I have not sat in (or seen for that matter) a Mini with Leather. I have only seen the leatherette. Real tough, fakey feeling stuff....but comfortable when sitting on it. Looking at pictures, it's amazing how plush the leather looks compared to the leatherette. Leatherette looks so dull and dead.

Does anyone have opinions on Leather vs. Leatherette?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are 3 upholstery options currently...Leatherette, Leather with inserts, and that English Panther stuff. is that right?

Ugh....the never ending dillemma's with the option list.

 

The consensus seems to me that Mini leatherettes are the best non-leathers out there for both looks and comfort.

Sorry to add to your dilemma here, but do you know the leather seats include a lumbar support ...not the leatherette. That is an issue for some people with lower back difficulties, especially on long rides.

 

From what I've seen so far the leather eventually loses its shape taking on a 'baggy panty hose' look. It doesn't impress me for that kind of extra dough.

 

Don't forget cloth. We live in the hot south and have had space cloth in both MINIs. Love it.

 

I went with Leatherette over cloth because of the durability factor. I hope some day to be able to afford some custom kazkins and replace the leatherette.

 

I went with cloth too. I very happy with it. I didn't care for the leatherette and I plan on having the car for a while and no matter how much you spend on a car the leather starts to look bad after a few years.

 

This is one of the more frequently discussed topics. It is a tough question to answer for some. I myself have been very happy with Leatherette in both of my MINIs.

A quick search will find a bunch more threads with LOTS AND LOTS of other opinions:

• Leatherette - What do you think of it?
• Leather or Leatherette?
• Leather vs Cloth vs Leatherette
• Leather vs. Leatherette
• Real Leather vs. Leatherette
• Leather versus Leatherette

...and those are just from page 1 of the search I ran. Happy reading!

 

I was in the same camp as you and couldn't decide. Originally we had the Panther Leather choosen. After all the raves of how good the Leatherette really is on the MINI, we ultimately decided on this. A scan through NAM pages and you can find images of the MINI leather seat bottoms stretching, creating a baggy look. Quite honestly, my 11 year old Audi S6 grey leather Recaro sport seats are looking pretty tatty and worn on the side bolsters and will need recovery soon - ouch. This helped the decision also.

Ok, so now that $1600 leather seats are off the option list what can I buy now... hmmmm. I proceeded to add on the front only aero spoiler, BBS R90 rims in silver, LSD and convinced the Minister of Finance (MoF) that the JCW airbox is good and is included WITH the 4yr/50k warranty from new. Yes, a little more than $1600 worth of other options, but all well worth it.

 

I have to say, I have never had a car with leather seats until now. I'm fairly rough getting in and out and constantly wear any cloth seat I've ever had. I was seriously leaning toward the leatherette, but my MA really stressed the value and luxury of the leather. After all, it is the one option you with connect with each and every ride! Added plus, besides the lumbar option mentioned above, is the shift ****. It has a leather lower half that is out of this world. The feel is outstanding. I know it's some serious money, but I was glad I made the plunge! Whatever you get, you'll find the choice that works for you.
Motor on.

 

I had black panther leather in my '02 and needed to condition the front seats frequently in warmer weather in order to keep them in good shape. Even so,
the driver's side bolster looked slightly worn.

Got black leather again in my '06. he padding is softer and the leather isn't as tight. It ripples a bit, but shouldn't develop cracks or creases like the prior version. I believe the leather is better, it feels wonderful and I expect it to
require less maintainance.

All of this aside, adjustable lumbar support made the decision a no-brainer for me.

 

I love my Blue leather seats. I will never own another car without leather. I just like the way it fells som much better.

But.. leather needs a lot more care. All the leather surfaces need to be fully conditioned every few months to keep the leather looking new. I had my last car for 5 years. I conditioned the leather 3-4 times a year. The seats still almost looked new. There were a few stretch marks on the entry to the drivers seat, but other than that they showed no other signs of wear.

 

I'm generally a fan of leather seats, and have them in my other car. When I was deciding on options for my '06 Cooper, I went back and forth between leather & leatherette - I frankly had to just about stick my nose in the seat and smell to tell much difference between the black leather and leatherette - the appearance isn't significant - I finally went with the two-tone gray leatherette, in part for durability and in part because it went well with the black&white theme (PW/Black, Piano dash). I thought about the lumbar support, but found the seats so comfortable I decided not to worry about it. Just remember to treat your leather right and conditiion occassionally if you decide to go that route.

 

Do the octogon red cloth/leather seats have lumbar support as well?

 

Thanks for all the input. First, when I did a search, I was receving results that had NOTHING to do with Leather or Leatherette. Very frustrating. SO this has been a huge help. Second, I completely forgot about Katzkins. They do incredible custom work and can do two-tone stuff. Real quality leather. That could be an option for the future.

Hmmm, keep the comments coming!

 

I didn't want leather or the fake leather, just cloth. Cloth is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. But, since I bought one with leather, I can't complain. It looks sweet, feels sweet, and is sweet.

I think the real question is adding $1200 to a $22K car is a bit much ... if considering the cost.

 

I believe the lumbar support is only available in leather.

I ordered the English Panther Black seats and have never looked back. IMO they were far more comfortable than any other seat, plus the lumbar support and the retro look made this one of my easier decisions. I think the bolstering will minimize the baggy look that the other leather gets.

The only downside is that English Panther Black is really very grey. I'd rather they were BLACK. Might look into getting them darkened.

 

Sorry

 

i have panther leather, loving it, soft, a little high maintenance, but everything has a price

 

Would the cost of leather cause you to skip other options? If so, which options are higher priority?

I didn't think I would have been that much more statisfied with leather to skip the other $1600 of options, so I went with leatherette and threw the cash into the rest of the car. I have no regrets.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...g&ppuser=22440

I meant the cloth/leather octagon tartan red.

 

Yes they do

 

Yes, they do.