I have the Lapis blue leather on my '02 MCS and would NOT get it again.... it looks very very good, but the driver's seat is looking rough from wear and tear. Maybe I had a pen in my back pocket, might have been buttons on the pocket flaps... I don't know... but it's got lots of tears in the surface which will not be covered by warranty due to it being wear and tear, no manufacturing defect. I doubt cloth or vinyl would have done the same.

The money is better spent on other options, insurance, tires, etc...

 

I don't understand how leather can hold a higher resale value,if it cracks,sags,and looks worn.I'm happy with the leatherette,looks good,easy to take care of,and after 28+k miles of driving mostly solo in the car,the drivers seat looks just like the passenger seat.

 

Yeah at resale you may get $500.00 more than if u don't have leather, but how is that better resale value, when u paid $1,300.00 more for the car when it was new????

 

I forgot to ask this and the last time I was at the dealer I forgot to look for it:

When you get the leather package, does it come with a matching shift boot?

There are dealer-installed options for beige or black leather shifter and ebrake boots. Do those get included with the $1300 leather deal or do they have to be purchased separately?

 

The only reason to get leather would be to **** off PETA. I don't think that's worth $1350 though.

 

all you leatherette freaks are sour graping bahhhh I don't want to sit on plastic!!!
Larry

 

The MINI's "Leather" seats feel more like "Plasti-leather" to me. What a waste of $$$ for the "cowhide" smell.

Actually leatherette is high quality vinyl and comes from the finest breed plastic cows in Bavaria.

 

i have the space gray cloth and i live it. as stated above, it is so much easier to get in on a hot day. :smile:

 

My '02 Cooper had the black cloth and I loved it and was going to order the Space Cloth on my new '05 MCS until the MA said have you seen the new gray & black leatherette. It's listed as gray leatherette on the MINI USA web site, but it's a really dark gray with a lighter gray seat insert. He showed me an S that had just come in and it is beautiful. Changed my order. Now waiting for production the first week of October, week 41. Wait, wait, wait...

 

Leatherette and cloth may be alot easier to maintain, but............how do they feel?

 

We got leather in our Lexus so we aren't missing a thing. That $1300 saved provides a lot of real steak dinners. Besides, everything is plastic in our Mini so why change things and have cowhide installed.

 

feels a little rubbery but thats a good thing cause something has to hold my butt in place when I hang turns.

 

Leatherette is a direct desendant of nahgahide,circa 1955,and anyone born that year knows it comes from nahgas,that feed only on the best indoor outdoor carpets

 

I am the biggest sweater that you will ever see. That said I got the letherette with some apprehension. I read hear on NAM that it does not breath and you will sweat alot. I have not found this to be the case. I find it quite cummfy to sit on. Is it soft like leather, No. But BMW leather is not soft like leather either and at $1350 is a big waste of money for a poor product. I made the decision to order the letherette and if it was too sweaty I'd get the aftermarket leather sooner rather than later. I wont get katskin I will go down to a local shop and get custom.

I got the letherette just cuz the real BMW leathers quality stinks and cloth gets too dirty. That said dont worry about what choice you make. just go motor.

 

I got Space Cloth because it's grippiest of the bunch (read: performance driving/racing). I wasn't thrilled with the cost or quality of the leather, and subsequently the cachet and aura got overruled. That said, in retrospect, I really dig the industrial aesthetic of the two-tone silver/black cloth with my Alloy Patina

 

I'm at 10K with no issues with the panther black leather in my MCS. I have used the Zaino leather treatment twice during this time. Holding up well with only one complaint, it warms the buns. I haven't driven a MCS with cloth or leatherette, so I can't compare. In 2003, the option was $1250. I would get it again without second guessing the decision.

 

I just put some vinyl and rubber enriching stuff and the leatherette seats grab the booty even more now.

 

Agreed: leatherette grips booty better than leather

 

Can any of the leather package owners answer this question?

 

I believe the shift boot and ebrake boot are the same regardless of whether you get leather or not. I'm not sure. I have the leather package, but never really noticed what these look like on non leather Coopers.

 

I have the leather sets, but I must say I am VERY impressed with the cloth seats. I hadn't seen cloth seats in a while, and I think MINI did a fantastic job with them.

 

The shifter boot and hand brake surround in my 2003 MCS with panther black leather does not match my interior leather (it's black but not the same leather, if it's leather at all). You'll have to go with an aftermarket vendor to accomplish this.

 

My steering wheel and shift boot are leather,I have a MC sport with leatherette.Love my steering wheel.

 

This is what I find confusing. On the spec sheets from miniusa, it says:

" Leather upholstery with leather steering wheel and gear shift $1,300 "

But I can't find that same wording on the 'official spec sheet' or anywhere in the configurator. The configurator has dealer installed options for a leather shifter or ebrake boot in either panther black or cordoba beige.

I'm thinking that I should save a copy of the miniusa spec sheet and use it to negotiate a free leather shifter if it is not there at delivery.

 

My first MCS had black "Leatherette"...okay, "vinyl". And it had the sunroof. Very bad combination, IMHO.

On summer days, the seats became very slippery with perspiration... not from exertion, but from baking (basking?) as the sun's rays poured through the large glass area. Windows up/down, roof closed/open, made no difference. AC helped some.

My current MCS has lapis/black leather, which breathes well, and no sunroof. :smile:

My vote: cloth or leather... avoid the vinyl.
Mike