is better than leather, it keeps better, it smells better (after it has aged), and requires far far far less maintenance..the only drawback is that on older BMWs leatherette seats started to crack and fade at the edges(where the vinyl sections are).

Where as the full leather seats on those older cars started to smell funky like dead animal smell if the car was in the sun alot with moisture inside and no tints on the window. Also if the leather wasn't treated properly and regulary it would suffer from the same afflictions as leatherette.

I've seen and sat in leatherette seats on newer BMWs and nowadays they make them so much better than in used cars from the 90s and 80s...so IMO...if I was getting a new car I would get leatherette. If it was a used car I would go either way depending on condition.

also check out www.leatherseat.com the got all this info and more on leather and leatherette seats.