Hello all! I will be ordering a MCS JCW CR/W in about 6 weeks (the wait is killing me!:impatient). I love leather, I want leather, but the leather is cutting it close on our budget. What is the material that MINI calls leatherette? Vinyl? Something else? I remember reading about a new faux leather that is used by Mercedes or BMW (can't remember who, just know that it was a German Automaker) that has many of the traits of leather. Does the leatherette breathe like leather, wear like leather? Or is it vinyl with just another name? I plan on keeping this vehicle for life, so I want to get everything right.



Eric F.

Chas., SC

 

Hi, I just ordered my CR JCW! I too wondered if the leather was worth the extra dough. I decided on the leatherette after the test drive. It felt as good as the leather on many other cars and didn't think the real leather that the dealer had on another car felt that much better. However, when I went in to order, they had a car with the English leather option...wow, that felt nice! Very soft, but it would have put me waaay over budget (I was already over budget ordering the JCW!!). If you can afford it, I might splurge for the English leather, but I woudn't pay extra for the regualr leather.

 

I was not going to respond to your question about the choice between leather and "leatherette" but you said that you would keep this car for life. I am not sure how old you are or if you consider life to be the next 10 years, but to answer your question.

The leatherette is a high grade vinyl. It will wear much better than the leather over the "life" of the vehicle. The leather wears from the constant rubbing when you slid into the seat. Leather also cracks and fades unless you are very careful to maintain it. The vinyl is a very good compromise, it is not as soft as leather and not as comfortable but will wear better.

Good luck

 

My wife is an ardent fan of leather and she freaked out when she learned that the MINI I was purchasing had a leatherette interior. After speaking to the MA (he said most people mistake it for leather) she was at ease a little bit; after seeing the car and sitting in the seats she's very happy with the leatherette.

As others have said, the leatherette wears much better and will likely last longer than the leather. It looks nice, doesn't feel like vinyl at all, and doesn't require the type of care that leather does. In a convertible (which we have) the seats are exposed to the sun more and leatherette handles that better.

So be at ease if you choose leatherette...you'll be satisfied. Still, the english leather is very attractive and if I was getting a hard top and could afford it I'd get it. Here's a picture: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...33&postcount=6

Are you near a dealer? Just go on down and look at a couple of interiors.


Paul

 

I'm in my late 30s and consider for life to be 30 to 40 years. I have a state vehicle that I drive for work, so I won't be putting a whole lot of miles on the MINI. I have a Miata that I put less than 30k miles on it in 7 years and I have 24 more years until retirement, so at 4k to 5k miles a year, I looking at between 96k and 120k miles on the vehicle in 24 years.

I'm mostly worried about the breathability of the leatherette since I live in a humid area of the country.

Eric F.

 

If you are worried about breathability get the cloth.
I won't consider leather, unless the difference btw vinyl and leather is great.
I had 2 bmw 3 series b4 the mini, and there was almost no diff btw vinyl and leather. Now on a 5 series, you can get an upgraded leather, which is real nice, but otherwise, not worth it.

I too think the English leather, with the pleated look is a nice option, but very pricey!!!!

 

Leatherette is a pretty good choice. "Genuine leather" is natural and WILL wear, how fast depends on how good it is. My 535is's leather wore like iron but my Miata showed considerable wear after a couple of years. Likewise, my Tahoe showing wear but not as bad as the Miata.

You get what you pay for. My MCS has space cloth - I don't miss the leather one bit.

 

Is space cloth available again? That stuff beats the base cloth all to hell.

I'm a fan of cloth seats for breathability, and I also enjoy heated seats. I really enjoy the leather on my car - I bought used and it was 'free'. Sadly, I don't have the cold weather package, but with the leather it really does warm up fast. I keep them nice and soft with my Meguiar's, and you can't beat the smell...

If I still lived in Florida it would be cloth or nothing else, all things considered.

Good luck with your choices!

 

I love leather. I can instantly tell if a car has real leather, and the grade of the leather. I also take proper care of my leather. I fully condition it 4-6 times a year. My last car was 5 years old and the leather looked almost brand new.

I have an '06 MCS HB/B with HB interior and Blue Lapis leather. The color combo is perfect.

And you have to love the smell of new leather!

 

Another consideration: only the leather seats get the adjustable lumbar support, and the seat part is longer, i.e. it extends further forward and thus gives better support if you have long legs.

The bad news is that the leather Mini uses is fairly thin, and tends to develop sags.

I have the vinyl, but wish I had paid for the leather because of the shape of the seats. Anyone want to trade? Panther Black vinyl heated seats available to trade for leather...

 

Oh, that's right! I've forgotten about that. So leatherette is out.


Eric F.

Chas., SC

 

i've got the english leather (even more to that budget line and like it a lot. it feels more substantial than the regular leather and it looks damn cool.

 

As far as I know (I had a 2005 MC with leather sports seats and have just traded it in (Mini repurchased it because it had chronic issues that they couldn't fix) for a 2006 MCS with leatherette sports seats), the only difference in the seats themselves is the adjustable lumbar support. I haven't noticed any difference in the seat length between the two - as far as sports seats are concerned. Not sure about the regular (non-sports) seats.

I too am a big fan of leather and only after repeated comparisons between the two (leather and leatherette) at my dealership did I decide to go with the leatherette. I noticed that I hadn't really used the lumbar adjustment in my 2005 MC and the leatherette sports seats felt just as comfortable (guess the non-adjustable lumbar happened to fit me jut right). This along with the numerous posts on this forum singing the praises of the leatherette seats convinced me to go with it for my new MCS.

Would've loved to get the English Leather, but, it was just too expensive...

-MediocreFred.

 

3 MINIs and all have been ordered with leatherette!!! The best!!!!

 

I love leather seats, but I have leatherette. In fact the reason I most wanted the leather was to get the two tone (black with yellow). To make a long story short. I guilted myself into leatherette (same reason I don't eat veal, yada, yada, yada). I have to say I like my leatherette very much. My wife has cloth seats in her MINI and she has a tougher time keeping them clean (hair really sticks to them).

I think the only wrong choice (IMO) is cloth. You'll be happy with the leatherette for life. But if you're a fan of leather... well you only live once.

Cheers!

 

You just have to try it yourself - maybe you can get a Mini or BMW loaner/rental to test it out before you commit. On paper it sounded good but after having many BMW loaners with it (the latest a brand new X3 a week or so ago, ug) we just do not like it at all - its harder then leather and the feel just, without insulting anyone I'll just say we don't like it. I'd get it on a 'vert then get seat covers for sure.

The leather does require some TLC but lasts well, and feels great along the way, if you do take care of it. Ultimately though, as you find on even the finest car with a leather interior after years of use, it will likely need some restuffing/refitting or repair/replacement of wearing bits by a professional, but that is just what people do if they keep a car they love for a long time - like paint it shows wear and tear, as do other things on the car, and if the owner is of the mindset to want the car perfect they have it taken care of.

 

I love the smell of the leather ...but I hate how they look all stretched out (and especially on the Mini) after very short use.:impatient And what I love about the leatherette is how they will look new, forever. ...Plus this isn't a $50k sports car - it doesn't need leather

 

The new English leather is nice but personally spending upwards $1,300 on leather upholstery on a MINI is a huge waste of money IMHO. But if you have greenbacks to burn, well then go for it.

The leatherette is a fantastic material and wears better than leather or cloth upholstery. My wife's MINI is almost 4 years old and the seats still look brand new. All the maintenance they need is occassional use of Vinylex cleaner/conditioner and presto, you are ready to go. For those of you thinking about kids or that already have kids, the leatherette seats are an excellent choice as they provide nearly bulletproof resistance to food/beverage stains and best of all they are great for people that suffers from allergies.

Cloth seats are disgusting, sorry if that offends anyone. The nasty and creepy microscopic stuff that lives in the cloth seat fibers is enough to make anyone puke. Cloth seats are smelly, absorb body sweat and are a PITA to clean if someone accidentally spills their latte on them.

I live in hot and humid Miami, FL and the black panther leatherette seats have not been an issue during the 9-10 long summer months we have down here. Not sticky, no sliding problems and very comfortable overall.

 

I have the english leather and love it- I wouldn't have ordered regular leather over leatherette personally.

 

The MINI's leather options are a rip off quite honestly. The English leather being more of a rip off. Both are very low quality compared to BMW leather, which costs between the two and far more of the interior of the BMW is covered in it. Having said that, I'm happy with my leather over the leatherette and would opt again. My logic is that you spend too much time there to compromise. I'd have a hard time justifying the English leather for the MINI, as it helps bring the price of the MINI closer to that of real cars. I spent almost $26K on my MINI, and that was quite enough for what it is, and what it isn't.

 

I don't agree with you on that, I found that the normal BMW leather in the E46s was not better then the current MCS leather, if anything the texture of the way it was dyed was not as nice and the Lapis Mini leather I have now actually feels thicker and more resiliant. The M cars, on the other hand, have much better Nappa leather which is nice and soft but, like any, prone to wear if you are not somewhat careful about dragging yourself across the bolsters, for instance.

All leather (and even vinyl if you are heavy), from what I've had and seen on all sorts of cars, will stretch some at the seat - from what I remember an upholsterer saying it can be remedied with more stuffing for not much $, but I can't be sure about this since that conversation was awhile ago and, of course, your results will vary.

 

I've had 2 E46s, both leather, both sport package, and there's no comparison between both of those cars and my leather clad MINI S. I'm not looking for butter soft leather, just thick, quality, nice consistent grain, and well stitched up. The MINI falls short in all categories, and because there's about half as much of it (less than half actually), it's a rip off, plain and simple.

 

I think a 'rip off' is determined by perceived value of the consumer- personally I spent $34k on the mini and felt it was a good deal for what it is and what it isn't. As I found it 3 days old on a lot as I was going in to order and opted to skip a 5-6 month wait, I wouldn't have ordered the English Leather but to me the extra 'ridges' add comfort over standard mini seats and I like the look/feel quite a bit.

While it may not be a 'real' car < > , it was significantly cheaper than other options I was looking at (E46 M3, Carrera S, Cayman, 540 Sport) and I don't feel ripped off at paying $1700 for the option whatsoever.

 

It's all subjective: Tell that poor cow that gave its life for your tender butt, that it's hide isn't worth $1300.

 

I have leather, and wish I would've gone with the Leatherette. It's lighter and will wear better. I don't know if it was already mentioned but, I think the cloth and Leatherette don't have lumbar support. If that's a problem then you might splurge and get leather. All in all, my leather is already cracking and hasn't been the best choice. Go with leatherette, save $$ and it will wear better!!