Looking to purchase an '06 Mini sometime soon. I would like to get Dark Silver with black roof. For the interior, I'm looking at Leather with red cloth inserts. My mini dealer doesn't have any mini's with cloth in them so I can't see what it's like. Can anyone shed some light on the cloth?

Does it get dirty easily?
Hard to maintain?
Look good?

Pics of black leather with red cloth insert would be nice!

Thanks guys....great forum!

 

My dealer warned me away from the cloth - they said they had staining issues.

I got the leatherette and absolutely love it.

 

You can see the picture on the Mini web site, when you select you car color, there is a zoom button on top where you can see the back of the car and the interior, it looks really good, I saw it in the dealership showroom, I even sat in it and it's my first choice, my second is the full leather with the blue leather insert, but I had to settle for the solid black leather since I didn't order the car.
Black with the red insert looks awesome and I bet it would not get dirty easily, if it does it can't be hard to clean, it's got a silky look to it, not cotton, it also has a slight texture when you look at it closely.

 

These are also #1 on my list so would also be really interested in what other's experiences have been with these seats.

 

you have to love the leatherette

 

I have the panther leather/red cloth seats on my LY '05 MCS. And hands down, is my favourite option...I'd order them again in a heartbeat. They look absolutely fantastic...and I've had many people comment on how great they look.

I've had the car for a year (16,000 miles...mine was the first my dealer had ordered with these seats) and I've done little to maintain them. All I've done is use leather conditioner every couple of months...nothing to the cloth. I've had rain, snow, wet clothes, wet dog on the seats at various times and I've had absolutely no stains and they look as good as the day I bought them.

That said I just had the driver's side bottom portion replaced because there was an imperfection in the leather that had caused a crack and the service tech wanted to put the new seat in because it was only going to get worse. Anyway, there is no difference between the 1y/o passenger seat and new driver seat as far as appearance and I would think any wear or stains would show up more when comparing the two.

I have read that others have had staining issues, but I have not...these seats have been awesome...I love, love, love them.

 

...i'll be ordering them in my 06.

I really didn't think i would want them, but after living with them for a bit, there is no question.

My wife's favorite color is red, and the red seats finished off her CR/B MCSa with the red interior. (pics in the galley) I was just going to get space cloth or the leatherette, but i have to say, these are a nice upgrade IMHO. a bit pricey, but i tend to keep cars for a while. Get it how you like it.

as for maintenance, so far, so good. Of course, it's only about two months old! My deciding factor for that was my MA's 05 PW/B MCS with the seats. His car is a two drive autocross car on the weekends, and the seats still look new.

All in all, it is a pretty striking option that really does set off the inside of the car. I was also planning DS/B with these, but now I am between DS, PS and RG. Whatever i pick, i'll be getting the red octagon 1/2 cloth!

-jac

 

I have the half leather / half fabric in my car. Personally I like it and have had no problems. As for staining, they're no different than most other fabric materials in cars. Yes, they will stain if you spill nasty stuff on them. So, be proactive...get them treated with some kind of stain guard right up front.

ripley.

 

I had rain water stain my passenger cloth seat. Thunderstorm caught me with the windows rolled down. Wiped them down, got all the water up and out and they still stained. Dealer warned to me to use scotchguard after the fact. So yes, your seats can stain from something as simple as water.

 

You know , I love the look and was set on them but then when I actually saw/felt them I changed my mind. It is a personal taste thing, but to me I didn't really love the feel of the fabric and especially in comparison to the thick feeling leather seats the fabric seat bottom, in particular in the back, felt thin. Another detail that thew me off was the way the all fabric back seat looked without seams, like the leather has, to break it up (not to mention how much of a charge it is for the amount of leather I'd be getting for the money). All in all whn I got to do a side by side comparison I just adored the way the lapis leather looked and felt, and loved it with the HB, so that changed my order entirely. The tartan red is still my second fav, but I am very happy with what I ended up with. You never know how you might like something in person vs photos and other people's opinions so I heartily endorse doing what you can too see everything you are considering in person. Best o'luck

 

Bulletproof leatherette!

If I ever decide I want to add color, I will probably go with Wet Okoles, that way its stainproof, replaceable, and transferable to a new MINI...

 

I guess texture is important to me - if it is for you you might want to feel the Wet Okoles before you buy. From remarks online it also sounds like the WOs might have a certain smell too.

 

Duck,

As we've discussed before, the red cloth/black leather leather is a great splash of color for a DS/B MINI. But, I got it primarily for the comfort. Sometimes leather (and leatherette) can be too hot for my taste. The space cloth was the runner-up, but with anthracite headliner and trim it would have been too monochromatic. The end result is very sporty and very comfortable.

As for stain-resistance, I didn't trust it so I couldn't tell you. I can tell you that with the addition of 303 All-Weather Fabric Protector there have been no stains I couldn't easily remove.

The photo near the top of the thread should give you a good idea of what the front seats will look like. However, the bach seats have a lot less leather. They're nearly all fabric. It doesn't bother me, but just know going in that you're not getting a lot of leather for your money. As someone mentioned earlier, it would be time well-spent to see this and other options for yourself so you're sure of what they'll look and feel like. If that's not possible, just get the red/black seats. You'll love 'em. I do

 

Oops! Duplicate post deleted.

 

Anyone have a photo of the back seats?

 

X2!

Thank you so much for your helpful replies everyone. This has been a huge help. I just need to see what the backseat looks like and hopefully find someone local with a similar setup. :smile:

eMini...I'd still do anything to see your car!

 

I'm working on it.