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      10-10-2013, 12:50 PM   #1
waitwhat
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Question Track Cloth Interior. Thoughts?



Hey! Feels like i've searched the whole internet inside out but never managed to see any decent close ups of the interior with this cloth. Can anyone please provide some photos of their own? I wanna see the texture of it and how dark it is.

Also, any feedback would be appreciated. Is it good overall? What about the dust? Does it look good in the sunlight? Should i order the leather seats instead even if i don't really think that it's a must-have option?

Thanks for your time, hope ya'll help me to decide!
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      10-10-2013, 02:00 PM   #2
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      10-11-2013, 05:06 AM   #3
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I don't mind the way it looks but i don't like the way it feels.

If you can afford leather then get it's really a no brainer.
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      10-11-2013, 05:48 AM   #4
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i have the silver and black track cloth

it feels cheap at first but you soon grow to appreciate how hard wearing and neat it is. its also dead easy to clean for a cloth interior

i even got ground in chocolate out using carpet spray and a microfibre cloth - never thought i'd see the day.

it doesnt exactly speak of luxury though

i'd go for leather - it will add value when you come to sell or part exchange it too, so bear in mind the total cost now may not be as much in the long run.
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      10-20-2013, 07:53 AM   #5
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Thanks for the feedback and the photos guys!

I just think that the leather seats are bad in the winter weather, considering that the car won't be in the garage. Am i wrong? Never had leather seats in my car before, that's why i don't think that i need to choose them instead of some other options for that price. Cloth just seems very comfy and soft to me. Never saw this Dakota leather in reality though.
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      10-20-2013, 08:22 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waitwhat View Post
Thanks for the feedback and the photos guys!

I just think that the leather seats are bad in the winter weather, considering that the car won't be in the garage. Am i wrong? Never had leather seats in my car before, that's why i don't think that i need to choose them instead of some other options for that price. Cloth just seems very comfy and soft to me. Never saw this Dakota leather in reality though.
We had leather seats in our previous BMW, and the alcantara seats in our current F20. The black leather seats were horribly warm when getting into the car on sunny summer days, and terribly cold when getting into the car on winter mornings. They were also very slippery, which was annoying on twisty roads. On long trips, they felt more sweaty than the alcantara seats.

On the positive note, leather seats have a nice look and smell, and they are easy to clean

I would definitely pay to have alcantara instead of leather. Plain cloth seats are also better than leather in my opinion, maybe unless you primarily use it to shuttle kids around.
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      10-20-2013, 07:38 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
We had leather seats in our previous BMW, and the alcantara seats in our current F20. The black leather seats were horribly warm when getting into the car on sunny summer days, and terribly cold when getting into the car on winter mornings. They were also very slippery, which was annoying on twisty roads. On long trips, they felt more sweaty than the alcantara seats.

On the positive note, leather seats have a nice look and smell, and they are easy to clean

I would definitely pay to have alcantara instead of leather. Plain cloth seats are also better than leather in my opinion, maybe unless you primarily use it to shuttle kids around.
I agree that Alcantara is one of the most pleasant "cloths" to have for a seat!
However, I would (and have) choose leather over the track cloth. I had plain cloth in my E87 and it got really dirty after a couple of years, with stains appearing just from spilling water on it! Maybe the track cloth is a step upwards since then, but still, I would never have it again.

I'm very happy with the leather! I don't think its particularly cold in wintertime, maybe the first minute or so, but come on, you're wearing pants right . Ofcourse you can always get the heated seats which are reasonably priced I find.
In summer my seats are also ok, not too hot, but maybe them being white-ish(oyster) has some benefits over black leather.
Anyway, we have a young dog that drives along regularly and is sick in the car sometimes so I'm VERY happy I got the leather seats which are super easy to clean
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      10-20-2013, 11:03 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waitwhat
Thanks for the feedback and the photos guys!

I just think that the leather seats are bad in the winter weather, considering that the car won't be in the garage. Am i wrong? Never had leather seats in my car before, that's why i don't think that i need to choose them instead of some other options for that price. Cloth just seems very comfy and soft to me. Never saw this Dakota leather in reality though.
I had leather seats in my previous car - Ford Focus - and for sure, looks nice, but i am very happy with the cloth seats in my F20... I only accept to change my cloth seats for alcantara, no more leather seats.
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      10-21-2013, 08:22 AM   #9
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Cloth will show dirty marks from water spills or even soak from wet jackets etc over time as the cloth tends to hold dirt more than other materials. Therefor when it gets wet the dirt forms tide marks. The only way to prevent this is to properly wet vac the seats every so often.

Alcantara is indeed the grippiest material and probably the best for a sport car. The trouble is that it's not particularly hard wearing for an every day car. it;s more suited to a track car or another car that does low miles. I've had alcantara seats in a few cars and over time they have all worn pretty badly on the bolsters where cloth and leather seats have not.

If good enough quality and proper care is taken then leather is the most durable material for seats. The adjustable bolsters on the M sport seats ensure you don't slide about (unless you are particularly skinny). However, a light colour is better as black is really hot in summer and heating is really needed for the winter.

My own personal opinion is that leather bolsters with alcantara centres is the best seat combination. It's a real putty that BMW do not do this.
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      10-22-2013, 05:30 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mowflow View Post
Cloth will show dirty marks from water spills or even soak from wet jackets etc over time as the cloth tends to hold dirt more than other materials. Therefor when it gets wet the dirt forms tide marks. The only way to prevent this is to properly wet vac the seats every so often.

Alcantara is indeed the grippiest material and probably the best for a sport car. The trouble is that it's not particularly hard wearing for an every day car. it;s more suited to a track car or another car that does low miles. I've had alcantara seats in a few cars and over time they have all worn pretty badly on the bolsters where cloth and leather seats have not.

If good enough quality and proper care is taken then leather is the most durable material for seats. The adjustable bolsters on the M sport seats ensure you don't slide about (unless you are particularly skinny). However, a light colour is better as black is really hot in summer and heating is really needed for the winter.

My own personal opinion is that leather bolsters with alcantara centres is the best seat combination. It's a real putty that BMW do not do this.
^^Agree completely, a half leather option is what I took when I ordered my e46 and even after 12 years they held up very well.

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