[rg87]

I want to get some input from owners here. More specifically the owners with leatherette seats.

How well has your leatherette held up? Tears, cracking? How would you compare it to the dakota leather? Does the leatherette get hard over time?

I previously had Dakota leather on my '06 E90 and was pleased at how soft it was. I'm just a little apprehensive purchasing another E90 equipped with leatherette.

[Amini77]

I don't know what I have in my 06 E90 but I hear that leatherette is supposed to last longer than 100% real leather. It doesn't crack either because it doesn't dry up that easily like regular leather. Is there a way to tell what I have?

[Dark_Knight_335]

I can tell you from experience of owning both that leatherette is infinitely more durable and holds up much better than Dakota leather.

But of course, there's nothing like leather.

Sure- show us a (close up clear) picture of it.

[smallseafishie]

Originally Posted by rg87

I want to get some input from owners here. More specifically the owners with leatherette seats.

How well has your leatherette held up? Tears, cracking? How would you compare it to the dakota leather? Does the leatherette get hard over time?

I previously had Dakota leather on my '06 E90 and was pleased at how soft it was. I'm just a little apprehensive purchasing another E90 equipped with leatherette.

I've had both.

Leatherette doesn't get hard over time like leather without conditioning.

I'd buy a leatherette car again no issues. My only gripe with leatherette is that you can't get it with lumbar support in the USA.

[CJ421]

I'd stick to the leather. The BMW leatherette is good quality but ... it's plastic. Leather smells nice and the experience is much better.

And as noted you can't get lumbar support without getting the 'premium' package which includes leather. Worthwhile package to have.

[Dark_Knight_335]

This.

[John 070]

I used to think leatherette would be a good way to save $$$. Luckily I did not order my car without leather. I've had a few 328i loaners with leatherette, looks and feels so cheep. It belongs in a base golf, not a BMW imho...

[starbai]

Originally Posted by Amini77

I don't know what I have in my 06 E90 but I hear that leatherette is supposed to last longer than 100% real leather. It doesn't crack either because it doesn't dry up that easily like regular leather. Is there a way to tell what I have?

put the last 7 of your car's VIN in here:

http://bmwvin.com/

[z4ps]

Leatherette + hot summer =

[John 070]

Originally Posted by starbai

put the last 7 of your car's VIN in here:

http://bmwvin.com/

Or next time at the dealer, touch the seats and door panels with your hands. There's no mistaking the hard, plastic, feel of leatherette. There's nothing better about it, except maybe a lower sticker price.

[Amini77]

Originally Posted by starbai

put the last 7 of your car's VIN in here:

http://bmwvin.com/

Wow thats really interesting, so I have Dekota leather...

[starbai]

I've been in leatherette loaners before, and I gotta say I didn't mind it.

I wouldn't buy a car with it... but didn't feel 'cheap or plasticky' to me... i just know that if i was gonna spend all that money on a BMW I'd feel alike wierd not ponying up for a basic luxury like leather.

All comes down to preference. I'd say go into a dealer and check out both and decide for yourself.

But I dont PERSONALLY believe its THAT bad/plasticky

[Squark]

I have leatherette in my '07 328i and it has held up great. Overall it still looks brand new. It shows no wear except for a small cracking area near a seam on the driver's seat from the previous owner sliding in and out of the car. If you don't look at it closely you'd never notice. It doesn't breathe very well so my back gets sweaty in the summer. My wife has an '08 X3 with leather and it shows more wear, although the leather is a nice option. I'm torn on what I'd get in my next car, but I would probably get leather since I like other options in the premium package.

[captainaudio]

if leather is cared for properly (which is not all that difficult) it will last a long time and show minimal wear. My 2007 335i has black Dakota leather and it looks the same as it did when the car was new 5 plus years and 40,000 miles ago.

CA

[Tim M]

Leatherette:

*Cleans easy.
*Durable.
*Doesn't crack or look greasy like Leather.
*Still looks brand new on my car.

[Envuks]

I have leatherette and love it. 50k miles and looks BRAND new.

I think speed cloth would be pretty cool too

[PKizzle]

Don't listen to the people who diss on the leatherette...do yourself a favor and check it out yourself. It's a great option if you want black. I have the black leatherette in my 335is and I love it. It still looks brand spanking new after 1 year with ~18K miles. I like how the leatherette looks so tightly stretched over the seat frame without any of the 'sag' that leather seats start to develop after some time. I had a 335 with leather prior to the 335is and that started to show a bit of wear/sag even at around 15K miles. Likewise for the leather seats in our EX35. The leather on my M3 with 130K miles is a sight to see...it looks awful, even though I took good care of it the entire time.

And as for leather breathing better...I think that's just BS. If it's hot out there...you're going to end up with a sweaty back no matter what seats you have...well, unless it's cloth. The leatherette in my 335is makes me sweat no worse than the leather in my M3 or our EX35.

[Amini77]

Since I found out I have Dakota it honestly isn't bad at all IMO. I have 80k miles and usually regular leather starts deteriorating on the driver seat? It isn't, in fact it's holding up great and and feels great. My fathers X5 has leatherette and IMO it feels hard and isn't comfortable but it feels good to the touch, very textured. But not on long road trips.

EDIT:
the x5 has Nevada leather

[Dark_Knight_335]

It came with the car. I couldn't care less, but I DO care about the sports seats and those lovely bolsters

[Dark_Knight_335]

Originally Posted by z4ps

Leatherette + hot summer =

No worse than leather. Believe me.

[PKizzle]

Surprised by some comments that say the leatherette is hard. I personally find the leatherette to actually be softer than the Dakota leather...as the leatherette has a bit of a rubbery feel to it. It's also grippier as the leatherette seats don't allow you to slide at all. This is great during hard cornering etc., but can at times also be a bit annoying like when you want to simply slide a bit to adjust your position...and you find your pants getting pulled down instead.

[Alarbus]

My 2006 E90 had black leatherette, and I never had any issues with it. One spot on the driver's seat was starting to crack, probably a combination of getting in and out, and how I sat. It never hardened, or otherwise got distressed.

I just sold it and bought a 2009 with beige leather, so now I feel obliged to treat it better. It's still in good shape, so I'm expecting minimal wear from it.

In general, I'd say it doesn't matter as much. It's easier to be more forgiving with leatherette, so if you have kids or lots of passengers, it may be better for your sanity.