[rup]

Think Alcantara/Suede is best option. Shame only available on msport.

[BGM]

Originally Posted by Jon D

No problems with mine and I wouldn't consider anything else.
Heat-wise, I imagine the darker the hotter; I have cream beige...

yeah cream here too.. no issues with the heat or the cold

[ghosty]

cooling seats?! damn where have i been never knew they existed...genius!
im happy enough with the leather, it gets a little hot but gets hot in any seat when its that hot outside. its not like the hot affects us that much in this country anyhow heated seats actually seem more of a sensible option in that respect

[misterS3]

I use my heated seats all the time, esp. after a round of golf.

Could have gone for cooling seats in X5, but you lose sports seats and i can't think of any times where i've really struggled without seat cooling. I am in Scotland though!

[xenon]

Alcantara / suede is the best I think as it's cool and grippy. I like sumptuous leather though which nappa is and dakota certainly isn't. Like a cheap sofa from MFI

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by xenon

Alcantara / suede is the best I think as it's cool and grippy. I like sumptuous leather though which nappa is and dakota certainly isn't. Like a cheap sofa from MFI

....but the Dakota is tougher in my experience. The 'vert had Dakota leather and the bolster on the sports seats still looked OK when the car went at 2 yrs old. The M3 is in the dealer today to have a new backrest seat cover fitted under warranty as the fox red nappa has scuffed after less than 10k miles.

[xenon]

I'm certain the Dakota is tougher but the texture feels like vinyl. Good leather is available - with regular Gliptone treatment the leather in my 20 year old Porsche is better than it was in my 325i

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Love the leather.

Dakota is the most hardwaring car leather i've ever had. Brilliant. Any amount of grime just comes off with a baby wipe.

It still looks like new after 50K+ whilst the softer nappa stuff has long cracked and worn through on the bolsters etc.

Cloth is good too IMO, but not in this car.

Your comment on 27th May: "Poor quality leather for a £42,390 car!"

Have you changed your spec since then, or just your mind?

[xenon]

Must have had it re-trimmed.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by xenon

Must have had it re-trimmed.

Re-trimmed what - car or opinion?

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Your comment on 27th May: "Poor quality leather for a £42,390 car!"

Have you changed your spec since then, or just your mind?

Ha! - well spotted!

No my comment on 27th May was that the OP had said 'poor quality leather for a £20k car' or similar figure (can;t find thread now)

He quoted a low price figure, my reply was meant to read that it was if it was poor leather for a £20k car then it must be piss poor for a £43k car (list price of my 335i).

I admit it doesn't read quite like that in retrospect.

To be clear - Dakota is great leather IMO, not a silky smooth as some, but a lovely matt finish and hardwearing. Needs cleaning often to avoid the 'vinyl' effect mentioned by xenon

[Em135eye]

What leather have most people got then?

Is Dakota something special? Certainly like ours in Terra.

[xenon]

Dakota is the "basic" leather; nappa is the posh version.

I regularly treated my Dakota leather to Gliptone (is there anything better?) and that certainly makes it more supple and removes the vinyl effect, per DB, but the leather in the Porsche is much better.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Ha! - well spotted!

No my comment on 27th May was that the OP had said 'poor quality leather for a £20k car' or similar figure (can;t find thread now)

He quoted a low price figure, my reply was meant to read that it was if it was poor leather for a £20k car then it must be piss poor for a £43k car (list price of my 335i).

I admit it doesn't read quite like that in retrospect.

To be clear - Dakota is great leather IMO, not a silky smooth as some, but a lovely matt finish and hardwearing. Needs cleaning often to avoid the 'vinyl' effect mentioned by xenon

OK, I'll let you off, but only because your answer is a master-class in the art of flim-flam

[xenon]

It was a politicians' answer. Very clever

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by xenon

Dakota is the "basic" leather; nappa is the posh version.

I regularly treated my Dakota leather to Gliptone (is there anything better?) and that certainly makes it more supple and removes the vinyl effect, per DB, but the leather in the Porsche is much better.

I'm sure Porsche leather is superior, but like most things in life, it comes at a price.

[xenon]

Originally Posted by Jon D

I'm sure Porsche leather is superior, but like most things in life, it comes at a price.

Perhaps - but it is 20 years old......

[Em135eye]

The leather on my Dad's 928 was a bit cr4p TBH. His two 924 Turbos both had cloth seats - with a checked brown pattern - YUCK!!

[xenon]

The diminished chequer pattern on the 80's Porsches was a design classic IMO. Not sure how it would look in brown, but in black it was (and is) perfect for that car.

[toxicnerve]

Nappa leather is really nice but it's very delicate and scuffs very easily. The Dakota leather is much tougher and will stand the test of time better.

[Vaheed1]

I've always preferred good cloth/half leather Recaro's to Leather seats (except the one's fitted to big luxury cars...which I suppose makes sense) - As you say, when it's hot....they (and I) get sticky, despite the air con being on. They are easy to clean but I suspect most people spec leather seats for better re-sale residuals and to not look cheap!

My last Mk5 GTI was fitted with cloth Recaro's and they were brilliant.

[doughboy]

If they'd have done a good leather / alcantara combo i'd have gone for that I reckon...