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Anyone else not like leather seats? I know it's meant to be desirable but I just prefer sitting on fabric.
Slow day, Molly?
...and, same as you.
Leather is easy to clean/wipe down with kids/dogs/muddy shorts.
My current car is the first one I've had with a leather seats. Wouldn't go back now, it's held up much better.
And heated leather seats in the depths of winter are ace.
Slow day, Molly?
Yes, as always 🙂
I appreciate that they can be kept cleaner, perhaps* but I don't find it more comfortable or luxurious.
* the fabric in the Prius has been easy to wipe the effects of 2 little kids off, but now it's starting to look somewhat aged (but only a bit). However the stuff in the Passat is incredible. Still looks brand new after 8 years and 100k miles.
Man, if your aircon not working you gonna feel that sticky leather. Cheapest option is to buy wooden bead seat cover for hot summer days unless you have those Mercedes type ventilated seats.
Fabric seats are all right, but car doesn't feel or look as special, ya'mean?
Good fabric seats are probably better to sit on (cooler, grippier) but as an overall ownership proposition (cleaning, residuals, ambiance) I'd rather have the leather.
Can I also add that the first time I sat on a heated leather seat, before I knew it was heated, I thought I had had an accident.
The fabric in larger model VW/Audi seats is incredibly hard wearing and very easy to clean. As are the carpets.
A lot of other German cars are similar.
French cars tend to be a different story, nice looking carpets, but almost impossible to get properly "new looking" clean.
Personally speaking, from a cleaning up/resale point of view I would go for dark grey leather seats and black carpets in a VW/Audi.
I removed half a pot of white paint that had spilled on the rear seat/floor of a 60 plate passat recently, looked new once finished.
Would have practically written off a French car 😉
If you prefer fabric seats, why not take the bus?
Easier to brush cake crumbs off leather.
Just sayin'.
[i]And heated leather seats in the depths of winter are ace. [/i]
Only if they're heated, bloody cold if not.
And in the summer if you're air con isn't working then they're seriously hot.
Not 100% sure leather seats would be a deal breaker for me, I have one car with full leather and one with fabric/leather and have no preference really. Leather easier to keep clean though.
Very happy sitting on leather, it's ideal for the muddy cross racer 🙂 happy not to be with poverty spec fabric 😛
Ooh and upholstery thread! I've been waiting for one of these..
.. So what's bestest to remove
a)salty bum marks (mates on a beach holiday piling in the back all damp)
b) sticky sweet/sugar marks
c) general dirt
From a very light grey textured upholstery? Eh? Hmmm?
salty bum marks
Wipe your bum.
mates on a beach holiday piling in the back all damp
Nasty.
:-S
None of the above were euphemisms , just to clarify
Probably need to wet vac the seats to get those stains out.
Then get some G Technic I1 and protect the fabric with that.
I've used it on my seats (alcantara) and it works a treat.
Baby wipes aren't a bad start though and are particularly good on leather.
I've always liked the alcantara/leather seats Audi do, dunno if they're 'better' than the leather ones though, or a cheaper alternative?
Leather in my Golf, certainly not a deal breaker though, over rated. Heated is nice though.
Mine are great, heated and chilled, lovely. They can be a bit slippy though- mine are OK with all the perforations for the heating but standard leather if it's smooth finished is too slidy for my taste.
I'd love chilled seats, that would be a significant advance in driver comfort imo.
Re leather - it seems to costs about £1500.. in VAG land I reckon the integrated satnav/entertainment thing is a far better place for that amount of money.
standard leather if it's smooth finished is too slidy for my taste
Can be but if the fit of the seat is good it's usually o.k. The Euro spec sport seats in my old BM were fine for me, the ones in my brother's US spec BM were too wide. Make of that what you will...
I don't think many car manufacturers use real leather anymore these days, do they?
Had fake leather in the last motor. It was slippy, but I liked it. Nice and tidy and easy to clean. I like the leather vibe!
robinlaidlaw - MemberCan be but if the fit of the seat is good it's usually o.k.
Yeah, I'm a racing snake so with execu-barges I tend to be plonked in the middle (even most buckets are a bit wide for me).
I don't think many car manufacturers use real leather anymore these days, do they?
There's a decent amount of fake leather around, but more of it is painted leather, so it is leather underneath but the surface finish is manufactured. Makes it a lot harder wearing and less prone to getting marked.
Like leather so long at is has heating and cooling otherwise freezing in winter and too sweaty in the summer.
Re leather - it seems to costs about £1500.. in VAG land I reckon the integrated satnav/entertainment thing is a far better place for that amount of money.
+1, I'd sooner have that. Although you can buy them aftermarket for less.
Yes, but afaik from reading (not used one myself) having it factory installed is much better - you get direction cues on the dash etc..
molgrips - Member
However the stuff in the Passat is incredible. Still looks brand new after 8 years and 100k miles.
Well to be fair, it hasn't seen much use in the last 18 months has it?
For cleaning cloth / plush seats, get yourself a can of Grooom from Halfords, an upholstery brush and a damp cloth. I've cleaned some right filth up using that combo!
And heated leather seats
Can you get heated seats that aren't leather?
Can you get heated seats that aren't leather?
Of course. Even better in many ways, they tend to heat up faster.
My dad's Cortina had dark brown vinyl seats to match the vinyl roof.
In summer it was agony to sit on them in shorts, felt like I was being welded to the seat.
Can you get heated seats that aren't leather?
Of course, mine are heated and not leather.
Well to be fair, it hasn't seen much use in the last 18 months has it?
It was only off the road for about 3!
olddog - MemberMy dad's Cortina had dark brown vinyl seats to match the vinyl roof.
In summer it was agony to sit on them in shorts, felt like I was being welded to the seat.
Me and my brothers turned that into a competitive sport- who can withstand the heat longest. Amazing it's not made the olympics really.
Ooh and upholstery thread! I've been waiting for one of these..
.. So what's bestest to remove
a)salty bum marks (mates on a beach holiday piling in the back all damp)
b) sticky sweet/sugar marks
c) general dirt
From a very light grey textured upholstery? Eh? Hmmm?
All removed easily enough with a little bit of a pre clean and an extraction machine with the right chemical added.
Would take about an hour I would think.