cloth vs leather
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004Gunner
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Overall the leather is more durable and easier to keep clean, but it requires a lot more maintenance to keep it looking good. If you use a quality leather conditioner about once a week, the leather should hold up fine. The left side of the driver's seat is prone to really bad wear if you have a habit of sliding in and out (I've swapped my seat cover with the passenger side to help counter this). It's one of the many reasons I keep my running boards on even though I'm over 6 feet tall. I also use the oh sh!t handles when climbing in and out. The one advantage with cloth seats that I like is that you can get some great fitting and even better looking seat covers put on when the cloth starts looking worn.
steve-
New member
I also have a cloth interior and much prefer it over leather.As 004Gunner mentioned leather needs more upkeep since you want to make sure the leather does not dry out over time.Well maintained leather should outlast a cloth interior.
Yep starting to get that sliding seat disease too.
Yep starting to get that sliding seat disease too.
Id have to disagree that its more durable. Leather if not properly taken care of, cleaned and conditioned, will look like crap after 10+ years. Cloth is easier to take care of. I looked at some limiteds with seats that looked like hell, some that were ok. Cloth is easier to take care of and with the same care, it will last longer. I wanted leather, I ended up with cloth.
ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
x2. My '99 4Runner, my moms '95 Previa, my brother's '92 pickup, and our old '90 Supra all had cloth interiors... all of which look very good without tears after years of use and all parked outside.
My other car has leather, and be that it is only MB Tex (cheap variant offered as an alternative by Mercedes) it is easier to mess up, gets extremely hot in the summer when it's not in the garage (parked at the supermarket, etc), and gets cold in the winter. It also blows because it is more prone to scratches, etc. It's only an '05 and I already see wear marks and possible tears in the making for the future. It's garaged and tinted, that damage is from my butt alone (and I only weigh a very average 180 pounds)... MB Tex is more durable than leather, but less luxurious.
My old Mercedes had real leather, dear god!!! We owned that car since new. It was garaged for 10 years, then had to be put outside. It was condemned to outside parking for 10 years... condition as you will, I did all that shit, this became my interior (keep in mind I couldn't garage it when I owned it) Eventually I quit caring. :
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JohnsD90
New member
Its like the worst of both worlds, but it costs more??? Plus cloth is easier to clean and it doesnt crack.
004Gunner
New member
Apparently Toyota leather is a higher quality. This is my driver seat and former driver seat leather seat cover. FYI, I bought the vehicle with 38k miles and it has 146k now, never garage kept for as long as I have owned it (since Feb '04). I've also had the experience of both, old '90 SR5 was cloth and my '00 has leather. Leather is way easier to clean and keep clean
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Ron Helmuth
Senior Member
first vehicle with leather-hope to never go cloth again
My 99 SR5 has leather seats and it warms up quickly in the winter. I could always add seat heaters if I was overly worried about that.
Mine has cracked on the driver's side facing the door-but I agree completely that properly treated it would likely outlast cloth seat coverings. As stated it is not overly complicated to swap seat bottoms-obviously the driver's side gets use everytime. I added a drivers headliner oh sh&^ handle to assist getting in and out without sliding over the bolster-I make sure to tilt the s. wheel up and away to allow more room to enter and exit. I am a little guy at around 150lbs.
A good cleaner and conditioner like Maguir's or even the Turtle Wax variation is essential. I should do it more often but typically every 3 months or so is as often as I get to it. Stuff dries out terribly here out West. We have no real humidity to keep the leather moist.
Weekly would help preserve it for a long time.
I hope to never go back to cloth again, in my mind cloth is harder to clean-especially greasy mechanic pants as they drive my truck in to do wheel alignments or whatever. I insist on seat protection and the better shops use a paper liner or plastic bag while they work on my ride.
As with any seat-a cover is always an option, but many of my passengers remark how nice my seats still look and feel on a 11 year old ride.
Check out my Facebook link to see an SR5 with Limited woodgrain interior conversion and leather seating surfaces.
I frequently remark my truck is a bit too pretty to offroad in-if that affects your decision.:lookout:
My 99 SR5 has leather seats and it warms up quickly in the winter. I could always add seat heaters if I was overly worried about that.
Mine has cracked on the driver's side facing the door-but I agree completely that properly treated it would likely outlast cloth seat coverings. As stated it is not overly complicated to swap seat bottoms-obviously the driver's side gets use everytime. I added a drivers headliner oh sh&^ handle to assist getting in and out without sliding over the bolster-I make sure to tilt the s. wheel up and away to allow more room to enter and exit. I am a little guy at around 150lbs.
A good cleaner and conditioner like Maguir's or even the Turtle Wax variation is essential. I should do it more often but typically every 3 months or so is as often as I get to it. Stuff dries out terribly here out West. We have no real humidity to keep the leather moist.
Weekly would help preserve it for a long time.
I hope to never go back to cloth again, in my mind cloth is harder to clean-especially greasy mechanic pants as they drive my truck in to do wheel alignments or whatever. I insist on seat protection and the better shops use a paper liner or plastic bag while they work on my ride.
As with any seat-a cover is always an option, but many of my passengers remark how nice my seats still look and feel on a 11 year old ride.
Check out my Facebook link to see an SR5 with Limited woodgrain interior conversion and leather seating surfaces.
I frequently remark my truck is a bit too pretty to offroad in-if that affects your decision.:lookout:
Lignum
New member
x2. Every limited I have ever seen had cracked and torn leather seats(except for fattirerider's) .
bigtimeweb
New member
+1 for no sweaty butts sticking to leather in the summer! I prefer cloth.
hmm. thanks guys. looks like i'm gonna go with cloth. i've always been impressed with the quality and durability of toyota cloth interiors. just haven't seen enough leather interiors to know anything about them.
i want one with a diff locker anyway, and i bet the diff lock and leather combo is pretty hard to find. I'll probably only end up doing relatively light duty offroading, but i'd love the peace of mind to know i have a locker as backup in case i get stuck. it can get crazy up here in the NW.
i want one with a diff locker anyway, and i bet the diff lock and leather combo is pretty hard to find. I'll probably only end up doing relatively light duty offroading, but i'd love the peace of mind to know i have a locker as backup in case i get stuck. it can get crazy up here in the NW.
Hacker
New member
Apologies for the thread derail...
Is there a "how to" anywhere on the web to perform this swap? I see your writeup on the forum here from a couple years ago, but I was hoping for something with photos.
What are the "hog rings" you speak of in that post?
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004Gunner
New member
It's actually fairly common for the limiteds to have the diff lock. I had no idea it was an option when I got my limited and didn't realize it was there until I was driving off the dealer lot!
Yeah I wasn't a member of the forum when I did the swap so I didn't take any pictures. The hog ring is just a metal ring that can be crimped using hog ring pliers to close into a loop. It has sharp ends for piercing upholstery and holds seat covers to a cushion or a metal frame. The whole process was very easy imo. New hog rings and hog ring pliers are a must. Iirc I used wire cutters to cut off the old hog rings. I was pretty much flying blind when I started the process since I didn't have a write up and I haven't seen one either. Here's a pic of hog rings and the special pliers you would need
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ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
Than Mercedes-Benz?
:lmao:
Sorry dude, considering condition differences living in Southern California... I'd have to say leather doesn't get the chance here that you guys get there, especially because it's sunny all year round. The sun is evil!
004Gunner
New member
Leather quality isn't related to vehicle brand. Trim packages, special editions, and price range are all things that can effect the quality of leather used. The best leather I've seen was on a special edition Ford E series van. Another thing to consider is that I think the leather trim I have is thicker and does not have the soft feel of other higher end luxury brands. I'm sure it's the reason my leather has stood up well to the age and use it has. The climate differences should make a difference in the level of care, but shouldn't have such an adverse effect on it's durability. The brand name of your conditioning product is much more relevant than the brand name of your vehicle.
