Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

There is a theory that occasionally rears its head here concerning Volvo leather. Its been postulated that the problem is related to an "environmentally friendly" tanning process used to make the leather.

I tend to agree with you though. I wouldn't mind Volvo using more durable leather, even if making it is less environmentally friendly.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (V70 Brad)

'98 V70 R, 112K, Perfect Leather...
Lexol, cool, dry climate. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

Quote, originally posted by audipanzerwagen »

I have a 1990 Audi S2 Coupe with 147K on the clock and the leather is intact and still looks like it did the day it came off the showroom floor. My ladies 1997 850 sedan with leather seats looks like Hell. Hers came off the showroom floor literally. The front seats are in bad shape and there are rips & tears everywhere! What is going on here?! I've been quoted $300 to get them back into some sort of decent shape. If I could, I'd purchase used 1995 Audi 90 sedan's leather seats and adapt them to work and fit into the 850.

I wish you could see my car; 7.3 years old, 105,500 miles and the leather quality is the same as when it was new. Some areas need a bit deeper cleaning but no dryness, no tearing, nothing worse than when I got it. And all this with two kids that are (now) 4 and 7 years old. Boys. Imagine the possible wear and tear. I really do not do anything to the leather other than clean it (with mild soap) once a year) and applying Lexol.

Yannis

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

Quote, originally posted by audipanzerwagen »

The front seats are in bad shape and there are rips & tears everywhere! What is going on here?!

I have always suspected Volvo of using puppy leather, for its softness, especially in R interiors. Unfortunately, in their quest to heal the world and make it a better place, Volvo probably tans it with thin water-based dyes that rub off with only occasional use, and because of the thin puppy skin, the surface scars easily and dries-out quickly. Volvo have yet to follow the example set by US automakers, which use cows drowned in PVC to impregnate their hides with tough, resilient polymers, making a leather that feels like cheap naugahyde to the touch but lasts the life of the car with zero maintenance.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (JayDub)

The 850s and X70s were awful, yes. My parent's 5 year old 850 looked about 18 years old, and we pampered that car.

My 5 year old Saab looks BRAND NEW. Here's a picture after 50k miles:

NO WEAR.

It's all in the quality and care you give. I condition 4 times per year.

Volvo cloth though, stand the test of time. After 200k miles:

Modified by 895meztz94 at 9:09 PM 8-11-2008

 

Generally speaking, the softer and more supple leather is the worse it will wear with time compared to thicker, saddle-like leather. It's just the nature of the (dead) beast.

Maybe it's high time Volvo rounded up a herd of Naugas and skined them all--in a cruelty-free fashion, of course.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

My 98 C70 is 10 years old and has approx 220,000 miles on it. The leather looks great and is holding up just nicely. With a little bit of Lexol and some care and it should last longer than you own the car....

 

Re: (Dextrobrick)

Quote, originally posted by Dextrobrick »

Maybe it's high time Volvo rounded up a herd of Naugas and skined them all--in a cruelty-free fashion, of course.

LOL Wow, flashback.

Really though, what's that stuff BMW uses - leatherette? Nice quality imitation leather that breathes and endures. Wish something like that could be had on Volvos....

 

Re: (JayDub)

Quote, originally posted by JayDub »

LOL Wow, flashback. Really though, what's that stuff BMW uses - leatherette? Nice quality imitation leather that breathes and endures. Wish something like that could be had on Volvos....

Yes you have a point, BMW's fake leather is great.

Problem is, their REAL leather is atrocious. I mean absolutely dreadful. I have it in my 330Ci, which has 9k miles on it. THAT'S NOTHING. It's already started to wear on the driver's side bolster.

http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif

Plus, it looks and feels bad.

 

Re: (895meztz94)

Quote, originally posted by 895meztz94 »

Yes you have a point, BMW's fake leather is great. Problem is, their REAL leather is atrocious. I mean absolutely dreadful. I have it in my 330Ci, which has 9k miles on it. THAT'S NOTHING. It's already started to wear on the driver's side bolster. http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif http://********************/smile/emthdown.gif Plus, it looks and feels bad.

Do you slide out of the seat rather than step out? Are you really large? Curious, because I had 80,000 miles on my MY02 330i when I sold it and it looked almost as good as the first day. I did condition it often. What color is the leather?

Issue for me with leatherette is that it doesn't breathe at all and gets sticky in the summer.

p.s., you only have 9,000 miles on your E46? Wow, that's pretty amazing! http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

 

Re: (vovofreek)

Quote, originally posted by vovofreek »

Do you slide out of the seat rather than step out? Are you really large? Curious, because I had 80,000 miles on my MY02 330i when I sold it and it looked almost as good as the first day. I did condition it often. What color is the leather? Issue for me with leatherette is that it doesn't breathe at all and gets sticky in the summer. p.s., you only have 9,000 miles on your E46? Wow, that's pretty amazing! http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

Mine is black leather. I'm 5'9" and 150lbs, athletically built. In shape.

I don't slide, but I do turn in the seat before I get out, just like in my other cars.

Here's my car:

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

Wipe down your leather seating surfaces once a week with a damp microfiber towel. Sweat, suntan lotion and body oils will hurt your leather.

Lexol is a good product. Leather Master is very popular on the automotive detailing forums.

If your leather is stiff, stained or cracking, use Leatherique.

An ounce of prevention...

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (hopetonbrown)

Amen to that. I have 97k on my '73 P1800ES and the black leather is mint. Same on all my others including the '00 S70 with 70k.

I use Zymol and have had nothing but great experience with the stuff.

Consider cleaning and conditioning the leather much like you change engine oil.

Joel

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (2000S70AWD)

I can only talk of P2 cars (although we've had Volvos since 1972, it took until 1998 and my father's S80 to have the first with leather).

My experience though is that the leather in this S80 was not only superb quality (10 years later it's got a lovely used patina without wearing out) but that every exposed surface of each seat is actually clad in leather too. I was mortified when I found out that my 2003 V70 only has leather on the wear faces and that seat backs, sides, and pockets are vinyl.

Guess which are the only faces to show scratches and marks?
Yup, the vinyl ones.

The leather in my V70 also feels thinner and less supple than that in the S80, too. Having said that, the only place it is visibly wearing (slightly, and over a tiny area) is one place on the driver's seat backrest where I rub it in the same place every time I get in the car, right where some folding and stitching makes it slightly rigid.

Without poking a Ford stick, I did wonder if the key difference between S80 and V70 is model year and bean counting!

 

one thing i didn't see mentioned here is I've read the leather is pigskin, and not cowskin. could have something to do with it.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

This is probably not a new topic on this board, but I noticed the same thing looking at S70s a year ago. Of the 6 cars we looked at, 2 were immaculate, but 4 had lots of cracking in the leather, primarily on the front edge of just the front seats. Front seats usually get more use, but I was also wondering since it was mostly on the front edge, if perhaps it was due to extra sun exposure?

It would be interesting to know if keeping the seats out of the sun (say, in the garage, or in Seattle*) helps.

*my apologies to any Seattlites - I had to slip that in!

glsable
98 S70 GTL

 

FV-QR

I don't think so.

Like I said earlier, other manufacturers have managed to put stuff in their cars which doesn't crack after 5 years.

The leather in he R models is A LOT better.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

I just use some leather rehydrating wipes and it helps a lot. My seats look immaculate. 98,000 miles on an S70. My mothers S70 has 140k on it and does not look as good, but the seats were not in as good of shape when she bought hers as when I bought mine.

 

Re: (895meztz94)

Quote, originally posted by 895meztz94 »

Yes you have a point, BMW's fake leather is great. it's called VINYL Plus, it looks and feels bad. I disagree

 

Re: (JRL)

Quote, originally posted by JRL »

I disagree

I should have shown you the bolster wear on my 330Ci before I sold it. Did I mention it had 9k miles on it?

I'm not sure how familiar you are with Saabs, but THEY have REAL leather. It wears like my Prada loafers.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

All leather needs to be properly taken care of in-order for it to last. I have seen several 850's and s70's at the dealership with 85,000 + miles and just minior cracks in the leather. If you clean the leather and apply conditioner once a week you usually dont have a problem. The newer 2008-2009 leather seats are built alot better though.

 

Re: (895meztz94)

Quote, originally posted by 895meztz94 »

I should have shown you the bolster wear on my 330Ci before I sold it. Did I mention it had 9k miles on it?

Oh, I've got you beat! The leather on my 328iT's sport seat was replaced under warranty with less than 1000 miles because of premature wear on the seat bolster!

You should see the cloth seats on our old Honda Odyssey beater with 107k -- still perfect.

(FIW, I've replaced the seat covers on my T5's cloth seats -- but it's got a bazillion miles on it.)

 

To this day I have NEVER seen better quality leather than in my 1992 Lincoln Continental owned in my 20`s. I have seen these seats used in numorous hot rods since and I wish I made a couch out of the back seat.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (audipanzerwagen)

The people I have known that keep the dirt off by using leather cleaner and condition the seats have a long lasting product. Keep in mind we are talking about a car that is 14 yrs old. But even then depends on the care you give it.

 

Re: Is it me or does Volvo use inferior leather in their cars????? (Johnnyk17)

I have had two old Mercedes where the leather was amazingly good looking - the first was a 1971 300SEL 3.5 (last owned in 1986, with 170k miles on it), the second was a 1991 420SEL (still owned, with 202k miles). In both cars the leather looked just about brand new, despite being 15+ years old, and high miles. In their case, I think it is a combination of high-quality hides, plus a tanning/finishing process that gave a "hard" leather - not really soft or supple, but very long-lasting.

My Ford Expedition (2000, with 174k miles) still looks OK, but there is a fair amount of creasing and wear in the driver's seat leather, although no outright cracks. It was a softer tanning process.

I have used Lexol conditioner on all of my other cars with leather, and have been happy with the results.

On my current 2007 C70, I haven't yet tried it, out of some concern that it would yellow the very light-colored Calcite Cream leather. But I think it is probably safe. (This car only has 5,000 miles on it, but so far the seats look like new...)