When we bought our long-term Mercedes-Benz C-Class almost a year ago, we opted for Mercedes' standard MB-Tex vinyl upholstery instead of real leather. The latter was part of a $2,300 Interior Package that required a few other options first.
Related: More Coverage of Cars.com Long-Term Test Cars
It turned out to be a moot choice. We found zero leather-equipped cars at the first Benz dealership we visited, and Mercedes later told us that leather accounts for only 4 percent of C-Class sales.
So, MB-Tex it was.
That aligns with many entry-level luxury cars, which widely offer vinyl as standard and charge extra for leather. Often called leatherette or a branded name, like Lexus' NuLuxe, the material varies in quality. It's generally as easy to clean — in some cases even easier, thanks to better scratch and stain resistance — and some of it does a pretty good leather impression.
So it goes with MB-Tex, which impressed us enough that we weren't left wanting for the real deal.
Well, maybe we were at one point. Our MB-Tex had trouble right out of the gate, taking on some shiny discoloration — Assistant Managing Editor Jennifer Geiger called it "oozing white gunk" — when its sealing materials interacted with freezing temperatures and high humidity. Mercedes fixed the problem under warranty, and Senior Editor Mike Hanley said he found the replacement upholstery (also MB-Tex) even nicer. We haven't had any discoloration since, though the weather as of this writing has yet to return to the colder temperatures that caused it.
Sealant snafus aside, our impressions were mostly positive.
"The seats are convincing," Geiger said. "I honestly didn't notice a quality difference between MB-Tex and real leather."
Managing Editor Jennifer Newman echoed the sentiment: "I often forget that they're not leather," she said. "They're a high-end alternative."
"I'm a fan," Assistant Managing Editor Bill Jackson said. "I'd rather have good synthetic material than cheap authentic leather. I liked the texture, too."
Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder said he found the MB-Tex "pretty good. I've seen worse leather and better vinyl."
Senior Editor Mike Hanley said the MB-Tex "didn't seem cheap to me," and Geiger noted that the seats "look and feel legit."
I generally agree with other Cars.com editors. The MB-Tex has sort of a rough, parchment feel compared to the C-Class' optional leather if you put the two side-by-side. But it's convincing enough on its own, and its price premium could be money down the drain later on. When we sold our long-term, leatherette-equipped Chevrolet Impala to a local dealership, the appraiser marked down "leather" and moved on.
from Cars.com News http://ift.tt/1NobYZm
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