Since the MCS will be my second car, I have to eliminate a lot of options to save on the final price. One of the things that I must sadly eliminate is leather upholstery (oh I love leather!). So I went for the standard leatherette -- the two-color combo of grey and black. My friend's leatherette in his Audi is actually pretty nice and you would never know it didn't come off the back of a cow.

The dealership I ordered my MCS from didn't have a Mini on the lot with leatherette at the time of order, so I am hoping someone can share their experience with their own leatherette and maybe even share a picture or two, or a hundred?

Thank you!

You will be very happy with leatherette. Alot more wear for the money, even tho leather is very nice, just sometimes not the most practicle.
Enjoy your new Mini.

my 06 had leatherette. it was nice, considering that i have never owned a car w/ leather/leatherette. this weekend i pick up my new mini, which does have leather. i will be able to tell you the difference after sunday.

beyond that, it's hot. it's all hot. leather, leatherette... sticky-sticky hot. uggg. i hate summer.

electrique,

Was your '06 a Cooper? If not, what was it and why do you no longer have it (if you don't mind me asking)?

Thanks.

It's great! It looks great and wears better than leather, plus it saves $1700! I love it and dont regret not getting the leather for a second!

This is sounding good to my ears. More input! More input!

Everyone (including myself) thought I had leather seats for the first 9 months of ownership. Then I found the trick to check, less work for me (cleanign interor is now easier) and I just won't remember to correct someone when the mention my leather seats.

I have the Leather in my 2003 MCS and my wife's Cooper has the leatherette.

I have done my best to take care of my leather, but there are areas where it is cracking, stretched, and wrinkled. MINI uses rather cheap quality leather and I wish I had saved the money and gotten the leatherette instead.

In contrast, the leatherette on my wife's Cooper looks and feels like leather and has no blemishes or wear spots at all and should continue to look perfect for years to come while my leather will just look worse and worse.

Put that extra $$$ towards other options.

P.S. After owning 2 MINI's, the worst options for the money are:

1) leather seats
2) sunroof that makes your MINI into a living hell of a greenhouse in the summer
3) Automatic Climate Control which I always have to try to trick to make it do what I really want.

Knowing this, we saved a LOT of money on my wife's Cooper by ordering options we wanted instead of going for the packages.

OK, the leatherette looks good, will last forever and you didn't pay $1700 for it.

There is no doubt that the leatherette is easy to clean and inexpensive. A damp towel gets everything off. My only complaint is that it does not breathe. No matter what time of the year it is, my shirt is always sticking to my back when I get out. I haven't experienced the cloth or leather seats, so I can't speak for them, but the leatherette gets hot.

Even on the hottest day, I'll always have clothes between me and the seat, so direct contact won't be an issue. If it is hot enough for me to sweat, I'll sweat whether it's leather, cloth or leatherette. My other car has leather, and on hot days I still sweat. The question is this: will I sweat with leatherette at slightly lower temperature? I don't know, but I have never sweat in my buddy's audi with leatherette -- he has air conditioner. (So will the MCS that I ordered.)

It was laid to rest.

See here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=72203

OH YES, OH YES!

Maybe some photos will help???

I've got anthricite doors and black leatherette. MCS sport seats.







Hope these help, if you want I can get some daylight photos tomorrow.

Sorry to hear but glad it wasn't you guys. Gunner did well. Enjoy your new Mini with leather!

WOW. Moter On, that looks great! Yes, more photos, if it's not too much trouble. a picture is worth a million words. In this case, a bunch of pictures for a billion words!

Thanks!

Forecast is for sun tomorrow so I'll bring the camera and get some shots, no longer have the full back seat in but hopefully the front will help your choice. Not sure where you are but I also highly reccomend heated seats, I even find myself using them on long road trips to keep my back muscles loose.

someone else posted the link... just so you know, air bags work!

The only negative (and it is a small negative) is that you do not get the lumbar lever on leatherette (leather only). It is only a minor negative because I have never missed having it.

I will miss the lumbar adjustment. As I understand spinal health maintenance, it's ok to slouch or assume an "unergonomic" position as long as you move "away" from it periodically. This means that in a car, for example, move around a little bit while driving -- sit up straight, arch your back for a few seconds, and then return to the seat. This process prevents sensory degradation in your muscles, joints and connective tissues in this slouched position. It is a back that can "comfortably" remain in a slouched position for long duration without feeling uncomfortable that has (will have) trouble.

Anyways, I made gave up the increased lumbar support, as I have in my past cars. A compromise that won't be that bad.

Thanks.

You probably won't miss the lumbar adjustment at all. I motor in both of our MINI's and don't notice any difference in the leatherette sport seats and the leather ones when it comes to comfort (and I do have a bad back)

The one thing I fond myself missing that no OEM MINI seat offers is shoulder and deep leg side supports found on real race seats. Ahhh someday I will return to proper driving.

First time I sat in a MINI was at the Chicago Auto Show years back, I sat in every make and almost every model car that was open that day, most comfortable driving postion, a 75k (base price before options and leather) Jaguar with lazy boy like leater seats, next on the list, the MINI leatherette sport seats.

It's a darn shame that the Cooper S doesn't come with Recaro seats. The aggressive bolsters on the Recaros naturally go with the handling traits the MCS (and MC) displays.

Love it...absolutely love it!

I have had both. Leather on my honda's, leatherette on my 04 330i. After 3 yrs, the ette is cracking on the driver's side, and the drivers left bolster is worn. I had read numerous complaints from other 04 bmw owners that their ette did the same thing. Frustrating for a 40k car to wear like that. So... the MCS has leather. Oh... and the leatherette does not breathe! Sweat, sweat, sweat! Nothing ruins a cute pair of shorts or skirt like a sweaty bum!