Copy that...its seems that unless the seats are heavily bucketed...the leather just doesn't hold me in place during hard cornering.

 

This is an objective post from my observations through the years:

My parents had never bought leather seats before due to the cost, and pretty much had a poor opinion of it. My maxima is the first car that I have really experienced leather in.

Cloth is more comfortable initially in temperature extremes. Leather starts very cold in winter, but the heated seats will change that in less than a minute if you put it on high setting. Leather (especially black leather like mine) gets very hot in summer, but I feel that it cools down better. From my extensive experience with cloth in summer, it doesn't get hot enough to burn you, but it seems to hold heat longer (to me). Even with air on full, you will still be sweating in the cloth seats for a while (yuck!).

As for comfort, I find leather to be overall much more comfortable (especially on "normal" temperature days). My definition of comfort in this area would be when you don't notice its there. By using cleaner and conditioner on the leather (Lexol for me), it becomes VERY grippy. I think its the conditioner that does this, but I have no problem slipping around on corners.

As for looks, no question leather wins hands down. Leather just looks much nicer to start with, and will stay that way. The leather is MUCH easier to clean (friend puked red wine on mine!! ... yea...i know, get new friends right?). Leather also wears much better over time. Take a look at some older used cars. Even if the owner was **** about caring for a cloth interior, it will still look worn in some ways (hard to describe, but you can tell). If leather is cared for well, it will still look brand new years later.

Bottom line: I don't think I could ever go back to having a cloth interior in one of my cars. Aftermarket leather is fine (especially if cheaper leather is used like for Nissan), but they would have to be fully functional too (power adjust, heated, etc). For some cars, there is definitely no question about going with factory leather. Lexus for example: I went in to look at the new IS's and OMG!!!

go see for yourself....
Feels like super soft suede or something, but is smooth

 

You were lucky. Goats ate the freakin seats in mine. I had to sit on the metal springs.

 

Leather, cloth smells FTL.

 

So what's everyone's opinion on aftermarket leather on a used car. It's hard to find an '02/'03 6-spd w/leather... if I find it in cloth- is it worth it to put the aftermarket leather-- how does it look/hold up- similar to factory-- how hard or expensive is it to install?

 

If anyone know where i can find some aftermarket leather for cheap.. and not have to buy complete seats.. email me

 

This is quite the question.

It seems most of the advantages I've heard about leather havent held up very well. supposedly it keeps cool in the summer time, but in my experience that is false!
Another big advantage is that its supposed to last something like 4 times longer than cloth, that is also false! In many cases I'd think cloth would last longer.

I have leather in my car cuz it came that way when i bought it used (a 96 maxima se) factory leather. The driver seat is cracking on the edge near the door. Ive seen lots of cars 10 years old where the leather is just not looking too hot. and its a pain to clean, you cant be too rough on it.

If I was buying new, I would go cloth!

 

my 3rd gen was cloth, my new 6th gen is also cloth. leather was never my thing. cloth feels so..."homey"....imo...

 

I've had a galant the past 5 years that had leather, and I have to say that I would rather cloth for two reasons.

1) In the winter leather maked my **** cold.

2) In the summer leather fried my buns.

It was a lose/lose.

 

i normally don't care much for cloth or leather but my last car came with leather and i liked how they look and feel. my car was tinted all around so heat wasn't that much of an issue to me. but then when i was looking for a maxima i was originally going to get an SE that had cloth seats but the car was sold by the time i got there so i found one with leather and heated seats and stuff. so glad i leather again. these seats on the 02 are so comfortable and definitely makes the car more classy.

oh one thing i didn't like about cloth is i feel they are dirty or something lol cuz everytime i get in my friend's car with cloth seats they feel dirty and smells =/ i guess he doesn't clean his car at all lol

 

Besides thinking about if you want to freez/burn your rear-end during extreme tempetures , the clean up of a spill on leather will be easyer than cloth but leather tends to tear easyer too.

I voted for cloth since It tends to hold me in my seat better than leather in tight turns.

 

Leather for sure! and black all the way...makes a car look and feel soooo much better...

 

Material wise, Leather rules, you may have other reasons for buying cloth but the bottom line is leather looks and feels better, end of story...

 

i love leatheR ive always had cloth tho...i want to redo my interior with leather and wood and all that good stuff

 

cloth is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. it's lighter weight and lower maintenence and it's cheaper.



























not having a dead cow in my car: Priceless.

 

I've got the light-gray cloth in my 1984. The seats are very cumfy.

 

You may have a different preference since you are further south, but I'm up in Boston and I have leather (without heated seats- yipe!) but because the climate control works so well, I don't freeze in the winter or die of extreme heat in the summer. The leather definitely looks much more classy/sleek, and its easier to clean...

 

once you go leather you cant go back.

 

what is the weight difference between leather stock and cloth stock.. probably not that much?... for all seats together.

 

I think leather looks alot better, but cloth feels much cooler especially if you live in a hotter climate area.

 

Best for hot climates

 

I have leather in both cars. I can appreciate concerns about hot seats in the southern states, but I find them excellent all year round in Ontario.

 

I will agree that often times leather does look better. But cloth is almost without fail more comfortable. And in the 02 up maximas that offer the perforated velour (cloth) seats... they look pretty good too. Everyone that gets in my car loves the interior.

 

Cloth is only more comfortable in temerature EXTREMES

 

In my experience, it typically helps quite a bit with re-sell value. Many people will only have leather, but don't know of many folks that will only have cloth if given the choice.

 

I've lived through Minnesota and North Dakota winters with leather and cloth seats. I've lived through Florida summers with leather. Leather is a little colder in the winter and a little hotter in the summer, but everything in the car is cold or hot, so the little extra difference in the seat material is not as important. The seat heaters (or *** seats as my friends call them), do help, but take a little while.

A bigger factor (to me) is keeping them clean and cornering. Leather seats can be spilled on, get sandy, salty, rained on, or whatever abuses you throw at them and you can just wipe it off. Maxima leather seats are firm, so unlike something like an '80s Cadillac with soft sofa-like seats that become cracked and ugly, these hold up over time quite well. Cloth seats will absorb everything and become possibly stained or smelly. On the flip side, if handling is important to you, cloth seats hold you in the seat better, so its easier to corner closer to the car's limits without getting flung to the side as you would in smooth leather.

 

The leather makes the vehicle look so much better IMO. Only complaint is those darn little holes in the stock leather can trap little pieces of dirt and can be tedious to clean, but more than worth it! My last car had aftermarket leather (without little holes) and it was great too.

 

Leather all the way...

 

Gotta go with cloth....BUT, only certain types of cloth. I hate that velour crap that sticks to your clothes. You sit down and your pants are stuck in the first position that they touched the seat. It's like you have to hover into the car and lower down into the seat to get comfortable. I like cloth that's more like canvas - the kind that you can slide on easily.

Leather's OK, but I hate the way that it ages and how it looks after a few years. Granted, you can condition it and bring it back a little. Climate here ranges from COLD to HOT, so the leather just seems to amplify that.

Throw some Scotchgard™ on the cloth and you'll be OK.

 

Leather ages MUCH better than cloth.....

if you do ANY maintenance on it.

 

Leather FTW!

except if you live in the southern states where it is hella sunny... then youll fry ur *** off

 

leather



/thread

 

just upgraded to some leather. A little bit o custom work on a freebie I snagged. Not only does it look mint, it feels 100 times more comfortable. I do however understand the slippidy slide downside to leather.

 

I like cloth but sound like u need leather since u and ur friends eat in the car.

 

I have a 2000 gxe max with cloth seats and my dad has a 99 gle max with leather seats and I can honestly say that his seats are 5 times nicer and more comfortable than mine. It also makes the car feel more luxurious and gives it a better resale value.

 

Cloth. It is so soft and comfortable... I hate burning in summer and freezing in winter.


Rough? I have that cloth and itĄs great!

Totally right!

 

Leather all the way...

 

i like to keep my cars 10+ yrs and leather do not age nicely. so cloth or leatherette for me

 

exactly.

besides, the ladies like the leather.

I had black leather in my 4th gen and it was beautiful. Everytime someone would get in my car for the 1st time Id always get compliments. My 5th gen with tan cloth is plain and dosent get any compliments.

 

Well., I always said I hated leather for all the reasons stated in the various pages of this thread. The Max I recently bought an 01... Has leather and so far the comfort level, feel and look is just a world apart. From someone who detested leather in cars. I will now be a man who will only ever buy leather.

Leather ROCKS and this thread is just TOO OLD..