Originally Posted by 94tincan
I guess it's a matter of personal preference. But I disagree with your maintenance theory. I had a corvette with leather. Had to "maintain" it about 2 times a year. After 50k miles, it was still worn on the left side where you slide in, had cracks and basically looked terrible and needed replacement. On the other hand, my jeep has the cloth. It has 120k miles on it. No maintanance on it all and it looks great. For the first time in about 4 years, I did a quick shampoo and it's just like new again.
Because it's a corvette. In most GM vehicles, or in fact in most domestic vehicles they use cheap crap for leather that looks fugly to begin with and wears out really fast. Besides the civic I also have a 2001 GS430, and the leather look brand new. I maintain it every tho months or so - basically put some leather cleaner onto a microfiber cloth, clean the seats, apply the conditiner and its all done in matter of 30 minutes. Shampooing cloth seats on the other hand is a pain in the ass, and then u gotta wait for several days until they are fully dried out, and you still never take out most of the stains. Also, cloth gets discolored very fast.
Originally Posted by 94tincan
I also don't agree with the sweat observations either. If you are sweaty with cloth on a hot day, you dry out after a short while. However, with leather, the sweat never seems to go away as it doesn't breath and traps the moisture. Even if your not sweaty, on a hot day, you soon will become sweaty. Besides, most of us take a shower after a workout at the gym, and don't climb in the car covered in sweat.
Well I go to the gym late at night, and finish when they are closing up so I have no time to shower in the gym, I come home and shower at home. And these seats absorb all the sweat before you even have a chance to dry out, and they actually keep the moisture in. Sometimes I get into the car the next morning and the seats are still wet. Leather dries very fast because it doesn't absorb the moisture.
Same if you go to a park to play ball, or whatever else - your just can't help it but once in a while you will get into your car all sweaty. Also, if you go to the beach, the sand really sticks to the fabric, impossible to vacuum it all out, and with leather its a relatively easy clean up.