I am thinking about getting a MCS. I am looking at all the options and would like to hear others' opinions regarding the optioning of Leather upholstery versus the cloth or leatherette.
Expensive option and wanting stick to my budget if I can .

IMO the leather is worth it, I had an 03 with the leatherette yuck!! get the leather or cloth

Some folks gush about the lounge leather, and I ended up ordering it. But I almost changed my mind when I saw the checkered black carbon cloth at the dealership. I would have definitely gone with it had I been on a budget. Looks much better than it shows in the configurator.

I test drove an 07 with the carbon black lounge leather. Pretty amazing to the touch, and pretty on the eyes. Leather get's hot, but the mini vent's out quickly. You could always tint the window. I don't know about the durability of the leather. I think as long as you maintain it from time to time you'd be fine. Well, point in case is, I ordered it. Oh ya, another reason I like leather is its super easy to clean up and doesnt stain. I'm a Marine and spend alot of time in the field, and I ruined the seats in my focus from coming home covered in dirt and mud.

The leather seats have a lumbar support adjustment. Cloth seats don't. I'm not sure about leatherette.

Only leather has lumbar.

My vote is cloth. It holds you better and isn't hot and cold. And no one gets hurt!

Budget is one limitation.

Leather is not cheap.

leatherette is actually not bad but it's not leather. It's durable so for those with kids and animals it's a no cost option that looks OK and might fool a few people.

Lounge leather is nice whether in black or red but clearly an expensive option. Feels good, looks good, smells good. Not sure if it will hold up and be durable.

Some leathers in past years were not as durable and prone to being deformed or crack easily. Hopefully the quality of the leather has improved.

Cloth is nice but will get beat up eventually if you are rough on your seats. It's good for hot weather, not so sweaty as leather.

Leather does require a bit of care (besides not putting sticky fingers on it), some leather cleaning each month and leather conditioner or Hide food to moisturize and prevent drying.

My MCS lapis leather is blue and now over 4.5 years old and doing fine. A little cracked on the side bolster of the driver's seat but still OK.

Another option is custom leather, you can add this to any seat. Pick a color and grade of leather, add the same leather to the dash, doors, shift **** boot, etc. Prices vary but about $1000.

Love my sport leather seats. They do require a little maintenance, which is no biggy. If I didnt have them (car is an '02 and they are in perfect condition), it would definately be the cloth.
There are always seatcovers if you dont like what you got (or just want to protect them).

Must be a change with the R56, because my '06 with leatherette has lumbar adjustment.

And, as many on this board have stated in past threads, the leatherette MINI uses now is high quality. It's often been mistaken for real leather, wears better, is easier to care for, and saves you a boat-load of dough.

Leather is nice but I couldn't fit it in the budget. The leatherette fools most of the people but won't fool your sweating nether-regions and back....

When I can afford it, I plan to have www.minspeed.net do my seats in the Monte Carlo maybe...

For me...No

For my wife....Yes

No brainer....Got the leather

(and the heated seats)

I recommend the lounge leather if your budget allows. I had the leatherette in my '05 and now have the lounge leather in my '07. These seats are extremely comfortable (and good looking)

I took the all around solution: cloth/leather. I have the looks, class & smell of leather and cloth where it counts for cooler/warmer material against the body. It's cheaper than the full leather, too, although, I think for the price, they could have used just a little more leather.

One of my favorite things is the smell of CHEQQRS when I open the door to sit on those gravity(black) and lapis(blue) leather seats. Nothing smells or feels like real leather. They are a bit hot/cold, but, not as bad as fake "leatherette". I'd choose cloth if leather wasn't in my budget. Leather is also a bit slippery if you plan to race - of course a good harness will stop that issue.

I bought cloth because I couldn't find a leather color I liked with my color Mini (PW). The Tuscan was too light, the Redwood was too red and the Carbon with white piping while tempting was maybe a bit too soft (comfy and buttery smooth yes, but I've seen pictures of seats with only a few thousand miles that are stretched out on the bottom cushion and showing "butt-prints").

I'd like a nice English tan, sort of the color of a baseball glove or similar to the Terra Cotta leather in the Sidewalk version of the convertible. My MA assured me (and research confirms) that aftermarket leather interiors can be done for around the cost of the factory leather ~$1,500 or so. At that point, you can spec whatever color and quality of hide you desire along with custom stitching ('S' logo headrests etc.) and piping. I'll probably save up and wait for the cloth seats to show wear/dirt then do an interior refresh a few years down the road.

This is what I want from Minspeed (not the white piping though):

For me, punched black leather, looks good, feels good, cool, non slip, glad I got it.

I think the weather in your region might help in your decision. Is it ultra hot or ultra cold? Then I would opt for the cloth. If it's a mild climate (SoCal) then go for the leather.

Personally, in AZ, leather sucks! Then again, anything sucks other than sitting on an ice cube! I've got leather in all my other vehicles and to me, leather just didn't seem right in a MINI. Not bashing anybody who has leather, but my choice was cloth (weather and I wanted to outfit the MINI with other stuff).

Get what you want, it's your money and your car.

What is cloth/leather? Cannot find the option on the configurator?

I have the checkered cloth and really like it.

I'm on my 3rd MINI and my first two had Cordoba Beige leather. My current '05 has Red Tartan cloth/black leather combo. It looks sharp, but I hate it. The red cloth shows anything that gets on it, even water spots when it rains. They always look dirty. I hope to have my seats replaced with full leather in red/black, either by DTM or Minspeed one day when I can afford it.

Simply: Yes.

I have the redwood lounge leather and it's awsome, I love it, and I live in Az, my daughter asked today why it's never hot to the touch...I haven't figured that out yet myself, but it has never been hot and I don't even have the windows tinted yet.