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      01-22-2012, 07:02 PM   #1
jzcrna
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New to leatherette

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I know there are those against the use of leather, etc. But I just want to save $1495.

Has anyone gone from leather to leatherette with sport seats. should I suck it up and get the leather. Im only asking for responses in regard to comfort, temperature, and feel; not ethical or emotional feelings
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      01-22-2012, 07:56 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by jzcrna View Post
I know there are those against the use of leather, etc. But I just want to save $1495.

Has anyone gone from leather to leatherette with sport seats. should I suck it up and get the leather. Im only asking for responses in regard to comfort, temperature, and feel; not ethical or emotional feelings
I got the 1450 leather...rather get it and not care so much than not get and regret it...1450 isn't to bad
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      01-22-2012, 08:10 PM   #3
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if they could make leatherette smell like leather then we would have a contender!
i know they make leather smelling products, but there is nothing like brand new BMW leather smell.
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      01-22-2012, 08:17 PM   #4
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Get the leather.

Worth every penny.
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      01-22-2012, 08:58 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by matt_335Ci View Post
if they could make leatherette smell like leather then we would have a contender!
i know they make leather smelling products, but there is nothing like brand new BMW leather smell.
Yes there is, and it's called Zaino Z10 Leather in a Bottle. I defy anyone to close their eyes and tell the difference. Wipe it on leather, leatherette or any other vinyl surface and the car smells like "new car leather". Those who've used it can tell you how good it is.
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      01-22-2012, 08:59 PM   #6
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Not having my car smell like crayons would be worth the $1500 to me.
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      01-22-2012, 09:09 PM   #7
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Not having my car smell like crayons would be worth the $1500 to me.
lmfao! true
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      01-22-2012, 09:12 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by CE750Jockey View Post
Yes there is, and it's called Zaino Z10 Leather in a Bottle. I defy anyone to close their eyes and tell the difference. Wipe it on leather, leatherette or any other vinyl surface and the car smells like "new car leather". Those who've used it can tell you how good it is.
i have this product and i love it, that was the product i was referring to in my original reply. It is great to revive the leather smell in my BMW's interior....but it doesn't smell the same on leatherette. My friend cheaped out on his BMW and got leatherette and Zaino'd his interior with Z-9 and Z-10 and it doesn't smell like BMW leather.
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      01-22-2012, 09:17 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matt_335Ci
Quote:
Originally Posted by CE750Jockey View Post
Yes there is, and it's called Zaino Z10 Leather in a Bottle. I defy anyone to close their eyes and tell the difference. Wipe it on leather, leatherette or any other vinyl surface and the car smells like "new car leather". Those who've used it can tell you how good it is.
i have this product and i love it, that was the product i was referring to in my original reply. It is great to revive the leather smell in my BMW's interior....but it doesn't smell the same on leatherette. My friend cheaped out on his BMW and got leatherette and Zaino'd his interior with Z-9 and Z-10 and it doesn't smell like BMW leather.
LOL, I have the Zaino stuff also.

from what it sounds like, you all seems to have experience with leatherette so I'm glad that I asked. I may just suck it up get the leather. I started with a 47000 MSRP and it just keeps increasing
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      01-22-2012, 09:30 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by jzcrna View Post
LOL, I have the Zaino stuff also.

from what it sounds like, you all seems to have experience with leatherette so I'm glad that I asked. I may just suck it up get the leather. I started with a 47000 MSRP and it just keeps increasing
they also feel different, leather is softer then leatherette...which is a problem a couple years down the road when the leather starts wearing....where as leatherette will look great years down the road.
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      01-22-2012, 09:38 PM   #11
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My 3 BMW cars have leather and I can't smell anything and I have a good sense of smell. I wouldn't get leather due to the smell.

I really haven't sat in a leatherette car in a while. I need to do it again to see if I can feel or tell the difference. If I can tell it's not real leather, I wouldn't mind having it. Otherwise, I would regret not spending the $1500.

You can do that with an E90 and see for yourself.
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      01-22-2012, 11:14 PM   #12
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I'd rather have cloth than leatherette (made that choice with my MINI), the texture is terrible, it's very rough and not comfortable at all. Of course, this is a personal choice, so the best way for you to decide would be to go to a dealer and sit in a car with leatherette.
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      01-23-2012, 12:04 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjh View Post
Not having my car smell like crayons would be worth the $1500 to me.
OMG!!! this is so damn true. I got into a friends BMW one time and I was like why the hell does it smell like crayons? My was leather so I never knew this until I got into hit. On the other side leather wrinkles and wears faster and easier.

1500 bucks is worth it imo!!!

Last edited by Xcution; 01-23-2012 at 02:51 AM..
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      01-23-2012, 05:17 AM   #14
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Go for the vinyl! It looks great and will hold up much better than leather. I don't care about $$ but will never get BMW leather, which IMO is mediocre at best.
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      01-23-2012, 08:03 AM   #15
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leather ftmfw
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      01-23-2012, 07:56 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Scott
Go for the vinyl! It looks great and will hold up much better than leather. I don't care about $$ but will never get BMW leather, which IMO is mediocre at best.
Leather won't look so good after years of wear.
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      01-23-2012, 10:50 PM   #17
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After much debate with myself I went with leatherette. My car was really adding up, especially with tech. package that I left well enough alone.

Final config:

Jet black
Sport line
Sport auto Trans
Black leatherette
Black High gloss trim
Premium sound
BMW assist with enhanced Bluetooth
BMW Apps
Technology Package (went back and forth with this one. Didn't want buyers remorse if I didn't get it)

Expensive even when discounted

But the smile and satisfaction will be well worth it.
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      01-23-2012, 11:21 PM   #18
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Leatherette for me. I rarely (if ever) sit in my car bare-assed. If I want something softer against my skin, I'll buy a new pair of underpants. Not worth the $1500 IMO.
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      01-24-2012, 07:01 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tDillan
Leatherette for me. I rarely (if ever) sit in my car bare-assed. If I want something softer against my skin, I'll buy a new pair of underpants. Not worth the $1500 IMO.
I get where you're coming from. My only issue with the texture is that leather makes it easier to slide in and out of the car, whereas leatherette (or MB-Tex, as I'm more familiar with) is sticker.

Minor gripe.
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      01-24-2012, 08:55 AM   #20
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The leatherette actually lasts longer and will look better than the leather over the years of wear, but there is a way to keep it looking good longer than usual. The one thing people always mess up when it comes to keeping leather looking good and lasting longer is that they buy all these expensive leather cleaners and conditioners which actually speed up the deteriation of the leather. I have a 2001 E46 330i and all I have every used on the leather is Lemon Pledge Furniture Polish. It still looks and feels new.
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      01-24-2012, 09:06 AM   #21
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I bought my wife's 1er off the lot, it had "leather". What a joke. I would not pay for the horrible quality of leather again. My M Coupe had Nappa leather, which was semi-aniline, felt great and smelled terrific. The 1er and the E90 loaners I've had seem to only have leather on the upward facing surfaces, and it's waxed and treated so heavily that I don't buy that it lasts any less long than leatherette, but it sure doesn't feel nice, or smell good for more than a few weeks from new. Skip it.

If you were buying a pair of shoes that had this quality of leather, they'd be under a hundred bucks. A chair at Target has equivalent quality leather. This isn't unique to BMW, but this sort of corner cutting is certainly part of what makes me think about getting something other than another BMW. If the M Sport came with the alcantara that the ROW gets, I'd be all over, but I can't get excited about pleather or "leather".
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      01-24-2012, 09:18 AM   #22
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Love the smell of the leather
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