[mdreibelbis]

I know the seats and steering wheel are - is that it?

Does the door trim have (p)leather too?

The center arm rest??

Thanks!

 

[vh2k]

No other leather. And the seats are leather (seat bottom and seat back) and vinyl (sides, back).

 

[mdreibelbis]

No other leather. And the seats are leather (seat bottom and seat back) and vinyl (sides, back).

Headrest?

 

[HondaGuy2]

Shifter too? Seems to be the same grade as the steering wheel.

 

[vh2k]

Headrest?

Same as seats - front of headrest is leather; rest is vinyl.

 

[7gRevLimit]

Can you clean the leather and vinyl with a leather cleaner? Have a great product I used on my Grand Cherokee leather (can't remember the name).

 

[Feliz]

I use Lexol on my leather and 303 on my vinyl. With Honda/Acura it's leather on the actual seating surfaces only.....at least the ones I've had.

 

[lebowski]

The leather is plastic coated, and so leather care products may not be the best choice. I use 303 on all seating surfaces.

 

[Flyboy]

The leather is plastic coated, and so leather care products may not be the best choice. I use 303 on all seating surfaces.

This the second time someone on this forum has mentioned that the leather on the seats is coated with plastic. What is the source of this idea? Also what's the point of having leather seats when your posterior is really sitting on plastic. Also the seating surfaces are pretreated. If the leather is coated in plastic are the perforations really open to allow to flow? My 2000 Accord EX V6 has leather seating and I am pretty sure the seating surfaces are non plastic coated leather.

 

[glen e]

none of the cars these days have leather - unless it's a 100K car:

http://303products.com/index.php/product-uses/automotive-leather

 

[II Kings 9:20]

If the underside of the leather is suede, then it's leather regardless of so called plastic coating. Nearly all cars have a "plastic" coating on the wood from BMW, to Audi, to MB and even Bentley and RR. They put a polymer to protect from UV and scratches (notice the plastic coating gets scratches) but that does not mean the wood is not real, it just has a synthetic coating for protection. No reason the leather should be looked at any differently and I suspect the high dollar cars have leather protection too even if it's not "plastic".

 

[Watthepho]

Which 303 cleaner are yall using? Link?

 

[Flyboy]

none of the cars these days have leather - unless it's a 100K car:

http://303products.com/index.php/product-uses/automotive-leather

Thanks for the URL. However, I still don't understand how the holes in the leather ventilate if they are covered in plastic. Another thought, if the manufacturer specifies plastic coated leather, then why don't they just spec a high quality vinyl like Tex that comes standard on the MB.

 

[S2000]

It is Frankenleather, or painted leather. So it is somewhat of a freak, it looks like we need two or three products just for the front seat, what is a person to do if they dare keep a car for ten years?

 

[II Kings 9:20]

Thanks for the URL. However, I still don't understand how the holes in the leather ventilate if they are covered in plastic. Another thought, if the manufacturer specifies plastic coated leather, then why don't they just spec a high quality vinyl like Tex that comes standard on the MB.

The "plastic" is what they are calling the finish top coat. Not a lot different from the dye colorant.

The holes are in the leather, dye, and "plastic" top coat simultaneously.

The plastic is not visible to you like a Saran Wrap, it is in the finish just like the dye.

 

[Aviography]

Thanks for the URL. However, I still don't understand how the holes in the leather ventilate if they are covered in plastic. Another thought, if the manufacturer specifies plastic coated leather, then why don't they just spec a high quality vinyl like Tex that comes standard on the MB.

Are you referring to the perforated leather with small pin holes? The holes are through the material thickness, so the warmth can ventilate through these holes.

While the top of the seat leather is coated, it still looks good, my 2005 seats are still with respectable looking with a bit more wear on the driver side due to more seat time.

Most people who buy cars with leather seats either can't be bothered or don't know how to deal with the leather surface, if good bare leather is installed for car seats in the Accord or Camary, most will wear poorly over time due to the lack of care by the car owners, using clear coated leather also allows the leather shop to paint over the imperfections on the leather surface before the clear wear-resistant coating is applied, otherwise the leather seats will add quite a bit more cost to the car.

I spent some time early this year researching re-covering my leather sofa couch, and learned a great deal about leather used for furniture as well as automotive use, it was eye-opening. Did you know the really cheap "leather" furniture are made with re-constituted "leather" which is scrap leather fibre pounded and bind together with glue, much the same as how particleboard is made, then the leather pattern is then molded/printed onto the re-constituted "leather" before the clear coat is applied, this is still called "leather".......

 

[mdreibelbis]

Some leather education from the guy at Saddleback Leather:

They make the best "man bags" if leather is your thing.

 

[Mick the Quick]

Thanks for the URL. However, I still don't understand how the holes in the leather ventilate if they are covered in plastic. Another thought, if the manufacturer specifies plastic coated leather, then why don't they just spec a high quality vinyl like Tex that comes standard on the MB.

The general public associate leather with qualities such as being upscale (expensive), premium quality, durable, soft to touch, nice smell, etc. The general public, on the other hand, associate vinyl/synthetic leather/pleather with. . . . . pure crap.

While it is true that synthetic materials today might actually be nicer, in many ways, than leather with top protective layer, that's not how the general public (especially the luxury car buyers) perceive the situation. Overcoming the perception is a challenge, i bet.

At some point, I've thought about getting a BMW or Audi with synthetic leather seats, so I am not totally opposed to it but it would be hard for me to actually buy a car with that stuff, just from a psychological point of view. It's kinda like buying a bonded leather sofa for an McMansion.

Mick

 

[7gRevLimit]

My brain hurts. Think I'll go use leather cleaner/conditioner and call it a day LOL

 

[DeepSouth]

my brain hurts. Think i'll go use leather cleaner/conditioner and call it a day lol

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