Alcantara

[jelloslug]

Premium material? Please, from a car company, think "cost reduction". With all due respect, it is thought of that way by those who don't know much about it. Read here:

http://jalopnik.com/what-the-hell-is-alacantara-anyway-1604799947

Also, it's a bit of a pain to maintain compared to "vegan leather" if it does come in repeated contact with human skin (oils) or is otherwise soiled:

Alcantara daily cleaning & maintenance | Alcantara

I'd happily do without it anywhere if possible...at least partially on the principle of the phoniness of the marketing to hype synthetic ultrasuede to some imaginary premium status. For some reason, these days, I'm becoming increasingly less tolerant of the phoniness of marketing elevating things to high levels where they don't belong. PT Barnum's words live on...

Have you ever owned a car with Alcantara in it? It is very durable and easy to clean. It's so durable in fact that many companies use it on steering wheels.

 

[Sportstick]

Have you ever owned a car with Alcantara in it? It is very durable and easy to clean. It's so durable in fact that many companies use it on steering wheels.

Spent my career at one of the domestic car companies, mostly in Product Planning, and spec'd/approved content for a variety of vehicles. The steering wheel is the worst application of fake suede (Alcantara) due to continuous contact with hands and the natural skin oils. Always remember, one of the primary factors in any decision is cost, and fake suede is far cheaper than leather, and with enough marketing, the OEMs have been able to convince the market that somehow this is "premium"/desireable, so theoretically, everyone is happy....until the customers see the maintenance/cleaning issues, which is just "wear and tear"....not warranty!

 

[gambit48]

Spent my career at one of the domestic car companies, mostly in Product Planning, and spec'd/approved content for a variety of vehicles. The steering wheel is the worst application of fake suede (Alcantara) due to continuous contact with hands and the natural skin oils. Always remember, one of the primary factors in any decision is cost, and fake suede is far cheaper than leather, and with enough marketing, the OEMs have been able to convince the market that somehow this is "premium"/desireable, so theoretically, everyone is happy....until the customers see the maintenance/cleaning issues, which is just "wear and tear"....not warranty!

Yeah, I always thought it was stupid to put in on any high wear areas like the steering wheel or on the seats. On the headliner or some panels that aren't touch points, well there's nothing wrong with that IMO. Especially compared to what's normally used for a headliner.

 

[jelloslug]

Spent my career at one of the domestic car companies, mostly in Product Planning, and spec'd/approved content for a variety of vehicles. The steering wheel is the worst application of fake suede (Alcantara) due to continuous contact with hands and the natural skin oils. Always remember, one of the primary factors in any decision is cost, and fake suede is far cheaper than leather, and with enough marketing, the OEMs have been able to convince the market that somehow this is "premium"/desireable, so theoretically, everyone is happy....until the customers see the maintenance/cleaning issues, which is just "wear and tear"....not warranty!

So I'll ask my question again. Have you owned a car with Alcantara upholstery before?

 

[Sportstick]

So I'll ask my question again. Have you owned a car with Alcantara upholstery before?

No...after talking with our Interior Color and Trim folks while designing/developing vehicle programs and reading more while in the business and after, I would not, so I have not, but with full knowledge... perhaps more than most end-users, so the response of, "if you haven't tried, you don't know" does not apply in this case.

 

[03DSG]

I had Sparco alcantara covered race seats in my track car. 44,000 Km's and 70+ track days. They were great in that the material kept you from sliding in the seat. It was very grippy. Lots of sweat absorbed into them. Very easy to clean up coffee spills etc. They were unheated as they are purpose specific but they were never cold in winter and never hot in the summer. The only wear at all was on the left lower seat bolster and these bolsters were substantial. When getting in and out you slid over the top of the left bolster and down into the seat. And even at that the wear was minimal. I'm a big fan and loved it on the steering wheel of students cars that had it.

 

[jelloslug]

No...after talking with our Interior Color and Trim folks while designing/developing vehicle programs and reading more while in the business and after, I would not, so I have not, but with full knowledge... perhaps more than most end-users, so the response of, "if you haven't tried, you don't know" does not apply in this case.

Well, since you are going only on the opinions of others, I suggest you supplement your information with people that have real experience with it.

 

[Zaphod]

Spent my career at one of the domestic car companies, mostly in Product Planning, and spec'd/approved content for a variety of vehicles. The steering wheel is the worst application of fake suede (Alcantara) due to continuous contact with hands and the natural skin oils. Always remember, one of the primary factors in any decision is cost, and fake suede is far cheaper than leather, and with enough marketing, the OEMs have been able to convince the market that somehow this is "premium"/desireable, so theoretically, everyone is happy....until the customers see the maintenance/cleaning issues, which is just "wear and tear"....not warranty!

Reason it is done on steering wheels and seats has nothing to do with looks, it is to help with grip. Leather is relatively slippery.

 

[Mr X]

All black interior with black alcantara headliner is so amazing

 

[Sportstick]

Well, since you are going only on the opinions of others, I suggest you supplement your information with people that have real experience with it.

You are comparing random internet opinions with professional materials experts? As you wish...moving on.

 

[WhiskySTL]

You are comparing random internet opinions with professional materials experts? As you wish...moving on.

Get out of here with your professional expertise! Don't you know this is the internet?

 

[Sportstick]

Reason it is done on steering wheels and seats has nothing to do with looks, it is to help with grip. Leather is relatively slippery.

In some high performance applications this may make sense, but for typical buyers, "not enough grip" on steering wheels doesn't show up as a complaint of any significance...if at all...from all the early buyer, long-term quality/durability studies we had, I've never seen that mentioned and leather has been very satisfactory.

 

[Sportstick]

Get out of here with your professional expertise! Don't you know this is the internet?

LOL...how true....legions of self-appointed experts abound!

 

[jelloslug]

You are comparing random internet opinions with professional materials experts? As you wish...moving on.

Are these the same "professional material experts" that specced out dashboards and door panels in hundreds of thousands of pickup trucks and SUVs that crumble in your hands after 3 years in the sun? Or how about the ones that picked plastic panel coatings that are not exactly waterproof. Maybe they are the ones that picked the adhesives that last about 4 years before the dashboards starts peeling up. I have found in my years of being employed as an engineer that self proclaimed experts are usually far from being an expert in anything.

 

[run-the-joules]

You are comparing random internet opinions with professional materials experts? As you wish...moving on.

Reminder: The folks that made a decision that killed 7 people and scattered fragments of a space shuttle all over the eastern seaboard were also professionals and alleged experts. Professionals and experts are not always right.

 

[sneakypotato]

Not super worried about it, but I do understand where you're coming from. Do we have any photos of the alcantara floating around?

 

[boiler81]

The Alcantara isn't a deal breaker for me either, but I sure would rather have real or vegan leather in the door panels, as I leaning towards the white interior, and I fear the alcantara panel will not stay clean or nice looking for long.