Is leather seats worth it?
- Thread starter fanbanlo
- Start date
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- 2017 Mazda CX-5 GS AWD, 2017 Honda Pilot EX
Very easy to clean. I have about 43,000 kms on mine and they still look fairly new. And that's with a family of 6 using it, so lots of climbing in/out/over/through 
I'm not such a fan. Left bolster on driver's seat looks awful after 21 months of ownership and 20K miles (look up thread on the forum about a UK member's bolster collapse). There's also a small tear in one of the rear seats. I don't know if that's an indication of poor quality leather or not. I take care of my cars and communicate the same to my kids, so I'm not sure how the tear got there. Definitely not because of abuse.
On the other hand, when new it does look better than the cloth alternative, in my opinion.
On the other hand, when new it does look better than the cloth alternative, in my opinion.
I've never understood this, but then again I've never let my kids drink juice boxes in my car! I think a good, quality cloth interior in a neutral color actually masks stains and dirt better than leather. In my experience, black leather gets a gray sheen on it over time that looks dirty, and dirt collects in the seams and along the piping and is difficult to clean.
As an example, Subaru and Honda make nice cloth interiors. The Mazda5 cloth interior, not so much.
I like the leather a lot. It does get hot though. Keep that in mind if you live somewhere like me where it's 100+ all summer. (Never mind, just noticed the Canada location)
I've put 15000 miles one mine and it's only slightly starting to show some wear. I probably weight about 210lbs. Seems like it's wearing better than my wife's forester's leather.
Would definitely buy again.
I've put 15000 miles one mine and it's only slightly starting to show some wear. I probably weight about 210lbs. Seems like it's wearing better than my wife's forester's leather.
Would definitely buy again.
i don't wanna be a snooty hipster pops, but we don't do juice boxes, period. (rules) still, they steps all over the seats, love to stand on the driver seat "driving" the car (nailbyt), etc.
prior to buying, i rented a mz5, and the gray cloth interior was just shredded and filthy. it was < 20K mi, and was only a year old. so it's either the scruffy leather, or completely destroyed interior. i do understand the difference in price is well over $3K, but... that rental car scared the crap out of me. plus, for the Canadians, the leather comes stock w/ heated seats.
YMMV. all my leather cars look fresh. the prius and the civic look thrashed. same kids, same shoes.
Ha, well my kids usually drink water, but if they do have juice boxes it's organic juice. So there!
I'm definitely not a hipster when it comes to my kids walking on furniture or car upholstery, however. (smash)
I guess it's a personal thing. I've always had good luck with quality cloth interiors and prefer them to leather. I can see how a cheap, light gray interior might look like hell after while.
The GT package is worth it for the HID lights, however!
I'm definitely not a hipster when it comes to my kids walking on furniture or car upholstery, however. (smash)
I guess it's a personal thing. I've always had good luck with quality cloth interiors and prefer them to leather. I can see how a cheap, light gray interior might look like hell after while.
The GT package is worth it for the HID lights, however!
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- 2008 Mazda5 GT
Top quality, yes and yes.
I understand this is hard to believe when their suppliers are pretty bad. I'm at 70k miles and they are in very good shape. I went from an '08 Sport to an '08 GT. I preach that if you can't afford the GT, save up so you can buy that over the Sport or Touring OR buy an older GT; unless you want a MT.
I prefer cloth because it holds me in place better when cornering and driving... enthusiastically. Especially with seats that aren't heavily bolstered. Slipping and sliding around the seat, bracing knees against door panels and using the steering wheel to help keep you in place instead of just turning, etc. all makes it harder to focus (and physically execute) the important things like steering/shifting/braking (and hitting that apex).
Overall I find leather subtracts from the "fun to drive" experience that was a major factor in my purchase of this vehicle. Leather is considered "premium", but I don't like it. I know that's just my opinion based on my priorities, and other's will be different, so no big deal.
Now alcantara... (thumb)
Overall I find leather subtracts from the "fun to drive" experience that was a major factor in my purchase of this vehicle. Leather is considered "premium", but I don't like it. I know that's just my opinion based on my priorities, and other's will be different, so no big deal.
Now alcantara... (thumb)
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- 2009 Mazda 5 Touring & 2012 MS3
For years i used to run towards leather but at some point i realized that it's freezing cold in the winter until the warmers kick in and melt ur skin off hot in the summer. And it ages ugly and wrinkly. We take care of the cloth and it has aged nicely. The beauty of cloth is that you can almost always clean it with enough elbow grease. Once leather wrinkles up, there's really nothing you can do. That being said, my wife totally disagrees and next year's mod list includes black leather seats from an ebay junk yard.
The perfect combo is what i have in the speed...cloth centers and leather outers. Premium enough without the drawbacks of full leather. I take that back, perfect is alacantara centers with leather, ala audi s4.
The perfect combo is what i have in the speed...cloth centers and leather outers. Premium enough without the drawbacks of full leather. I take that back, perfect is alacantara centers with leather, ala audi s4.
Apart from the drivers seat the leather is pretty good.
I am the poster that had their drivers seat bolster collapse after 20k. I think the problem is actually with the construction of the seat and the foam. It actually causes the leather to stretch too much.
I complained to Mazda but they reckon it is normal wear and tear for a seat to look like Keith Richards after a good night out at less than 3 years old and 20k.
I am the poster that had their drivers seat bolster collapse after 20k. I think the problem is actually with the construction of the seat and the foam. It actually causes the leather to stretch too much.
I complained to Mazda but they reckon it is normal wear and tear for a seat to look like Keith Richards after a good night out at less than 3 years old and 20k.
I personally will not buy another cloth interior from Mazda again. The cloth in the M5 is downright appalling. All of our seats were trashed in 6 months. You simply can't clean them. The act of cleaning them actually makes more stains. Even water stains them.
If we decide to keep this for the long haul (we're kind of getting sick of the car payments forever, and it's actually a great vehicle, aside from the interior issues) I'll be looking to swap out to a leather setup.
If we decide to keep this for the long haul (we're kind of getting sick of the car payments forever, and it's actually a great vehicle, aside from the interior issues) I'll be looking to swap out to a leather setup.
i'm curious how many stones you weigh? if you don't mind...
IMHO, no - just spend $6 on a can of scotch guard for the same thing. Or put seatcovers on, we have the Mazda ones, which are open on the side for the side airbags in the chair.
phunky.buddha
Booga Booga?
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- DFW TX
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- No mo MZ5 want MX5
