2008 BMW 135i: Tell me why I'm wrong

As boxermike said... cloth would be more than acceptable. I would definitely prefer that to leatherette, and I would prefer cloth to "real" leather as well.

I completely agree. But isn't that one of the things BMW is known for? Their list of standard features is pretty pathetic. They don't even come with floor mats. I can get heated seats on a $15k Elantra but they'll cost me an extra $500 on a $36k BMW.

... but to answer your question... take some $$$ off the price and have standard cloth and leather as an option. I don't think anyone would miss leatherette.

Arizona + leather + summer + shorts = No good.

I'll take cloth with manual adjusters, no less. I hate stooping over and waiting for the electric motor to grind the seat into position, too.

Or some alcantara+leather combo seats, like the one's in the MS3 GT. I also live in Arizona-like weather, and this combo works for climates like ours!

You're wrong because I'm sure people will say the standard bolsters digging into their McDonalds fed lovehandles is uncomfortable and the sole reason to not buy.

So.. sport seats aren't for everyone!

sport bolsters*

I'm actually fine with leatherette. It requires no periodic maintenance to maintain (it'll still fade, but it's far more resistant to wear than leather and doesn't require an application of oil to rejuvenate it).

So I'll throw that out there....compare leatherette to leather in modest care situations at 100,000 miles and typically leatherette wins the day.

That being said, I think a good cloth (like on the Honda Civic SI or newest MazdaSpeed 3) combined with far better standard seats (i.e. G35 non-sport seats) would make a world of difference.

Joe

I looked around for two months to find my rear wheel drive, six cylinder, 235-hp, $36,000+ sport sedan just so I wouldn't have to sit on leather seats. I hate them, period. BMW only made cloth/Alcantara available on the E46 with the ZHP option package and many of those cars were optioned out with leather above that. It was a nightmare trying to find a six-speed sedan without leather but I finally did it and I couldn't be happier.

30 degrees? Not going to freeze my butt off. 95 degrees? Not going to stick to the seats. I'll take my cloth/Alcantara any day over even the best leather.

Cloth should be standard on sport versions and leather on luxury versions.

Vinyl sucked even on base K-cars... no matter what you call it.

I'm not a leather fan, but the leatherette in my MINI suits me well enough. I'd prefer cloth, but I've been impressed so far with the fade/damage resistance in my seats.

Brian, you are SO wrong!

Some people are simply allergic to leather. Some people object to sitting on dead animal skin. Some people don't like to sit in a pool of their (or, worse, someone else's) sweat. Some people would prefer not to waste time maintaining their leather seats every 6-8 weeks. Some people hate the look of old cracked leather.

Leatherette is far more practical than leather or cloth, especially with kids.

Cloth is the best overall. BMW, Mercedes, Audi all sell cloth interior cars around the world. For some inexplicable reason they choose to ignore the Americans who prefer cloth and loose that part of the market. Dumb and yes, very WRONG.

Cloth kills the ambience in a great car.

I have nothing to say against allergenic or animal-lover cases but for a pool of sweat... Come on, there is something called "air conditioner".. Are you driving in hot arizona summer with windows down to try to cool yourself??

I don't want leather in my car. Leatherette/vinyl is easier to clean and wears significantly better. Look at some vinyl-equipped Mercedes from the 70s -- they can look brand new. My Acura's leather was wearing after only 6 months.

Raising cattle to furnish car interiors also adds pollution and eats up valuable land. Furthermore, I like having the choice -- the more options the better.

Note how our long-termer isn't suffering from the same discoloration and wearing that other light-colored interiors have like our Audi Q7 and Hyundai Azera. Over time, that trend will continue. Old Mercedes vinyl interiors still look fantastic, while at 5 months, my leather-lined Acura was already showing wear.

Also, raising cattle to furnish a car creates unnecessary polution and eats up valuable land. Furthermore, I like having the option of choosing my interior surface.

Hey look, I wrote the same damn thing twice. Fan-frickin-tastic Web site we have here. First it gets deleted and now its magically there.

We feel your pain dear readers.

Do those seats look that bad in person? Those look really cheap.

At least do something nice like the good VW cloth seats. The Civic LX-S comes with a nice cloth/fake suede side bolsters combo that puts those BMW seats to shame.

That being said, I love the way dead cow cradles me and conforms to me when I drive :) But I'm going to need some help since I only get a single at In-N-Out, somebody is going to have to start getting the double double so none of the cow goes to waste.

Some people must sweat a lot. Don't cars that come with leather seats also tend to have A/C? I may never get the 'pool of sweat' image out of my head. Yuck! Stop loaning your car to people with gland problems!

And I wish they'd add the ventilated seats to more cars. Those are great.

"Also, raising cattle to furnish a car creates unnecessary polution and eats up valuable land. "

last time I checked, some people even eat the meat... Do they just throw away the rest of the cow?

"at 5 months, my leather-lined Acura was already showing wear."

What do you people do to the seats? I've got fairly cheap aftermarket leather in a car and it has been in there for something like 4 years and looks almost new. I just wipe it down with leather conditioner every couple months or so. All of 10 minutes effort.

hey, I'm all for more choices when buying cars but the car companies are going the other direction. The new thing for them is to offer less customization choices.
I do like the way Mini (last time I looked) had the option of cloth, vinyl, or leather.

For everyone with the "what about a/c" comment - yes cars have a/c, but when you get in on a 95-degree day and the seats are like the surface of the sun, they aren't going to cool down quickly especially covered by your ass.

Wow, Brian, tell us how you really feel! :-)

So you're talking about the BMW 135i here, right?

It's a rear-wheel drive car with a 300-hp twin turbo engine, and am I correct in assuming it doesn't come with standard leather seats?

I like the synthetic fabrics that Volvo uses. I find them to feel and look like they belong in a 30k car.

The seats in my 05 325i are leatherette, but every person that has been in the car says, "Nice leather." I don't even bother telling them the truth anymore. Only my brothers (car nuts) knew. I have no problem with leather, leatherette (if it looks good) or cloth. I just need seat heaters.

I thought the 135i came standard with the sport package seats. Guess not.

...because I am sick and tired of caring for leather. If they had a cloth option for the states I would have taken that...

Wrong. I'm delighted my 335 doesn't have leather. In fact, my wife requested we get another car with the ette. We had it in our Cooper and it's fantastic as you don't need to do a thing to it ever. spill - wipe it. Dirty stuff - dog, kid, grandpa = throw it in the car.

All BMWs you can open the windows and roof from outside the car to cool the vehicle as you approach. At no time does ette get too hot to touch with shorts...lived with it for two years now through some blazing 110 degree days.

You know how hard it is to find a 135/335 manual in so cal that doesn't have the worthless premium package? That's a special order car. Dealers only order sport with premium and 99% with automatic.

I can't comment on the quality of BMW leatherette, but I will say you are wrong here in principle. While I'd expect any $36K car to have leather, I'm actually in favor of stand-alone options. (Caveat - as long as the base price is reasonable, and the option prices are reasonable. Maybe that's not the case with BMW or Mercedes, or even Toyota.)

The following should be individual stand-alone options available on ANY trim level:
-leather seats
-sun roof
-upgraded stereo
-navigation
and of course...
-manual transmission
-big engine/small engine
-various wheel/tire combos

Some things are logical to bundle together, and it's okay to offer discounts for bundles. But for the most part, I prefer flexibility.

Call me strange, but personally I want a 5-door Mazda3 with the 2.0 liter engine, heated cloth seats, and 16" wheels.

I'd love to hear from someone with the newer convertible Bimmers that have the "sun reflective" leather or whatever, if it keeps the seats cooler or not.

+1 on bigcow's comment.

AC is worth nothing when you have to sit down in a leather/vinyl seat that's +120ºF and that will cradle around your shape. Anybody who doesn't get it should leave their cars in the summer under the desert sun for a couple of hours and then sit in those seats.

My wife's 2008 Subaru Legacy GT employs a strategy I wholeheartedly endorse:

1. The center of the seats are perforated leather. Leather breathes much better than leatherette/vinyl, and the perforations also make a huge difference in the summertime.

2. The sides of the seat, bolster, upper seat back, and back of seat is vinyl/leatherette that feels almost identical. It does much better to the wear of getting in and out of the driver's seat, and requires much less maintenance.

Combined with an application of leather treatment/SPF 45 protectant and 20% tinted windows, that tan leather isn't going anywhere :)

Joe

Sgude - It comes standard with power seats, not sport seats.

Santiagofdz - I will comment on my wife's Legacy GT. My old black volvo w/ black leather seats was scalding.

My wife's LGT has tan perforated leather, a white exterior, and 20% tinted windows. On 95 degree humid days I can get in with shorts on and don't even have to wince....the leather is warm, but it's never been hot.

It can be mitigated :)

Joe

Standard Alcantara please. Can't beat that. Leather just doesn't compare.

Maybe BMW should stop charging for floormats as well.

"It can be mitigated :)"

Or you can just get cloth and all the problems are eliminated. No sweating, no freezing, no sliding around, no treatments and no cracking.

Saving a $1000 or so is another bonus.

best seats ever were in my old '91 Nissan Maxima SE. The sturdiest "cloth" you could ever find, super comfortable, you could wash it, and it never wore out.

that year/model was the only time I've ever seen seats like those...

Volvo's T-Tech seats are nice however, they feel kind of cheap.

I sweat with cloth. Hate it. Too warm all the time. Dead of winter and cloth is just hot. And unless it's black it's easy to stain, it wears and it tears.

Nope, ette, I can get out of the ocean, into my car and drive with a wet suit...not a problem. Can't do that with leather or cloth.

@ redliner & cx7lover : I came in here just to comment that I thought that Volvo's T-Tec material was a very competent alternative to leather. I've always preferred leather over cloth, but wouldn't mind a well designed synthetic like T-Tec if it meant that I could avoid sacrificing a cow for my butt.

And as for the "just use A/C comments", maybe that would work if it were paired with ventilated seats. There just aren't enough cars that come with that feature though. I think I saw a car editor list that feature as one of those "silly and unnecessary features". Obviously, they must really love the feel of swamp ass.

"Anybody who doesn't get it should leave their cars in the summer under the desert sun for a couple of hours and then sit in those seats."

To each their own. I find on 110 degree days it isn't bad with heat blocking side window tint and a sunshade on the front window. Personally I don't see how anyone gets into a car in that type of heat without having had a shade in the front.
But I guess we are actually arguing about who's opinion is more valid :)
I will agree that some people like leather and some don't. I'd have to see it in person but the picture makes the seats look bad. Since just about all seats that call themselves leather still have vinyl parts to them, they may be able to make it look fine.
I think when people hear cloth they think of the cheap stuff they put in so many cars.

I'd also expect for $36k (US no less...this car "bases" at $41,700 in Canada - about $2k more than a 370Z with Leather) is also a little more attractive on the outside. As cool as the car may be to drive, I just can't get past those droopy looking side skirts.

I had leatherette seats in my 2006 Jetta, and I didn't mind them too much. Most people thought it was leather (even Carmax when I went to sell it). This may sound odd, but one of the things that bothered me the most was how they smelled. I can't really describe the smell, but it bothered me every time I got in the car.

I now have black leather seats, and even with 110 degree summers, I've never been scalded by them. Tinted windows help a lot on that front...

Disagree strongly. Leather is slippery, too warm in summer, and too cold in winter, and, depending on whose leather you're talking about, can be a total pain to maintain. BMW's leather is nigh impossible to keep looking good.

I'll take cloth, good leatherette, or alcantara any day.

One problem I've found with cloth seats is that I tend to build up static electricity every time I get in or out of my '99 accord. I have to very carefully avoid sliding my butt across the seat or else the door handle will shock me. I've had the same problem with honda cloth in an '04 civic and an '08 element, but never with any non-honda seats. They also seem to pick up food smells very easily. And the vinyl material in an '06 camry was just horrendous - it looked and felt cheap. The SL merc's leather seats were the best I've sat in for a long time except they got too hot. But BMW now has infrared-reflecting pigments in their paints, so the seats aren't supposed to heat up. With that issue gone, I would go with leather every time.

my alcantara feels really hot for some reason. i'm living in south texas and highs are already in mid 80s, and i keep looking down thinking that i inadvertantly activated the seat warmer. It's like sitting on a warmed fleece. i'm so dreading the summer.

currently driving 08 suby spec b, not mx5.

Yes, the supple feel and fragrance of dead beast may be appealing to some, but if you are going to gripe about something not being included for free in a car in this price range, do it for the sport seats -- they are only $1100 and worth every penny.

Heck, the power seats in this 135i cost $995 and I don't think I've heard anyone say anything good about them. Leather is a $1450 option, and slapping it on top of known-crappy seats seems like a waste. You'd be better off getting a lawn chair, covering it in plush lambskin and riveting it to the floor. At least with that option you'd get a usable drink holder.

I should be shocked that the 135i -- the sporting version of the car, you know, 300 hp, 300 lb.ft. -- does not come with sport seats standard, but then again, it is BMW.

@ blueguy:

So the Cooper S is gone, eh? How do you like the 335i? I seem to remember you weren't too found of the e90 in the past. I assume you did end up finding/ordering one with a manual, right?

I'd rather have an alcantara/leather combo and if somebody wanted to upgrade to full leather, let them. I am looking for a used 335i and rule out any cars with embossed vinyl, I mean leatherette. I may still have scars from our vinyl seating in our Buick from when I was a kid. Texas + vinyl = no bueno.

Sabastian - He found a 2007 with a manual, and at a jaw-dropping (to me) price :)

Bimmers are dropping like rocks right now

Welcome back to the club, blueguy, haha.

I must be the odd man out here. I couldn't give a crap if leather is standard on the base model or not. I like to get pretty much every option on my cars, so the question for me becomes what CAN'T I get. I'll be comparing pricing on loaded vs. loaded.

sabastian, sold the cooper 2+ weeks ago, got the 335i (used) this past weekend. I'm really enjoying it. Not easy finding a 335i manual sedan with sport package and few other trinkets (it has BMW's questionable navigation system).

The prices of used cars is crazy. People think the deals are on new cars but if you check around 2 year old cars are a good 40-45% off MSRP.

That should be "used car prices are crazy..." I'm tired...need to step away from the "Internets."

In Europe cloth seats are standard. I love the cloth. They don't even offer it in the US precisely because of Brian's line of thinking. "Boohoo it's a luxury car, it should only have dead cow on it"

And the non-sports seats are very comfortable, they just don't offer side bolsters like the sports seats. Some people couldn't care less about side-bolsters, it saves them money.