Is the leather a necessity for $1200?

 

I have the leatherette and I like it. Cleans up nice with kids, not slippery and you would think It is leather by the look. Good luck.

 

Awesome, do you have any pics of a leatherette car (any Mini)?

I honestly wouldn't know the difference if I saw it.

 

Well sheesh, you ask the question that way and I think you've already made up your mind...

IMO, the leatherette seats in the MINI are great. They do not feel like vinyl, and by look many people mistake them for leather. The feel great and have worn very well in my car (20000 miles). Leather on the other hand, seems to wear poorly in many MINIs and is quite expensive. I'd definitely go with leatherette if I were doing it again.

Good luck!

 

I didn't get the leather seats because on my test drive, I was looking at the car and said something like "I like the look of these leather seats." and the salesman said "it's the leatherette". I figured if I can't tell then neither will my friends. and then I proceeded to spend allot of money on other options!!

Go by the dealership and see what you think of both.

 

Leatherette in the Minis really looks nice, I've been impressed seeing the interiors of cars with it. I have the lapis blue leather and love it too. But, if I didn't get leather, I'd have gone for cloth... simply 'cos it doesn't make you sweat like the leatherette (vinyl) does.

I'd believe that the leatherette lasts longer than the leather. My leather is already scratched a bit, and has a small hole from my keys. But IMO nothing beats leather. :smile: The $1200 is a lot to swallow though.

 

Here's your photo !!!

 

go with leatherette, it holds up alot better then the leather and it's cheaper

 

Wow! You really can't tell a difference! Thanks.

 

I've had my car since May, it replaced an Accord w/leather. I haven't noticed a difference, even during the summer. Earlier MINIs had problems w/leather wear/quality. The only benefit would be the adjustable lumbar. For me the sport seats are very comfortable, even after a 7 hour drive.

I'd pass on the leather.

 

I went with the cloth seats because they felt more supportive than the leatherette for both myself and my wife.....I also thought the pattern in the cloth gave the interior a more exciting look and really defined the sport seats.



I know of two MINI owners who could not adjust the leatherette sport seats and get comfortable and have had to find a pillow to get proper support.

_________________
Pepper White Cooper,
Black Top & Mirrors,
Sport Seats, Fog Lights,
8 Spoke wheels, Multi-Function Steering Wheel

 

The leatherette does cause a sweat, but it's not that bad

>>I know of two MINI owners who could not adjust the leatherette sport seats and get comfortable and have had to find a pillow to get proper support.

I have to use a pillow cuz i'm too short and the lumbar support is in my upper back rather than lower back... caused a great deal of back pains before i found out what the problem was.

-nardo

 

>>I have to use a pillow cuz i'm too short and the lumbar support is in my upper back rather than lower back... caused a great deal of back pains before i found out what the problem was.
>>
>>-nardo
>>
My wife is also short and complained of the high lumbar support in the leatherette, but does not feel it in the cloth seats. They should be the same seat with just a different material covering, but they each have a different feel !

 

I like the leatherette and I think $1250 bucks for a few little pieces of leather is ridiculous. I do wish the leatherette came in different colors though.

 

My first MINI came from the dealer with the 'ette, and when I went back to order my second one, I stuck with it. The leather is nice--the Cordoba especially, but it really cannot be justified for the price. Furthermore, no offense to the leather-heads out there, but I think that the saggy leather that I've seen on cars as young as 6 months is not too attractive. The back seats especially seem to get a really sloppy, saggy look to them in no time.

Stick with the Leatherette. It looks as sharp after a year as the day you bought it (with a little Vinylex from time to time), and it's free!

 

And just to give a balanced report, the leather/leatherette/cloth issue has been discussed many times and I'd say that for every person who's complained about the leatherette making them sweat there was at least one other person who said they didn't experience that.

I think you should try it out yourself and see if you like it.

 

I'm in texas and the leatherette makes me sweat no more then my first MINI i had with leather in minnesota...so in that aspect I would say they are just fine....on the other hand I hated the leather in my first MINI - looked crap - didn't wear well - etc...only reason i got it on my first MINI is i wanted the blue/black interior....now on more recent MINIs I believe that fitment of the leather has improved, or so i've read, but I still don't thinkt he quality of it is all that great unless they switched leather.

BMW has been known to have some of the best leatherette in their cars that is on the market. Many people are fooled thinking it is real...and the leatherette in the MINI appears to be the same that is used in many of the BMWs.

personally I would choose between the leatherette and cloth and use the money for other things.

 

I had real leather in my last car and it held up alright, but after a couple years, it starts to look a little sloppy. Everyone should know by now that technology allows us to produce artifical things that very similar in look/feel, but are vastly superior in other ways. This is the leatherette.

Everyone asks black leatherette - so is it hot? Well, I burned my hand some days on the shifter ****, but I was never uncomfortable or sweating in the seats. Hey, maybe some people are just more sensitive to heat and sweat more...who knows.

Numerous people, after seeing/riding around with me were almost convinced that it was leather, You have to tell them that its not - and then they look really closely at it and ususally just end up saying something to the effect that you would never know and they look great.

People with cloth - it stains and it just looks cheap. I don't go for it at all. There's seat heaters for winter and I don't have problems during the other 3 seasons of the year (Cincinnati, OH).

Erik

 

I rented an S with leatherette seats before purchasing my S. southern ca hot and sticky. i saved the $1200 and chose the cloth. looks great and feels good too. for some reason the dealers almost never mention it but guys who like to race do.....
check it out before you decide.

 

Mmm... pleather.

 

My leatherette's terrific

 

We love it....

Chow!

Donna
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

Just as when buying a leather couch, the sags, scratching and other changes in leather seats could be framed as adding character. At least that's what a salesperson told me when trying to sell me a soft leather sofa.

But I come in with the leatherette crowd. I love mine. I could care less if people think it is actually leather or not. If anyone wishes to spend an extra $1,200 simply to impress people just a bit more that's up to you. The one advantage I saw with leather is more color combo options. For me, still not worth the $.

There are some nice cloth options IMO, but with dogs the leatherette seemed a much easier and durable choice. Happy here I chose leatherette but hope those that chose otherwise enjoy their choice.

 

I got the chance to visit a leatherette ranch. I got to tell you, those leatherette cows are treated quite nicely. They roam freely in the synthetic fields and are quite social creatures. (One walked right up to me and kinda nuzzled my shoulder.)

You know, these leatherettes would not be alive if not for the auto seat market. I like to think that by having leatherette seats in my MCS, I've provided a nice, if short, life for these tender beasts.

Gos speed.

 

I agree that the leatherette seats in the MINI are great. The feel and look wonderful. I did not go for the leather for two reasons 1)cost and 2) I have a dog that loves to MOTOR. He unfortunatley brings in all kinds of grit, dirt, clay and sand to the interior seats. With the leatherette it cleans up easiy and does not hurt the finish. I have had leather before and the dog was murder on it. With the money that I did not spend on leather, I was able to get more features that I wanted.

On the other hand, if you are keeping resale in mind, most buyers like to have a car with leather. There are some that look for non-leather cars for various reasons, but the majority ask for leather on resale. This really was not an issue for me as I want to keep this car for a long time.

Aren't the MINI's great that you have so many choices right from the factory?