Does anyone have experience with BMW Dakota leather?

B

BluBrett

New member
I have the entry level leather in my F30, known as Dakota leather. From what I understand, BMW uses as little leather as possible and the pattern is fully synthetic.

I know my seats are clean, but they have a bit of shine on the high-traffic areas after 50k miles (along with the steering wheel). Does Dakota leather simply become shiny as the outer layer wears, or do you think I`m missing some embedded dirt/oils? I think I`ll steam clean it along with leather cleaner/APC next time a cleaning is due, but I wonder if anything can bring the matte back besides something slightly abraisive like a magic eraser.
 
My suspicion is that the shiny leather means that there is dirt and oils on the surface. When I have cleaned my seats and wheel the shininess goes away. BTW, Which steering wheel? Msport or regular? The leather seemed different to me (I`ve owned both). As for the wheel, what worked best for me was to clean it with either the leather masters regular, or ultima interior gel shampoo. I used a soft brush to agitate and get it to foam and lift away dirt. I then wiped away with a MF towel. I would recommend staying away from APC`s on leather and only use dedicated leather products. Both of the products I just mentioned don`t really need to be neutralized or wiped again after removing the cleaner the first time, but I prefer to wipe with a damp terry towel afterwards, just to ensure there is no stickiness left over. There are a ton of leather cleaning threads here, and it was suggested in one that MF should be used sparingly on leather to avoid aggressive removal of the coating and surface of The leather.

For the the seats I used the same procedure, but favor a slightly stiffer bristled brush (swissvax, or similar), and the leather masters foaming regular cleaner.

After cleaning, I use a leather coating or sealant. Which is "best" will depend on your preferences. I don`t like slippery or glossy look. Three protectants that I have likes are ultima interior guard, pinnacle black label, and Gyeon`s leather coat. Of the three, pinnacle was the easiest to use for me, and leaves a smooth feel. I use same on the steering wheel because I like the feel. I would never use a slippery "dressing" or leather conditioner type product on a steering wheel, but I do want to protect it because it gets touched more than any other part of the car and hands have body oils.

Whatever leather protection product you use, you will have to reapply every couple months on a daily driver. The abrasion from sitting in the seat or gripping the wheel will remove whatever protection is there in a fairly short period.
 
Bmw Dakota is entry level "stuff" with a layer of vinyl on top, and grain embossed.
It is not entirely artifial - has a certain portion of leather inside.
But quality is typical for BMW - quite common to see them begin peeling after a few years.
I would therefore hesitate to take aggressive methods on these leather.

rsz_bmw-dakota.jpg
 
All leather IMO will take on a patina depending on how the user is on it`s surface.
IME, once a surface is brunished/shiny....there is no way to get back to matte matte.
Hell, I`ve even changed out a steering wheel mid-cycle lease as it got a tad bit smooth/patined for my taste...


The seats, the smooth/glossy areas you see, are just the natural areas where it wears.

I would not Magic Eraser anything....except for maybe a dirty vinyl door scuffed panel if I had to


re: Leather vs. leatherette.
I think for the average consumer, who may not discern the difference in leather vs. leatherette, leatherette WEARS amazingly well imo compared to leather.
 
The Dakota Leather is on up from entry. Entry is Sensatec.

I just got a car with Dakota and I have been considering using Gyeon Leather Coating.
 
I bought my wife a 328 x-drive new in 2010 and it has just a tick over 100k and it`s Dakota leather has no wear marks or shiny areas at all.
 
I have Dakota in my F10 535xi - holding up OK even with kids, sunblock etc...

I had a 1998 E39 528i with "Standardleder/grau - N6TT" until 2012 (14 years old, daily driver) when I was hit and it was totaled. It was light grey (liked it) base leather, obviously coated. My belt had only just begun to wear through the grey top coat to the plain, black surface underneath in a few spots.
 
PPlD. A pic speakers a thousand words. Why go through the trouble of applying a vinyl coat when the base seems tanned/coated already. I suppose the grade of the leather would dictate their need to use vinyl. Dunno ?
 
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