Tesla seats vs Leather Seats (Mercedes, BMW)

[JetFalcon]

I had my Tesla Model 3 for about 3 years now. And the seats are still in much better shape than any leather based seat in the same time frame. My parents drive a Mercedes GLC AMG Edition 1, which I think is about 3 years old now, and the seats have gotten wrinkled. And since the seats are race inspired, with curved parts on the sides, it gets even worse since getting in and out will require pressing on them bunch of times. I don't really understand the purpose to put race inspired seats, it looks cool, but inconvenient, most people aren't racing an AMG SUV.

Past luxury cars in the past like a Mercedes E55 AMG from the early 2000s, I think it was about 8-10 years old before it was sold. It was also very wrinkled even though the leather was still pretty nice. Lamborghini Huracan I rented also had wrinkled seats and it was still a new car at the time, around 2017. I really don't like the wrinkled leather seats and it seems in less than a year, you will get them if you get leather.

Is the faux leather from Tesla stay looking newer longer than leather seats from traditional luxury cars like Lexus, BMW, Mercedes? It's already been nearly 3 years and compared to my parent's Mercedes GLC AMG it looks like its in better shape. Before the Tesla I thought I'd just get a commuter BMW or Mercedes, but I was willing to take a chance on Tesla because it felt like it made more sense.

 

[TulsaCoker]

Vinyl seats are always more resistant to wear than leather... however Mercedes and BMW leather is typically much better than other manufactures leather. Mercedes and BMW vinyl seats (MBTex) in my opinion are just as durable as Tesla vinyl seats

 

[UncertainTimes]

I don’t miss real leather at all. Never wrinkles and all I have to do is use baby wipes to clean.

 

[Stranger Dings]

I do miss real leather. My old Merc CLS had a fabulous interior and my M3 is nice, but it isn’t anywhere near Mercedes quality.

I appreciate the practicality of plastic seats, but it would be nice to have a real leather option. The smell of new leather is fantastic.

 

[KenC]

I had my Tesla Model 3 for about 3 years now. And the seats are still in much better shape than any leather based seat in the same time frame. My parents drive a Mercedes GLC AMG Edition 1, which I think is about 3 years old now, and the seats have gotten wrinkled. And since the seats are race inspired, with curved parts on the sides, it gets even worse since getting in and out will require pressing on them bunch of times. I don't really understand the purpose to put race inspired seats, it looks cool, but inconvenient, most people aren't racing an AMG SUV.

Past luxury cars in the past like a Mercedes E55 AMG from the early 2000s, I think it was about 8-10 years old before it was sold. It was also very wrinkled even though the leather was still pretty nice. Lamborghini Huracan I rented also had wrinkled seats and it was still a new car at the time, around 2017. I really don't like the wrinkled leather seats and it seems in less than a year, you will get them if you get leather.

Is the faux leather from Tesla stay looking newer longer than leather seats from traditional luxury cars like Lexus, BMW, Mercedes? It's already been nearly 3 years and compared to my parent's Mercedes GLC AMG it looks like its in better shape. Before the Tesla I thought I'd just get a commuter BMW or Mercedes, but I was willing to take a chance on Tesla because it felt like it made more sense.

Did you ask your parents why they got a GLC AMG wrinkled leather race-inspired seats? Were they just going for the "cool" look, or were they planning on "racing an AMG SUV"?

Leather seats will wrinkle as they are broken in. They feel quite nice! I love the wrinkled red leather sport seats in my BMW. I only wish I could have them in my Tesla.

 

[ErikJupiter]

Years ago you could get MBTex on any Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. For quite a while it was not available at all in the U.S. Now it is the base material on a few vehicles but still not available on higher end vehicles. In Europe, not only can you get MBTex on nearly any M-B vehicle, but they also offer fabric on most models. In my opinion, MBTex is better than the vinyl in my Model 3 as It breathes and is more rugged. I’ve seen 30 year old M-B vehicles with MBTex where the seats looked essentially new. I’m not sure whether my Model 3 seats will hold up as well. I have a friend who has had a Model S with the white vinyl. He’s driven it more than 100,000 miles, often with two teenagers to sports events, and he says they still look new. I will say that the seats in my Model 3 are much more comfortable than those in the BMW I traded in. But that is a different topic.

 

[firstkill]

Leather ages. It’s part of the charm. If the side bolster get worn. The leather needs to be treated more often. Or just part of how people are getting in and out of that specific car.

I prefer leather for looks and feel. But for durability and maintenance synthetic is better.