[PavementIstRad]

Can anyone with leatherette comment on the quality of the leatherette in the f30. My dealer did not have any with leatherette on the lot, but I was able to check out a pre-owned e90 that had it. I could not tell much of a difference between the cars with real leather and noticed that it held up a lot better than the other used cars with leather.

I ended up ordering a f30 sportsline with black leatherette. Now that I am waiting for my car to arrive I am second guessing if I made the right choice.

What are you experiences with the leatherette on the f30?

[dmontic71]

I have seen it at the dealership and it looks/feels pretty good. I did get the leather in my car, but would not hesitate to omit if it was a cost consideration...

I do think with the sport line it does omit some of the red piping in the seats (check the configurator)... My wife had a Z4 with leatherette and we never thought much about it...

[CanadianDriver]

one less maintenance to worry about. real leather seats require treatment with leather conditioner every 6 months to avoid cracking/drying

[Jbrock22]

Leatherete Does not breath. Had both. If it's not a money issue then I'd go with the real stuff.

[verbs]

I've seen both side by side in the new F30. 99% of the people who get in your car would never even know the difference let alone question it. The two things you'll miss most are the smell and breathability (so I'm told on this last one).

Interestingly, the leatherette was much more pliable than the leather. That made me think it actually might be more comfortable to sit on.

[ric124]

It was not a cost issue for me and I ordered leatherette. People come in my car and say nice you got leather seating. The only thing I wish I had was the red piping I get red stitching but no piping. I live by the beach and I also drive to other beaches. Dont want to worry about people wetting up the seats and girls after a few drinks could care less about your car.

Here are some pics:

[ybbiz34]

Looks great. Had me fooled for sure! How's it breathe?

Originally Posted by ric124

It was not a cost issue for me and I ordered leatherette. People come in my car and say nice you got leather seating. The only thing I wish I had was the red piping I get red stitching but no piping. I live by the beach and I also drive to other beaches. Dont want to worry about people wetting up the seats and girls after a few drinks could care less about your car.

Here are some pics:

[ric124]

Originally Posted by ybbiz34

Looks great. Had me fooled for sure! How's it breathe?

Honestly I am no expert but I cant tell the difference between it and leather. I am hearing that it also will end up looking the same after 5 years. My back does not sweat but I also have my temp set at 69

[onehungevo]

I had leatherette and now leather. The leatherette was easy to clean and very durable. I only cleaned mine if something got it and used soap and water. After 3 years it still looked new. I went with leather this time and love the smell. Not sure about the durability yet.

[Bmwny2015]

I have leather, but when my car was in service n I had a loaner 5 series with leatherette it felt much softer than my cars leather seat

[jzcrna]

first non leather car in 13 years and I love the leatherette. It feels very comfortable, but does not breathe. then again, my Dakota didn't breathe that well either

[Ron Scott]

I am not a fan of BMW leather and am getting vinyl; this is not a dollars decision and I'm giving up other options to do so.

Their vinyl, or "leatherette", is fine, in fact its really good, but I'd prefer cloth or alacantra since I don't usually like products that attempt to decieve by pretending to be what they're not. Mine is more of an anti-BMW-leather decision than anything.

[ƒ°]

Another satisfied leatherette owner here. I ruined the leather on the first car I got. Never again after that.

[jddssc121]

It looks great.

If I were leasing I would consider it.

If I were buying I would get leather (tends to kill private party resale value)

[huskercubfan]

Another satisfied Leatherette owner here on the F30...

Mine was ordered that way by the dealer and I'm not sure I would order it any other way... I think the seats are actually more comfortable in leatherette but maybe that is just me!

[Propagator]

Originally Posted by jzcrna

first non leather car in 13 years and I love the leatherette. It feels very comfortable, but does not breathe. then again, my Dakota didn't breathe that well either

Bingo. Coated leather like the Dakota in the 3er doesn't "breath" much anyway. I would say the biggest reason to get the leather is if you want the color that is not offered by leatherette, or if the leather was free like it was for the late model e90 328i. Otherwise, the only downside of the leatherette is the lack of leather smell. But even that can be taken care of with aftermarket products.

[SPACEMANRICK]

I was getting my 2008 335xi (with leatherette) serviced at the dealer and sat in a 2012 F30 328i in the showroom. I thought the 328i seating was very similar to my leatherette in looks and feel but it seemed almost a little harder than my leatherette seating.....I was very surprised when I got out and looked at the plaque and found out it was leather! Unless you tell them, I highly doubt anyone would even know that a leatherette equipped car was not leather.

4 years later my 2008 335xi seats look EXACTLY like they did the first day I drove off the dealer's lot. The only maintenance I ever do is wipe it down with water every few months when I get some dirt on the seats. In Canada leather is standard on the 328 and 335 but if it wasn't standard I would have no hesitation getting leatherette!

[TEAShea]

I think it is exceptional quality. It is equal to MBTex (Mercedes). I prefer it to leather. While it lack the smell of leather, it is so much more durable that it works for me. The texture and finish is very good.

With leather there is a compromise that must be made. Vat dyed leather has open pores, is soft and feels great - but it stains. For that reason, almost all auto leather has the color and finish sprayed on - it is actually a type of vinyl. This closes most of the pores and makes it more resistant to stains.

[Michael Schott]

Originally Posted by CanadianDriver

one less maintenance to worry about. real leather seats require treatment with leather conditioner every 6 months to avoid cracking/drying

I guess this might be true if you keep a car for a long time. The seats in the 2008 e90 I had never cracked or dried out over the 3 years of the lease. I never treated the seats.

[PavementIstRad]

What does the BMW Leatherette smell like? I had a Volkswagen Jetta back in the day with Leatherette and my car always smelled like crayons. I suspected it was the seats but it could have been the seal in the trunk.

[Vector Pilot]

Have yet to see leatherette in the F30 but judging from photos it appears to look better, higher quality, than what was offered in the E90. As of now I'm leaning towards leasing, via ED, a F30 Mineral Gray M-Sport with black leatherette. Attached photo enhanced for clarity.
Highest Regards

[BMWFanatic2008]

I have had leatherette in my E92 for almost 3 years now and it still look like brand new. Everyone thinks that I have real leather in my car

Not sure whether the leatherette quality is the same between E9x and F30 (hopefully it didn't go down).

The only scenario where I would pay for leather option is if I were to get a red leather.