Re: Why would you pick vinyl over cloth.... (archive)

I had the same thought as you when buying my E36 in 1995. The dealer had the car I want but only with the vinyl. I wanted cloth but was willing to wait and they gave me a good deal so I took a look and it looked pretty good - like leather - so I took it. Now almost 7 years later the vinyl is the same as new and I'm glad I took it. If I had taken cloth, it would definitely show some wear and tear by now but the vinyl still looks brand new.

Now I completely understand if someone doesn't want to buy leather and wants cloth instead. But to actually prefer vinyl (leatherette as you like to call it) over cloth just boggles my mind.

The last time I owned a car with vinyl seats was in high school. It was the bottom of the line Nissan Sentra that I bought from a junk yard for $2,000 plus $175 for a replacement fender that my cousin put on for free. At that price, I was willing to accept vinyl. But in college I eventually moved up to a $3,500 Mazda 626 that not only had cloth seats but it also had power windows.

It's amazing how BMW can sell a $35,000 car with vinyl seats by simply giving vinyl a fancy name. Their marketing guys deserve an award.

Leather interior, like all options for BMW cars, is overpriced. If my only other option were cloth, i would pay the ridiculous sum for leather; however, considering the quality of the leatherette, I doubt I would pay even $700 for full leather interior.

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ 3-series (E46) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.