Dec 21, 2013
Jason_T about to order and i can't seem to be able to make my decision on leather or cloth. based on my observation and experience from the test drive the leather seating doesnt look very desirable. anyone has cloth and regrets it?
thanks!�
Dec 21, 2013
wormhole When you say 'desirable', are you referring to feel or look? Both are subjective. While I haven't experienced this, there are many threads on here and TM forums about the susceptibility of the leather seats to wear and tear, while I haven't heard similar complaints about the cloth seats. Then again, I prefer the leather seats I got (tan). Other than the piping and alcantara insert, I don't believe there is any diff between standard leather and 'performance' leather.�
Dec 21, 2013
jerry33 I didn't get cloth because at the time you couldn't get heated seats with cloth. Also cloth comes in any colour as long as it's black. I'm not a fan of black interiors (or exteriors for that matter). Way too hard to keep clean looking. So far the grey leather has been holding up okay (~16,000 miles). The main problem with both seats is the lack of side support.
Bottom line is that if you don't mind black going with cloth is likely better.�
Dec 21, 2013
ecarfan I always strongly prefer leather seats to cloth in all cars I've owned. See no advantage to cloth except that it's cheaper.�
Dec 21, 2013
lolachampcar Out of all the cloth seats I have seen, Tesla has by far done the best job. I suggest you find a cloth car and sit in it if you have not already done so. For me, cloth is a real contender.�
Dec 21, 2013
Rifleman I completely agree with this. Tesla did a REALLY good job on the cloth seats. When I eventually get a Model S, I plan on going with the cloth seats.�
Dec 21, 2013
Raffy.Roma IMO if cloth seats are good why spending money and get leather?�
Dec 21, 2013
JST For me, because I have young kids, it comes down to a single factor: Leather is easier to clean. Otherwise, I prefer cloth.�
Dec 21, 2013
Raffy.Roma I wash the cloth seats of my car every year at a shop close to my apartment in Rome. They use a special machine injecting soap in the seats. It's cheap and efficient.�
Dec 21, 2013
JST How does it do on spoiled milk and ground up Goldfish crackers?�
Dec 21, 2013
Raffy.Roma Good. Actually I never had leather seats and I thought it was the other way around, that is to say that leather seats were more difficult to clean.�
Dec 21, 2013
RainmakerJL Haha... What about fruit punch and vomit from motion sickness....�
Dec 21, 2013
amitb00 I had leather in my cars. Then this time when I wanted to upgrade my car, I was initially looking for a Mercedes. To save money I thought let me go for non leather. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that non leather option is cheaper, easier to maintain, is durable and does not degrade. It remains new after long time. They call it vinyl leather. I did not buy Mercrdes but when I moved to Tesla I was planning to opt for non leather. At service center I liked it better than leather.�
Dec 21, 2013
Mayhemm I would not get cloth, since it comes in nothing but black. If Tesla offered tan/beige cloth, I would seriously consider it.
My first car had cloth seats (since I was on a more strict budget) and they were really good. No frozen behind in cold weather! :tongue:�
Dec 21, 2013
jdeholl Have cloth in my blue p85+ and it is fantastic. I actually think you get better grip when driving hard as the tesla seats aren't particularly sport driving oriented.�
Dec 21, 2013
Mnlevin I have leather, but would definately consider the cloth. I saw a cloth car at the Service Center and was very impressed. If I ordered another S I would probably buy an 85 with no other options than the rear cargo cover.�
Dec 21, 2013
montgom626 I have ridden in both and find them equally nice.�
Dec 21, 2013
SweetP I'm very pleased with my cloth seats. I've generally preferred good cloth to leather in prior cars and agree that Tesla did a great job. Since you're not sacrificing any features, if you're not put off by gray/black you could save some money and get a top notch seat.�
Dec 21, 2013
Gizmotoy Love my cloth seats. Just excellent. Couldn't be happier. I generally dislike leather seating because it makes me sweaty in the summer, and freezes my wife in the winter. I was excited to be able to select a cloth interior in a car this expensive, though I have noticed it's becoming more common (though it's often alcantara). They get the full memory and seat heater treatment now, so those disadvantages are gone.
In any case, the advantage I see for leather is that it's easier to clean and has the little pocket for your ChargePoint card.
Sit in them both if you can, but I highly recommend them. I don't think you'd be disappointed with them.
If you happen to eat/drink in the car, the most likely places for spills are covered in little panels of faux leather, which may be helpful.
Fully agree. No matter what you choose, with a complete lack of bolstering there's nothing keeping you in the seat. The cloth at least provides some friction.�
Dec 21, 2013
evme That is the thing, I wish Tesla offered a tan option for cloth! I would imagine a lot more people would go with cloth over leather if there was more choice in colors.
So all those people who do not want to see dead cows or vegan, please petition Musk for more cloth color options!�
Dec 22, 2013
jerry33 I would have preferred gray cloth.�
Dec 22, 2013
Raffy.Roma For me black would be ok but I agree that Tesla could offer more colours also for the cloth like in the case of leather.�
Dec 22, 2013
Robert.Boston Like others, I really like the cloth seats in person. I chose leather primarily because, at the time (summer 2012) the cloth seats weren't heated and lacked adjustable lumbar support, and you were forced to get the piano black decor. Today? I'd save that $1,500 without thinking twice.�
Dec 22, 2013
Kit I have the black textile seats and like them a lot. It would be nice if they had heaters, but heaters were added after my car was produced. Tessie has almost 9000 miles and is 11 mo. old. I have no regrets. They don't feel cold in cold weather and are more interesting looking in person than anyone expects. I was asked to show them off at the Seattle sales facility, since they didn't have any car on hand except with leather seats. I believe both couples who were uncertain which to order chose the textile seats. The leather looks lovely, but for me the textile seats were an easy choice that I continue to be happy with.�
Dec 22, 2013
crmohler I just go my MS 2 days ago and it has black textile. It's the first time I've ever had black interior and the first non-leather seats I've had in over a decade. I decided to try dark textile as I have 3 kids who wore down my last car's tan leather seats. I had never seen the black textile prior to ordering. I'm extremely happy with the textile. They are soft but feel well made. There are baseball stitched accents in the car to make it all feel high end. The seat warmers work GREAT. I was really worried about the interior and, at least so far, I couldn't be happier. Of course, I have no idea how they'll hold up over time.�
Dec 22, 2013
trigga71 I must agree, leather is easier to clean. During very hot/cold months cloth is better although heated seats help with the cold.�
Dec 22, 2013
US Kiwi I prefer the cloth seats. Have heard several people comment that they prefer the cloth, including Tesla employees.�
Dec 22, 2013
Zapped Cloth.
I find leather is colder in the winter and sticks to your skin in the summer.�
Dec 22, 2013
Chris TX Our last 3 cars had leather, except for the R-class which had very nice, indestructible MB-Tex vinyl.
We plan on keeping the Model S for at least 10 years, so we got the cloth for longevity and are VERY happy with the decision. The heated seats get very hot on #3, quickly!�
Jan 1, 2014
MassX1317 When did Tesla add heat and memory to the cloth seats?
I was thinking Leather would be easier to clean when the kids spilled their juice, milk, animal crackers, etc. but after reading all the comments here it looks like cloth is the more desired option.�
Jan 1, 2014
jerry33 I would have gotten cloth had seat heaters and 12way been offered when I purchased my Model S. However, I would sure like them in some other colour than black. My experience with leather in the past has been very poor. In general, three years and leather seats are trash. I really don't know why car buyers insist on them.�
Jan 1, 2014
sranger I ordered grey leather. I do not care for the look and feel of cloth seats especially black. I find leather easier to keep clean. If you wipe it down with leather conditioner/cleaner once a week it will last the life of the car. The key is to not let it dry out...�
Jan 1, 2014
BobtheV Can I have the hands of all those who "wipe it down� once a week?"�
Jan 1, 2014
772 +1, I hope tan cloth (and grey cloth) are available in the future.�
Jan 1, 2014
phat78boy I do. A must in Arizona if you want leather to last.�
Jan 2, 2014
Zapped What wipe down product do you recommend ?�
Jan 3, 2014
sranger I use Meguires leather wipe.... Works good on plastics as well...�
Jan 3, 2014
Jhall118 I had an Audi TT with NAPA leather seats. Despite babying the seats, and using a high quality conditioner once a month, the bolster still cracked within 10000 miles. Leather conditioners don't usually work, because the leather has a vinyl coating to protect it (try putting a few drops of water on the seats and see what happens!). I got the cloth, because I don't think the performance seats are worth the money. This was one of the hardest option choices for me.�
Jan 3, 2014
sranger I have to disagree here. I have had cars for up to ten years with no cracks in the leather. The last five cars I have owned had leather. No Cracks. My Wife's 14 year old avalon, no cracks. You do have to wipe them down with a good cleaner/conditioner once a week to keep in good condition. Once a month is not enough especially if you use the seat heaters. It takes all of 5 minutes to do it... And it makes them shine...�
Jan 3, 2014
Gizmotoy I'm now even more glad I went with cloth. Weekly seat maintenance to prevent them from being destroyed? No thanks...�
Jan 3, 2014
jerry33 My experience has been like JHall's. About the only thing you can do with leather is get them reupholstered once they're so bad you can't stand them anymore.�
Jan 3, 2014
Jhall118 Old cars are a different story. Take a drop of water and put it on the seat. In new leather (like that of my 2012 Audi or Tesla's leather), the coating will prevent it being absorbed. Now think of the goopy leather conditioner you are smearing over it. No way it does anything to the leather underneath.
By all means, post pictures of your leather. I would be impressed if it isn't cracked after 15-20k miles. I live in Seattle, which is not by any means "dry" either.�
Jan 3, 2014
anticitizen13.7 I think there are too many factors at play to say for sure whether leather will last for each individual buyer. Outside temperature ranges, exposure to sunlight, humidity, stress from weight of driver, etc. could all affect the longevity of leather upholstery, and that doesn't even get to the question of the type of animal skin or manufacturing process.
I've always gone with cloth, because it's not hot or sticky in the summer, and because cloth seats are gripier when a car is cornering hard.�
Jan 3, 2014
Zapped My 2012 BMW has light beige leather and I'm really struggling to clean it. Basically cannot get the dirt out and seems to have attracted more dirt after I tried cleaning it with Meguiars Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner / Conditioner. Ironically the directions say "for best results, apply to clean... surface".
So what does one use to get the clean surface for the cleaner ?
That's probably why most leather is black.�
Jan 3, 2014
JohnQ The leather in my Saab (black) and Audi (tan) lasted about 10 years/100k miles before the first crack appeared. Different leather than the Tesla seats, though, so I don't know what to expect with these.�
Jan 3, 2014
sranger
2000 Avalon 14 years and 120,000 miles later....
- - - Updated - - -
saddle soap is best cleaner.....�
Feb 23, 2014
DITB Seat covers, on top of cloth?
I really didn't want the leather option, but I also didn't want black seats - what to do? I'm ordering a silver metallic model S, and if I could have any kind of light grey or silverish upholstery, that is what I would have taken.
I am now thinking, get the cloth, and have either custom made covers made, or maybe there are some after-market made-to-fit covers?�
Feb 23, 2014
SwedishAdvocate @DITB
One thing to consider if you�re thinking about some sort of �custom made covers made, or maybe there are some after-market made-to-fit covers�, are the side air bags in the front seats� In an accident, where they would deploy, would they still function correctly if the seats are covered by something else than the OEM seat upholstery?�
Feb 23, 2014
Mayhemm I thought side airbags were in the doors?�
Feb 23, 2014
jerry33 Those are the side-curtain airbags.
- - - Updated - - -
Properly made covers have weakened stitching to allow airbag deployment. Purchase from a reputable supplier such as Wet Okole, and there will be no issues.�
Feb 23, 2014
brianman Regarding seat covers and airbag locations, we've been here before. Hope this helps:
Click the >> for more details.�
Feb 23, 2014
DITB Thanks, Brianman, I imagine this would have been thought of already.
Seems that Hawaiian company has the right product for me.
I am still not certain about memory - I heard both that cloth only comes with heat, and also that cloth comes with heat AND memory.
Can someone with cloth please confirm - do the seats have memory or not?
How good it must be for the seat to remember all those farts and sweating ...
�
Feb 24, 2014
Gizmotoy The cloth and leather seats are at parity (save the little charging card pocket you get with the leather). If you get the tech package, your cloth seats will have the same memory features as the leather.�
Feb 24, 2014
GDH I have textile seats and love them. They are heated and have memory although I never use the memory but do use the heat all the time. I am a fan of leather seats but Tesla's leather didn't seem or look that good so I passed.�
Mar 8, 2014
MikeL A story for this thread: sitting w my brother & his family in their car, I said, "I think I'm not going to get leather seats in the Tesla."
You'd think by their reaction I had told them that I was a serial killer. :scared: When the dust settled, all I could think of to say was, "I suspect the cloth seats in a Tesla are probably pretty nice."
One misgiving i do have w my desire to avoid buying all that leather is dirty-dustiness. Camping, hauling stuff and my job, which often leaves my clothes full of powdery dust, would be easier to clean up from w leather (?) I have never owned a car w leather seats. I still think I'll keep it that way.�
Mar 8, 2014
jerry33 Powdery dust is going to be easier to clean from leather because you just have to wipe it off with a damp cloth. The other reason for leather is that you don't have to have a black interior. Otherwise cloth is the way to go. I was forced to get leather because when my car was built seat heating and 12-way was tied to leather. If I was buying today I'd get cloth and then put on a seat cover to get rid of the black.�
Mar 8, 2014
MikeL I forgot about black only. It (black textile) looks really nice on the Model S design studio pic. which is a computer rendering anyway so it's puurrrfect ! In my case, we're talking Model X so who knows ?!�
Mar 8, 2014
wycolo > I have textile seats and love them. They are heated [GDH]
How do you heat textile seats in an MS (without tech package)? Thanx.
--�
Mar 8, 2014
tiblot Not sure I get the question? Seat warmers heat any type seat, cloth, leather, textile whatever ...�
Mar 8, 2014
wycolo > Not sure I get the question? Seat warmers heat any type seat, cloth, leather, textile whatever ... [tiblot]
Ok, exactly what steps does one take to turn ON heated (textile) seats in a car with no tech package? I cannot find or provoke the icon(s) on my screen(s) and in any case have never sensed (or suffered) a warmed butt, so I've concluded it just isn't a feature of vin1993. Perhaps I'm missing a clue.
--�
Mar 8, 2014
jerry33 Up till around VIN8000 (going from failing memory) you couldn't get heated textile seats at all. Didn't matter if you had the Tech package or not. Heated seats were tied to leather seats. Heated mirrors were tied to the Tech package.�
Mar 8, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla I don't think it got anywhere near VIN 8000. More like 4000 around the beginning of 2013.
I'd have gone for heated, memory-laden cloth seats too had they been available when I finalized in August 2012. Although my 60 kWh car was actually built in early January, 2013, I'd have had to pay an additional $2.5k (given a price increase in the new year) to get the "downgrade" which Tesla was reluctant to do anyway that late in the game.
I like two-tone look of the cloth seats (with the partial leatherette inserts). They are also less slippery than the leather seats - I rode in a car with cloth seats back in 2012 - and are not at all cheap-looking.�
Mar 8, 2014
wycolo So there are quite a few 'early adopters' on that particular feature. Now I don't feel so bad. Thanx Jerry.
Actually, the textile seats are sufficiently insulated so I have never felt the need for a heated seat. [full disclosure]
--�
Mar 8, 2014
youlikeadajuice I'm VIN 4874 with cloth and no heat, and heated cloth was definitely not an option when I finalized in Dec 2012 or when the car was delivered in Feb 2013, so it's definitely VINS over 5000, I don't think 8000 is actually a bad guess.
�
Mar 8, 2014
jerry33 Mine is 5130 and it was a few months after I took delivery when cloth+heat was available.�
Mar 8, 2014
ribsandbbqbeef Had my MS for a few months now, and have cloth seats. They are wonderful. I had leather on my previous car, & didn't like all the work needed to maintain it. Also, my leather was tan so after 10 yrs, it just looks very worn & dirty as it gets darker. On the occasions when I drive aggresively, the leather seats kept my butt stationary, unlike my bolsterd leather seats, which I slide around in regardless of the bolster. The heated feature is great also. My wife gets cold very easily & I run on the warmer side. So a lot of times when we're in the car togethr, I can have the window or air on, but the seat warmers keep the wife happy. Best of both worlds.�
Mar 8, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla Jerry, youlikeadajuice, I stand corrected. Again, if I were to do it over, I'd go with the cloth seats and use the money for the twin charger (as if I'm not complaining enough about not getting that�
Mar 10, 2014
ElSupreme I have cloth seats and love them! My mom who is leather only, really likes my cloth seats. They are very high quality. They also have significant amounts of high quality vinyl trim on them as well.
I do not have heated seats.
The transition happened with the price increase Jan 1 2013. After that date the cloth seats were the same as the leather, whereas before they were different mechanical seats. The cloth seats before the price increase also did not have seat memory, even if you had the tech package. And as a result you didn't get driver profiles either.�
Mar 11, 2014
matbl After reading this thread I'm convinced that cloth is my choice. But I have some questions.
1.
Steering wheel is still leather right?
2.
My wife is kind of allergic (not in the medical sense) to the smell of new car seat cloth. Bur my experience is that this differs between manufacturers. How is Tesla in this regard?
3.
The "leather" insets in the cloth seats, are they real leather? Or some kind of fake version? If fake, how is the feel?
Thanks in advance.�
Mar 11, 2014
Gizmotoy 1) It is some kind of leather or leatherette. I tried to compare it with the wheel on my leather-clad loaner and am probably 80% sure it's the same covering. I suspect they just have the one wheel no matter what options you select. Either way, it has a nice pleasing texture.
2) I noticed no smell to the fabric. Indeed, the "new car smell" in general is very faint. Just enough you can tell it's new, but that's about it.
3) No, it's leatherette. Some kind of vinyl or something. It actually seems really high quality for synthetic leather. The texture is nice, and it feels reasonably thick and durable. I had a zipper scratch against it that marred the surface visually. I wiped it with a damp towel and it looks brand new again, so it's relatively scratch-resistant as well. Chances are good if some random person got in your car they wouldn't be able to discern it visually from the coated leathers used in most vehicles. The only thing that may give it away is its vaguely plastic feel. I feel this is a minor negative given they're spot-on visually.
I can't say enough good things about the textile seats. I'm pretty strongly against leather seats in cars so I've had many cloth seats, and these are easily the best cloth seat coverings I've seen.
If you can, try to check one out at a showroom. You may have trouble given they're somewhat rare, but it would put you at ease if you could track one down.�
Mar 11, 2014
ElSupreme I believe the steering wheel is real leather. Superb quality. Looks and feels great.
I noticed very little 'new car smell' in my Tesla at all. It was significantly less than either VW I bought new.
The 'synthetic leather' inserts are vinyl. They are high quality, and aren't 'sticky' like fake can be. They are visibly very nice, and at normal distance appear to be leather, but under close inspection they are vinyl. I have no problems with them in general.�
Mar 12, 2014
Plug Me In Old style textile seats here. Like 'em and I think they look good.
Regarding the timing of the change in the seats, Tesla announced their first price increase around 12/2012. Reservations that wanted to stay at the old pricing had to finalize some time I think in late Jan 2013. The new seats came in with the new pricing. I stayed with the old textile 8 way adjust, no heaters, no lumbar support to save the $1500. I actually had second thoughts because of the seat heaters an tried to change after finalizing but Tesla said no. I don't think there's a set VIN where the seats changed since it depended on buyer's preferences but I would say they're pretty rare after about 7000.�
Mar 12, 2014
matbl Thanks.
2. Is the most important. But if the new car smell is very faint even with the cloth then I'm good and can save some money on the seats...
I have a temp showroom 150+ miles away and the closest real one is ~300 miles away so it might be a little hard...�
Mar 13, 2014
ElSupreme I had to travel 650 miles for to see my first Model S. If you think about the money you are about to spend on the car, taking $200-300 dollars (150-225 euro) isn't a bad investment at all.
I mean after I saw the car, and took the test drive I optioned up from 40kWh to 85kWh, decided the pano roof was mandatory, as well as green, and the air suspention. I also decided what the hell and bought the premium sound as well.
So that $400 trip (my wife came with me) ended up 'costing' me another almost $30,000. Money well spent.�
Mar 13, 2014
matbl I've already test driven it and so have my wife. So the trip would be to get a second look which I don't think is worth it.
Anyway, I put an order in to the company I work for today with cloth seats so hopefully the leasing firm will get it in a couple of days and then I just hope they will actually order it.�
Mar 13, 2014
TSLA Pilot Yes, we LOVE our textile interior--warm in the winter, and much cooler in the summer.
Our original MS order was cancelled due to the then mandatory leather if you wanted heated seats/Tech Pkg.
The choice of killing sentient animals for their parts is immoral and unethical, so we had no choice but to cancel our order. We sent a letter to Elon advising why he'd lost a customer.
Days later we had a call from his staff advising that "they had received a lot of letters" on this problem and that they'd removed the leather requirement. Thus, we now greatly enjoy our very nice, cruelty-free, Model S85. (And, no, our steering wheel is not wrapped in the skin of a murdered animal either, which is now either standard or available by request.)
The package we sent Elon included contents from the following sources, among others:
Meat.org | The Website the Meat Industry Doesn't Want You to See
and
United Nations News Centre - Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns
"Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns"
***********************************************************
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND making the ethical, moral, and environmentally-friendly choice of the textile interior.
To do otherwise if voting with your dollars for the status quo, and that's completely unsupportable, and is also somewhat hypocritical.
For more info, please read the facts about leather "production" here:
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/leather-industry/
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/09/25/ban-fur-then-why-not-leather/bringing-attention-to-the-fur-industry
Thanks for asking for our inputs and I do hope you'll choose wisely!
�
Mar 16, 2014
Tongdak If you are going to spend around $100K for a car, why even bother getting cloth seats? That is like buying first class ticket and wanting to sit in economy.�
Mar 16, 2014
youlikeadajuice Your opinion is noted. I and others think that the textile is the better choice, regardless of what the car costs.�
Mar 17, 2014
matbl The car (S85 with tech but not much else) is around $120K here.
But I'm not spending that kind of money. I'm leasing it. Every item added doesn't only add to the lease cost, it also adds to the tax for it. So for the 3 year lease period, the leather would cost me roughly $3500.
If the leather was like the leather in my current BMW, I would consider it. But in the Tesla it is "too nice" (for lack of better description) which means it needs a lot of care, etc if you have small children and would like it to stay nice.�
Jun 5, 2014
CHGolferJim The website shows still no color option than black for textile seats. Do people currently discussing orders with Tesla hear or know differently? Any rumored changes coming? For a southeasterner, I'm very leery of a black interior for temperature reasons (suppose it would hold color longer, however) -- any comments on that?�
Jun 5, 2014
gg_got_a_tesla Black cloth seats will not get as hot (or cold) as dark leather seats. They'd still be a good choice in hot climes.�
Jun 5, 2014
Gizmotoy If you're worried about the seats themselves getting and retaining heat, I would (and did) take black cloth over grey/tan leather any day. My car was heatsoaked to an indicated (app) 120*F yesterday and I just got in and drove away. The seats were down to body temp before I could even start sweating.
No matter what you choose, you can always vent the roof (if optioned) and turn on the AC before you get to the car to pre-cool it.�
Jun 5, 2014
romac Quite a discussion. Ordered an S85 this week with a late September delivery. Living in Arizona we went with the textile seats to be cooler in the summer as for example it will be close to 110 degrees today.
The product specialist in the Tesla gallery showed us how the leather seats in the showroom cars are already starting to stretch and buckle from customers getting in and out of the car all day. We really liked the tan leather but went with textile for summer comfort.�
Jun 5, 2014
DITB Leather or textile, you can fit seat covers in whichever color, and that is my plan: Textile seats, with a light grey/silver color, which will match the silver-metallic paint of the car anyway.�
Jun 6, 2014
CHGolferJim
Have you you found a vendor for the rear seats, or are you okay with a "2-tone"?�
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