Can you tell the difference between Leather and NewLux (Lexus's fake leather)? Does real leather hold up better over time?

 

FWIW, my 2020 with Nuluxe is 14 months old with 15K miles and has the very light gray interior. The seats look brand new and have no jean dye transfer. I can't comment on long term endurance, but I'm more than pleased so far. I've had leather in other vehicles and, so far, I prefer the Nuluxe.

 

I had leather on all my other Lexus's except the 2021 RX350. I love the Nuluxe seats. There are super soft and i like the feel of it too.
Besides if you want the red interior you have to get the Nuluxe.
in the RX
98 GS400
93 SC400
06 LS430

 

If you look carefully you can tell that it is not leather, BUT I actually prefer it to leather.

My car is 18 months old and the seats look new. Maintenance is a wet towel and a quick wipe down. No creasing and no discoloration.

 

My 2018, on the road for over three years now, has the red NewLux (or maybe it's semi-aniline -- not sure which they were using for MY 2018). The two front seats have had a lot of wear, in terms of people getting in and out multiple times per day, and every day of the week. It still looks very nice. A closeup inspection will reveal a few tiny divots with a white under-material showing through, where it got nicked somehow. But, at this rate, they won't wear out during my ownership of it, which I expect to be another 3 - 5 years.

 

I've had multiple Lexus vehicles with the standard leather and with the semi-aniline leather. I now have a Toyota vehicle with their version of NuLuxe. There is no question in my mind that the semi-aniline leather is a significant upgrade from the standard leather, but the NuLuxe is a very nice fake leather. It quite soft, and it actually has a soft feel to it that is very similar to the feel of the semi-aniline leather. From all reports reports, the NuLuxe also holds up well over time.

The only reason why I might chose to buy a vehicle with the semi-aniline leather is that, for most Lexus models, the higher trimmed versions and some desirable options come only with the semi-aniline leather. Otherwise, I'd chose either the semi-aniline leather or the NuLuxe over the standard leather.

 

I dont know if this is still the case but it bothered me that on certain Lexus models, the Nuluxe seats had visible zipper lines on the rear corners as if the seat surface could just be unzipped from the cushion.

 

I liked Nuluxe a lot, it was no maintenance and held up really well for the eight years we had it. I liked the smooth look and feel much more than the bumpy MB-Tex Mercedes uses. The person we sold it to assumed it was leather when they first saw it.

 

I had NuLuxe on my 2016 IS 300 and now on my 2021 IS 350. I've had leather in my 2016 GTI and my wife's 2021 330i. I have not experienced leather in any Lexus models other than simply loaner cars or test-drives.

Lexus does a great job with leather, but I think I would take NuLuxe over leather if both were available on the car I wanted. Neither my old GTI or the 330i have as soft or smooth feeling seat coverings as my IS does. The leather seats smell a little less chemical-ish, but the seats are not as nice to touch or sit in.

 

I have had NewLuxe for 15 months now and it hasn't aged one bit. Very comfortable too. So far I love it compared to the 2008 leather in my old IS, which did the usual cracks along the edges.
One thing, I have not treated it with any sort of leather treatment. I've been meaning to see if the NewLuxe requires it or not...

 

I had Nuluxe in my ‘16 IS350 and after 3 years it looked as good as new and no maintenance at all compared to real leather. With that said the softness of a good quality leather is much nicer. In my M340 I would take Nuluxe all day long because the leather in that car isn’t that nice. In my X7 the leather is much much nicer and I wouldn’t want Nuluxe in that car at that price. Same with Lexus, no way I would want Nuluxe in a LS/LS vs semi analine leather, no way.

 

I love my Nuluxe in my 2015 IS350. I had leather seats in my previous vehicles and the Nuluxe is holding up much better at 73k miles. I actually wish they were an option on the 2022 Corvette I just ordered.

 

Leather please.

The base leather in my LS430 is softer and probably a little more high quality than the optional semi-aniline leather in my LX.

There were not one but two leather upgrades beyond what I have in my LS, mine's the base perforated.

 

I’d rather have leather. But I get the appeal of the faux stuff.

 

After having had both, I would choose Nuluxe over leather if given a choice.