Cloth Interior?

[mailrail]

Being new to the Lexus forum and still searching for my RX300 to buy, I saw an ad the other day for a 99 model with cloth interior. The 20 or so that I've looked at so far all had leather interiors. I wasn't even aware that cloth was an option. Anybody out there have cloth and if so, how does it wear and look?

[SKperformance]

Very rare to have an RX with cloth

they have a good difference in resale as most people don;t want a luxury car with a camry interior

It is good soft cloth that wears very well.

They make it for people who don;t like hot and cold seats or true veggie lovers.

[SW03ES]

Used to be all the Lexus came standard with cloth, even the LS400. Now I think they all have standard leather except the IS300...

Its a good high quality cloth like sk said, nice and soft. Some people much prefer cloth.

[93LSOwner]

Is it going to look like this:

Here is the original car: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=13474

[PharmGuy]

Hey mailrail,

Welcome to the Lexus forms. I've owned a 2001 RX-300 since Oct 2003, but

when I was searching I found a 99 or 00 (can't remember the exact one) with

cloth interior. It was a private sale,but I remember asking him why the cloth?

The best answer was his wife didn't like the leather, found them to be too

slippery! As I looked at the seats more carefully, they did look bad (spills, strains,

and 1 cigarette burn on the passenger side).

I guess if your planning to own an up-scale vehicle, leather looks more

impressive. :whistles:

PharmGuy

[mailrail]

Thanks all. Yeah, I guess cloth is a matter of taste. I've got a '98 Saab w/cloth, which is fairly rare. Even though I was looking for one with leather, I got such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up and to tell you the truth, I actually like the cloth. It wears very well, looks good and still has heated seats. My 92 Acura Legend has leather that still looks nearly new after 12 years of wear. But somehow, the picture above of the RX with cloth just doesn't quite look right. On this vehicle, I'll definately wait for leather.

[93LSOwner]

Is aftermarket leather good? I don't know much about them. So, can they be as the same or better quality as the stock leather and have the same comfort as the original seat will have?

[RX in NC]

I've found that the aftermarket leather interiors by a Commerce, California company called Katzkin Leather Interiors, Inc. really look first-class and hold up beautifully over the years. I put their appropriate leather interior kit into my 1999 Dodge Ram more than three-and-a-half years ago and it still looks and feels brand new today. But proper leather care is crucial - keep the vehicle out of the sun and use a quality leather-care product such as Lexol or Hyde Food at least twice a year (summer and winter work best for our climate here in central North Carolina).

And be sure to choose a quality upholstery shop. Visit their location, watch them work, talk to their leathercrafters, ask plenty of questions, and look at multiple samples of their work in other vehicles - not just photos of previous vehicle interiors they've done. Look for seam uniformity and tightness, firm fit, and both the "look and feel" that the interior actually seems as if it came from the factory. Your new leather interior is only going to be as good as the installation process that puts it there. After that, the care and feeding is up to you. Sun is your interior's biggest enemy, and you have to keep the leather conditioned so it is able to "breathe" properly throughout its lifespan (which can be 15 to 20 years if you consistently take care of it properly).