Premium Leather?

[bgsntth]

I'm with holygrail. The leather on my LR3 SE was not the softest (at first), but was very thick and ventilated. After three years of bimonthly cleaning conditioning with Zymol or Griot's, they were very soft, but still wrinkle free and and impervious to scratches and stains.

The leather on my wife's FFRR with Oxford Leather wrinkled and wore to the point of needing to be replaced (warranty) after a little more than a year - despite my obsessive maintenance efforts. The leather is so soft that I wiped it with a damp Griot's green cloth weekly, and cleaned/conditioned bimonthly with Zymol or Griot's. Still the drivers seat wore past the Ivory spray, and everything was wrinkled. They attributed the excessive wear to my wife's penchant for overpriced Budda-dude jeans. They also asked that I only use the new LR leather kit, which is Leather Masters. This cleans and protects, and does not condition (theory that spray dyed does not need conditioning - so much).

Long story short. I really liked the LR3's tough, thick, and ventilated leather; but I guess Rhinos are now a protected species.When I eventually procure an LR4, I am more inclined to go with the Standard leather.

 

[ihatecats78]

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

Chris,

I appreciate the feedback. I just spent a week in southern MS with my parents and they have a Ford Edge with leather seats. The leather looked and felt a lot like the standard leather in the LR4 I went to see last month (both in texture and lack of perforation). I don't know whether that's a shot at Land Rover or a compliment to Ford, but I did notice that on hot days, especially when the seats were sitting in direct sunlight, that they made my back sweat and took forever to cool down. I'm stationed at Fort Lewis, WA now so heat isn't really a problem, but it could become one if I get sent to the southern U.S. later.

I appreciate the feedback from everyone on the original post. I love the LR4 so much that I will figure out a way to keep the seats cool if I get moved to Texas, but in the mean time I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can stay in the north.