There's a mini cooper that I might be interested in...but the only downside (i think) is that it has a black patterned cloth interior. Please let me know how you think this compares to the leather and leatherette.

Thanks, John

 

I have the black cloth and much preferred it compared to the leatherette. I can't speak for longevity since I have only had my MINI for three weeks.

Roy

 

I have both and I prefer the cloth. My wife's '05 MCSa has the cloth and I find the seats very comfortable. I have the leatherette, and while it is much better than I thought it would be, I would get the cloth. I only got the leatherette because the cloth was unavailable during the time period when I ordered mine. The cloth is cooler and softer and I just feel more comfortable sitting on the cloth seats compared to the leatherette. Others will voice their concerns about the cloth staining (I've had many cloth seats without this being an issue) but I find that various articles will stick to the leatherette and leave residuals behind on the seat surface.

 

I have the cloth seats and I'm very happy with them. I don't think they get as hot or as cold as leather seats, and I don't have to worry about the possibility of one of my dogs tearing them. The only problem I have is during a road trip I accidently dropped a small piece of chocolate on the front seat (didn't realize it at the time) and now I'm having a tough problem getting it all removed. This probably wouldn't be a problem with leather seats.

 

We have leather in my 2003 and leatherette in her 2006. I MUCH prefer leatherette as the best looking and easiest to keep clean. Cloth seats scare me, but maybe that is because I am such a slob.. ..

 

I'm a big fan of my MINIs cloth seats and will be eager to get them again next time around. It breathes better...and that's a big plus for me. The others materials are very desirable, too...but I won't have anything but cloth.

 

I've had my MINI for almost two years now with cloth seats and so far they've been just great. My wife's spilled a number of liquids on them and they've always cleaned up with no staining. I live in the Northeast and do not have the heated seats and it's been no problem with them being cold like leather or leatherette might be.

 

We've had our MCS for about 3.5 months and we love the cloth seats.

We live in Texas so the preference for me is cloth over leather... rather warm weather/humidity... breathes better... etc. etc... (The wife has leather in her car, but that's a different story. )

My wife and a little girl spend as much time in the car as possible. I'm thinking that the little one snacks in there on occasion .

I can also tell you that I haven't put anything on the seats in the way of protection like ScotchGuard, 303 what-ever-its-called, or the Tuttle wax something-or-rather. You can find some very good information on how to protect the cloth from stains on this site. I'm planning on addressing that this weekend on our Mini.

Good luck.

 

Another vote here for cloth. Almost 3 years, 74K and they look as good as the day I took delivery.

 

..and for spirited driving you hook up to the cloth better than any of the others.

 

Thanks for the helpful tips!

 

We have cloth, and love it. Far more comfortable, they breathe. You can always treat the seats so they clean easier.

 

I ended up getting the leatherette, mostly because I like to do lotsa outdoors stuff and the cloth stains easily... esp. since I was upgrading to sport seats and then it was that space cloth grey - too much light coloured cloth! My step-mom actually has space cloth in her MINI and I found it sorta scratchy on my back. It wasn't super soft like my current Honda. Oh well, to each his own!

 

I had leather in my first MINI, but got the space cloth in my '06. I'm completely happy with my cloth seats. They cost less, they don't get super hot (unless I turn on the seat heaters), and the look great.

 

Had the space cloth on my '02 MCS for 37,000 smiles and I have the space cloth on my '06 MCS with 10,000 smiles. Couldn't be happier!

But I have no little rug rats spilling food and drinks all over either.

Everything all the others said. Cooler, warmer, less slippery, breathable, always gets comments as to how sharp it looks.

 

I got the leatherette because it maintains its look through rough and prolong use. It's easier to clean, too. Worry-free. I live in Northern California so super hot or super cold weather isn't a factor enough for the discomfort associated with leatherette. Honestly, I've had leather, leatherette and cloth in all my previous cars and the difference in feel and support simply isn't enough for me to chose one over another based on their function. For my MCS I chose seat material based on longevity and looks. In the end, however, I'll probably switch them out for Recaros. So please ignore this post. Ooops. You already read it.

Hope you enjoy your MINI, regardless of what's under your bum.

-

 

 

I have leather and have 1 friend that has cloth. But being a previous owner of a cloth interior, I prefer leather. It is easier to clean, you can clean it yourself, with out having to use one of those ackward shampoo machines- or taking it to someplace to get it shampooed. Also, dog hair really sticks to cloth!!! My friend that has a cloth min- her car interior is covered in hair! Even with a vacuum, it still sticks! Leather cleans easier.

 

I'm sure this is very true...yikes!!! Fortunately I have no pets...that would be a real hassle!!

Another good point. I've had no problem w/ static but climate may have something to do w/ it.