Leather is in, vinyl is out. Why?

[CharlesW]

Bad weather day here so I do too much thinking. (Doesn`t take much to make my head hurt)

1. Over the years, I have had over a dozen vehicles with vinyl upholstered seats that have always held up well to everyday wear.
2. The vinyl seats on one of my boats were still like new after 19 seasons. The seats on one of the boats I own now are like new after 12 seasons.
3. The cars I have owned with leather seats were probably only 30-40% leather with the remainder upholstered in vinyl.
4. The only way I could tell which parts were leather and which parts were vinyl was the wear rhat showed up on the leather.
5. I clean and treat the leather monthly and still have had wear problems. The GTP doesn`t show any wear yet, but I don`t know if it is because of better leather, (from GM???), or the use of 4 Star`s leather conditioner.
6. The vinyl was cleaned with a damp cloth regularly and rarely if ever treated with anything.
7. So, why is leather so popular and vinyl not popular? I`m not sure that I can tell the difference in just looking at the material. Is it just a perceived status or quality thing? What happened to vinyl to get put on the "not cool" list, anyway?

Charles

[Mr. Clean]

Charles, the answer to your question is that Naugas have been placed on the endangered species list. Therefore no more naugahydes.

Hey, I`m not kidding! When was the last time you saw a nauga in the wild?

[CharlesW]

Charles, the answer to your question is that Naugas have been placed on the endangered species list. Therefore no more naugahydes.

Hey, I`m not kidding! When was the last time you saw a nauga in the wild?Lots of Naugas in the Midwest.
C`mon out. I`ll take you Snipe hunting and you will see almost as many Naugas as you do Snipes. :D

Charles

[G35stilez]

It`s a class thing.

Everyone wants to say they have leather even if it`s the crappiest leather out there (like my Integra). It`s like a status symbol thing. People frown at vinyl even though it`s tougher.

I just like it because it`s easy to clean and flows with all of the vinyl in the car.

Personally, mesh/alcantara seats would be my preference.

[Mr. Clean]

Thanks Charles, but if I make the trip and get a chance to visit with you, I`d rather spend my time on the lake :) We`ve got a good crop of snipes here in the area, and as my son and my Scouts have grown I don`t have much time or inclination for the hunt anymore. A lot of work in rugged terrain.

[crobinso]

So, why is leather so popular and vinyl not popular? I`m not sure that I can tell the difference in just looking at the material. Is it just a perceived status or quality thing? What happened to vinyl to get put on the "not cool" list, anyway?

Charles
The last car I owned that had vinyl seats was a 1976 Chevy Caprice Estate station wagon. When I became a Mercury man in 1988, I had a choice between cloth seats or leather. I chose cloth. Two years ago, I bought a 1987 Grand Marquis with leather seats. The leather was in excellent shape for such an old car. The previous owners (2 of them) had taken good care of the seats. When I bought my `04 Grand Marquis, I chose the leather seats. The leather was of an even better quality and texture than on the old `87.

Leather (and yes, I`m being subjective) just feels better than anything else. When properly cared for, it will last and last. And, leather smells so good!

I just got some products in the mail yesterday from Top Of The Line, including a bottle of Lexol Leather Cleaner and a bottle of Lexol Leather Conditioner. I plan to go to work on my `04 this weekend. According to the manufacturer, properly cleaned and conditioned leather seats will remain supple and retain that great smell, so I`ll let you know how it turns out.

I hope others will share their leather experiences with you, for better, or for worse.

Regards,
Charles

[Larry A]

Most leather now a days is coated, and what do you think its coated with , yes vinyl. So in effect you have vinyl coated leather seats.

[sgo]

Most leather now a days is coated, and what do you think its coated with , yes vinyl. So in effect you have vinyl coated leather seats.You know, if that`s true, you`re going to break a lot of hearts. :chill I find it hard to determine WHICH PARTS of my seats are leather. And the dealer doesn`t know. :hah

[TW85]

I can tell the difference between the vinyl and leather in my car as well as my mom`s car. SLIGHT difference in texture and overall appearance. I can tell which parts of my dad`s truck are leather but I have no idea what the remaining upholstery is. All I know is Ford uses poor quality leather/vinyl/leatherette/whatever.

[DFTowel]

...I find it hard to determine WHICH PARTS of my seats are leather...

Typically the "seating areas" are leather and the rest is vinyl. This means only the parts that come in contact with your butt and back are leather. The bolsters, headrest, sides and back are all vinyl. Of course many cars such as Rolls, Bently, some Jags, etc. are all leather