[Ftech1]

Who has this and do you wish you got leather instead? Thanks!

[mbd23]

It's great. Looks like leather but more durable and maintenance free.

[BEM-S4]

If you're leasing it's a good place to save money. If you're buying get the leather you'll have an easier time selling the car when you're done with it.

[RacerDad]

I have leatherette on mine and don't miss having a leather interior. All my other vehicles have leather. Leather may have a great smell when new, but the leatherette may hold up better over time. It was also a way to keep the cost down.

[Tpeterson]

Originally Posted by Ftech1

Who has this and do you wish you got leather instead? Thanks!

The Dakota leather offered in the 2 series is low end leather. It's hard to tell much difference from the Sensatec (leatherette). If there had been more color choices I would have saved the money and ordered Sensatec.

[B58togo]

^^

It may be tough to distinguish visually, but not so tough in touch. I sat in a 320i with Sensatec and wasn't impressed. Mercedes used MB Tex which is much better IMO. Now I don't necessarily think the Dakota is worth a full $1450 more, but I did spring for it.

[Fugly M3]

I have the Oyster SensaTec or leatherette as it used to be called. Go sit in a car with it. I've had it in 3 of my 4 BMWs. I can tell you that the latest generation is leaps and bounds beyond the earlier versions (2002 325Ci and 2008 135i). It really is very nice stuff. When I was at M school a couple weeks ago, a few of the M3/M4 owners were shocked to hear it wasn't leather. Unless your really observant you're not going to notice, assuming you don't have a strong sense of smell. It certainly doesn't have that nice leather smell.

Bottom line was this for me. I love the leather smell, but for $1,450 in the 2er you get a very small amount of the lowest grade leather BMW offers. For the same $1,450 you get an awful lot more of a much higher quality leather in the 5er. I wasn't going to pay that $1,450.

[overcoil]

after approx 30-months of ownership I have a wear spot on the outer horizontal seat bolster, abut 1-1/2 inches in length, looks like a razor scraped it, which it had not.
will ask dealer if they have a touchup procedure for the leatherette.

very minor wear, though with it hadn't worn.

[idc]

If you're planning to keep the car for a long time sensatec will hold better and will likely give the car a more appealing look when you'll want to sell it. If you want to keep it for a shorter period of time it comes down to preference, and if you feel the investment is worth it.

I have 3 other cars with leather and after a few years it starts to look its age. I can't tell the difference in comfort, and if the leather smell is your thing just buy one of those scenting things with leather fragrance. The smell of the leather is tanning chemicals anyway.

[Questofthetune]

The loaners I've had with leatherette are pretty fake looking. I don't really care though- I got my 235 preowned and it came with the coral red leather.

[bimmerfile]

Had leatherette (aka pleather) in my 2003 Z4, my 128i cabrio, my 2013 X1 and my 2015 228xi cabrio.
Now have leather in my 2016 M235xi cabrio.
If leatherette had been an option in the M235xi I would have swapped it for the leather in a heartbeat - even if the price was the same.
IMO - Leatherette looks as good, feels the same and wears better (particularly if you have young rugrats in your back seats on a regular basis).

[omera60]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

after approx 30-months of ownership I have a wear spot on the outer horizontal seat bolster, abut 1-1/2 inches in length, looks like a razor scraped it, which it had not.
will ask dealer if they have a touchup procedure for the leatherette.

very minor wear, though with it hadn't worn.

BMW has a touch up procedure for it but what matters is if the dealer has authorization from them to carry it out. It usually happens from getting in and out of the car. Good way to eliminate this issue is to move the seat back before you get on or off, if you have the electric seats it shouldn't be a problem, just open the door and press the button on the shoulder of the seat.

[Kolyan2k]

You get what you pay for basically......

Leather has UV coating and looks and feels better, more color choices. It's a sealed leather so it's easy to maintain as well (it's actually maintenance free for the most part). The better leather quality you get, more maintenance it will require generally, the better it will look and feel etc.

Best seats are cloth, and they are the cheapest and that's what all econo boxes use....

Ideally BMW should offer Alcantara option or Alcantara with some leather, I would take that over anything else

[fbsm]

On the subject of leather seats....

I always "WANT" the leather but almost always buy leatherette

Its easier to care for and allows me to spend money on features that are more important to me.....

Its similar to the choice between Alpine white and some other color for me.....

I like the white/leatherette enough.....and the cost to upgrade to something else just isnt worth the money to me

ymmv

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by omera60

BMW has a touch up procedure for it but what matters is if the dealer has authorization from them to carry it out. It usually happens from getting in and out of the car. Good way to eliminate this issue is to move the seat back before you get on or off, if you have the electric seats it shouldn't be a problem, just open the door and press the button on the shoulder of the seat.

Thank You for the info, it will be helpful. I'm rather small and not very heavy (150 pound / 68 kilos ) so didn't think my entering and exiting would be an issue, but it very well could be.
Few years ago went to a BMW club tech session at a dealership and the employee who drove my car onto the lift, was well over six-feet tall and well over 200 (90 kilos) and he just slammed himself into the drivers seat, I was furious.

Just have to acknowledge your country Turkey, living in the USA hard to comprehend how old the civilization on that peninsula is. For many years had friend who's very well educated parents were from Turkey, and was always meeting and hanging out with visitors from Turkey, I think I was at the house once ( this is twenty-some years ago ) when the President of Turkey called to ask about someone seeking treatment at Johns Hopkins, nice memories.

[harma24]

I have Sensatec. The only regret I have is that the blue alcantara seats aren't an option in the US:

http://www.brisbanebmw.com.au/dam/br...package-06.jpg

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by harma24

I have Sensatec. The only regret I have is that the blue alcantara seats aren't an option in the US:

http://www.brisbanebmw.com.au/dam/br...package-06.jpg

Yeah not sure what the deal is in USA....Those look great

[Hellrot]

Originally Posted by harma24

I have Sensatec. The only regret I have is that the blue alcantara seats aren't an option in the US:

http://www.brisbanebmw.com.au/dam/br...package-06.jpg

Wow these are amazing.

I LOVE my alcantara arm rest and shift boot. Alcantara seats would feel so much better than leather in my opinion.

Is there any way to order these from the EU?

[aerobod]

I've had leather on several BMWs and leatherette on two. The leatherette definitely resists wrinkling and maintains a consistent surface sheen as it ages (if the right cleaning product such as Einszett vinyl cleaner is used), but after about 7 years on the soon to be departing 135i I've had a couple of cracks appear on the driver's seat bolster where it is constantly compressed and stretched while getting in and out of the car, the only easy repair is a panel replacement on the seat. Leather definitely gets character lines quickly, but maintains flexibility if properly maintained, whereas there isn't much that can be done to maintain the flexibility of the leatherette in the long term.

[Sportstick]

For all the Alcantara fans (of which I'm not one), you all realize it's just a marketing-named synthetic cloth, with additional cleaning requirements which makes it more maintenance-intensive than vinyl?

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

[Hellrot]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

For all the Alcantara fans (of which I'm not one), you all realize it's just a marketing-named synthetic cloth, with additional cleaning requirements which makes it more maintenance-intensive than vinyl?

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

I realize and acknowledge it harder to clean(I'm a water in the car only kind of guy so not that big of a deal to me), I just like how Alcantara feels on the skin

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Hellrot

I realize and acknowledge it harder to clean(I'm a water in the car only kind of guy so not that big of a deal to me), I just like how Alcantara feels on the skin

As always, to each their own, but the oils from human skin are their own cleaning challenge where the fabric darkens. Hope it works well for you and others!