# Alcantara vs. Leather



## PilotKurt (Mar 31, 2004)

In the spirit of the "Leather vs. Leatherette" thread, would you please share your comments on Alcantara vs. Leather vs. Leatherette. I'm debating between a 330i SP and 330 ZHP, so this is one of several things to consider. Especially for those of you with Alcantara, how is it holding up and are you glad you got it?


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## allaboutme (Dec 22, 2003)

PilotKurt said:


> In the spirit of the "Leather vs. Leatherette" thread, would you please share your comments on Alcantara vs. Leather vs. Leatherette. I'm debating between a 330i SP and 330 ZHP, so this is one of several things to consider. Especially for those of you with Alcantara, how is it holding up and are you glad you got it?


glad here..but its not like the seats are alcantara. its a debate about cloth or leather or leatherette


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## GregD (Feb 5, 2003)

1 year and 11,000 miles later, Alcantara is :smokin: :yumyum: :thumbup: 

Cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold, and keeps your but in place on the twisties. Always looks good too, with no maintenance required.

P.S. The center inserts on the seats are cloth, but the bolsters are alcantara along with the steering wheel and gear shift surround.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

PilotKurt said:


> In the spirit of the "Leather vs. Leatherette" thread, would you please share your comments on Alcantara vs. Leather vs. Leatherette. I'm debating between a 330i SP and 330 ZHP, so this is one of several things to consider. Especially for those of you with Alcantara, how is it holding up and are you glad you got it?


I bought a ZHP with leather. I don't like the synthetic cloth/suede alcantara stuff at all. I wouldn't have bought a ZHP with the stuff...yuck. Still wish I could have gotten leatherette though...

BTW, I've got the gray leather and it's never hot and never cold. It's simply whatever temp your body is. i'm not a fan of cloth materials though because I find those seats excessively hot all the time.


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## Sierra_Nevada (Jan 21, 2004)

Alcantra :thumbup:  

Leather 
I owned a leather 330 right before my ZHP>
I like the alcantra much better. The leather was really hot in summer. The leather also shows wear moreso than the alcantra. The alcantra is simply more comfortable.


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## Mike330ZHP (Apr 14, 2003)

I have had the Alcantara for about 10 months now and I couldn't be happier with it. I had grey leather on a 2001 330xi and that wore much faster. Right now the Alcantara hasn't worn at all after 11000 miles. It looks exactly like the Alcantara in the rear seats which rarely get used. I say get the Alcantara. :drink:


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## r2saint (Feb 3, 2003)

*Struggled w/ this one*

I thought I would never go back after owning a car with leather, but I felt like the leather price was just a bit to steep and I would be kinda wasting money as the cloth/alcantara was a part of the ZHP package... Anyhow - couldn't be happier - easy to maintain, very comfortable. VERY glad I went with cloth.

I can see how leather might be considered more luxury - cloth being a bit more sporty. I sorta went for a balance by opting for a sunroof/heated seats while keeping the cloth. I think leather looks a bit funky with the Alcantara wheel too...


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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

Alcantara all the way!!! :thumbup:


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## AB (Jan 11, 2002)

ff said:


> I wouldn't trade my alcantara seats for anything. Period.


Not even for this up front?


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

Can anyone confirm whether the ZHP alcantara is the same as the M5 headliner material? Cause that stuff is awesome.

Local dealers NEVER have an alcantara ZHP, but they have tons of leather ones, usually 4-5 at a time.


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## Andy (Jul 16, 2003)

I love my black leather seats. IMO, they look and feel better… but then again I’m a big fan of leather.

On the other hand, I absolutely love my Alcantara steering wheel. I love the grip... feels like a race car. I also get lots of compliments on the Alcantara wheel.


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## KU Ned (Apr 23, 2003)

ALACANTARA!! ALACANTARA!!

I had a 2000 323 with gray leather before the 2003 330. I absolutely love the Alacantara. It does not get hot in the summer and heats up nicely in the winter. No offense to those with leather but I acually think the car feels nicer with the cloth. No squeaking and maintenance is easy.

I plan to keep this car for awhile but when I do get something new I will special order if the car I want does not come with cloth and/or alacantara.


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## HW (Dec 24, 2001)

KU Ned said:


> No squeaking and maintenance is easy..


maintenance is even easier w/ 'ette! :thumbup:  soap and water or just a damp cloth.


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## allaboutme (Dec 22, 2003)

HW said:


> maintenance is even easier w/ 'ette! :thumbup:  soap and water or just a damp cloth.


damp cloth for alcantara too. ... a mixture of water and vinegar for stubborn stains.. and the cloth seats just need a vacuumming and maybe a deep cleaning once a year...

and no need for leather conditioners


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## andy_thomas (Oct 7, 2002)

PilotKurt said:


> In the spirit of the "Leather vs. Leatherette" thread, would you please share your comments on Alcantara vs. Leather vs. Leatherette. I'm debating between a 330i SP and 330 ZHP, so this is one of several things to consider. Especially for those of you with Alcantara, how is it holding up and are you glad you got it?


I took a ride not long ago in a 2001 3er with Alcantara/cloth seats. It looked about as good as BMW cloth after three years - mostly factory fresh. The guy didn't live in his car, but he didn't shampoo it lovingly every weekend either.


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## PilotKurt (Mar 31, 2004)

Thanks everyone. It seems like the Alcantara seats are a winner.


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## bavarian19 (May 11, 2003)

If its a debate between the two, I would have to say leather. Not only do you have many more color options, but it is more comfortable IMO. The sport seats are bolstered enough to keep me in place, and every once in a while, I do like to move around. I end up taking many long weekend trips, and moving around is essential. 

I have only sat in the is300 with the escaine (now also called alcantara) insert seats. Held me a little too still in one place. If it was with leatherette/leather/alcantara, Id say leatherette. But the leather is better IMO


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## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

allaboutme said:


> glad here..but its not like the seats are alcantara. its a debate about cloth or leather or leatherette


1st choice is always leather for me. UNless you really dont want or you dont anyways care for your car, buy leather! It looks, smells, feels nicer. But,if you dont care about your car, dont buy a BMW, buy an OPEL or something.

2nd good choice is the leatherette. That is a no if you live in a very hot country, (like Cyprus). Since it is synthetic, it will really stick on you and will feel not really pleasant.

3rd good choice, is the Altantara. This is not a very popular otion, but it still feels and shouts "luxury". It is kinda sporty, as well. It is agood option for hot climates.
Minus of alcantara is the stains, which dont really (unlike what the dealer might try to convince you) come out. If it gets a stain from a soft drink or something, it is a nightmare to make it not visible.


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## deadarmadillo (Feb 21, 2004)

I'm a leather guy - couch in my living room, interior on my truck, and 3 previous bimmers - but opted for the alcantara. Really like it a lot. Comfortable temperature-wise and has a luxurious feel to it. Not to mention I saved some serious $$, though not a factor if you're not ordering a ZHP.


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## Sicily1918 (Dec 12, 2003)

I think alcantara is really intriguing -- I would have never thought to cover seats with syn-suede, but it's a great alternative to cloth (which I think sucks). I think it was unwise for BMW to cover the _steering wheel_ with synthetic suede, tho. Sorry to all the fans out there, but regardless of looks, I know what body oils do to suede (having gone through a number of jackets) and to have a part of it constantly in contact with naturally sweaty hands is, in my opinion, just asking for it. Maybe the fact it's synthetic makes it better, tho?

Alcantara owners, do your steering wheels look OK after 6-18 months of constant, normal use? (normal use = regular cleaning, not driving with gloves, etc.)


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Sicily1918 said:


> Alcantara owners, do your steering wheels look OK after 6-18 months of constant, normal use? (normal use = regular cleaning, not driving with gloves, etc.)


Mine is holding up okay... :dunno:

Part of it may be the way I drive.... I usually don't slide my hands around the wheel... many say they have pilling and balling with theirs... I haven't seen it much at all...


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## alkao (Jan 3, 2004)

PilotKurt said:


> In the spirit of the "Leather vs. Leatherette" thread, would you please share your comments on Alcantara vs. Leather vs. Leatherette. I'm debating between a 330i SP and 330 ZHP, so this is one of several things to consider. Especially for those of you with Alcantara, how is it holding up and are you glad you got it?


I got my 330i ZHP with leather. If the seats were like the M3 Alcantara + Leather seats then I would have gotten them instead. (I just don't like the look of the Alacantara seats in the ZHP.) Yeah... kind of shallow putting form over performance. I love the steering wheel though&#8230; No McDonald's in my car and I got wet wipes in the door just in case I have fries before I drive!

Too early to know if I'm going to regret it... I'm still in break in period right now and summer isn't here yet. My leather is gray so I'm hoping that it doesn't get too hot inside.


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