LEATHER SEATS!!!!! yes/no ???

[gtfpv]

ok guys . Contemplating when we do get a new car , never had leather seats before ever in any car i've owned . Are they worth having ????
do they age quicker than cloth ?? crack? fade? etc etc
anyone regret buying a car with leather ?
OR / are they the ducks guts and definitely the way to go ?

please share your experiences ? as i have never had leather seats so need to rely on your experiences .
perhaps the best thing to do is not get leather ? or perhaps its crazy not to . i don't know . PLEASE HELP . cheers .

[SSD-85]

I personally love leaether seats. However, you really should take a seat in a car like the one you want that has them in order to properly ascertain whether theyre for you or not.

Leather, like all materials needs to be maintained & looked after to provide many years of service.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Scotty85

Leather, like all materials needs to be maintained & looked after to provide many years of service.

Funny .. I told my wife that about the leather seats in her FG and she seems to think that it's self maintaining .. Much like the exterior .. And the mechanicals ..

[gcg2503]

Leather is great when maintained properly

I would avoid light leather like cashmere as it looks fantastic but needs constant maintenance

Go for dark grey leather or black at a minimum

[Scott]

Ducks guts, way to go. They can get hot in the sun if you forget to use a shade but for all round comfort and ease they are awesome.

[b0son]

We have leather in one of our cars, also had it in my previous car (both Euros). Love it. GOOD leather is great.

OTOH, I wouldnt call what they put in a Falcon good.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by b0son

We have leather in one of our cars, also had it in my previous car (both Euros). Love it. GOOD leather is great.

OTOH, I wouldnt call what they put in a Falcon good.

You are so right the leather in Fords is really cheap crappy stuff .

[superpursuit83]

Mate I opted for the fabric in my SP because of the hot sun etc.
When I get them retrimmed it will be leather. The fabric ends up pulled and my seat has a tear appearing. Although its done a lot of work getting in and out etc.
My mate has an 03 GTP with leather and it is still as new. And really does give you more of a prestige/upmarket type of feel to your car.

I would definately go with leather

[Ford_The_Win]

I can't stand leather seats personally, they seem to wear out much more quickly than cloth seats, plus they are slidy and sweaty in summer. I'd just invest in a good quality set of sheepskin seat covers, very luxurious feel, last forever and do a great job of protecting the original seat fabric from stains and wear.

[MWTB]

Sheepskin seat covers have a very luxurious feel? Compared to what? Old mate in his VB Commodore?

I love leather seats. The old mans XR6t has them and I'm spewing my XR6 doesn't.

[2011G6E]

The G6E is the first car we've ever owned with leather seats.

We've had it nearly a year now, and I'm assuming that they at some stage begin to soften up a bit and not be so hard and non-conforming to the bum?

[bobthebilda]

Just be careful with some manufacturers use of the term leather seats. Some these days will only use leather on the A and B surfaces, and other material on the C surface. Some are getting even trickier.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

The G6E is the first car we've ever owned with leather seats.

We've had it nearly a year now, and I'm assuming that they at some stage begin to soften up a bit and not be so hard and non-conforming to the bum?

Sorry to disillusion you they will only get harder with age as they dry out in our climate . Ford dont use nice soft supple leather like Connelly hide or Howe because of cost , that said though in our climate they even end up herdening and cracking .

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

Sorry to disillusion you they will only get harder with age as they dry out in our climate . Ford dont use nice soft supple leather like Connelly hide or Howe because of cost , that said though in our climate they even end up herdening and cracking .

Used to use Howe in the AU's, changed to pleather in B series.

[gcg2503]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Used to use Howe in the AU's, changed to pleather in B series.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story Austin!!!

[Iggypoppin']

Leather all the way. had leather in the BA. sure it got hot in summer, but thats what happens in summer, stuff heats up, we get over it. I loved the leather, and the smell of it freshly cleaned was awesome.
get it, you wont regret it.

[wrongwaynorris]

In an Australian climate definitely not , impractical and very labour intensive to keep soft and supple in said climate .

[graham_h]

no to leather, hot and slippy.

[basteve]

I like both! Cant afford two cars though. Its like having a plasma tv or a led tv, with this i have both! LOL. I think both materials are good its how you look after it that counts.

[Dusty1]

Got it in my Mondeo, and also in the Titanium Territory. I like the fact that it is (for me) easier to clean with kids. The Euro leather is different than the one in the Territory as well.

I would say yes to it. If I could have afforded the leather in the XR6 I would have got it, but as I'm the only one in it, it's not too much of an issue for me.

[The Monty]

I have been put off leather because I HAVE kids. Messy ones. Is it really easier cleaning up after them with the leather?

[Wretched]

Have the leather Recaros in the XR5 and love them.
Have had the car for 4 years and the seats still have the support they had when new. Obviously they do require a little more maintenance when cleaning but for me that is a small price to pay for such comfort.

[dags41v]

I dont rate leather seats, especially in summer as they feel terrible when they get a bit sweaty.

[bafel]

Can't vouch for the quality of the ford leather, however i have leather in my mazda and after six years they still look and smell great!

I think they make the car feel 'newer' for longer too.

[TheyDontWantMus]

hot and sticky in summer

cold in winter

and depending on the seat design, they're nice and slippery when going on a "spirited" drive.

I'd never buy another car with leather.

[blk6t]

If you were buying a B series Falcon, YES if a current model Falcon NO. The leather on the FG's seems to be of poorer grade to the B series. My BA only started to get wrinkles after several years of use and weekly application of leather conditioner.

My current ride, it has aged poorly already, it may be the foam I am not sure.

[Cheech]

My Fg 08 has leather and is as good if not better than the day it came from factory, although the leather quality (and amount of actual leather) is nowhere near as good as my 03 Alfa.

The key is to treat it once over winter with a GOOD conditioner such as duragloss and a few times in the warmer months.

Yes, it is more labour intensive than maintaining cloth seats.

I ticked the leather option as at the time I had a 5 & 1 yo.

Get a seat protector if you have a kiddy seat as these permanently indent the leather.

I would not go back to cloth seats again.

[Ben73]

Burning hot in summer, cold in winter but seat warners help. I still prefer them

[Wretched]

didn't the FG's have a lot of vinyl around the seat and the leather only being on the inner section?

[Dave R]

I had an FG with leather, currently an FG without. I think the leather in FGs is poor. The drivers seat side bolsters were creased and ruined after 20,000km and I'm not overweight either. B series leather is much nicer.

As far as leather in general, I'd say yes. As much as I didn't like the quality of the FG's leather, it was so much easier to get comfortable in, because you can slide into position easily as opposed to cloth where you cant slide back into the seat. It was never difficult getting comfortable in the leather seat. Plus the smell of freshly conditioned leather makes the whole car feel so much nicer!