Has anyone had their butt in both of these seats? I am wondering which one has more cushioning...

 

I've sat in both, I got the cloth seats. What's that tell you? Cooler in summer, warmer in winter, and heated anyway.

 

Have seen both and sat an the lounge leather... both look fantastic and the lounge leather was very comfy. It will be in my next MINI.

And to each their own, of course. Me... haven't bought a car with cloth since 1987. Leather looks so much more upscale and is easier to keep looking nice... even for someone like me who bans all food and drink other than water in his MINIs.

 

Looks upscale is one thing, but actual performance? Cloth is better. I guess we'll agree to disagree...lol

Where in E-burg do you live?

 

Performance how ? Your butt sticks to cloth better ? :-)

LiveD.... haven't updated my profile. East side, near the reservoir. Hope to move back there soon.

 

The MINI leather is crap for what they charge... When/if I buy another I'll be sticking with the vinyl and getting some custom high quality leather done. Should cost about the same.

 

I have black lounge leather in an all black MINI with every black option...and I live in Texas.

Don't buy in to the "too hot" hype. Get what you want. The color of the car and type of seating is one of those myths that makes little real-world difference.

Saying that cloth has "better performance" and/or that it's preferable to lounge leather is one of the funnier things I've read on this forum. Man, if that's the case, I can't imagine how many horsepower those new Recaros must add!

 

They add none, but they are MUCH better seats for controling a car. And yes your butt is held more firmly in place with cloth seats.


I'm near Liberty High school. If you need to change your oil or work on your car, I've got a big garage, a lift and lots and lots of tools...lol

 

Kidding, of course...

What a statistically insignificant bunch of nonsense!
How many people here have problems controlling their car due to having leather? I can't ever recall someone sliding out of their seat on a sharp turn and then saying "dang, should've gotten cloth!". Richard, you are too funny sometimes, so thanks for that at least!

OP I know you weren't even asking about cloth seats, sorry for the derailment. I find the lounge leather and the punch to be about equal in comfort. The difference is really in the look. The lounge seems more "classy" while the punch seems more "sporty", not that one is really better though. You can't go wrong with either choice!

 

When it comes to cleaning - you can't beat leather. Took the MIN for a long drive over Chinook Pass when we first got it - hoped out at the summit - there under my butt was a glob of melted chocolate bar. Took a wet cloth and wiped it right off. Try that with cloth!

Bought my truck with cloth and it was a lint magnet. Only way to even vacuum it off was to push the lint into a pile with a latex glove on your hand. Had KatZkin installed for $1,295 - very reasonable.

 

No, I'm not saying that you are going to crash if you have leather...
It's just that for really spirited driving or on a track, cloth holds ME better and I have to fight less moving around. It's less tiring for ME when I don't have to brace myself as much. and with leather, I have to brace.

I don't eat in the car, and I've got a steam extractor for upholstery from my detailing days just in case of accidents. Besides, isn't punch leather another $2000 (or leather in general) I used that money for a lot of go faster, go better parts...lol

I still regret ordering the no cost leather option, instead of the very neat cloth/Alcantara interior when I bought my E36 M3, 17 years ago. (still have it and it just had it's 17th birthday)

 

Thanks Subzero for answering my original question. It was about the two leathers, and not about cloth vs. leather.

By the way, there is no FREE leather option.

 

No problem, bud! It's really just about which of the two you think looks better for your build and which price level suits your budget better. I think you'll like either one. Post pics after you choose!

 

Read my post... Leather was a no cost option on the E36 M3 I bought 17 years ago...

 

Please accept my apology Richardsperry for not reading more carefully.

 

It does matter. I tried out leather for our latest, and found it to be a bit too slidy for my liking. Given that the reason we're upgrading is to get something a bit faster on the track, its an important consideration.

 

Is there a benefit to punch leather beyond it being cheaper? Is it designed to be cooler, temperature wise, because air is able to circulate better?

 

There is always Dinamica

 

I have the gravity leather (can't vouch for the punch or lounge), but have to say that many of the advantages touted by fabric over leather (cooler in summer, warmer in winter, more supportive in cornering, etc.) is, to put it delicately, bunk.

Leather quickly conforms to body temperature (kind of like a wetsuit), so after the initial shock, it's quite comfy, and remains so. (No, it won't wick away perspiration, but there are solutions for that, and I don't relish the alternative of using seat fabric as a sweat absorbant.)

To be fair, my dogs don't like the leather (and the leather doesn't like their nails), but there are easy solutions for that too.

And leather actually looks better and performs better with age (if it's properly cared for). Can't say that for leatherette or fabric.

 

I lucked out when I chose my MINI off the dealers lot. It had been a Mini USA Executive car and came with the black lounge leather upholstery with the white piping. LOVE the look. Also they are the sport seats, so i am held firmly in place on spirited runs.

Probably would not have ordered the leather seats as it was a pricey option, but very happy to have ended up with them, among many other great options.

 

I don't think I have recognized the Punch leather in person, but from the description on the website builder, it seems more sporty than the Lounge leather. I have seen the lounge leather age and on some models it seems to loosen up and look aged, but not in the normal way leather ages... It looks more wrinkled, kind of like how facial skin ages... saggy and movable.

Punch leather from the website:
"The backrest and seat cushion of these Carbon Black Gravity Leather seats is accented in punched Carbon Black Leather, allowing the beige [or other color] leather to show through from underneath. Includes the colorline option of your choice." ...sounds pretty cool

Lounge leather:
Doesn't really have much of a description from the website, but it sure looks classy. I've tested a few used MINIs with the Lounge leather and found that it doesn't age that well, and it doesn't really smell like real leather. However, perhaps it depends on how you take care of it.

Leatherette:
When I was shopping for a MINI for my ex, we found a 2007 S with Leatherette seating surfaces. Despite the car having 50k miles, the seats look and feel brand new. They even are very easy to clean. I am really impressed with this... I imagine it really is just vinyl, but they really executed it well. The only downfall it seems is that the vinyl rubs on the plastic shell of the lower part of the seat and it makes a little squeak when pushing the clutch in.

Suggestion:
Lounge leather looks classy, but you really have to take care of it by conditioning it and perhaps trying to shield it from the sun. The Punch leather looks more sporty and possibly more breathable than the Lounge, but what you choose depends on what kind of look you're going for. I don't think one is more cushy than the other.

 

I have the all leather and it great keeping your butt in place and the leather breaths unlike the pleather seats would. cloth is o.k. but the full leather looks the best

 

I can say the punch leather (or perhaps the seats themselves?) became increasingly uncomfortable for my wife on a trip from Colorado to Seattle. By the time she got to Seattle to container and ship the MINI, she enjoyed the rest of the trip to Alaska in a rattling-to-your-bones, almost-suspensionless 26' U-Haul truck...

 

My guess is that you have never seen and/or sat on the leatherette, as it is breathable a la plentiful perforations. Despite not directly relating to the originally poster's question, breathability is another factor of comfort, just like cushioning.

 

On my car adding leather would have cost $2000, or roughly 7% of the cars price. I thought of a few things that $2K would by for the car...