6 Ways to Beat the Heat with Leather Interior
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CL Editor
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6 Ways to Beat the Heat with Leather Interior
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: California
Pretty tacky article. First, one should never be in a moving vehicle with body limbs hanging out the window. This is a recipe for disaster if there was an accident. Airbags, debris, getting a limb sliced off, and sliding under a seatbelt because one was laying sideways are all realities. Really bad advice.
Steering wheel covers are a thing of the past, and have been for about 30 years. Hello, it's 2017. People don't buy a nice, expensive car with a fine-crafted leather wrapped, wood-trim steering wheel, only to cover it. Back in the 70's when steering wheels were a utilitarian mechanical device, it didn't matter if you covered it. But today's wheels are just as engineered and styled as the rest of the interior. This advice is so out of date, even cash-starved parts departments and sale's closers don't offer these parts as high mark-up accessories.
Steering wheel covers are a thing of the past, and have been for about 30 years. Hello, it's 2017. People don't buy a nice, expensive car with a fine-crafted leather wrapped, wood-trim steering wheel, only to cover it. Back in the 70's when steering wheels were a utilitarian mechanical device, it didn't matter if you covered it. But today's wheels are just as engineered and styled as the rest of the interior. This advice is so out of date, even cash-starved parts departments and sale's closers don't offer these parts as high mark-up accessories.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
Likes: 31
From: TN
I'd say the best way to beat the heat with leather seats is to order a light color. The light tan in my SC300 is WAY cooler than some of the other darker seats I've had in other cars. Also tint your windows, with a quality tint that blocks UV rays, close the sunroof shade, and put one of those screens/sunblockers in the windshield.
Pole Position
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,944
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From: Los Angeles, CA
i have the windows on one of my cars tinted with 3M's crystalline and the benefits are few to be honest. the car is maaaaaybe, possssssibly marginally cooler than a car tinted with another manufacturer's product. it's (mostly) all hype.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,521
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Part of the problem is, on many upmarket vehicles, the recent move away from cooler cloth interiors. My 2001 Lexus IS300, for example, had black cloth seats that rarely if ever got hot, even sitting in the sun. On most of today's vehicles, though, anything above entry-level is usually a choice between leather and "leatherette"...meaning the fake stuff. Both, of course, heat up in the sun......although cooled-seats help some.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
Likes: 31
From: TN
Part of the problem is, on many upmarket vehicles, the recent move away from cooler cloth interiors. My 2001 Lexus IS300, for example, had black cloth seats that rarely if ever got hot, even sitting in the sun. On most of today's vehicles, though, anything above entry-level is usually a choice between leather and "leatherette"...meaning the fake stuff. Both, of course, heat up in the sun......although cooled-seats help some.
I think I'm going to start a thread about this, but the best thing about Detroit built cars back in the 70's/80's/early-mid 90's was the seat material. Damn did they use some quality fabrics(and leathers) and had some comfy seats, if you stayed out of the "economy" cars anyways.
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Those "cloth/suede" seats in the IS300 were both a curse and a blessing, depending on what color you ordered. If I remember right, they had suede inserts down the center, with "leather" bolsters along the sides of the seats. The black suede/"leather" seats wore like iron, the very light tan suede/"leather" seats started to look like crap after a couple of years.
When I bought my SC300, I was mainly looking for the IS300, all the cars with the tan suede/leather option looked horrid on the inside, even well kept cars that nobody smoked/ate in looked worn.
I think I'm going to start a thread about this, but the best thing about Detroit built cars back in the 70's/80's/early-mid 90's was the seat material. Damn did they use some quality fabrics(and leathers) and had some comfy seats, if you stayed out of the "economy" cars anyways.
I also miss the velour seat-coverings and pillow-like cushions. On the big Buick I had in college, you sunk down into the super-soft padded front bench seat like a living-room sofa. Even the cushiest seats on today's luxury cars are firm in comparison, though they do, in some cases, offer better support
Last edited by mmarshall; Jun 10, 2017 at 07:40 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,521
Likes: 261
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Pretty tacky article. First, one should never be in a moving vehicle with body limbs hanging out the window. This is a recipe for disaster if there was an accident. Airbags, debris, getting a limb sliced off, and sliding under a seatbelt because one was laying sideways are all realities. Really bad advice.
Originally Posted by Fizzboy7
Steering wheel covers are a thing of the past, and have been for about 30 years. Hello, it's 2017. People don't buy a nice, expensive car with a fine-crafted leather wrapped, wood-trim steering wheel, only to cover it. Back in the 70's when steering wheels were a utilitarian mechanical device, it didn't matter if you covered it. But today's wheels are just as engineered and styled as the rest of the interior. This advice is so out of date, even cash-starved parts departments and sale's closers don't offer these parts as high mark-up accessories.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 170
From: Colorado
I'm with you on that.
I also miss the velour seat-coverings and pillow-like cushions. On the big Buick I had in college, you sunk down into the super-soft padded front bench seat like a living-room sofa. Even the cushiest seats on today's luxury cars are firm in comparison, though they do, in some cases, offer better support[/QUOTE]yeah had had that on my 76 olds 98.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,521
Likes: 261
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Originally Posted by mmarshall
I'm with you on that. I also miss the velour seat-coverings and pillow-like cushions. On the big Buick I had in college, you sunk down into the super-soft padded front bench seat like a living-room sofa. Even the cushiest seats on today's luxury cars are firm in comparison, though they do, in some cases, offer better support
I also miss the velour seat-coverings and pillow-like cushions. On the big Buick I had in college, you sunk down into the super-soft padded front bench seat like a living-room sofa. Even the cushiest seats on today's luxury cars are firm in comparison, though they do, in some cases, offer better support
Originally Posted by Coleroad
yeah had had that on my 76 olds 98.
Fixed the quotes for you.
Lead Lap
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,664
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From: TX
I'd say the best way to beat the heat with leather seats is to order a light color. The light tan in my SC300 is WAY cooler than some of the other darker seats I've had in other cars. Also tint your windows, with a quality tint that blocks UV rays, close the sunroof shade, and put one of those screens/sunblockers in the windshield.
Bottom line... ventilated seats would have been great in both. The G37 Convertible we traded in for the CX-5 had ventilated seats and it was great in hot weather.
Last edited by dseag2; Jun 10, 2017 at 08:40 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,521
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Probably goes without saying, but, whenever possible, park indoors or in a covered garage. Parking under trees can sometimes help, but, depending on what time of year it is, can mean a lot of stuff dropping on the car....and hazardous during storms.