Miikka

I think this thread is very interesting, we already have some people here who have good/bad experiences about leatherette and that is something you basically cannot experience with Finnish BMW dealers; they have all the show room cars only with fabric usually. So forum is where the real knowledge is.

I have still some time to figure out my decision before it is time to change the car.

Zetta

If you buy a car, the best opinion whta you can have is YOURS !! Only you have to be happy with the choice

the missile

I agree with your first paragraph but not with your second

...I have bought 4 used BMW's but have never bought a used BMW without leather - I simply move on to the next ad for a car with leather. Often when trolling ads, it is also an indication of the level of equipment the car has. If it has leather, it usually has quite a few optional extras.

amigo525

I had both Leatherette and leather. Yes leather is a lot better but Leatherette isnot a nighmare. If i had to go back to Leatherette, i would not mind. (MHO)

GT Premi

Actually, if cloth seats were available here (w/ the 20-way seats), I would've seriously considered them. Why? Because it'd be better than Leatherette, and it'd be something different than what every other Bimmer owner has. Leatherette is just nasty, dude. It does NOT "wear" better than leather. I can spot Leatherette from a mile (1.8 KM ) away. It's just plain ugly, IMO, after just a few months. Those excessively deep crevices in the texture just collect filth like nobody's business. It looks exactly like what it is, thick vinyl, in no time; whereas leather still looks classy for years down the road.

Why would BMW sell it if it's a bad choice? Here's a counter question for you. Why do some manufacturers make crappy, rattle trap, econo-boxes? The price gets customers in the door and sales out the door. As expensive as these cars are, there are still el-cheapos out there that don't mind tarnishing the brand image just to save a buck or two. (Why buy a BMW in the first place?) Does Mercedes or Audi offer vinyl seats (in the States?) NO! (Not to my knowledge, anyway.)

Zetta

100% agree !!!!

The bold one is my favourite sentence

PS: 1 Mile is 1,67 km

Boxador

I think you assume everyone who buys leatherette tries to pass it on as leather and that's from what I'm getting out of your post. I apologize if I jump into that conclusion. Everybody who ever sat in my car who assumed it was leather was corrected. I let them know what's the difference and you are right, I can also spot if it's leather or leatherette. The smell, texture, color, and almost everything is different about the two. And that's why I like about it. I am not fronting nobody just like the same reason why I don't debadge a 528i. I might not have the top of the line 5 series or even BMW because my favorite is the 7, but I know when I get my 528, it will still be one heck of a car. Some people like their cars with leather as a sign of luxury, comfort, and/or for whatever reason, that's okay by me. That's your choice as well as theirs. It's like people who wear brand name clothes, like myself, but am I really up to date with fashion? HECK NO! Why am I spending $40 for a ralph lauren polo t-shirt when I can get just spend another $40 for a Burberry one. Simple, it's because I like that stupid horse logo on the Ralph Lauren more. It's nothing about the $1450 if you assume that's what it is, that's just another measly $50 extra whether I finance or lease at most. It's the fact that I choose leatherette and it just so happens to be free of charge and leather happens to be additional. If it was the other way around, I will still go with at least one of my BMW to go leatherette because of the reasons I stated before. It comes down to a matter of preference, just like the navigation this post was referring to. If you use it a lot, good for you, you actually made use of it and it might have been worth your money. For someone like me, it's just another flashy device on my car which I'll barely use. It's like me paying for additional $1500 for the X-Drive on my 3 series. I used it TWICE in 3 years during the lease. Don't you think I rip myself off? $750 a day for the X-Drive and it only helped a bit pulling out. And on the last note, I see people use the word classy around. People who know classy are the same people who don't know shit and I'm not saying you per se. It's like the same people who drive Benz because it's "classy" but have no idea even how to pump gas or do a simple oil change. I see it all the time in NYC where rich girls pull over and are stun sometimes that it's only a self service station. It's definitely a nice S550 but if it was me, I rather drive my 5 and actually know how to do simple crap like that. I'm not Ron Burgundy, I don't know how to stay classy.

GT Premi

I'm not saying anybody is trying to pass Leatherette off as leather. It's just near offensive that people actually say Leatherette is "just as nice as" leather. It's not even close. And the argument that Leatherette is easier to take care of holds no water. If anything, leather is easier to take care of. It doesn't have all those deep crevices to collect filth and get discolored over time like Leatherette, requiring some harsh cleaner to restore the look.

Boxador

I've been reading many leatherette vs. leather post in the past before I hit this one and this is the first time I posted regarding it because I finally experienced both for the past 3 years. I owned the leather one on the X5 longer. I have never heard of someone saying leatherette is just as "nice", assuming you mean same as leather. And whoever does say that, I would understand why you would be mad especially if someone tries to pass it on as leather. In the past 3 years with my 3 series, I did nothing more just wiping it down with a wet cotton towel and sometimes wipe it down with armor all to give it a nicer thicker black coating over it. I have the same problem with the leather seats as well as my leatherette seats when it comes to dirty filth and lint trap around it. A simple vacuum does the trick. No problem here. The only thing I see when cleaning black leatherette is if you clean it with water, it does turn blueish a little but it fades away after drying. You also have to understand that many drivers are not hobbyist and most people get their car clean especially in NYC at drive thrus. Most will not even wipe their own leather down and that takes a wear. Yes, a simple monthly or even tri-monthlys wipe on your leather will keep it nice and fresh for years to come but I bet I can do that and I only need to wipe it down once every two years and my leatherette will look a lot more fresh and more mint than the leather with less work. As a pet owner, my dog's nails are trim but still sharp. When he jumps to get into the car, it scratchs my leatherette at times and it's looks great after wiping off the scuff marks. My leather in the X5 will never work that great in the same situation. The fact it's loose will only make my dog's nail cut through it over time. Now if you were me, and you had to put your dog in either of the BMW, wouldn't you choose to get leatherette just to put that dog in and not mess around with the $2000 you just put on the premium package if you were me? And you mention you would choose fabric over leatherette? Why? I had a Jeep before with fabric and it's a pain the ass to clean up with spill drinks, disgusting vomit, and almost every other stain you can imagine. With at least leatherette, you can just wipe it off. If you ever watch kids getting into the car, they usually crawl in dragging their feet because of height issues. Some even jump in the car. You probably would be less forgiving if it was leather than leatherette. If you were talking about office chairs, that's a different story. Those vinyl are crap and starts cracking within a few months after you use it with just minimal use.

GT Premi

The X5 is supposed to work as an "SUV," right? The dog goes in the back. If he's a big dog, I'll fold the seats down. You're not one of those "Pets are people, too." people, are you???