Which of the panels on the 08 sedan dash, console and door panels are leather and which are vinyl? Important to know for cleaning purpose.

 

I believe besides certain sections of the seats, the steering wheel and the shift ****, the rest is vinyl.

 

Man, no wonder the price of the G is lower than the competition. Vinyl is a car in this class LOL

I still love the G though

 

Not trying to be a fanboy, but I test drove in the last 4 weeks the 2008 BMW 335 coupe, 328 sedan, 135 coupe, Lexus IS 250, and sat in a BMW M3 sedan. The interior of my 2008 G35S 6MT is definitely more luxurious feeling than any of the BMW's, which definitely have more plastic than the G. There was a little bit more leather on the door panels of the IS 250 than the G, and the IS 250's leather seats are softer and plushier. But the support in the sports seat of my G35S 6MT is much better than the IS 250. These cars had sticker prices in the range of $34,000 - $57,000. That being said, I don't mind some vinyl and plastic if it's tastefully and inconspicuously done.

 

All the 3 series BMW besides the M3 come standard with leatherette (aka vinyl) interiors. Keep that in mind. They probably want at least $1200 for leather like in the Infiniti.

 

3 series has leather if you get the premium package. BUT, the door panels are still mostly vinyl/plastic even with the leather seats.

 

ptfranck's question is a good one. I would just stick with a good leather cleaner & conditioner to be safe for the leather but will it do damage if used on vinyl?...I wonder what a pro detailer would do in a situation where they can't determine the difference. This question should be asked in the details forum. Also, the fact that most of us cannot tell what is vinyl or leather speaks volumes about some of todays products.
Nicky313 is absolutely right about the 3 series coming std with vinyl seats. Real leather, like everything else, will cost you more $ on the Bimmer.

 

I hope the 09s with have the EX's leather and fit and finish. Thats where the G needs to be now

 

I doubt you'll find ANY car that has all leather, most have "leather seating surfaces" I think Infiniti does a great job of making the leather and vinyl fit together, it's hard to tell which is which without close inspection. I think the fit and finish of the '07-'08 is great, came a long way from the original G35!

 

I don't think it will make any difference, back when most car interiors were all vinyl, I always used saddle soap to clean my seats, always looked good!

 

I am not saying the fit and finish in the G' interior is bad, I am saying it could be better. If you have been in the EX you will know what I mean. The EX goes for 42k with the options I would like, and the G I have was close to that so I think Infiniti can improve the G's interior (and paint) to level of the EX without raising the cost significantly.

 

I agree. The EX feels very refined. Too bad it's not selling well here in Houston, according to the guy at the Infiniti dealer. Not enough room in the back seat to accomodate a soccer mom's needs.

As for cleaning the vinyl parts, does anyone even still use stuff like Armor All? Maybe that's a thing of the 90's!

 

EX sells pretty well here, then again, so do all luxury cars around here. But I read in a review the total interior volume space was less than the g35? Course one would never know if they didnt do heavy research.

 

I use Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner. (2 products) Works really well and leaves the new leather smell. If you buy it from a pet store (one that sells saddles etc for horses) it cost about 50% less than auto detailing stores.

Bruce

 

I have often thought of the effect of leather products on vinyl and vice versa. Based on experience it doesn't seem to have much of an effect yet I have nothing to base that on other then I haven't seen any ill effects in my own car. I have noticed that leather products contain different oils and additives to condition then do vinyl products. This leads me to believe that you really want to use the right product on the right material. Since it's not always clear what is leather and what is vinyl I have been using the Sonus Cockpit Detailer spray. It seems to be a good hybrid for both leather and vinyl. At least thats what the label leads me to believe. It does a great job cleaning and leaves the car with a nice matte conditioned finish. It also has UV protection which is important here in Az.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-620.html