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Leather vs. synthetic
- Thread starter DarkMatter
- Start date
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
Pleather across the Tesla line now
I’m all for good quality leather but if they can’t offer that at least the pleather seems to satisfy most Tesla buyers
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
I just googled it and see there is a difference between the two types of fake leather PU and PVC, not sure if most people would know which is which by the names though if you asked anyone. I believe that most people would know the difference between true Nappa leather which is aniline leather and painted leather like Dakota leather on lower line BMW seats. I’m not sure what grade Tesla was using.
david_42
Member
I will never have leather in a car again. Hot and sticky in the summer, cold and clammy in the winter. I also tried sheep skin. Great for a couple years, then gross.
Leather was considered premium because we didn't know how to build anything better. Now it's more like the fake columns on the front of houses. Even my 1998 Mercedes had the Tex hold up absolutely fantastically, and I preferred it at the time. The Tesla material feels better and so far it's holding up great. It's not "fake leather" so much as "real quality seat covering".
seattlite2004
Active Member
I also just realized that I like my last textile set of motorcycle gear better than leathers. Never going back there either.
jelloslug
Active Member
Car Leather Care without the hype or B.S.
Automotive Leather Upholstery – DetailingSpot
There are many references saying that nearly all car leather is plastic coated. These are just two examples. At least the synthetic materials are honest about what they are.
Automotive Leather Upholstery – DetailingSpot
There are many references saying that nearly all car leather is plastic coated. These are just two examples. At least the synthetic materials are honest about what they are.
I imagine you may know whether the polyurethane is biodegradable? I would guess not, but I don't think Tesla has really said much about the faux leather other than it saves bovine lives.
Not only softer, it has a cushy feel thats difficult to explain. Love these seats. Leaps and bounds better than leather that would already have began to show wear on the driver's side entry point ... also know as ingress?... Not a lawyer so pardon the technical wording.
jelloslug
Active Member
"Nappa" leather (and the BMW "Dakota" leather) is a marketing term. At the most, it describes the grain of the material. It certainly does not describe the type or grade of leather, nor the tanning method. Like I said before, only the highest of high end cars use noncoated leather.
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
There is a drastic difference in the grade of BMW Dakota and Nappa Leather. I think the Tesla seat material is nice and definitely as good as or better than the base pleather seats in other brand cars. Of course “Vegan, Nappa and Dakota" are marketing terms, Vegan Leather is a marketing term for Tesla’s simulated leather. I would think they add leather to the name to make people think is on the quality level of a leather product and because of that more upscale. The BMW Merino and Nappa leather is surprisingly on par with high end cars where the Dakota is something that could easily be confused with fake leather. I was in a new Rolls Royce (a BMW product) yesterday and the leather in it is very high end but also very similar to the better BMW leathers. The BMW Nappa and BMW Merino (only special order, with additional colors) are dyed full grain aniline leather, the Nappa then gets a very light clear coat for added durability, because of the clear coating it is then called semi-aniline leather. I attached a picture of an X5 Mocha Nappa Leather interior, my last X5 had this interior but with added ventilation seats, extremely nice, smooth, buttery soft leather. Tesla should shoot for interiors on par with this.
jelloslug
Active Member
You are missing the point. All of these names for leather are just that, names. They don't mean anything from one car manufacturer to another. If you go and try and buy a "Nappa" leather hide, you will find that you can buy it in any grade, thickness, and quality that you want to spend money on.
Sunshine State
Automotive Enthusiast
I’m not sure what you think I’m missing. I’m not disagreeing, but the term Nappa is an accepted industry term for soft smooth leather and it is typically reserved for the higher leather trim in autos. I’m not going out to buy leather at a leather market nor is any typical car buyer. They only get what the manufacturer is offering. In Tesla’s case they used to offer leather and decided the customers wouldnt get a choice, another take it or leave it option. The actual material costs make up a small part of the final product cost and I think Tesla should have stepped up their game and offered a better grade of real leather. They probably just made a deal with one supplier who was already supplying the white and got a great deal to use one product across the board.
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