Styling Red Leather Interior - Longterm

[Mercky]

I'm considering a 500 with the red leather interior, it does not have the revised seat cushions with the extra stitching so are the seats liable to sag after a few months? Regardless of the sag issue, to owners who have the red leather, how does it hold up after longterm use? It seems very bright and garish when new so does it calm down a bit and take on a nice worn patina over time? My first impression of the leathers is that they're not great quality and look a little cheap, particularly the brown so just wondering how they hold up.

 

[306maxi]

I'm considering a 500 with the red leather interior, it does not have the revised seat cushions with the extra stitching so are the seats liable to sag after a few months? Regardless of the sag issue, to owners who have the red leather, how does it hold up after longterm use? It seems very bright and garish when new so does it calm down a bit and take on a nice worn patina over time? My first impression of the leathers is that they're not great quality and look a little cheap, particularly the brown so just wondering how they hold up.

It's not fantastic quality but it's not hugely expensive. Mine is quite nice after 3 years The drivers side seat did sag a bit but the replacement is holding up OK with minimal saggage

 

[nytullett23]

Hi, i had mine for three years 35k and wore very well. I don't think it lost any of it's brightness.

I did have the sagging bum driver seat, and the cover was replaced three times, the last one did the job as the whole seat was taken out and stretched and stitched to a new seat pad. At the time it seemed to be a real issue and I am sure Fiat had a big problem.

I presume you are looking at a second hand car, if it hasn't
Sagged by now I would say either it's been replaced or it's ok.

I have the red leather in my new TA lounge and it has the second stich line, so far so good! The leather still has the same Pelle mark (do a google search on pelle red leather & see what car it's in!)

Red is the way to go! Retro and a good selling point.

 

[306maxi]

just fed my leather tonight. Looks looooovely

 

[loveshandbags]

I'm considering a 500 with the red leather interior, it does not have the revised seat cushions with the extra stitching so are the seats liable to sag after a few months? Regardless of the sag issue, to owners who have the red leather, how does it hold up after longterm use? It seems very bright and garish when new so does it calm down a bit and take on a nice worn patina over time? My first impression of the leathers is that they're not great quality and look a little cheap, particularly the brown so just wondering how they hold up.

I've posted some pictures of a 3 year old '08 500 Sport. The A500 was about 2 years old. Tan looks good with white ambiance but very much doubt it would look good with black ambiance like the Red leather.

Sport seats / Leather seats suited me better where you sat into them unlike the Lounge seats where I felt I was sitting on top.

If I had the opportunity of getting New Red leather on a standard 500 I would retrofit the stitch across the seat as a preventative measure.:idea:
With the Red leather option in the Abarth 500 you get black leather in the back but if you get a A500c it's all red the same as the F500.

When I sat in the 500 Sport I loved my red leather (once I didn't look at the seat base getting in). Compared with new Red leather it aged well. I did have a leather repair man check on the leather on the 500 and he said it was good quality and compared it to Nappa leather like in the BMWs. Maybe he was smoking something. Conditioning the leather used to cost me nearly €10 for the good stuff. Comparing the quality and wear on the OH's Mito her charcoal black leather seats are wearing extremely well (she only uses leather wipes) but it may well come down to the design where it's ribbed. Also if you look at the MINI II they changed their design to a ribbed one. All early models suffered the same fate as the 500 except they were worse.

If you're getting a 'bundled price' on the red leather I'd probably chance it providing you can take some preventative measures.

 

[RobinPJ]

I know that some people will disagree with me here but the tan leather looks absolutely awful to me. Hideous colour by itself, made infinitely worse by completely failing to match with any of the other various shades of black and grey in the interior.

 

[stu0710]

Hi - here is a picture of my 2 month old lounge with red leather with the new stitching. The leather is nice - quite 'hard' to the feel - ie not as soft and supple as the seats on my Volvo but then that cost north of £30K so no surprise there. It does not feel papery thin either like the leather on some budget brands I've looked at like Skoda which fely quite 'plasticky'. The colour is not as scarlet as I'd expected and is a deeper, richer (more tasteful colour) IMHO. I don't know if this is due to variations in batches or suppliers, or maybe it's because it is in a darker car (Tech House Grey) in my case. I think it can look brighter in say white cars. There is also someone on here who recently posted pics of their Rock & Roll blue car with red leather and it looks stunning. I looked at the black and it didn't look 'special' enough - the red is a definite statement. IMHO it's reasonable value for money and you also get the benefit of the sports seats which are way more supportive than the standard lounge ones.

https://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=101789&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1334488062

Sorry - this is better - here's the linky

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/298191-new-tech-house-grey.html

 

[Mercky]

That looks really nice, the extra stitch line makes a big difference and the leather colour looks richer too, the one I was looking at reminds me a bit of a cheap sofa in one of those discount furniture warehouses!

 

[RobinPJ]

I do find it puzzling that Fiat has acted pretty quickly to fix a problem which is superficial and probably not that common (the saggy leather seat) and yet it has taken them years to resolve other potentially more significant issues like the breahter pipe, or they have not even solved them at all (like the washer jets).

 

[bazves]

Slightly off topic, but I had a general query about the leather interior. Stu's post indicated that when leather is specified as an option you get the 'sports' seats, so could anyone confirm/deny the following statements.

- Standard (Non-sports) Seats are supplied when you select cloth options in the Pop/Lounge models
- 'Sports' Seats are supplied when you select leather in the Pop/Lounge/Twin Air models and by default in the Twin Air/Twin Air +
- The default Twin Air/Twin Air + supplied seats are 'part' leather. Or is it leatherette?

 

[stu0710]

Slightly off topic, but I had a general query about the leather interior. Stu's post indicated that when leather is specified as an option you get the 'sports' seats, so could anyone confirm/deny the following statements.

- Standard (Non-sports) Seats are supplied when you select cloth options in the Pop/Lounge models
- 'Sports' Seats are supplied when you select leather in the Pop/Lounge/Twin Air models and by default in the Twin Air/Twin Air +
- The default Twin Air/Twin Air + supplied seats are 'part' leather. Or is it leatherette?

I think that this is correct having owned a Lounge's both with and without leather. The default TA / TA + seats are 'sport' design (ie more supportive) but in part leatherette / part cloth.

Other notable points are the TA / TA+ do not have split folding rear seats (not sure if it can be specified). With leather you always get the split rear seat option I believe but lose the under passenger seat lift up storage.

 

[Zante]

Hi 306maxi

Just picked up my TA LOUNGE with red leather interior and it has arrived with seats like the cabriolet with 500 stitched on them so well chuffed, you mentioned in a lot earlier post you had just fed your leather - how often would you recommend and what product?

Thanks advance

 

[306maxi]

As the bottle recommends is best I use autoglym stuff but any decent brand will be fine

 

[Heidi]

Perfect condition after 4 years. Never 'fed' them. Just wiped with leather wipes. Had child vomit all over once and used cif and water and still perfect condition. Perfect for family use of car.

 

[Zante]

Perfect condition after 4 years. Never 'fed' them. Just wiped with leather wipes. Had child vomit all over once and used cif and water and still perfect condition. Perfect for family use of car.

Brilliant Heidi that's good to know - only had my funk white 500 twinair red leather interior for 24 hours and I am so so chuffed with it....

 

[Heidi]

Funk White Paint still perfect too. Dinged the door on a lamp post and had dent pulled out and can't hardly see where it happened and that was without having to use touch up pen. Hardly any chips on bonnet despite having driven past a grit lorry by mistake. If you have kids I'd recommend putting something underneath the bottom and back of car seat to avoid rubbing of leather with plastic parts. I bought a great mat if you want to know sometime the make just ask.

Car is used every day and constant tipping of front seats and the mechanism still works. So interior fine so far. Wish could say the same for the clicking fan and door handle replacement but it hasn't made me want to change the car yet.

 

[Zante]

Funk White Paint still perfect too. Dinged the door on a lamp post and had dent pulled out and can't hardly see where it happened and that was without having to use touch up pen. Hardly any chips on bonnet despite having driven past a grit lorry by mistake. If you have kids I'd recommend putting something underneath the bottom and back of car seat to avoid rubbing of leather with plastic parts. I bought a great mat if you want to know sometime the make just ask.

Car is used every day and constant tipping of front seats and the mechanism still works. So interior fine so far. Wish could say the same for the clicking fan and door handle replacement but it hasn't made me want to change the car yet.

Thanks Heidi....I read your very early posts from 2008 and I feel just the same as you did, think my leather seats look a little different as upper part is cream leather with the 500 stitched in the cream, was really surprised as I fourth they would be all red with cream headrest...the look really nice so wasn't disappointed, any advice about mats etc....it's got to last me a long time and how I feel at the moment it's my forever car, I don't have children but want to keep it protected if need be

Thanks again