Premium Leather?

[ihatecats78]

I was wondering what the actual difference was between standard leather and premium leather. I love everything about the interior of the LR4, but one thing that stands out is the lack of perforated leather. The first car I owned with leather seats caused my back to sweat on hot days, and road trips of over 1 hour left me in need of a change of clothes. My latest vehicle has perforated leather, and those problems have disappeared. Anyone here have a problem with breathability of the leather seats on their D4?

 

[zgaspen]

I was wondering what the actual difference was between standard leather and premium leather.

I'd be interested to hear thoughts on this as well. Coming off Acura perforated seats that I've been more than pleased with, I'm a bit bummed they're not an option here like they are on the Sport (the new Acura sport is now ventilated seats).

At the dealer over the weekend I was trying to see the differences between the standard and premium leather myself. Neither packages have door window sills in leather, but the premium leather definitely is more plush and comfortable, softer arm rests, etc. Oh, and you get a leather shifter too....you would think ventilated fronts would come with the Lux or Lux Plus packages. It's not like this truck is "competing" with the RRS - they're totally different vehicles. Why not have identical options? Nearly everything else front seats and forward is.

 

[tjp74]

Ventilated front seat is one thing LR4 should have had. Almost all it's competitors have it and it's almost standard feature in luxury models such as Lexus GX460, it's closest competitor. It's got ton of cool features such as surround camera system that no other competitors even dare to touch but lacks the ventilated seat... I dn't get the logic. LR does with Range Rovers so it's not like LR doesn't know how to do it. It's not that expensive to do it. Put some holes in the leather, put some platic tuping or ducts to guide air and some cooling fan that looks like computer case fan.

This is only thing I miss from a Lexus GS350 I traded in for LR4. I got the car in January and we haven't seen anything higher than mid 60's here in Seattle so it remains to be seen.

 

[ihatecats78]

yep... even the LR2 has perforated seats. I don't necessarily need ventilated, but breathability is a huge plus, especially on long road trips.

 

[ihatecats78]

Bump... I wanted to see if anyone has any additional input as warmer weather sets in.

 

[cypress822]

Ive really noticed no difference at all. I cam from a Lexus LX570 with air conditioned seats...what a joke! They barely made any difference at all--total waste of money in my opinion. However, the Cadillac Escalade...their AC seats truly crank!! It gets down right cold sitting on those sometimes! Im not sure if either type of leather really makes a difference in the LR4...neither are perforated. The premium leather really is very very soft and comfortable with a very smooth texture. The base style is just fine...a bit more rustic and less smooth, but probably much more durable.

 

[FloridaRancher]

Premium leather, perforated leather

Just got a LR4 with "premium leather" - and here are my early comments relevant to the thread: First, LR's "premium leather" may be better than their regular leather but it isn't nearly as nice as my Acura, BMW high-end leather. Second, LR really needs to offer perforated leather - my seats are HOT and don't breath. Had a LR a long time ago with perforated leather seats and they were great for here in FLA. I'm hoping my seats get "better" as they get broken in, but I know I would have been much happier to have had perforated leather to start.

 

[crewcabrob]

I would agree that the seats should be perforated at a minimum and ventilated with the premium leather package. My seats did get warm and a bit sticky on my latest trip.

I will report that I spent 12 hours in my seat one day, (842+ miles) and I felt great afterwards. They were very comforatble.

Rob

 

[holygrail]

There's a difference btw Japanese and European luxury leather seating styles

I was wondering what the actual difference was between standard leather and premium leather. I love everything about the interior of the LR4, but one thing that stands out is the lack of perforated leather. The first car I owned with leather seats caused my back to sweat on hot days, and road trips of over 1 hour left me in need of a change of clothes. My latest vehicle has perforated leather, and those problems have disappeared. Anyone here have a problem with breathability of the leather seats on their D4?

ihatecats,

I think there is a different trend between Japanese and European luxury cars. I'm still waiting on my 2011 LR4 HSE so I can't comment on the seating. I never sat or test driven a LR4 and ordered my on the phone from overseas. So I'll tell you from my other experience and what my Land Rover dealer told me. Long story short, my infantry days in the military and all them situps put a toll on my back. So therefore I'm suffering from a minor herniated back. Before I bought my BMW, I sat and test drove many vehicles from Japanese, to American, to German cars. Once I sat in the bimmer, I knew that these were the perfect seats for my back. The lumber supports were firm and comfortable. My family felt the same way. I can drive long trips and not have to pit stop to stretch out. Plus, the firmer seats are much more durable than plush, cushony seats with soft leather. They also hold up better in time. My friends that own Mercedes Benzs told me that their seats are more plush and softer than BMW leather, BUT are still firmer than Cadillacs and Japanese luxury cars.

When I asked the dealer to describe the difference between the HSE vs. LUX seats in detail, he told me that the premium leather was more plush and softer, but in time it would wrickle faster. He also recommended me that if I have young kids, which I do, to just stick to the standard leather. He said the standard leather was more durable, firmer, and would look newer for a longer time. I agree with him because even in my 2008 BMW, the seats show no signs of aging. Besides, I like firmer seats because of my bad back. There is a reason why firmer seats make my back feel comfortable...because firmer seats support your back better in general. That's my two cents and hope that helps!

V/r,
Chris

 

[holygrail]

There's a difference btw Japanese and European luxury leather seating styles

I was wondering what the actual difference was between standard leather and premium leather. I love everything about the interior of the LR4, but one thing that stands out is the lack of perforated leather. The first car I owned with leather seats caused my back to sweat on hot days, and road trips of over 1 hour left me in need of a change of clothes. My latest vehicle has perforated leather, and those problems have disappeared. Anyone here have a problem with breathability of the leather seats on their D4?

ihatecats,

I think there is a different trend between Japanese and European luxury cars. I'm still waiting on my 2011 LR4 HSE so I can't comment on the seating. I never sat or test driven a LR4 and ordered my on the phone from overseas. So I'll tell you from my other experience and what my Land Rover dealer told me. Long story short, my infantry days in the military and all them situps put a toll on my back. So therefore I'm suffering from a minor herniated back. Before I bought my BMW, I sat and test drove many vehicles from Japanese, to American, to German cars. Once I sat in the bimmer, I knew that these were the perfect seats for my back. The lumber supports were firm and comfortable. My family felt the same way. I can drive long trips and not have to pit stop to stretch out. Plus, the firmer seats are much more durable than plush, cushony seats with soft leather. They also hold up better in time. My friends that own Mercedes Benzs told me that their seats are more plush and softer than BMW leather, BUT are still firmer than Cadillacs and Japanese luxury cars.

When I asked the dealer to describe the difference between the HSE vs. LUX seats in detail, he told me that the premium leather was more plush and softer, but in time it would wrickle faster. He also recommended me that if I have young kids, which I do, to just stick to the standard leather. He said the standard leather was more durable, firmer, and would look newer for a longer time. I agree with him because even in my 2008 BMW, the seats show no signs of aging. Besides, I like firmer seats because of my bad back. There is a reason why firmer seats make my back feel comfortable...because firmer seats support your back better in general. That's my two cents and hope that helps!

V/r,
Chris