'Man made leather'?

[Ari]

I see new Mercedes are now fitted with 'man made leather'. I seem to remember my dads Ford Cortina having 'man made leather' in the seventies - it was called 'vinyl'.

I'm sure the newer stuff is a bit more realistic and nicer, but it's still basically vinyl seats isn't it?

[Ari]

ghost83 said:

When I was buying my 2016 golf gti the salesman said it was real leather

It isn't and it was a bloody rip off at a £1700 option!! It is better than cloth though but it certainly ain't real leather!

Wasn't there a massive fuss about VW leather a few years ago? People were complaining that a lot of what appeared to be leather was vinyl (although I seem to recall the seat facings were leather).

[Ari]

rockin said:

I have man-made seat coverings in both my Merc and my Porsche. It's fashionable on PH to sneer at such things and pretty clear that many people on here enjoy looking down their noses at inferior mortals who drive such cars....

Next question?

Just... Wow.

It was just something that amused me, I'm sorry if it made you feel a bit inferior, that wasn't the intention at all.

But jolly well done on crowbarring in that you own a Merc AND a Porsche, I'm sure that must have helped make you feel better about it all, and if it helps, my Merc is too old to have the fake stuff.

[Ari]

gizlaroc said:

AmitG said:

I wonder if anyone has ever done a blind test where people are given samples of natural and artificial leather and asked to classify them.

Personally I would be hard-pressed to tell the difference, on the sort of stuff that is used by the luxury brands.

You wouldn't be able to tell the difference, both are top coated and then spray painted in cars, with the exception of a very few high end models with aniline leathers.

It must smell different surely? Leather is quite distinctive.

[Ari]

jkh112 said:

Ari said:

But jolly well done on crowbarring in that you own a Merc AND a Porsche, I'm sure that must have helped make you feel better about it all, and if it helps, my Merc is too old to have the fake stuff.

MB tex has been around since at least the eighties, is your Merc older than that?

Ah, no, I was thinking of the modern Artico stuff.