Leather seats

[Rolfe]

We've touched on this is a few threads, but I'd like to hear a wider spectrum of opinion.

In general, I just love leather seats in a car.  Opulent, classy, hard-wearing, what's not to like (oh, you said expensive, well that).  It's the sort of bling I really go for.

My Peugeot has leather seats, which weren't all that expensive.  They have suede panels in the seat and back, which I think cut the price, and also makes them less slippy and not cold or hot to sit on.  The car is now over 11 years old, and I've never done a thing to these seats as far as care and maintenance goes, and they still look great.  No real wear, just a bit of a polish on the driver's seat.

I started this new car lark being absolutely certain I wanted leather seats.  However, the first two Golfs I saw had leather seats and I wasn't drooling over them quite the way I thought I would be.  Not sure why.  Maybe I don't like the shape of the head rests?

Then I heard chat on this forum that suggested these leather seats weren't as hard-wearing as I thought they would be.  People spoke of them sagging and scuffing, and of them needing tender loving care.  Then I decided I wanted the DSG, and began to think of taking the leather seats off the wish list to compensate.

Then I saw the cloth seats at another dealer's showroom (the one I've ordered from), and I have to say they looked very nice.  Not at all the offensive jazzy seat fabric you see in some cars.  The red stripe in the tartan picks up the red detailing on the car very nicely, the overall effect is less dark than the black leather, and the fabric looks hard-wearing.  That dealer is a fan of the Mk I and was recommending the cloth over the leather on the basis of the heritage of the car and felt it looked classier.

So, my order is in without the leather.  I feel, at the moment, that I'd rather keep the £1,675.  But I'd like to hear from others about why they have or haven't ordered leather, and especially what experiences people have had with VW leather in the past - is it really not very hard-wearing?

Rolfe.

[matchboy]

my experience is as follows:  mk 4 gti cloth - stains showed up!  mk 4 v5 leather - sagged badly.  mk 5 gti - 2 and a half years old and in very good nick.  mk 6 on order - leather.

my opinion on leather?  is v expensive but worth it.  but i can understand totally not spending the money on it as its a lot of cash and the tartan is still nice.  i have a young child and also a dog so the leather works for me in terms of any spillage whereas the cloth wouldn't!!

its each to their own, both me and my wife would never go back to cloth and is always a requirement when getting a new car for both of us, but its our personal preference.  the good thing about the gti is that the cloth is very good so whichever you choose its still a good choice!!

[VWKev]

Easy to keep clean, looks classy, totally finshes off a car interior, and arguably more hard wearing.

Worth the money ? Yeah why not if you can afford it.

[R32UK]

I tried the leather in courtesy car for just under a month. Originally I thought that in my perfect spec'd car leather would be a must. However after having the car during a rare hot spell I found the seat to be rediculously hot in the summer and im sure quite the oppostie in winter.

I have quite a few early (cold) starts and also in summer my car spends all say in the sunshine before i get back in it and drive home. So for these two reasons I originally stayed away from the leather.

another reason is that I have a habit of carrying lots of items on the back seat and with the rear seats down. This too means that I have to be very cautious in how I load items in and out.

Finally... i find that when pushing on the cloth seems to hold you alot better that the leather which can let you slide about somewhat.


Although saying that.. the leather does add a touch of class and exec feel to the interior that the cloth doesnt.

[jaydubveedub]

I have been back and forth on this one.

Personally I like the cloth that you get as standard on the GTI, it's quite retro and pretty cool. Also you don't slide about on cloth and it's not too cold in winter and not too hot in summer. Also, the leather in the MK5 GTI was not very good quality compared to the MK4 and I presume that the MK6 will be the same as it's largely the same car.

However, I have had a number of cars with leather and there are some good points. Firstly, the smell of it as you open the door and get in is lovely. Secondly, it looks and feels very nice indeed. Thirdly, it is easy to wipe down / keep clean. However, it's really is very cold in the winter (heated seats take a while to warm up) and on very hot summer days it get's so hot that it is quite unpleasant and you get a sweaty ar5e! Also you end up being paranoid about it getting scratched or scuffed and if you have it on a car with pronounced side bolsters (like the GTI) it can waer quite quickly and look tatty.

My approach is that if I have to pay extra for it then I won't have it but if it's already fitted then that is fine.

Personally, if I was ordering a brand new MK6 then I would save the (signifcant) money and go with the cloth. Then i'd spend the money on Xenons.

[Exonian]

I have been back and forth on this one.

Personally I like the cloth that you get as standard on the GTI, it's quite retro and pretty cool. Also you don't slide about on cloth and it's not too cold in winter and not too hot in summer. Also, the leather in the MK5 GTI was not very good quality compared to the MK4 and I presume that the MK6 will be the same as it's largely the same car.

However, I have had a number of cars with leather and there are some good points. Firstly, the smell of it as you open the door and get in is lovely. Secondly, it looks and feels very nice indeed. Thirdly, it is easy to wipe down / keep clean. However, it's really is very cold in the winter (heated seats take a while to warm up) and on very hot summer days it get's so hot that it is quite unpleasant and you get a sweaty ar5e! Also you end up being paranoid about it getting scratched or scuffed and if you have it on a car with pronounced side bolsters (like the GTI) it can waer quite quickly and look tatty.

My approach is that if I have to pay extra for it then I won't have it but if it's already fitted then that is fine.

Personally, if I was ordering a brand new MK6 then I would save the (signifcant) money and go with the cloth. Then i'd spend the money on Xenons.

I would have to agree with that wholeheartedly. 

[VWKev]

question for the guys that slide on the leather, are you dipping your asses in grease before you sit down ?

[Rolfe]

The VW brochure says quite clearly that there are bits on the "leather" trim that are actually vinyl.  Does anybody know which bits?

Rolfe.

[matchboy]

or just get both xenons and leather!!

[ub7rm]

The VW brochure says quite clearly that there are bits on the "leather" trim that are actually vinyl.  Does anybody know which bits?

Rolfe.

The backs mostly.  Assuming its like the mk5 and in all probability they are exactly the same seats.

I have leather and it looks lovely, but personaly I wouldn't spec it as it scuffs easily.  Also the cloth seats look pretty good so I don't really think you are loosing out on the aesthetics.

Cloth with winterpack ftw.