Why do people think leather is better than clothed seats in a vehicle? It seems to be preferred and considered more valuable. However, I had a truck with leather seats which proved to be inconvenient. They were always too hot in the summer. When riding for even 20 minutes I developed sweat marks that were extremely noticeable. At times the entire back part of my legs were soaked. Honestly, I would take clothed seats over leather any day.
Leather is far more comfortable than simple cloth, and people with leather seats tend to know they need to keep those vehicles in the shade during summer. When the AC's blasting, you're not going to be sweating in a hot seat anyways. Cloth seats have their benefits, but it's not hard to see why people like leather, too.
It is never guaranteed you can keep your vehicle in the shade, though. For example, parking lots are typically out in the open no where near shady ground. I also try to use air conditioning minimally (albeit reasonably) because it can be costly. Plus, it is nice to have the windows down when driving on a summer day, but having the air conditioning on at the same time is mostly silly.
I absolutely hate leather seats, glad someone else is the same and acknowledges this! I don't know where you guys are from but I've never seen a cloth seat where I'm from, do you mean woven fabric? That's what I'm used to and have seen in cars and that does the job fine, really thick fabric.
Leather seats are also pretty easy to clean, unlike woven ones. A liquid stain on a woven cover would seep into the foam underneath. Leather seats usually just require a rag and some lemon pledge. I do concede the fact that leather seats aren't for your everyday work vehicle.
I also noticed that leather seats absorb more heat as compared to cloth seats, so I really wonder why some people like them aside from the convenience in cleaning. I guess it also looks more expensive than cloth seats? Like they chose it for the aesthethic value.
I think choosing them for the aesthetic value is partly it too. Still, in my opinion having sweat drenched shorts largely outweighs how pretty my car seats are. I rather my appearance be presentable. I was extremely embarrassed when some of my friends noticed how wet my shorts were.
Were the windows open or closed that time? I agree that sweat is pretty much obvious and you can really see the droplets too when it is on a leather seat! I take it that you now avoid going into that certain car that's owned by your friend? However, I think leather seats look good on sofas though. If it gets too hot, you can just simply stand up.
I prefer leather seats in my car for easy clean up when I have small children constantly making messes. As mention above, in the summer the leather gets really hot and in the winter the seats got pretty cold. The only thing I like about leather is that it can be clean quickly and doesn't leave a sour smell when there was one.
I bought a brand new Mustang years ago that had leather seats, and they seemed nice at first, but they quickly became a pain in the butt. Even if you are blasting your air conditioner, it still takes some time for your car to cool down inside if it's been sitting in the sun on a blisteringly hot day. Also, cloth is easier to repair if you get minor damages - you can sometimes shave off stains or burn marks with a razor blade for example and make them less noticeable. But if your leather seats get damaged, it costs a lot more to replace them. Leather also gets more worn out faster and you can really see the wear marks and stretched out parts even just after a year or two of owning the car. To make matters worse, my passenger side front seat began to rot - from where the sun would come in and hit it each day at the locations I had to park at.
I really like the look and smell of real leather seats, and leather will last forever and ever; but you have to take care of it. I used to have horses, and i cleaned and oiled my saddle, boots, and other riding tack to keep the leather soft and supple. Leather does get hot in the summer, and will burn you when the car has been sitting in the hot sun, especially when you are wearing cut-offs or shorts. I like to get a seatcover to go over the leather, and then it is more like having cloth seats, but if you have a spill on the seat, you can remove the seatcover and wash it and simply wipe off the leather seat.
