Ouch... That looks like abuse.

 

I'd say the person who regularly sits in that passenger's seat has more issues than the beer getting warm.

 

Man! Can that person get any closer to the steering wheel??? I'd hate to be him/her when the air bag goes off. Ouch!

 

I too went with the punched leather and am very happy with it, feels cool,nonslip and comfortable. BTY, I have trained myself to carry my wallet in my front pocket instead of my back pocket, this really works in preventing "wallet crush" on your leather seat.

 

Anyone want to trade their leatherette for my Black Checkered cloth? I have a 2007 R56 Mini.

My Seats are very clean 6,000 miles on my new Mini I couldn't get leatherette b/c I got the car off the showroom floor. Please email me I am in CT But can travel.

 

IMHO leatherette is a must if you have kids! It holds up really well and is easy to clean. I have had it in my 1976 BMW 2002, My 1987 BMW 325, My 2004 MCS, and I have just ordered it in my 2007 MCS. I have not once regretted my decisions.

 

I've got black cloth seats I'd trade for Redwood Lounge Leather seats. I'll even throw in a wooden shift ****. Oh, and you can keep the back seats.

 

Funny. I generally put my wallet in the well under the emergency brake or in the secret compartment. Otherwise it is uncomfortable and tends to make my right leg fall asleep (or make me wish it would).

 

When I first bought my Mini I got it with Space Grey cloth. Then about 2 years ago I was able to purchase a full set of cordoba leather seats from a local salvage yard. Both were heated. I have to say on a comfort level I liked the cloth a lot better. They never seamed to sick to my thigh in hot weather or to give me that shocking cold wake up in the morning. However to me the leather really gave the car a whole different look. I love the look. I have owned a BMW Z3 that had leatherette and I would say that it is a lot like leather. Only main difference I could notice was that real leather was a lot softer and the leatherette felt hard, almost plastic like.

 

When I ordered leatherette seats, my main reason was the cost saving. Since then, I've discovered they're comfortable, easier to maintain, look like leather (but don't pucker like the real thing). And I don't go nuts when I spill something on my lap.

Couldn't be happier with my choice. Just wish they had a few color options, but the two tone grey with perforated sections is rather nice looking.

 

I guess since i stared this thread i should add to it at this point. I got my car last week and finally got the leatherette, i believe they are fantastic.

 

I choose cloth. I liked the way it looked with kind of a checkered effect. I just didn't like the look of hte others. MINI is about personalizing so I can't say why i like it, I just do.

 

I with you on the cloth. I couldn't put the extra money into leather and I think the cloth is great.

 

My personal thermostatic setting and Texas summers dictated cloth for me. I've been very pleased.

 

After a recent road trip in my girlfriend's X3 w/ leatherette I honestly find cloth more comfortable. That being said the interior in her car looks phenomenal (2 years old and looks brand new), but my 2-tones are more comfy IMHO! (not to mention add to the sporty look of my car)

 

I have 47k on my MC and have cracks in the leatherette on the driver's seat in two places. Both side bolsters on the side of the seat closest to the door have cracked. I have owned the car since 29k miles, so I can't speak to how the seats were maintained from day 1, but the material has always felt harder on the driver's side since I purchased the car. Does anyone have any idea how much the dealer charges to replace the material?

 

It would be nice if MINI offered more than one cloth seating option. I have the cloth space gray seats in my 2006 MCSa, and I absolutely love them. They look great and really make the interior of that car a little more sporty. I will likely be ordering cloth seats whenever I'm ready to move forward with an R56. Not sure about the checkered pattern though...guess I have to see it for myself. But I also generally like the look of the cloth more than the look of leather. To me, the bland smoothnes of the vinyl seats kinda defeats the whole sportiness of the interior and the whole car, making it look so much more tame. Plus, I love the breathability of cloth and how it doesn't heat up as much as leather/vinyl.

All that is my opinion, not absolute fact. Bottom line is get what you'll be happiest with. If you've never had breathability issues sitting on a vinyl or leather seat for 5 hours straight, and you think the leather or vinyl looks great, get it. For me it's all about the termperature of the seat and how breathable the material is. I avoid leather seating in all my walks of life when I can.

 

Leatherette is bomber.

 

I always go with cloth in my cars and will not purchase a new car without it. It's not hot in summer, not cold in winter, is comfortable no matter what I'm wearing or not wearing, and I can always find a look and color combo that I like.

Cloth seats can be vacuumed, shouted, or febrezed if needed.

Zip

 

Earlier in this thread were some pretty good pictures of leatherette. Does anybody have pictures of R55 or R56 cloth seats?

I ask because I'm too lazy to make the 90 mile round trip to the dealership to try to peek at them myself. Since I do not yet have a MINI, the drive is no fun. I'm particularly interested in how the R56 (Clubman) Checkered Carbon Black/Black seats look (not sure if they are the same on the R55).

 

Odd. Leatherette doesn't require all that much maintenance. That's one of the nice things about it, whereas leather requires periodic care.

Even if the car were to be left out all the time and not garaged, I can't imagine why the leatherette would get so brittle. Like was said above, years later, looks like new. Mine only has 20 months and 25,000 miles on it, but the seats still look brand new.

 

I went with the cloth due to hot days, cold nights, and less sliding around on the faster twists.

 

I got leatherette with the winter package in my '07 and it's a real problem. It's okay for about 45 minutes, but after that sweat takes over. I had a four hour drive from Delaware to NY in the Summer with the A/C working fine and my shirt and pants were sopping. I had to change clothes. On the way home, I tried the wood beads seat covers and the straw folding seat cover. Both were an improvement, but not a complete fix. To make matters worse, the button for the heated seats is right next to the travel mug holder. A couple of times I've put the travel mug down and accidentally turned on the heated seats. Yikes!

I don't know what it is with those seats. I've never had a problem like this in any other car. It's to the point where I'm seriously considering changing the seats.

If anyone has a suggestion, other than sweat gland removal, I would really appreciate it.

 

I went with leatherette. I think they look a lot nicer in my DS/B than the cloth would have. True, I'm sure they do retain a lot more heat than the cloth ones. Regardless, I liked the look of leatherette more. And being easy to clean, that's just a perk!

I also got the heated seats and premium package. Heated seats come in handy when it's still chilly outside in the mornings. The sunroof, well that's just awesome anytime!

 

Cloth breathes, plain and simple. Not iceberg-cold in winter and not pancake-griddle-hot in summer. No switches and heating elements required. I'd change the seats.

Zip