Printable View
I am thinking about installing leather seats in a new car so I don't have to buy the top of the line model to get them. I've bee told that katzkin leather is the way to go and that Sure-Fit in Arlington is a good installer. But MD dealers use Automotive Essentials, which doesn't use Katzkin leather.
Does anybody know about this? I've Goggled until I'm blue in the face and can't find any comparison between the two installers or whether Katzkin is the best.
Thanks!
No way I would do aftermarket leather if I had a choice of buying the car with them installed as a new option. There are a lot of things going in in seats these days and you will DEFINITELY void a new car warranty with respect to seat-mounted airbags, seat belt interlock mechanisms, seat belt firing mechanisms (tighten the seat belts in the event of a crash), Airbag warning light sensors and even heated seats if so equipped.
There is nothing special about car interior leathers, its basic finished (painted) hides, nothing at all like you find in residential leather furniture. Cars cannot take fine leather, the environment is too harsh for them. Having said that, generally USA made luxury cars and the British cars have the nicest hides, the Japanese and Korean cars, the worst.
While I wouldn't get aftermarket leather, I'll have to disagree with Duane, specifically about warranty issues and actual performance.
Most dealers in a metropolitan area will use the same aftermarket company to do all of their accessory installs, including leather. These companies are not upholstery shops, but do nothing but install items on new cars. Most of them don't even deal direct with consumers. They can install aftermarket leather, regardless of seat heaters, airbags, etc.. For instance, if you wanted leather on a Camry LE, they've probably done 50 of them, so they know what they are doing. If you have it done through the dealer, the dealer guarantees the work, and the warranty.
All that said, I'm not sure if it's worth it.... and, if you lease, you probably can't residualize it, so it's a net loss over moving up to the next trim line (which is what I would do).
The Katskin dealer can probably do just as nice a job... but, if you contract on your own, and have issues later, the dealer will not be there to stand up for the work.