I have an 08 G35s 6MT. I noticed the leather on the side of the seats and the headrest feel different than the leather on the seat and back. It feels like vinyl. I used to have an 01 I30, which had vinyl on the sides of the seat and it started cracking and splitting.

The reason I ask is that I want to use leather cleaner/conditioner to clean the seats, but if there are parts that are vinyl, I will potentially use something different. I was going to get Lexol leather products, but may change to something else if there are non leather pieces on the seat. I do not want my seats to crack again in 5 years.

Any ideas?

 

They all leather jusrt different thickness for durability.

tg

 

From what i have read on the forums here is that the leather has a factory protecting sealant so theres no reason to use leather conditioner because it doesnt get to penetrate to the leather. If you want some suggestions on which leather cleaner you should use i suggest looking in the care & detailing thread in the general disscusion threads.

 

some parts of the seat are said to be vinyl by a few members here (from my non-expertise checking i found only the back of the seats to be of "different" type material i.e. vinyl maybe?)

 

smokie86 reply - I actually got the Lexol name from the detailing section

kool_yaar reply - basically I got concerned when my I30 started splitting (before it got totalled). Now on my new G, if I rub my hand on the seat cushion, it feels like leather. If I run my hand on the side of the seat, it feels different. I also noticed a different feel on the head rest. Maybe it is just a different quality, but cars in the past have used vinyl. I may call the manufacturer.

 

IIRC, just the seating surfaces are leather.

 

I too believe that only the "perforated" portions of the seat are leather. The rest is made of a synthetic material such as leatherette or vinyl.

 

I apologize for the following stupid question......Will it hurt to use the Lexol, or do I need to use something else? I see some folks use the 10:1 Woolite and the 303 stuff. I may just do that. How can they say leather seats, when it is not all Leather? That seems kind of deceptive.

 

I'm not sure if Lexol will hurt, but I know that product is much better than Armorol. That solution will dry out and crack the materials of vinyl and leather. I've never had a problem with Lexol.

Actually, in the all advertisements, it indicates the vehicle as having "leather-appointed or leather-trimmed" seating. The only vehicles I know of that has true leather seating all around is BMW, Audi and Mercedes, but then again you are paying for the entire leather feel. Even with BMW, the standard seating surface is considered "leatherette", and a full leather upgrade is optional.

 

Leatherette is a vinyl substitute.

 

Exactly!

 

http://www.1z-usa.com/education_leather_care.html

 

I just bought some 303 aerospace and it has a kickass UV (SPF) protection designed not to coat your seat in oil but to prevent future damage. Read the info about this product. If you are worried about cracking and fading this might be the stuff for you. It's really like no other product based on what it's intended for.

 

Because I suspected that there was extensive use of vinyl. I have had the car about 4 months and am upset that they used so much vinyl. I wonder if they covered the seating surfaces that are leather with vinyl for "wear".

I have owned other cars that did have real leather and when I opened the door, I could always count on the aroma to enhance the ownership experience. Some people do not like that "odor", but I really think it adds a touch of class. Frankly, I'd pay extra for "full leather" if it was offered. Too bad Infiniti decided to take the cheap way out especially on such a great car.

 

Yes, the seat is not completely leather on the G.

Here is a good way to tell if a surface is leather or not.

Do the "push test". Take you finger, and push down on the leather. Real leather will crease. Leatherette/Vinyl/Pleather will just sink in without creasing.

For the record, I suggest you guys do this on the C class, TL, and 3 series as well