I visited one of our major importers this weekend who had a series of new 05 GT's come in. One of the cars had been used as a demo before it was shipped to Europe. I noted some serious creases in the sidewall of red leather seats. This reminds me of the stinky leather quality in the previous model. Anyone else has experienced this?

 

Not that bad,but i have little.

 

I saw pics of one of the eary prototypes that were very worn. I doubt this leather will be any better than the earlier cars.

 

It's probably never had any leather conditioner put on it.

 

heres mine after 2200 miles of mostly city(read: ALOT of seat time in Atlanta traffic)...

 

another:

 

My 04 has creases.. It depends on how you sit a lot I think. Looks pretty similar to the pics above.

 

Here's the deal with leather: All leather will crease over time naturally. Cracks, however, are unsightly and indicate poor care or quality. Obviously, a fat butt is going to make more creases, which can lead to cracks(no pun intended) in the seat. The bolster in the picture of the RED seat above is the highest wear area in any car and deserves speacial attention when it comes to care. Condition, condition, condition this area weekly so the creases look natural and do not lead to cracking. DO NOT PUT ARMOR-ALL OR ANYTHING THAT WILL NOT ALLOW THE LEATHER TO BREATH ON YOUR SEATS-IT IS DEATH IN A BOTTLE FOR YOUR LEATHER!!! Leather conditioner moisturizes the hides which make it softer and more pliable. If not used, the leather will dry out like your skin and crack, peal, scratch, and look unsightly. This condition becomes irreversible if allowed to happen. Yes, there are different qualities of leather especially the dyeing process. Unfortunetly, if the dye job is sub-par, you end up with leather that looks like the color has worn off. The good news is that this condition is fixable with a re-dye fairly easily, but only time will tell if the Mustang interior has a decent dye job. I would imagine the pigment used to create the Red leather is fairly dense and will result in a LESS-PLIABLE leather, therefore, make sure to condition this color regularly to keep it looking good. Lastly, seat covers for vehicles left outside in sunny, hot climates are a must: this is about the worst condition to subject your leather interior to. I'm sure this isn't anything new to most of us, but hopefully some will benefit from this post.

 

To be honest, I've never been totally impressed by the leather seats in ANY Ford. I think it's a weak link in an otherwise sturdy chain. They must get their skins from cut-rate cows!

My A4 shows virtually no wear after 12K miles, and the leather in older Audis looks better than the seats in these pix.

I'm not trying to get flamed here or anything; I'm just making an observation. Of course, I still love the interior of the 'Stang and would not let the wear bother me. It's going to happen to EVERY seat eventually. At the same time, I agree with the earlier posts about the importance of conditioning. It's not like you can inject Botox in your seats or anything! But coating them with a high-quality product can add years to your seats. The only trouble is some lotions can make the leather look shiny; I prefer a matte finish.

 

Try Lexol. It keeps the leather soft and pliable but doesn't leave it shiny. I've been using it for years and it works great.

 

Looks like I best be getting a conditioner asap....

 

German seats...good quality IMO. The real question is: Is it the quality of the leather that makes the seat look good after years of use, or is it the seat construction itself that contributes the most to longevity? I've had several German cars and ALL of them had a very FIRM seat. Like a good piece of furniture, the construction of the seat, including springs and fill cushions, are all attributes to German interiors. Domestic autos tend to be on the "cushier" side, and I believe that this lack of construction quality is what makes these interiors look "aged" after several years of use. I don't think the quality of the leather itself has that much to do with it, unless of course it is REALLY CRAPPY quality! In the end, you get what you pay for...

 

I had leather in my '98. I used McGuires leather cleaner and conditioners.... it's a process, because you have to clean it before you condition it.... and every time I added the conditioner/lotion, I cleaned the seats first.... I didn't do it every time I washed my car.. just a few time a year, I gave it a good going through on the inside. My seats looked better than hte above pictures with 68K miles on 'em... at least the dirver's seat, anyway. But, yeah... I tried to take good care... including not sliding in and out, or rubbing up against the bolsters when getting in and out of the car. I was pretty **** about not putting unneccessary ware and tear on the seats.

 

Is this something you can find at any auto parts store, or is it a product that needs to be purchased at an upholstery shop?

 

Is Lexol that light blue lotion stuff? It doesn't leave the seats feeling slimey does it?

I guess I better find something soon....treat every week?!

I'm having the window tinted as dark as legally possible (25% doors, 5% 1/4s & Rear) to try to keep as much sun out as possible. Good luck to those of you with light tint limits!

 

No, Lexol consists of a cleaner and conditioner. They're both a light tan or off-white color. If you apply the conditioner correctly, it penetrates the leather to moisterize and doesn't leave any surface gunk or slime.

Here's a link to their web site.

 

I use Meguiars leather conditioner, doesn't leave any type of residue behind, doesn't make the seats shiny either.

 

Does Meguiars include a cleaner as well? That's the nice thing about Lexol is you have a cleaner that works in conjunction with the conditioner. It keeps the leather looking brand new and soft.

 

Does Meguiars include a cleaner as well? That's the nice thing about Lexol is you have a cleaner that works in conjunction with the conditioner. It keeps the leather looking brand new and soft. [/b][/quote]
Yes, it is a cleaner/conditioner all in one.

http://www.meguiars.com/store_meguiars/pro...=G-72&store=meg

 

Thanks for your advice. You all are very helpful. The Meguiar's website is a handy bookmark as well; they offer a questionnaire that helps you determine what products are right for you, given your location and your desire to keep your car in shape.

They even sent me a $15 gift certificate good towards any of their products, just for answering a few questions!