Cloth or leather seats?
#31
02-20-2018, 04:22 PM
Fleet Mechanic
For leather vs cloth, I'm fine with either. My truck happened to come with leather, but it wasn't a necessity for me. I think brand new leather looks better, but cloth seats tend to be more comfortable for me. Over time, eh, some leather seats can get pretty worn looking. This is my first Ford ever, so I don't know how their leather will wear with my usage.
#32
02-20-2018, 06:22 PM
Laughing Gas
In general don’t you guys think that leather is a non-sustainable future product? I mean animal hides in a motor vehicle in this day and age how long will that go on. The same with wood, why on earth do they still insist on putting wood in cars and trucks. The future will be some advanced material maybe leather look alike but a modern material same with cloth some kind of really cool microfiber cloth material. We will look back on these days as archaic “Wow they used put animal hides and wood in their cars and it also had a big console television screen in the center how funky, looks like my great , great grandmothers living room”
#33
02-20-2018, 06:33 PM
Laughing Gas
If you want to talk leather vs. cloth you have to talk trim level because that's what dictates if you get cloth or leather.
Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Toyota, and Nissan all limit cloth to lower trim levels and leather to higher trim levels so the cloth vs. leather debate is a XLT or lower vs. Lariat or higher discussion. Or a LT vs. LTZ, or SL vs. SLT, or SR5 vs. Limited, or Big Horn vs. Laramie.
Based on the market analysis and subsequent go-to market strategies for all of the OEMs that produce full size trucks around option availability there isn't sufficient demand to justify cloth on higher trim levels. If there was they would offer it. If there is one thing I've learned working with product management and sales for a large OEM is you can't make everyone happy. Sure there are a few people who might want cloth in a higher trim level. It's just not a large enough number to build a business case. Again, if there was they would offer it. The take rate would be less than 1% and that's just not profitable. That's the OEM side of why you don't see it as an option from any full size truck manufacturer.
At the dealer level why would they option a high end truck with cloth for inventory? The majority of customers want higher end trucks to have high end interiors - i.e. leather. Individual preferences aside, the market equates leather as higher end than cloth. Why would they put something on their lot that they need to find a unicorn buyer for? Sure they could order for the rare customer who wanted it but the OEMs won't offer it because the take rate would be abysmally low.
Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, Toyota, and Nissan all limit cloth to lower trim levels and leather to higher trim levels so the cloth vs. leather debate is a XLT or lower vs. Lariat or higher discussion. Or a LT vs. LTZ, or SL vs. SLT, or SR5 vs. Limited, or Big Horn vs. Laramie.
Based on the market analysis and subsequent go-to market strategies for all of the OEMs that produce full size trucks around option availability there isn't sufficient demand to justify cloth on higher trim levels. If there was they would offer it. If there is one thing I've learned working with product management and sales for a large OEM is you can't make everyone happy. Sure there are a few people who might want cloth in a higher trim level. It's just not a large enough number to build a business case. Again, if there was they would offer it. The take rate would be less than 1% and that's just not profitable. That's the OEM side of why you don't see it as an option from any full size truck manufacturer.
At the dealer level why would they option a high end truck with cloth for inventory? The majority of customers want higher end trucks to have high end interiors - i.e. leather. Individual preferences aside, the market equates leather as higher end than cloth. Why would they put something on their lot that they need to find a unicorn buyer for? Sure they could order for the rare customer who wanted it but the OEMs won't offer it because the take rate would be abysmally low.
#34
02-20-2018, 07:06 PM
Fleet Mechanic
If I makes you feel better, I’m doing my part to keep leather sustainable....we’re a beef and potato family.
Here’s another perspective, the manufactures create a demand and a product segment. Not too long ago you could not get leather in a ford truck for any price and they sold everyone they could build so using your analogy all those people like cloth you know why because there was no other option. Just like now everybody is forced to take leather now they have no other option. The manufacture creates a market and then they fill it. We will never know the true demand or split on cloth versus leather because they won’t allow it. Your analogy would only work if there was freedom of choice. If you don’t make a product there would be no demand for it. How many raptors did they sell in 1979 zero that does not mean there was no market for it.
#35
02-20-2018, 07:27 PM
We have never had leather in any vehicle, so my perspective may not matter much. But I do have to say that Ford's latest cloth seats are both durable and comfortable. We do boating at a rural lake, launch from our house and the driver has to get in and out to help retrieve the boat. Things can get wet in the truck from wet driver. A towel secured over the bottom of the driver's seat is all that is needed with cloth seats. If seats were leather, would need water-proof seat covers. But, that would help with wearing shorts and sticking to the leather in hot weather. We like cloth better for our lifestyle.
#36
02-20-2018, 09:17 PM
#38
02-25-2018, 11:33 AM
Add me to the list. 
I had leather in my truck a few trucks ago.
I bought and installed a cloth seat in the drivers side.
People said the seats don't match.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
I don't care about the passengers seat.
But wanted a cloth drivers seat was all.
My truck was not meant to be a fashion statement.
It was a truck.
Last 3 personal trucks I have bought all came with cloth thankfully.
I wish the makers offered the option of cloth or leather despite the trim level.
Why can't I buy a Lariat in cloth Ford?
I had leather in my truck a few trucks ago.
I bought and installed a cloth seat in the drivers side.
People said the seats don't match.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
I don't care about the passengers seat.
But wanted a cloth drivers seat was all.
My truck was not meant to be a fashion statement.
It was a truck.
Last 3 personal trucks I have bought all came with cloth thankfully.
I wish the makers offered the option of cloth or leather despite the trim level.
Why can't I buy a Lariat in cloth Ford?
#39
02-25-2018, 03:29 PM
Leather or cloth a reall first world problem...
Just traded my "04 F-150 XLT for a new '18 Platinum. Love the Marsala leather. We will see how it wears.
I was happy with the cloth in my XLT, it wore great until it didn't. I used it as my daily driver. About 90K the drivers seat bolster fabric started to wear out where I exit out of the truck. By 175K I had a pretty good hole there. So 10 years or so was the breakdown point for me.
I have other vehicles with Leather, we ski, hike, fish, & hunt so far no issues with leather it sheds dirt pretty well if you take care of it, put a little leather care on them so they don't dry out and wipe them off.
The leather might take some damage but, it's a truck, it is gonna have wear on it, marks in the bed from cargo, scrapes from the brush on mountain roads, and it's usually gonna have mud on it. The leather ? It's to keep my butt comfortable.
I was happy with the cloth in my XLT, it wore great until it didn't. I used it as my daily driver. About 90K the drivers seat bolster fabric started to wear out where I exit out of the truck. By 175K I had a pretty good hole there. So 10 years or so was the breakdown point for me.
I have other vehicles with Leather, we ski, hike, fish, & hunt so far no issues with leather it sheds dirt pretty well if you take care of it, put a little leather care on them so they don't dry out and wipe them off.
The leather might take some damage but, it's a truck, it is gonna have wear on it, marks in the bed from cargo, scrapes from the brush on mountain roads, and it's usually gonna have mud on it. The leather ? It's to keep my butt comfortable.
#40
02-25-2018, 03:46 PM
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#41
02-25-2018, 05:34 PM
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Its because most of us being Men use there trucks as a all around vehicle so we want it somewhat Luxurious, Trucks are easier to get in, higher off the ground and will go through just about anything, Some use there trucks as there Office and have a better ride than some Automobiles, Yes we like a Comfortable seat that looks good i do like Cloth but the Leather is more Comfortable. And allot of us are Older and this is our Lincoln!!
#42
02-25-2018, 06:49 PM
No doubt leather is nice but I will tow 7k often...what I mean by that is: Sure I can spring for an upper end f-150 but for the same money I can get a diesel f-250.
So at best mychoice will probably be an XLT f-150, more than likely an simple XL with the towing options I want with those vinyl floor mats....bells and whistles where I want it for the task at hand and spartan everywhere else.
Personally I like cloth, but I need to draw a wide gap economically between an f-150 and an f-250...so as I add things to an f-150 and approach the price range of a f-250 by a few thou Im asking myself why not just super duty?
However, if I was using a f-150 as my only vehicle for commuting , grocery getting, the occassional weekend big box store stuff, riding around to look pretty in, I would probably go leather.
Sorry for getting somewhat off topic.
So at best mychoice will probably be an XLT f-150, more than likely an simple XL with the towing options I want with those vinyl floor mats....bells and whistles where I want it for the task at hand and spartan everywhere else.
Personally I like cloth, but I need to draw a wide gap economically between an f-150 and an f-250...so as I add things to an f-150 and approach the price range of a f-250 by a few thou Im asking myself why not just super duty?
However, if I was using a f-150 as my only vehicle for commuting , grocery getting, the occassional weekend big box store stuff, riding around to look pretty in, I would probably go leather.
Sorry for getting somewhat off topic.
#43
02-26-2018, 08:38 AM
In general don’t you guys think that leather is a non-sustainable future product? I mean animal hides in a motor vehicle in this day and age how long will that go on. The same with wood, why on earth do they still insist on putting wood in cars and trucks. The future will be some advanced material maybe leather look alike but a modern material same with cloth some kind of really cool microfiber cloth material. We will look back on these days as archaic “Wow they used put animal hides and wood in their cars and it also had a big console television screen in the center how funky, looks like my great , great grandmothers living room”
#44
02-26-2018, 12:11 PM
#45
02-27-2018, 04:24 PM
Laughing Gas
Yeah , how lame people need to bring there living rooms into there pick up trucks. I can’t wait until the desktop computer , meta-pause crowd of designers moves on and we can get over these animal skins , wood, fender antenna , console television in the dash , all obsolete dinosaur thinking. The future is modern materials , carbon fiber , aluminum , lightweight , No console TV that you have to look to the right ! Stupid . you’re going to continue to look straightahead through a heads up display not taking your eyes off the road. The future is not sitting at a desk top computer the future is mobile and lightweight the opposite of a living room in a car.
