Cloth/Alcantara or Leather on ZHP...help me decide

[ldacpano]

I'm getting the ZHP and was wondering what are your opinions on leather or the cloth/alcantara that comes w/it. I'm in a dilemma. Thanks for your inputs

 

[Bryan330i]

Get leather!

I am so glad I have leather seats after seeing how bad my steering wheel looks.

 

[Kin]

I will go for the leather. The steering wheel looks so bad. I am actually thinking about changing the steering wheel to leather.

 

[Bryan330i]

Here is a thread that talks about it.


http://www.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9724&highlight=Alcantara


Another



http://www.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6583&highlight=Alcantara

 

[EmenGeeRoxx]

Bryan,

We meet again on this topic I have the leather steering wheel so I can't comment. My bolsters and headrest are alcantara and after a year I still have NO problems. I am still a skinny bastard so maybe I am not giving the seats enough friction or weight to make a valid case.

Also in Toronto, it's only hot 4-5 months out of the year so maybe that might have something to do with it?

 

[Bryan330i]

Bryan,

We meet again on this topic I have the leather steering wheel so I can't comment. My bolsters and headrest are alcantara and after a year I still have NO problems. I am still a skinny bastard so maybe I am not giving the seats enough friction or weight to make a valid case.

Also in Toronto, it's only hot 4-5 months out of the year so maybe that might have something to do with it?

Not sure what the deal is. I don’t doubt what you are saying but me and a few others here are definitely not happy with the quality.

Perhaps what I have is just not good material. [???1]

It would be interesting to get a group of people with the seats and see how they are after a year or more.

 

[nasa43]

I prefer leather. It gets plenty hot here in Alabama and I have no problems with the black leather seats. I hear so much about how unbearable black leather seats and dark color paint are in the summer. That's what AC is for. Of course, I do have enough sense not to get in the car naked in the middle of the day. I wait until night to do that.

 

[Bryan330i]

I have no problem with black leather either. Here is a cut and paste of the weather here now at 9:22 AM. Already 104 and will be at least 115-118 in some areas by 2 PM.


8/10/04
9:22:19 AM CURRENT MIN/MAX RATE
Temperature (ºF) 104.0 87.8 / 105.0 4.0 Humidity (%) 18.0 14.7 / 31.5 3.9
Wind (mph) ENE 3.7 SSW 12.9
Daily Rain (") 0.00 No Rain Today 0.00
Pressure ("Hg) 30.00 29.90 / 30.00 0.02
Heat Index:103.1 ºF
Monthly Rain:
0.04 " Dew Point:
54.3 ºF

 

[adrean8j]

Ok lets grind this discussion to a halt on the quality of the Alcantara/stoff seats(i have a leather steering wheel). I would say that my 5er is older than any of the cars from the other people commenting(1999 5er w/M-facelift). I have the Acantara seats and they look like new. I have soldiers, drunk females, luggage, and even a damn dog.....once....on my alcantara seats and they have held up with no visible signs of wear or poor quality. There have been no "wrinkling" of the fabric(common leather prob.) or anything else for that matter. Just giving my 2cents......although I dont like the "look" of the stoff(actual cloth) I have had no problems with the "suede", "alcantara" or whatever you prefer to call it!

 

[bmwrocks]

I have the explanation for all these differences......Bryan330i has wet sandpaper hands or some really bad material so his wheel is worn out......EmenGeeRoxx is so skinny he doesn't ever touch the bolsters and his head never touches the headrests....adrean8j floats above his seats as do all his passengers including the dog, so his look good as new forever.

Something here does not jive.

You can't go wrong with leather. My leather seats are so tight, adrean8j's boot camp bed would be ashamed.

 

[adrean8j]

adrean8j floats above his seats as do all his passengers including the dog, so his look good as new forever.

Something here does not jive.

You can't go wrong with leather. My leather seats are so tight, adrean8j's boot camp bed would be ashamed.

Hey! LOL But notice it is like I said my car is older than all of yours and my alcantara is holding up fine thankyou! And by the way you could bounce a dime off of my bootcamp bed!

 

[Bryan330i]

8/10/04
5:00:37 PM CURRENT MIN/MAX RATE
Temperature (ºF) 116.7 87.8 / 118.7 1.5
Humidity (%) 11.2 10.1 / 31.5 0.3
Wind (mph) W 3.7 WSW 16.7
Daily Rain (") 0.00 No Rain Today 0.00
Pressure ("Hg) 29.84 29.84 / 30.00 0.02
Heat Index: 115.1 ºF Monthly Rain:
0.04 " Dew Point:
52.5 ºF


Driving home temp. 116.7 in my part of town today. No problems ever with the leather. I only wish I had a leather steering wheel and I would be happy.

Funny explanation BMWRocks, I just wonder where BMW got this crap and why its in the cars at all.

 

[EmenGeeRoxx]

I'll probably get fat sooner or later so maybe I'll consider leather for my next purchase.

How much care is needed to keep the leather in good condition? I just hate that wrinkled/cracked look leather gets after a while.

Also what is the difference in quality between Nappa Leather found in the higher end models and the Montana Leather found in the 3?


Thanks guys.

 

[Average Jae]

i llike my alca, but it is starting to wear out at 2 o clock position.. feels rough, unlike rest of the wheel.

despite that i like the alca wheel better than the leather.. mabye cuz the leather's not broken in on my parents' x5? i wish the alca held up better, but if bmw would replace it w/out a problem. i wont' mind too much.