What is the difference in the luxury leather from standard leather? I’m about to purchase a 2014 RX 350 and it seems that the leather is different from my old 2000 RX 300. It seems fragile or a leatherette. What is semi-analine leather?

 

What car are you talking about? "Luxury leather" is a general term, it may mean nothing other then marketing. The Lexus Luxury package uses semi aniline leather, it is not fragile nor is it leatherette. Normally a luxury leather/upgrade is a finer leather compared to a standard leather, it is softer, normally has a little less protection/dye so you feel more of the actual leather and see more of the natural nap. Most upgraded leather in cars is Nappa, Valcona, Semi Aniline, they are all generally softer and more pleasant feeling then a standard leather which is not as high quality, normally has more dye and protective coating, it is not as natural.

You get somewhat different definitions depending on where you look but Semi Analine has to do with the dying/finishing process and is generally a higher quality leather then standard leather, it is similar to full aniline but has some added protection/dye to make it suitable for putting in a car but not as much as regular base leather where the dye/protection hides more of the nap of the leather leading it to not feel as smooth and soft in most cases.

 

Semi Aniline leather is the same as Aniline leather except it has a clear protective coating. If you want to know what Aniline leather is try a search engine.

 

If you're question is "How well does the semi-aniline leather in the RX hold up over time?" you may be best served looking in, or asking the question in, the RX forums.

Although, I would suggest that "fragile" and "leatherette-like" are 2 completely different concepts. Leatherette is, in many cases, more durable than actual leather.

 

There is a huge difference in durability between standard Lexus leather and the upgrade semi-aniline leather.

 

Everyone here has you covered. The Luxury package for the 2014 RX350 changed the seats from standard leather to semi-aniline. It is softer and requires more upkeep. Here's a full run-down of the Luxury Package features from a Lexus brochure:
LUXURY PACKAGE (Includes Premium Package) + Semi-aniline leather-trimmed interior // Heated wood- and leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift **** // Front-seat power cushion extenders // LED-illuminated front door sills // Headlamp washers // 19 x 7.5-in triple-split-five-spoke alloy wheels with Superchrome finish and 235/55VR19 all-season tires4 // Smog-sensing automatic recirculation mode for climate-control system // Two-prong AC power outlet

 

Having had both, I actually think the semi-aniline leather requires less upkeep and resists wear much better.

 

This. Absolutely true.