Is it me, or is our leather really grainy, dry and somewhat cheapish?

///M1 · 10-27-2009, 09:38 PM

I am quite anal when it comes to interior (well ok, and exterior) maintenance and preservation, so today I applied a smaller version of my leather treatment clinic I described on the M5 board, which a lot of people have since embraced.

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...nt-clinic.html

I couldn't help but notice how grainy our leather is. In fact, for a car that has been in use for barely a year and 5K miles on the clock (garaged at all times), I found the leather to be very very dry. In fact, except for a small panel on one of the rear seats, it just seemed like a cheap hide that BMW chose for this car. I'll make the caveat that my last 2 cars (E39 M5 and current RS4) do have upgraded leathers, so maybe it just feels awkward coming off those (especially the M5 with its full dash/door in leather and alcantara headliner), but does anyone else share the sentiment that the quality of the leather in the 1-series seems off the cheap lot?

I applied several rounds on Lexol Neatsfoot after applying the Lexol Ph-Balanced cleaner. I'll let it sit a couple of days, then do the Lexol Conditioner. If I don't see the leather softening up, I may have to use the Soffener, which is a really great product, but major PITA to apply and then clean up (it literally has the consistency of honey). It is generally meant for older leathers that have dried up with time and/or been beaten up by the sun.

touareg · 10-27-2009, 09:55 PM

I'm not sure I'd use the word "cheap" but I wouldn't mind if the leather was a bit softer, especially since BMW makes us pay extra for it. The good part about the graining/texture is that you won't slide around when you go around a corner. I applied 1z Einszett leather conditioner and it seemed to have softened up just a little bit.

M3_Dust · 10-27-2009, 10:49 PM

boston grain leather is the cheapest leather bmw offers, it's like plastic compared to the nappa leather in my M3

BrokenVert · 10-27-2009, 10:53 PM

I condition it with saddle soap when it starts to feel "cheap". But then again Boston leather is the cheapest leather BMW offers. Maybe youre on to something...

jibaholic101 · 10-27-2009, 10:56 PM

i wash and condition my seats frequently, so they feel good, not the greatest however

x5mad · 10-27-2009, 11:22 PM

I agree with the op. By far the cheapest leather interior I have had in a BMW.

dbtk · 10-27-2009, 11:34 PM

The seating leather (grainy and chalky as described) feels different from the door panels and armrests, which appear slick and very vinyl-like (?).

White1 · 10-28-2009, 01:22 AM

That is actually why i chose the leatherette when i placed the order for my 128. The dealer had 2 in at the time one with leather, and the other without, and i deffinitely liked the feel of the leatherette, it felt more supple to me.
My father has an X5, and the leather in that is exquisite, so i was kinda spoiled away from the Boston in the 1ers.

dbtk · 10-28-2009, 01:29 AM

Indeed. Far cry from the all exclusive leather interior on my CL600.

JimD · 10-28-2009, 06:50 AM

I went leatherette too but I did add the walnut interior trim. I noticed the walnut in a 3 I test drove was noticably nicer. The wood in mine is OK but is just plain grained walnut (but at least it is heartwood, not sapwood). There is no burl or other interesting figure in it despite the name. The 3s I have seen with walnut interior trim have had burl grain.

I think the 1 definitely gets the lower grade interior pieces, but a first class engine and transmission.

The suspension setup with understeer at the limit also seems to be a way to make sure there is a benefit to the 3s and higher. Fortunately they borrowed enough pieces from the 3 parts bin that the suspension can apparently be upgraded fairly straight forwardly. It seems upgrading the interior is significantly more difficult. But it is still a relatively nice interior compared to other cars I have owned.

Jim

Why Knot · 10-28-2009, 07:05 AM

The leather in the 335i i had before the 135i wasn't that great either. The best leather was in the Volvo S60 R I had a few years back, followed by an Audi TT. However, I did not buy this car for the leather.

VeeTeg · 10-28-2009, 07:18 AM

Great article! Let us know if the Surflex Leather "Soffener" really helped out. I completely agree with you on the texture of our leather. Hopefully I will have a chance in the next couple of weeks to try your leather treatment procedure out.

Thanks Again!

123D-M · 10-28-2009, 07:21 AM

We don't have the leatherette as an option in Europe. Personally I would rather have just had the standard cloth sports seats anyway. They were really nice and in some way I think opting for leather was a bit of a waste of money. Maybe next time...

new2the3 · 10-28-2009, 07:50 AM

the leather seems good in my car but I only have 4k on it. I would dsy its no different from the dakota leather in my old 06 330i

smpeck · 10-28-2009, 09:15 AM

The leather in my car seems very dry and drinks up any conditioner I apply.

Please keep us posted on your leather treatment results. I'm looking to try other products.

pit1 · 10-28-2009, 09:40 AM

Agreed 100% certainly not up to the standards of other BMW grains. I have about 22k miles, clean and treat every 3 months, and it's still practically unchanged. Smooth bolsters are wearing well, and I welcome that subtle touch absent in '09+.

It may not be the most supple, but FWIW, it grips well compared to my E46 and old A4, and I'm happy BMW still wraps the ENTIRE seat in leather and not slapping 'ette to the sides and back like Porsche and Audi.

plasar · 10-28-2009, 11:40 AM

Before we beat ourselves to a pulp on this topic, I sat in a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible the other day in the showroom. It put the quality of the leather in our 1s in a whole new light.

The multiple fails included:

* leather with the feel and texture of vinyl
* uneven seams
* cut thread ends sticking out of seams
* a sewn-in "Airbag" label in the side of the front seats

Maybe we shouldn't feel great about better quality of materials and fabrication than a Ford, but this was a $55K car.

See pics below... too bad I couldn't show the leather dash, which was appalling, but you can see the plastic dash version... operative word here is "Plastic".

.....

2AD Tanker · 10-28-2009, 11:56 AM

I condition my leather with Lexol and I think it is very good. I have never seen the leather in the other BMW models so I can't compare but it is definitely better than my previous car and my wife's 4 Runner.

oasis3582 · 10-28-2009, 12:07 PM

I wish I could have gotten Alcantara instead of the leather.

Jaguar66 · 10-28-2009, 03:21 PM

!

HPFREAK · 10-28-2009, 03:26 PM

I put Chemical guys VRP on mine and it made my seats look way better and deeper color.

BMW86 · 10-28-2009, 03:39 PM

The leather in my E46 was cheap and fugly. By the time I was finished with the car it felt hard and looked like plastic. I recently test drove a Z4 with upgraded Nappa leather and it was beautiful and soft. The leather in the 135i is no where near as good but a huge improvement over the E46. Then again, I didn't buy this car for the leather

10-27-2009, 09:38 PM	#1
///M1 Brigadier General 275 Rep 3,164 Posts Drives: Many Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: North of 7K RPM iTrader: (1) Garage List 2020 BMW M2 CS [0.00] 1994 Audi RS2 Avant [0.00] 2021 Audi RS6 Avant [0.00] 1988 BMW E30 M3 [0.00] 2011 BMW 1///M [0.00] 2017 BMW F80 M3 30 ... [0.00] 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3 [0.00] 2015 Porsche Macan ... [0.00] 1998 Porsche 993 C4S [0.00] 1994 Lancia Delta I ... [0.00] 2008 Audi RS4 [0.00]	Is it me, or is our leather really grainy, dry and somewhat cheapish? I am quite anal when it comes to interior (well ok, and exterior) maintenance and preservation, so today I applied a smaller version of my leather treatment clinic I described on the M5 board, which a lot of people have since embraced. http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...nt-clinic.html I couldn't help but notice how grainy our leather is. In fact, for a car that has been in use for barely a year and 5K miles on the clock (garaged at all times), I found the leather to be very very dry. In fact, except for a small panel on one of the rear seats, it just seemed like a cheap hide that BMW chose for this car. I'll make the caveat that my last 2 cars (E39 M5 and current RS4) do have upgraded leathers, so maybe it just feels awkward coming off those (especially the M5 with its full dash/door in leather and alcantara headliner), but does anyone else share the sentiment that the quality of the leather in the 1-series seems off the cheap lot? I applied several rounds on Lexol Neatsfoot after applying the Lexol Ph-Balanced cleaner. I'll let it sit a couple of days, then do the Lexol Conditioner. If I don't see the leather softening up, I may have to use the Soffener, which is a really great product, but major PITA to apply and then clean up (it literally has the consistency of honey). It is generally meant for older leathers that have dried up with time and/or been beaten up by the sun. __________________ *2011 BMW E82 1///M: AW, all options; Renntech, Akrapovic, Forge, P3, RevoZ CF bits, many mods 1988 BMW E30 M3: Hennarot, S14, stock 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3: PtS, CXX, LWBS, PCCB 1998 Porsche 993 C4S: Zenith Blue, last aircooled widebody, Bilstein PSS10, Fister II + Fabspeed exhaust 2008 Audi B7 RS 4*: Sprint Blue, Audi Exclusive Euro Bucket Interior, Premium+Titanium, many mods
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10-27-2009, 09:55 PM	#2
touareg Second Lieutenant 30 Rep 219 Posts Drives: 2017 M2 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: LA iTrader: (0)	I'm not sure I'd use the word "cheap" but I wouldn't mind if the leather was a bit softer, especially since BMW makes us pay extra for it. The good part about the graining/texture is that you won't slide around when you go around a corner. I applied 1z Einszett leather conditioner and it seemed to have softened up just a little bit. __________________ Currently: 2017 M2 MT LBB In a previous life: 2011 Z4 sDrive35i MT \| 2011 Mk6 GTI MT \| 2008 EX35 \| 2008 Cooper S MT \| 2009 135i MT \| 2002 A4 1.8T
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10-27-2009, 10:49 PM	#3
M3_Dust Michelin Man 387 Rep 740 Posts Drives: F10 535i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: on forums iTrader: (0)	boston grain leather is the cheapest leather bmw offers, it's like plastic compared to the nappa leather in my M3
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10-27-2009, 10:53 PM	#4
BrokenVert Resident Kerbalnaut 477 Rep 10,703 Posts Drives: Topless Brute/Hybrid Boogaloo Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Fahrvergnügen/NY iTrader: (0)	I condition it with saddle soap when it starts to feel "cheap". But then again Boston leather is the cheapest leather BMW offers. Maybe youre on to something... __________________
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10-27-2009, 10:56 PM	#5
jibaholic101 Brigadier General 159 Rep 3,496 Posts Drives: women wild Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Charleston, SC iTrader: (0)	i wash and condition my seats frequently, so they feel good, not the greatest however __________________ some italian, german, and japanese ones; and on order more of the same
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10-27-2009, 11:22 PM	#6
x5mad Lieutenant Colonel 352 Rep 1,772 Posts Drives: iX 40 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Australia iTrader: (0) Garage List bmw [0.00]	I agree with the op. By far the cheapest leather interior I have had in a BMW.
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10-27-2009, 11:34 PM	#7
dbtk Private First Class 7 Rep 101 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: San Francisco,CA/ Woodbury,CT iTrader: (0)	The seating leather (grainy and chalky as described) feels different from the door panels and armrests, which appear slick and very vinyl-like (?). __________________ 2010 Mercedes GL350 Bluetec l 2009 BMW 135i DINAN l 2007 Mercedes CL600 l 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo l 1972 Mercedes 600
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10-28-2009, 01:22 AM	#8
White1 Private First Class 19 Rep 196 Posts Drives: 08 128i AW/Prem/PremAudio Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Regina/Sk/Ca iTrader: (1)	That is actually why i chose the leatherette when i placed the order for my 128. The dealer had 2 in at the time one with leather, and the other without, and i deffinitely liked the feel of the leatherette, it felt more supple to me. My father has an X5, and the leather in that is exquisite, so i was kinda spoiled away from the Boston in the 1ers. __________________ Scream till you like it.
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10-28-2009, 01:29 AM	#9
dbtk Private First Class 7 Rep 101 Posts Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: San Francisco,CA/ Woodbury,CT iTrader: (0)	Indeed. Far cry from the all exclusive leather interior on my CL600. __________________ 2010 Mercedes GL350 Bluetec l 2009 BMW 135i DINAN l 2007 Mercedes CL600 l 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo l 1972 Mercedes 600
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10-28-2009, 06:50 AM	#10
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	I went leatherette too but I did add the walnut interior trim. I noticed the walnut in a 3 I test drove was noticably nicer. The wood in mine is OK but is just plain grained walnut (but at least it is heartwood, not sapwood). There is no burl or other interesting figure in it despite the name. The 3s I have seen with walnut interior trim have had burl grain. I think the 1 definitely gets the lower grade interior pieces, but a first class engine and transmission. The suspension setup with understeer at the limit also seems to be a way to make sure there is a benefit to the 3s and higher. Fortunately they borrowed enough pieces from the 3 parts bin that the suspension can apparently be upgraded fairly straight forwardly. It seems upgrading the interior is significantly more difficult. But it is still a relatively nice interior compared to other cars I have owned. Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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10-28-2009, 07:05 AM	#11
Why Knot Private First Class 4 Rep 124 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: New England iTrader: (0)	The leather in the 335i i had before the 135i wasn't that great either. The best leather was in the Volvo S60 R I had a few years back, followed by an Audi TT. However, I did not buy this car for the leather.
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10-28-2009, 07:18 AM	#12
VeeTeg New Member 0 Rep 7 Posts Drives: 2009 BSM 128i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 60126 iTrader: (0)	WOW Great article! Let us know if the Surflex Leather "Soffener" really helped out. I completely agree with you on the texture of our leather. Hopefully I will have a chance in the next couple of weeks to try your leather treatment procedure out. Thanks Again!
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10-28-2009, 07:21 AM	#13
123D-M Captain 32 Rep 930 Posts Drives: BMW 123d M-Sport Coupe Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Madrid, Spain iTrader: (0) Garage List 1965 Citroen DS19 P ... [0.00] 2009 123D M-Sport C ... [10.00] 2009 Mazda6 [0.00]	We don't have the leatherette as an option in Europe. Personally I would rather have just had the standard cloth sports seats anyway. They were really nice and in some way I think opting for leather was a bit of a waste of money. Maybe next time... __________________ 2009 123D Coupe \| Sedona Red \| Black Boston Leather \| Brushed Aluminium Trim \| Tinted Windows \| M-Sport Package \| 6M \| Comfort Access \| Heated Seats \| Navigation \| Park Distance Front & Rear \| USB \| Bluetooth \| Voice Control \| Efficient Dynamics \| Rain & Light Sensors \| Xenon Lights My blog: http://urbanemusings.wordpress.com/
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10-28-2009, 07:50 AM	#14
new2the3 Colonel 378 Rep 2,067 Posts Drives: 2020 X3M Competition Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0)	the leather seems good in my car but I only have 4k on it. I would dsy its no different from the dakota leather in my old 06 330i __________________ 2020 X3MC 2009 135i: AW/CR Aluminum Trim, 6 speed, M-Sport, Premium, Heated Seats, Ipod, BMW Performance Pedals, BMW Performance SSK, BMW Performance Exhaust, BMW Performance Grills E93 M3 FSB
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10-28-2009, 09:15 AM	#15
smpeck Private First Class 14 Rep 160 Posts Drives: 2012 328i Coupe (E92) Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	The leather in my car seems very dry and drinks up any conditioner I apply. Please keep us posted on your leather treatment results. I'm looking to try other products.
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10-28-2009, 09:40 AM	#16
pit1 Captain 239 Rep 790 Posts Drives: F87 M2 Join Date: May 2008 Location: It's always Sunny... iTrader: (1)	Agreed 100% certainly not up to the standards of other BMW grains. I have about 22k miles, clean and treat every 3 months, and it's still practically unchanged. Smooth bolsters are wearing well, and I welcome that subtle touch absent in '09+. It may not be the most supple, but FWIW, it grips well compared to my E46 and old A4, and I'm happy BMW still wraps the ENTIRE seat in leather and not slapping 'ette to the sides and back like Porsche and Audi.
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10-28-2009, 11:40 AM	#17
plasar plasar 24 Rep 385 Posts Drives: M3 Vert Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 Conv [0.00]	Before we beat ourselves to a pulp on this topic, I sat in a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible the other day in the showroom. It put the quality of the leather in our 1s in a whole new light. The multiple fails included: * leather with the feel and texture of vinyl * uneven seams * cut thread ends sticking out of seams * a sewn-in "Airbag" label in the side of the front seats Maybe we shouldn't feel great about better quality of materials and fabrication than a Ford, but this was a $55K car. See pics below... too bad I couldn't show the leather dash, which was appalling, but you can see the plastic dash version... operative word here is "Plastic". ..... Attached Images
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10-28-2009, 11:56 AM	#18
2AD Tanker Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 135i Black Sapphire Metallic Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Beer town USA (Milwaukee) iTrader: (0)	I condition my leather with Lexol and I think it is very good. I have never seen the leather in the other BMW models so I can't compare but it is definitely better than my previous car and my wife's 4 Runner. __________________
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10-28-2009, 12:07 PM	#19
oasis3582 Lieutenant 146 Rep 582 Posts Drives: 2021 BMW X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	I wish I could have gotten Alcantara instead of the leather. __________________ Current: 2021 BMW X3 M40i Previous: VW GTI, Tesla Model 3 LR, Mazda MX-5 RF, Ford Mustang GT (x2), Mazda 3, BMW Z4 sDrive35i, Acura TSX, BMW 135i, Acura TSX, Honda Accord Coupe V6, Acura RDX, Pontiac GTO 6.0, Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
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10-28-2009, 03:21 PM	#20
Jaguar66 M Power 41 Rep 1,469 Posts Drives: '09 ///M-Sport 135i Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Rafael iTrader: (3)	! Last edited by Jaguar66; 04-14-2010 at 04:24 PM..
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10-28-2009, 03:26 PM	#21
HPFREAK Lieutenant Colonel 63 Rep 1,884 Posts Drives: C6 ZO6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Socal iTrader: (8)	I put Chemical guys VRP on mine and it made my seats look way better and deeper color. __________________ My Youtube Channel
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10-28-2009, 03:39 PM	#22
BMW86 Major General 398 Rep 9,156 Posts Drives: RS3 Sedan / Macan S Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Australia iTrader: (0)	The leather in my E46 was cheap and fugly. By the time I was finished with the car it felt hard and looked like plastic. I recently test drove a Z4 with upgraded Nappa leather and it was beautiful and soft. The leather in the 135i is no where near as good but a huge improvement over the E46. Then again, I didn't buy this car for the leather
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