[JRinPR]

From a job-related e-mail I got at work:

Volvo Cloth Seats

The plant that supplies Volvo cloth seats was recently damaged by fire. Volvo has identified all affected vehicles and has already notified those involved. Volvo said it expects no further delays and will be able to supply cloth seats for new orders.

 

[Majisto]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

I think you can still special order cloth. Animal rights activists are an example of a group I'm sure. Plus some people hate how hot leather gets in the sun. I agree, but cleaning leather is such a breeze, and the smell is great. Still no better substitute. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

 

[ss60]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

I wonder if people waiting on orders got a free leather upgrade in the meantime

 

[gdill2]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (ss60)

May a priest order leather?

George Dill

 

[volvo_guy]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (gdill2)

Preists never get leather, unless you have your own cult and make the rules. They get the base edition of any vehicle, but then again, I don't see a priest driving a volvo. More like a chevy or ford.

 

[JRL]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

All base Volvos (S60-V70) are cloth
There used to be a split cloth-leather as Soldoc had.
All you have to do is not check off LEATHERon the order sheet

 

[JRinPR]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRL)

Quote, originally posted by JRL »

All base Volvos (S60-V70) are cloth There used to be a split cloth-leather as Soldoc had. All you have to do is not check off LEATHERon the order sheet

Can't dispute what you're stating, but all I'm saying is I haven't seen an early nineties on up Volvo w/out leather. Here, or in my travels to the US mainland. In Europe, yes. Are any ordered with cloth for the lot inventory (not as a special order) at your dealership?

 

[JAS]

Check out the S40/V50...MANY (including mine) have been ordered with T-Tec - essentially cloth. It's been very popular with these cars, and it certainly isn't leather.

 

[JRL]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

Quote, originally posted by JRinPR »

Are any ordered with cloth for the lot inventory (not as a special order) at your dealership?

\
Not sure if they're ordered with a smile, but each dealer gets one or two of these a year through allocation.
Last year (05) every dealer got a base XC ($35,000) Never even saw one before, no roof, no leather, no heated seats!

.
Who who the heck would order a winter car like an XC around here without climate?

(Most became loaners and sold at even a larger discount when they hit 6K miles)

 

[Majisto]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRL)

I could deal without the roof and heated seats down here. If anything, I'd like some cooled seats. The sun is one heck of a heater. http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif

 

[JPL Guy]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (Majisto)

Quote, originally posted by Majisto »

I could deal without the roof and heated seats down here. If anything, I'd like some cooled seats. The sun is one heck of a heater. http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif

I agree. When it's 110 in the shade in Palm Springs the cloth in our S80 has literally saved our butts from getting fried. (My S60 T5 has the cloth/vinyl seats with the vinyl placed at just the right spot to cause major thigh burns when the sun hits at the above mentioned temperatures.) So out here, cloth is the rule. My wife and I hate leather.

We didn't get heated seats, either. Don't need 'em with cloth.

 

[Majisto]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JPL Guy)

I love leather (Never found a cloth seat that doesn't make me itchy), but my buddy's Lincoln Aviator has cooled seats and they are wonderful. Why can't Volvo re-direct some air into our seats? It already comes up the B-pillar in the S80...

 

[JRinPR]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRL)

Quote, originally posted by JRL »

\ Not sure if they're ordered with a smile, but each dealer gets one or two of these a year through allocation. Last year (05) every dealer got a base XC ($35,000) Never even saw one before, no roof, no leather, no heated seats! . Who who the heck would order a winter car like an XC around here without climate? (Most became loaners and sold at even a larger discount when they hit 6K miles)

Well...hope you don't start screaming 'cause of this, but down here we get stuck with Volvos with heated seats (and Cadillacs, and Lexi, and Chryslers, etc)

Makes a ton of sense, huh? The stupid end result of clustering options into one package. http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif

 

[JRinPR]

Re: (JAS40T5)

Quote, originally posted by JAS40T5 »

Check out the S40/V50...MANY (including mine) have been ordered with T-Tec - essentially cloth. It's been very popular with these cars, and it certainly isn't leather.

I think that's great. Although I own one vehicle with leather interior (two, if you count my 1983 Slowpoke Benz 240d), I have found cloth to be more livable...I hate the fact that the prevailing thought is that a so-called premium car has to have leather. I've known of many people who have bought cloth seat covers for their Jaguars, Bimmers, Benzes etc because they just don't like leather. The only reason we bought our newer vehicle with leather was because my wife wanted a moonroof and you had to take the leather with it...otherwise, we would have gone with the cloth, we didn't care. And I've seen 5 series, E classes, S80's etc in Europe with cloth, they look fine...

 

[Majisto]

Re: (JRinPR)

One thing that cloth can never do as well as leather is be easy to clean. Spill something on cloth? Good luck getting it out. Leather? Wipe it off. Plus leather won't normally hold a stench after getting wet like cloth does. When I was at the beach, my friend left his swimsuit on my cloth seat and it began to smell like mildew by morning. Yeck. Plus it took a while to get all the sand particles out...

But it was nice to park on the beach, leave the windows down in the hot sun, and not burn your buns on the seat. The seatbelt on the other hand...

 

[Nato740]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

Quote, originally posted by JRinPR »

Can't dispute what you're stating, but all I'm saying is I haven't seen an early nineties on up Volvo w/out leather. Here, or in my travels to the US mainland. In Europe, yes. Are any ordered with cloth for the lot inventory (not as a special order) at your dealership?

Yes it is a rare thing it seems to see, but is none the less orderable. The same thing happens with MB, most think a MB never has cloth in teh last ten years. But it has always been orderable. Yes a S600 no! but all C and E class can get cloth. As well as many C230 Sports and C240's can and do have stick. BMW thou has a funny way of ordering things and It is possible to get stick in some strange cars. And cloth as well as Hubcaps (both steel wheel with centers and trim rings and full covers) but it take a long time to get it built that way. Unless you order a USA built car/SUV. I would think if you really want cloth and stick and hubcaps you would be better off calling Bob and get a OSD car. Just my two cents.

BTW many manufactures have SPECIAL BUILD programs like Porsche and ROLLS ROYCE. So anything is buildable if you ask. A PINK Boxster with cloth is doable. Just like I am sure a ROLLS with cloth ARMANI WOOL PINSTRIPE Suit seats is too.

 

[airprakken]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

The reason you need heated seats is because you have leather. The reason you need fans in seats is because you have leather.

I own a 96 850 with cloth, bought used from someone who had bought it in LA. Perfect condition on the seats. Exceedingly comfortable and clearly better than leather at temperature extremes -- although we don't get very significant extremes here in Oregon.

I own a 94 850, a 96 850 and a 98 S70 with leather -- all bought used, and all have more 'finish' issues than the cloth seats. So, my experience is that cloth is 1) more comfortable than leather (softness and temperature) and 2) wears better than leather in real-world treatment.

I special-ordered an 06 XC70, primarily to get DSTC, but also ordered "cloth". It is not 'all cloth' like the 96 but it is still very nice. I would always prefer cloth over leather. I think the "default leather" craze is driven by appearance rather than practical fact.

 

[FrenchCamp49er]

When I bought my car they had another S60 with cloth, I think it was on sale for about 21,000.

 

[MagoonR]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (JRinPR)

I have seen base S60 2.4 manuals with cloth but they went away last year. Other than that, I ordered my 2000 S40 with heated cloth and haven't seen much else in Volvoland since.

 

[JRinPR]

Re: Huh? I haven't seen one with cloth interior in about 15 years! (airprakken)

Quote, originally posted by airprakken »

So, my experience is that cloth is 1) more comfortable than leather (softness and temperature) and 2) wears better than leather in real-world treatment. I special-ordered an 06 XC70, primarily to get DSTC, but also ordered "cloth". It is not 'all cloth' like the 96 but it is still very nice. I would always prefer cloth over leather. I think the "default leather" craze is driven by appearance rather than practical fact.

Amen to that! http://********************/smile/emthup.gif