Seat covers on new seats?

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Phoenix
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2021 signature
I'm a bit nuts. I like keeping things nice and new. I was thinking of getting some CoverKing Spacer Mesh seat covers for my 1 year old, 2,700 mile Signature. Yes, I sure like the look and feel of the Leather, but I'm a bit of a kook and I love the idea of knowing that 5 years from now my seats with still be wonderful.

How kooky is it, or has anyone put covers on their mostly new cars? FWIW, I have, and have seen the CoverKing seat covers and they're actually pretty nice in fit and finish - so not really looking for thoughts about "how cheesy they look" I know that they do require occasional cleaning to clean the dirt that can sometimes get through.

I know there's ton if info on care and cleaning of leather seats, as well as testimonials on how well someone's 5 year old seats have held up. Those are great topics, just not the info or opinions I am looking for at this time.

So, on a scale of 1-10, and your candid opinions (my flame suit is on) on covering new seats.
 
I'm a bit nuts. I like keeping things nice and new.
I can be a bit over the top as well.
How kooky is it
Not kooky at all. To each his own. We all have our own level of what makes us feel good about our vehicles. I know I certainly annoy my wife with how I treat my vehicle vs. how she treats hers.

Go with whatever makes you feel good about your vehicle.

FWIW, I have an uncle who even puts carpet scraps over his floor mats to keep them nice. I consider that to be kooky but it makes him happy.
 
I wouldn't call it kooky or crazy but its definitely a "to each his own" kind of question. For me, I ended up springing for the Signature for the rear smart city braking (people are freaking nuts in parking lots) and the 4-way camera. This is primarily the daily driver to get my toddler to and from school so the signature was the only trim level with those extra features my wife was looking for.

As I wasn't out specifically to buy the nappa leather seats, I sure as hell want to enjoy the seat material itself considering the added expense in acquiring them.
 
We all have our quirks. If you think it’s important to cover your seats, by all means, do it. I doubt it will make one iota of a difference on the cars’s resale value, unless you are the type of person who spills things, have rhinestones on the back pockets of your jeans which shreds seat material, or are generally a messy person. Back in the 60s and 70s, I remember that many folks put seat covers on. When it came time to trade, the car body looked worn and rusted, but the seats were like new.

I kept an 81 Toyota Celica GT for 32 yrs. It was my baby. I pampered it and protected it from the elements like it was something special, which it wasn’t. I put hundreds of hours and made untold sacrifices keeping it looking and running good. Did all that time and money pay off? Not really. I got $1800 for it. But at least I had the satisfaction knowing it was clean, looked nice, and ran good. I have my quirks too.

Final thought - You might as well enjoy those seats as they are, as opposed to the cars next owner.
 
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Maybe I'll compromise and see how it looks after a 10,000 miles. I just know how I feel as things start to get scuffed. I will say, I had a universal cover on for the last few weeks and just took it off - Ahhhh, those seats felt nice again.

This is definitely one of those 'to each his own, but was curious about the wisdom of the crowd'
 
You asked.

My take on seat covers is NO WAY I would ever use seat covers.

If anyone is going to be enjoying the leather seats in my car it's going to be me not who buys the car after I'm done with it!

I'm not concerned about the resale value, if that's what's on your mind.

I'm seriously anal when it comes to car care but I draw the line when it comes to seat covers.

It's like those folks who buy a new couch and put a cover over it to protect it. What are you saving it for? If you never see the couch, except for the covers, what's the point?
 
The seats, or the part you actually touch, are Nappa Leather. It will wear very well, much better than than the standard leather. It's similar to the Semi-aniline that my Lexus had. After 8 years it still looked brand new. The only cleaning I ever did was with a damp microfiber cloth.

That said, it's your vehicle, so do what you want with it.
 
I use seat bottom covers mostly in the winter because I'm wearing jeans more often. The seat covers are just to prevent dye transfer. My wife also tends to not give a F about the car, so she's a lot harder on the seat bolsters, and she tends to spill stuff and not clean it (or mention that she spilled something so that I can clean it).

If it was just me driving the car, I wouldn't be using seat covers. I totally understand doing it though. The leather is pretty durable, but if you can delay the wear by a few years, why not?
 
I put Wet Okole neoprene seat covers on my Protege5 when I bought it in 2001. 15 years later I sold the car and the seats looked new. In fact, the seat covers were still in such good condition, I rocked 'em on my Mazdaspeed protege for another 5+ years of surfboards, dog hair, weed ashes and surf wax.
A little expensive, but custom made with ports for airbags etc. Money well spent, and I plan on putting them on my Golf R.

I'm not tryna turn my daily driver into a show car. I'm gonna enjoy it everyday. Beach, snow, dirt, coffee, groceries, Home Depot...no problem.

www.wetokole.com
 
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hal2, I don't think it's overly kooky, especially if you have kids, etc., but I wouldn't go with seat covers myself. I could see using them for a long road trip, or during summers in Florida (if a seat cover is easier on the skin than hot leather -- but then I guess they'd interfere with the ventilated seats...) When I traded in my 2014 CX5 on the 2020, I put back my pristine original floor mats, and convinced myself I got better trade-in dollars because of that. However, I don't use rubber mats in order to keep my OEM's nice; I use them because it's too much hard work to keep floor carpet clean in my MN climate. It's much easier caring for the seats, so mats aren't a great analogy. I don't know which way your 1-10 scale runs, but if 10 is the kookiest, I'd give it a 6-7!
 
hal2, I don't think it's overly kooky, especially if you have kids, etc., but I wouldn't go with seat covers myself. I could see using them for a long road trip, or during summers in Florida (if a seat cover is easier on the skin than hot leather -- but then I guess they'd interfere with the ventilated seats...) When I traded in my 2014 CX5 on the 2020, I put back my pristine original floor mats, and convinced myself I got better trade-in dollars because of that. However, I don't use rubber mats in order to keep my OEM's nice; I use them because it's too much hard work to keep floor carpet clean in my MN climate. It's much easier caring for the seats, so mats aren't a great analogy. I don't know which way your 1-10 scale runs, but if 10 is the kookiest, I'd give it a 6-7!
+1 on this. I think the key distinction is who the cover is for. I have one of those "seat protectors," I think specifically the Brica by Munchkin IIRC, under my son's carseat. Kids are disgusting, and rear facing child seats absolutely destroy seating surfaces (from the little Gremlin's dirty shoes). Without that cover, my resale value would be in the tubes a few years from now. Normal wear and tear on the front seats? No big deal with the key distinction here being "normal."
 
I usually buy some kind of utility covers to protect the seats from my dog, which is a wild dog hybrid, but I don't have leather seats.
I appreciate the leather seating I have at home because of its comfort plus the durability, which seems better than cloth, and might be easier to clean.

Seat covers can be useful for adding comfort. I put a memory foam cushion under my driver's seat cover.
 
I kept an 81 Toyota Celica GT for 32 yrs. It was my baby. I pampered it and protected it from the elements like it was something special, which it wasn’t. I put hundreds of hours and made untold sacrifices keeping it looking and running good. Did all that time and money pay off? Not really. I got $1800 for it. But at least I had the satisfaction knowing it was clean, looked nice, and ran good. I have my quirks too.

Final thought - You might as well enjoy those seats as they are, as opposed to the cars next owner.

Exactly. Some people like to "protect" their stuff for the next owner. Some people fix all of the small issues with their car when they are getting ready to sell, but not for themselves.

I say enjoy it the way it was designed, and maintain it well for yourself, because you paid for it now and who knows what will happen tomorrow.
 
In lieu of buying seat covers and covering up that beautiful leather that you paid big bucks for, just put folded towels on the bottoms of the 2 front seats to absorb most of the wear - easily removable, washable, and cheap.
 
Another of my considerations - at 5'6" it's real hard for me to get in and out without causing excessive rubbing on the door side seat bolster.
 
Another of my considerations - at 5'6" it's real hard for me to get in and out without causing excessive rubbing on the door side seat bolster.
You're an inch taller than I am and I have no issues with getting in and out.
 
For me, it had nothing to do with the next owner, it was about taking care of my 16,000 dollar investment (Yep, that's what a new Mazda Protege5 cost in 2002). I don't want to sit in worn out, dirty seats and screw sitting in dog hair and beach sand. By the time I sold the P5 it was worth about 2500 bucks anyway so resale value was never a priority.
It's much easier to take a seat cover off & toss it in the washer than it is to get soda out of your leather seats. :)

www.wetokole.com

I just put 'em on my new Golf R for the next decade.
 
I'm swinging by to ask if anyone has "Dash Designs" seat covers, cause in their "how to" installation video and the pictures on the site, they look pretty damn good. The photos and video are marketing materials, sure, but they really look to me like they're stock seats and not covered at all. (You'd have to specifically look at the head rest area to even tell.) I can't spring for them yet, but I will and will come back and update.

(I'm not impressed with CoverKing. I saw an online video of some guy who referenced the set in his truck, which suggested they'd been in there awhile, and they were all bunched up and fugly. Another reviewer mentioned how the center console set he had never really fit properly. They're not bad, but I don't get the love for the brand).

Anyway, I think these might look and work great for a fair price - a rarity these days and something I wanted to share for those that are looking.

 
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