okie, so now i know that the grey/black leatherette option on a MC DOES change the doors grey, I am again wondering what interior to get, haha... I do like the grey, but just not sure I guess till I see it in person. I'm not a huge fan of the panther black leatherette since it makes the whole interior so dark. My only other option is the space cloth (as I am upgrading to sport seats) but I am soooo sick of cloth seats...

This is the last thing I have to settle, so can we get a vote going on which you all like better, haha...

 

Of course this is a very personal choice. In my BEP MCS I have the Panther Black leatherette as well as the Anthracite trim and roofliner. My rear three windows are also tinted 80%, so all in all I have a very dark interior, with a rather dark purple exterior. I really like the dark interior in my MINI, makes me feel my MINI is a bit mysterious.

If you want to lighten the mood a little but want to stick with the no cost options then I would recommend the silver grey leatherette. I don't think you should mind the grey door panels, it will look good!

If you are willing to spend a little then there is the Cordoba Beige leather.

Exterior colour can make a huge difference (especially with the beige) and I don't believe that you mentioned it in your post. In my opinion, unless you want cloth for breathability, stick to the leatherette, it is great, easy to clean, wears well and lasts a long time! In my dealership we see returned 02's and 03's with leatherette and very few have any issues. Usually the wear is on the plastic trim on the back of the seats or the side panels.

Good luck with your choice, whatever it is you can't lose, its a MINI!

 

Cloth stains.

 

I can understand being tired of cloth..................but...................if you live in Houston there might be a case to be made for optimizing for climatic conditions. Cloth might get less sticky in the heat, but it's your call. FWIW, space cloth is very nice and also something of a traditional fabric for Minis, if that gets your imagination going.

 

cloth here. I'm not frying my legs on any pleather, and the wife likes to wear the miniskirts.

 

I'd go with the gray/black leatherette no matter what color the door panels are.

The first MINI I drove had cloth seats and they looked cheap to me. Most people think my pleather is real leather. It's also very easy to keep clean and after almost three years still looks brand new.

 

my votes for the space grey cloth - just a personal preference.

 

Yes... Yes... and more Yes! I have an 03 MCS with leather and an 05 MCS with the leatheret... The letheret is softer and cleaner looking. Plus, everyone argues with me when I tell them its not real leather. My opinion would be the leatheret but either way you can't go wrong... its a MINI!

 

I originally opted for the cloth seats but after more research I knew I could not do without the sport seats and to avoid the cloth. I am soooo glad that I did! Yeah if you have a sunroof it could get a little warm in the summer but its worth it. Stay away from the cloth

 

I have leatherette, it does not breath very well and in the hot FL weather if I don't have the A/C on my back and @ss get damp. I like to drive with the windows down mostly but this time of the year if I don't want the just sat in a wet lawn chair look I need the A/C

 

LOL, ok, well figured I'd get mixed votes, haha. I do like the look of the leathrette the most and I want something that can stay clean/wears well. However, I DO live in Houston and it is hot, but I DON'T plan on living here the rest of my life either! I will probably still go with the leathrette, and thanks for all the opinions

 

Maybe some folks just sweat more than others. I live in Arkansas and the leathrette is no problem for me. Of course, I do use the air-conditioning most of the time in the summer.

 

Sounds good!!!

 

I preferred the cloth. When wearing dress pants or nice slacks and driving in an *ahem* spirited fashion, I'd be sliding around too much in my seat during some hard turns. Not as much a problem in the cloth seats...

 

Depending on your exterior, you could get the tartan red cloth/red panther leather(what i ordered). You get the functionality of cloth and the luxuriousness of leather...plus it looks SWEEEEET!

 

I know very few people who appear that they could possibly slide around in any MINI seat. I guess there are a few, but if there're over ten years old, there're very rare.

 

My exterior is going to be chili red / black roof & mirrors... I discussed it with my dad and he says cloth and swears against the leathrette since he said he had it once and would always burn himself when wearing shorts! He then did a test and told me to touch my dash (in my current Honda Civic) and said that is what the seats would feel like after being in the sun a while... it was bloody hot, so I'm not really sure now... I mean, I don't plan to spend the rest of my life in Houston either!

Also, my dad said something about the 'film' that accumlates on the inside of cars on the windshield and that the leatherette would contribute to that since it's caused by stuff in the plastics in the car?!?!?!??!

 

My 03 MCS leatherette still looks great with little care. My wife puts a towel on the seat when it's really hot because they do not breathe. And don't let the hot sun directly hit it.

The dealers rarely show the cloth versions, wonder why? Are they wearing well?

(And the Tartan Red/Leather combo is awesome, but $800 extra for leather bolsters and the entire back seat is cloth? Seems like a lot.)

Good luck.

regards,
Red

 

Well, your Dad's right about the gases, but it's not just the leatherette, it's all the plastics in the car's interior, i.e. the dash, the mats, the steering wheel, etc. After awhile, you won't get so much buildup on the windows, just have to keep after them.

And yes, if the sun sits in the hot sun the seats will be hot. But I'd trade that off for cloth seats that also get warm in the sun, your hot sweaty butt and back stains 'em, etc. They do retain odors, too. As others said, a simple towel will keep the hot seat away, or I've also seen those old fleece setups too.

I have the leatherette (no surprise) and am very happy w/ it. I've seen numerous posts about the leather not being "top quality" and seat wear, "wrinkling", etc that make me glad I put my money into other things.

 

I've had both the space cloth and the leatherette in a MINI. I totally prefer the leatherette. It wears better, stays clean, and still looks brand new after two years. Yes, it gets hot in the summer sun, and yes, I do live in the South. Just keep a small towel folded up in your door cubby, and you can keep your legs from getting burned when you're wearing shorts or a MINI-skirt!

 

One other thing - will it eventually start cracking? I heard vinyl does that eventually? One of the reasons I hate cloth is that all your sweat, etc. soaks into it and they retain odours, stains so easily...

 

Cloth is washable. Leather isnt :(

 

very true... but the leatherette is 'wipeable'

I'll figure it out eventually!

 

Plus U get adjustable lumbar supports, not available with cloth or l'ette.... WELL worth the extra $$ especially if U like decent lower back support. JB