Well as the day nears for me to order my MINI convertible, I was wondering what you all thought about getting the Leatherette or the Leather.

How has each held up in your application?

Please mention things like durability, resistance to tears, punctures, cleaning as well as wear spots, shape maintaining etc..

Thanks for your help! Its most appreciated!

Pete

PS. Still not sure about cloth.. The cloth seats for the '08's look kinda cheap for such a nice car..

 

I have an '02 MCS with the leather seats, and, despite very low miles (32,000), they are in excellent condition. As leather ages, it aquires character. As leatherette ages, it aquires cracks.
If you keep the leather clean and treated with a good conditioner (like Lexol), they will last indefinitely. The only advantage to a fabric interior is comfort; warmer in Winter, cooler in Summer.
If God had intended man to sit on leatherette, He wouldn't have wrapped cows in leather.
I'm just sayin'....

 

Leather! I've never had an issue with mine, besides the normal (I hope) "cracks" or lines on the corner of the seats (when you slide out). They are very comfortable (more so than cloth and leatherette imo), and offer lumbar support. Also, they look nicer, and will help with re-sale value if the time comes.

-Cody

 

My leatherette is 5 years old and looks brand new....people often think it's leather, and to me it was an easy choice to save the $1600 bucks the leather cost over the no-cost option of very durable leatherette.

 

I have the Leaterette and it is great, but for your car I would go with leather. It's an awsome car and I would expect to find leather in it.

 

I just sold my 06 Mini with cloth seats. They were comfortable but a little abrasive, and not much slide when getting out of the car. I always got a static shock getting out. I'm ordering leather on my 08, and I'm curious if the Punch Leather offers a noticable difference in breathability over Lounge Leather. If its hot out you are going to sweat regardless what material you have.

 

It is a convertible; you might want to consider leatherette.

Leatherette will crack over time, though mine has not. The leather seats in MINIs look terrible, though, even when new. They will tend to look worse over time--stretched and ill-fitting rather than exhibiting the alleged added character. If you want leather worth having then a different make of car is worth considering.

 

The leatherette used in MINIs has a very unnatural smell to it, at least it always has in my sister's '02.

Properly conditioned throughout it's life, the leater seats in my MINI rival those of Mercedes and Lexus. Buttery soft leather is possible, you just have to condition every 2 weeks or so.

 

I've never been a fan of leatherette in general, I prefer cloth seats, so I've never lived with leatherette. What I do like is the half cloth/half leather seats, they're the most comfortable ones I've sat in, though individual comfort may depend on your size. The cloth seats in Quentin are somewhat snug, the half and half ones are just a bit wider. The half and half also come with the lumber support adjustment, the cloth ones (without the adjustment) maybe slightly too contoured.

sailorboy mentioned the cloth being a little abrasive, the quality of the cloth seemed to change between Quentin (05) and Tristan (07, with half and half). Tristan's cloth does have a rougher texture, but I never noticed until someone asked a question about it. With the half and half you're usually rubbing over the leather portions, unless you wear shorts, when you might notice it under your legs (i never wear shorts).

The half and half are also a bit cheaper than the full leather option. Though the annoying thing is MINI is somewhat capricious about what seat options they'll allow with which exterior colour, you can't get the half and half, or even cloth seats with Nightfire red, and they only come in red or blue and have to match the exterior colour (though black/white/silver can choose either). They don't have the option of black ones like they do in Europe.

We've never owned a MINI long enough to really test durability, we've never had a problem with any of the seats.

 

2005 for 3 years with leatherette. It holds up great. No one believes that its not leather. It fools them all. I got it because the leather was junky. Now with the better grades of leather available, like english, I may be more tempted. But not for $2k. When I speck my next mini I always take the leatherette.

no holes, no tears, no dirt looks like its new. Note I now have a 8year old and a 2 year old. So its been through its paces.

 

Leather seats can chip, crack and generally wear pretty quickly. Here is just one thread on the matter:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hlight=leather

As for leatherette cracking ...my neighbors '02 has 115K on it and a friend has an '03 with 95K on it and both of their leatherette seats look good as new with no maintenance whatsoever other than the occasional vacuum.

I'd imagine that if you are good about keeping leather well conditioned it should hold up ...but, if you don't, they will crack, chip and fade. You just need to decide if you are up for the maintenance they require. Are you okay with the idea of conditioning your seats every two weeks or so? Not me ...I like seats that I can ignore and will still look great forever.

I didn't choose my leatherette as I bought my car off the lot and its what was in it. Having owned it for a year now, I'd certainly get it again. Everyone that sees it thinks its leather, it smells just fine, its soft and comfy and I saved a bunch of money. And when I open my door in the pouring rain and soak my seat I don't have to worry about getting the water off before it creates spots.

No question, leather is classier ...but it can be a PITA.

There is no right answer here for the masses and everyone will just tell you to get what they like best, when of course, you should get what you like best.

Dean.

 

70k on my leatherette interoir. it looks great and it holds up great when me and my basset hound go for a ride and he slobbers and drools everywhere. Not to mention his nails digging into the seats on tight corners.

letherette is easy to clean, a damp rag or sponge will clean up most spots, and armor all for a little protective coating and you are good to go.

 

The MINI leatherette is much better quality vinyl than the quality of the leather. The leather MINI uses stretches, scratches, and is pretty low-grade stuff. If you want good quality leather, get an Audi.

I've got the leatherette in my `05, and it holds up well, lets you slide around less than the smooth leather, and requires no maintenance. IMHO, the leatherette was a good decision.

 

Pete,

As you can see the opinions vary considerably.
You might ask, how can this be?

Reason is the leather on earlier MINIs 2002-2003 wasn't as good as today or in recent years. Now you have full leather, leather and cloth, and lounge leather (very good but expensive).

I have a 2003 MCS with Lapis Blue leather and while it is a bit cracked and worn on the drivers seat back upper outer edge (partly due to sunlight I suspect), the passenger and rear seat are perfect (6 years and 45K miles).

I would expect that the newer leathers are much improved and better quality control.

Durability-
Overall my Lapis leather has done well, nearly new looking, feels firm, only one person most of the time, parked indoors mostly, tinted windows, some cracks only on seat back side bolster.
Resistance to tears & punctures-
No tears or punctures in any location. Leatherette is resistant but can be damaged.
Ease of cleaning-
Leatherette would be easiest to clean unless you spilled paint. Leather easy to clean up moisture. Leather cleaner works well at least once per month. Good hide food or leather conditioner essential- treat monthly.
Ease of Maintenance-
Relatively easy for leatherette, just wipe down. Leather requires care and cleaning- don't buy it if you won't keep up. Sunlight and heat is never good on leather- a consideration for any cabrio or MINI parked mostly outside.
Wear spots-
Two areas to look- seat bottom, check for sagging and stretching-more so on early leather seats-Driver side, and side bolster on drivers side from movement into and out of seat and rubbing on clothes.
Shape maintaining-
For me, overall very very good. Leather feels firm and taught but not hard. Not a buttery soft like fine italian leather, not as soft as lounge leather. My Lapis leather was about $1250 option in 2003.

Special considerations-
For a cabrio exposure to the elements- sun wind rain would be a factor. If the MINI is a daily driver you might be getting more wear. If the MINI is for weekends and pleasure then I'd recommend leather.

For me, nothing is as nice as a new car with leather that smells good. I had a pretty good leather smell for the first three years.

If you have a higher grade of leather in mind or maybe a custom color or pattern then you can get basic cloth seats and take them to an auto upholstery shop and add good aftermarket leather for about $1000+.

If you have small children, pets or sports in mind then easiest is leatherette or cloth (still could stain). Crayons, pens, pencils, etc can leave a mark on any upholstery.

If you plan on covering your seats (which I have seen in cabrios) then it doesn't really make sense to spend more on leather. Cloth or leatherette makes sense.

If you live in a hotter climate leather can be a little uncomfortable and sweaty unless you run your AC or top down. Cloth would be OK or leather and cloth. In colder weather leather with cold weather package is nice, otherwise leather can feel colder until it warms up.

Lounge leather-
In my opinion it's the best leather option for the MINI ever. It looks and feels really nice. It costs more but anyone that appreciates MINIs would know. Definitely worth a look for those partial to leather. It really shows well and dresses up the MINI so anyone can tell that MINI is no small economy car. Plus it's covered under your warranty and paid for under your car financing or lease.

 

Leatherette cracking? Not likely. BMW/MINI leatherette is likely the most durable component on the whole car. Good leather can be fantastic, assuming that you don't mind one seat looking a lot more worn than the other, etc.

But, in my world (usually just me in the car) leatherette looks and feels new for far longer. Doesn't breathe like cloth (but neither does leather) but doesn't look like it either.

 

I was in the same situation when I was ordering my Cooper S. A friend of mine had a 3 series with leatherette and looked great for a car being 3 or 4 years old. The car I had before the MINI had leather and I took great care of it but it still wrinkled. So I went with the leatherette and have no regrets.

But, this is all up to you!

 

Here's my .02 worth....

Regardless if you buy leather or leatherette, it's a convertible. Having said that, you'l probably get some wet okole seat covers.... and if that's the case, leather or leatherette under the covers probably won't make much difference.

My last 3-4 cars, I've always bought leather. If I were ordering new, I'd probably buy leather. HOWEVER, my cabrio has leatherette and I have to honestly say, that it's MUCH more durable and easier to clean than any leather seat I've ever had.

They clean easy, require MUCH LESS maintenance and are far more durable. All leather seats will stretch and crack over time. Obviously, if the car is hardly driven or always parked in a garage, they'll last longer but eventually they will stretch. Take a look at member's pics and the cars that have a fair amount of usage (not a garage queen) seem to have a ripple/hump on the driver's seat.

As much as I like leather, I'd say go with the leatherette....especially with a cabrio. (heat kills)

Mark

 

"70k on my leatherette interoir. it looks great and it holds up great when me and my basset hound go for a ride and he slobbers and drools everywhere. Not to mention his nails digging into the seats on tight corners."

My ex-wife was prone to the same things.....
I say go for the leather. The extra maintenance isn't that big a deal, and I think it looks better.
But, as has been said repeatedly, it's your decision.
Good luck whichever way you go, and let us know what you finally decide.

 

The leatherette is beginning to crack on my girlfriend's brother's 2005 by the left thigh bolster.

 

She slobbered and drooled everywhere too?

Wow, that's harsh.... she could have at least cut her nails so it wouldn't dig into the seats on tight corners.



Mark

 

Our 04 has Leatherette

Given a choice, I would always opt for real Leather in my cars.
Real Leather breathes, leather"ette" does not.......yes it wears longer and is waterproof......but those qualities usually do not translate to comfort.

 

What I ment with my comment about buttery soft was that the texture was soft, the leather is still firm and holds its shape.

 

I treat my leatherette like leather... using the better leather cleaner on it. Makes it smell like leather and no one is the wiser.

 

My 03 MC has 110k miles on it. The leather is in excellent condition. I DO NOT treat it every other week. I treat it maybe every month to every other month. I live in south Florida, so there is tons of sun. There is no fading or cracking at all other than a pretty nasty scratch. Looks great! Both seats look good. I wouldn't trade the leather for any other material.

 

if u like to sit on a cow, be my guest