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      04-16-2015, 08:42 AM   #45
ft1330
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Sensatec is much superior to leather. It doesn't age. Cleans easy. Is lighter. Looks and feel the same as leather too. You will not get wrinkles like with leather.
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      04-16-2015, 10:07 AM   #46
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The dakota leather is okay, definitely not as nice as nappa, but a step up from sensatec.
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      04-16-2015, 10:13 AM   #47
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One con I have with my beige Sensatec is that blue jeans tend to rub off on it, but it can easily be removed with interior cleaner & a rag.

The only other thing is that I find the Sensatec material to be thinner than leather. So I would be careful what you place on the seats (boxes, sharp objects, etc.)
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      04-16-2015, 10:28 AM   #48
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With the Dakota leather does anyone know:

1. Which parts are not leather? (like, is the arm rest? or the door inserts?)

2. And for those parts that are not leather, does BMW use the Sansatec material?
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      04-16-2015, 11:11 AM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tex2670 View Post
With the Dakota leather does anyone know:

1. Which parts are not leather? (like, is the arm rest? or the door inserts?)
It's funny you mention the armrest, as if you compare the costs of the Sensatec vs Dakota variants.

51169235443 - Dakota - http://www.ecstuning.com/ES2578227/

51169235431 - Sensatec - http://www.ecstuning.com/ES2683680/

Even based on the descriptions for the part numbers, Dakota is listed as Leather and Sensatec is listed as Leatherette along with the a 50% increase in price for the Dakota centre console.

Also if you compare the door linings, Sensatec will list Vinyl while Dakota will list Leather. The texture is different between the two for the armrest and door linings, along with the extra stitching.
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      04-16-2015, 01:38 PM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ft1330
Sensatec is much superior to leather. It doesn't age. Cleans easy. Is lighter. Looks and feel the same as leather too. You will not get wrinkles like with leather.
I just returned a loaner with Sensatec, didn't like the feel of it at all compared to the Dakota leather. Also my 2015 Dakota leather seems much softer than I had in my 2012 for some reason.
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      04-16-2015, 01:59 PM   #51
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I have had both. Leatherette wears wells, easy to clean. Very hot. But....
Take leather anyway over the vinyl stuff. So much nicer.
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      04-16-2015, 03:16 PM   #52
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My wife's Audi has leather and I sweat in summer. My BMW has SensaTec and I sweat in summer. The arguments about leather breathing better is more opinion than fact. The only real solution is cooled seats.

What is a fact is that leather will soften and wear with use and age much faster than SensaTec. Some people like the broken-in look, some don't. I tend to hold onto my cars for 10+ years and hate the way leather bolsters start to look after 50K miles.

PS - I thought my car was leather when I test drove. The fact that it was SensaTec was not an issue at all and has become a positive as the seats look new with 30K miles.

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      04-16-2015, 08:12 PM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tex2670 View Post
With the Dakota leather does anyone know:

1. Which parts are not leather? (like, is the arm rest? or the door inserts?)

2. And for those parts that are not leather, does BMW use the Sansatec material?
See the post below. Everything you touch is leather and a lot you don't necessarily touch is leather. The center arm rest and the door arm rests are leather as are the door inserts. One visual cue to whether you're looking at leather or Sensatec/leatherette is that the leather door trim is stitched on the inserts and the arm rests, leatherette is not.

It used to be that every part of BMW's leather seats were trimmed in leather. It appears in the last few years they have begun using Sensatec in certain areas where the hand is unlikely to touch.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbits93 View Post
It's funny you mention the armrest, as if you compare the costs of the Sensatec vs Dakota variants.

51169235443 - Dakota - http://www.ecstuning.com/ES2578227/

51169235431 - Sensatec - http://www.ecstuning.com/ES2683680/

Even based on the descriptions for the part numbers, Dakota is listed as Leather and Sensatec is listed as Leatherette along with the a 50% increase in price for the Dakota centre console.

Also if you compare the door linings, Sensatec will list Vinyl while Dakota will list Leather. The texture is different between the two for the armrest and door linings, along with the extra stitching.
+1

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherhart View Post
My wife's Audi has leather and I sweat in summer. My BMW has SensaTec and I sweat in summer. The arguments about leather breathing better is more opinion than fact. The only real solution is cooled seats.

What is a fact is that leather will soften and wear with use and age much faster than SensaTec. Some people like the broken-in look, some don't. I tend to hold onto my cars for 10+ years and hate the way leather bolsters start to look after 50K miles.

PS - I thought my car was leather when I test drove. The fact that it was SensaTec was not an issue at all and has become a positive as the seats look new with 30K miles.

Jimbo
I sweat on my leather seats, too. I have in every car I've had with leather seats, but not as much as with vinyl. The difference is that leather adjusts to body temperature fairly quickly. Vinyl does not adjust at all.

My car just turned nine years old and it has over 95,000 miles. My leather seats are in great shape. The seats on both of my E46s were also in fine shape at 90k +/- miles. Leather seats "wear in" and develop a kind of "patina".

Dakota leather is a Top Grain leather, but it has an "embossed" finish on it that seals it and makes it more durable, and "harder", than a leather like Nappa or Merino.
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      04-16-2015, 08:13 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 328AL
Quote:
Originally Posted by hmc View Post
Leather may not help resale if its not in good condition.

I had leather before and I will not order leather again. Simply more expensive, more maintenance and less durable.

This is completely overgeneralized and incoherent statement!

When did you have it, what car was it on, how long have you had it, what type of leather was it, what maintenance did you perform, and what was your problem?

I had Dakota leather on my e90 for 3 years, the only thing I did is wiping it with a leather conditioner/cleaner every 3rd or 4th time I had a car wash, i.e 2-3 times a year. It looked the same the day I sold it as the day I purchased it.
Agreed. Had leather in my old 3er, and now have Sensatec in my 335. I'd say my leather held up just as well as my current fake stuff is doing.

I will agree, as many other members have pointed out, the Sensatec seems to get hotter/colder when compared to leather.
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      04-17-2015, 12:20 AM   #55
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I had the sensatec in my old car. Wasn't that bad. Its difficult to get excited about, but it isn't bad.
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      04-17-2015, 07:09 AM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tturedraider View Post
See the post below. Everything you touch is leather and a lot you don't necessarily touch is leather.
Well--I can touch the sides of the seat cushions, and they feel different, and I'm pretty sure those parts aren't leather (but I don't think I've ever had a car where the sides of the bottom seat cushions felt like real leather when compared to the part you actually sit on). This disclaimer was in the '14 options spec sheet, page 4:

Quote:
Leather upholstery: Leather on all seating surfaces;
other components may be Leather or Leatherette.
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File Type: pdf 2014 3 Series i Brochure.pdf (2.70 MB, 338 views)

Last edited by tex2670; 04-17-2015 at 09:39 AM..
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      04-18-2015, 11:43 AM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joedoe View Post
BMW's leather is very low quality so the letherette fills and serves much better than it.
This is my second BMW with sensatec. I would never pay extra for the leather in a 3 series. It just isn't very nice in my opinion compared to other cars.
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      04-18-2015, 03:45 PM   #58
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Sensatec lasts longer and is lighter than leather, and saves money for more important packages
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