Leather Seat Maintenance

Mr_Shiftright

That's why I like it better than Lexol....it seems to work faster in the conditioning of the leather. I suspect the Lexol will need more frequent applications for the same effect....I think (but can't prove with any certainty) that Lexol is a lighter duty product.

kyleknicks

is Hide Food a cleaner as well as a conditioner? i assume i could get a bottle of it and it'll do both? thanks

dennis1950

Hide Food is not a cleaner. It is an excellent conditioner. Unlike many of the other conditioners which are liquids, Hide Food is a soft paste that is worked into the leather.

If you are looking for a cleaner, Lexol has a leather cleaner which you might want to try. Use the Hide Food after the cleaner.

scruplek

Got a jar of Hide Food yesterday. Didn't smell bad to me. Trying to salvage 1 1/2 year old seats with no treatment. Started with the head rests since I could bring them inside. One is REALLY soft, but the others are coming along slow. I put one application on (just rubbed it in by hand) and all was absorbed. Put another light layer on. It looks "greasy" now and is somewhat softer. Left in on overnight. Should I wait a few days or couple of weeks to put some more on????? Hope this stuff works.

Mr_Shiftright

It will, be patient. The leather can only take in so much at a time. A year and a half of no maintenance isn't corrected overnight anyway. Just stick with it and you'll be pleased I think. Yeah, give it another shot in a few weeks, rub it in well, wait a bit (I let mine sit for an hour) and then buff it out briskly.

adam68

I recently noticed a reddish/maroon discoleration on the lower-back portion of the drivers seat. After a few days of trying to figure out where it came from, it dawned on me...The label from my Levi's...the red lettering has been rubbing off onto the leather. I've tried everything and have not been able to get it out. My seats are light beige, which makes it all the more noticeable. Any suggestions on how I can remove this?

Thanks

rchinn

Received my jar of Hide Food but there's really no directions on how to use it. I assume you apply it, let it sit, and buff it out, right? How long should it sit? An hour, as mentioned above from Mr. Shiftright? And how often should this be done?

Mr_Shiftright

No, it doesn't have to sit an hour. Put it on liberally, work it into the leather, let it sit a few minutes, and buff it out vigorously. We were talking about an extreme case of very badly dried leather. Normally it doesn't have to sit if we are just doing maintenance.

kyleknicks

bought lexol cleaner and conditioner 2 days ago and cleaned my driver's seat. got alot of everyday wear and tear dirt off, so the cleaner's pretty good. and it definitely felt softer than the passenger seat which haven't been cleaned or conditioned. plus, you dont use all that much of either so the price of $9 a bottle isn't too bad. all it takes is a couple of sqirts and you get enough to clean or condition one seat

phild_mason

What is the best way to tell what is leather and what is not? I have a 99 Accord and 2000 RL. I think it is a little hard to tell what is leather and what is not. It would seem that putting "food" on vinyl would be pretty messy since it would not soak in.

suggestions?

tronsr1

I might be wrong, however; usually the only "leather area" is the top of the seating area and the front side of the upright area. The rest is usually vinyl except in the so called "luxury cars" such as Mercedes, Lambs's, etc.
As far as food "soaking in"... if your leather and' or vinyl has a good product on it, such as Lexol or, Armorall Leather/cleaner conditioner or whatever, the "food' will not soak in.
Another way to prevent food from getting "all over" is to not eat in the car. Y UK YUK..Sorry, I couldn't help that smart remark

Mr_Shiftright

Some imitation leathers look pretty good, you may not be able to tell unless you are familiar with the texture and smell.

Actually, you may find leather more susceptible than vinyl when it comes to staining from food or drink. You can easily ruin leather with a coffee stain, since it is organic material and will absorb liquids and colors.

I'd expect the other poster is right, at best on your Acura you would have a leather "trim" of some sort.

There's really no sure way to prevent damage from staining with leather. You just have to be careful, and if you do spill something, be able to clean it up immediately.

danielj6

I'm using Blue Magic Leather & Vinyl Cleaner and
right after that I applied Blue Magic Dash Wax.

The cleaner takes stains off quickly, but the
wax doesn't leave a wet feel to the leather.
Should I get a different conditioner?

My Merc Sable has beige leather seats.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think vinyl waxes work well on leather....leather is an organic material and needs to breath and remain flexible...that's why I think (don't know, just think) that protective coatings won't work, as they make the leather too rigid--and then, CRACK!

The enemies of leather are dogs (claws), kids (various weapons), food spills (coffee or other liquids that can saturate the leather) and direct sunlight/heat/severe weather exposure.

So a soft conditioned leather has a better chance of resisting some of these assaults.

achenator

I just bought my first brand-new car yesterday. This morning I noticed a small mark from an ink pen on the passenger seat. Could have been from my wife or the dealer. I can' prove either. Can any one suggest how to remove it? The stain is small and and barely can be seen. And I would hate to make a discolored spot on such a small stain, but I know it's there. Also what would help to protect the seats(blue gray color)? I have some Lexol and I think I have some Hide Food somewhere. Last time I opened the Hide Food it smelled pretty stinky. Does it go bad? The Hide Food worked good on the seats of my 87 Benz(yes leather, not the other stuff). But my new Accord I want to protect from the start and I prefer them to look as they do now.(not shiny) Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

tronsr1

Honda accord small stain:
I believe I have read in previous posts here about some way to remove small stains...but You will have to peruse the previous 300 some odd posts.I know it stated to only try a remover type soultion in an area that cannot be seen first...in order to prevent a real catastrophe, such as really marking the area of the small stain.
I believe Hide Food does smell, but 'stink", I do not know...and I also read previous post about Hide Food. Sorry, I can't remember what...."dementia".. at my age, "I guess", I can't remember!!
Hope this helps...
Dementia NORT

pjyoung

I have had good luck with Zaino Z9 cleaner and Z10 conditioner. I have light beige leather in my car and the Z9 removed ink spots and other "stains" from the leather surfaces. The Z10 conditions nicely and leaves a very nice leather scent.

this_is_nascar

piyoung: Did you apply the Zaino leather treatments directly with your hand or did you use a wet rag?

pjyoung

I applied the Z9 by spraying it directly on the stain and wiping it with a dry rag. I applied the Z10 with my hand and wiped it with a dry rag.

this_is_nascar

Interesting. I bought both products a long time ago (haven't used them yet), but don't recall either one being a spray.

pjyoung

Z9 is in a spray bottle. Z10 isn't.

Mr_Shiftright

Ink is tough. Whatever you do, don't RUB too hard....you'll rub the leather dye right off.

climber3

I would like to protect my new leather seats from my children (at least the back seat). Anyone have any comments on putting seat covers on new leather seats? Thanks.

shehzad

buy some sheepskin seat covers. They're expensive, but easily washable, and you can switch them from car to car if you tend to buy new cars often, and they look good as well. They work very well, and to boot, are very comfortable for the kids in the back.

dgsg

You cannot put sheepskin or covers of any kind on front seats of cars with side airbags.

alwaysfords

...if the airbag comes from the seat, if it comes from the b-pillar, then it isn't a problem...

tonychrys

I got a 3 month old Lexus with beige leather seats. Noticed "scuff mark" (dark but no leather damage) on the seat cusion around the thigh area, probably cause from jeans or dark long coat? Anyway, bought some Lexol cleaner, followed directions. While the normal everyday dirt was cleaned up, the mark is still there?

What's stronger that I can safely use? Thanks!

mdames

Check out www.carcareonline.com. It has some terrific products, including those that will take care of your leather problem.

tonychrys

Thanks, I checked there and the only "cleaner" they list under leather care is Lexol, which I've already used.

bluebeast

After trying Lexol & Zymol a friend told me to go to the Lexus dealer and buy their cleaner (one bottle) and their conditioner (one bottle) and give it a try. The cleaner was great !! The conditioner also worked and smelled nice. Needless to say the Lexol & Zymol went in the trash.

drew_

AFAIK, no vehicles with side impact airbags have them deploying from the B-pillar. That wouldn't make much sense. Side airbags always deploy from the doors or from the seats. Head protection airbags drop down from the roof liner.


Drew
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alwaysfords

Why do you say that wouldn't make much sense? The B pillar is about four inches from your head. It is one of your worst enemies, along with the roof line and the A pillar. There are bags that come from the B pillar, I have seen them as part of my training in vehicle rescue. I can't tell you off hand what makes / models have them, I know what I need to avoid while cutting. I should have completed my message above with roof curtain and A pillar bags, but didn't. I was trying to be brief, and stay on topic. Now that I have written this, feel free to give me one of those snappy little host messages about where airbags should be discussed, and why we are only talking about leather seats here

Mr_Shiftright

No, I never remind people about going off-topic unless we are really straying after a couple of posts.

tonychrys

Anybody got other suggestions for a stronger cleaner than Lexol? If not, I guess I'll try the Lexus 'brand' as previously suggested.

Thanks.

dani329

Never had leather seats before. I'm about to get a brand new Maxima w/leather and I'm wondering what the basic steps are for taking care of them so they last a loonnggg time. Should I do anything to them right away? How often should I clean and/or condition? I was thinking about Zaino - sound good? Thanks

pjyoung

Are in my current car. It's a Chrysler 300M with a light pearl beige leather interior. I use the Zaino products (Z9 and Z10). In the year and a half I've owned it, I have done the "full treatment" about 3 times, and only occasional cleaning with the Z9, as it really doesn't seem to get too dirty, despite the light color. The leather is soft and shows no signs of wear. I also really like the smell of the Z10.

mdames

Try Eimann Fabrik Spot Remover. It's supposed to work very well. You can find it on www.properautocare.com.

tonychrys

pblevine

In my '98 EX V6 Accord Coupe, there appears to be a very small (2-5mm) "opening" in the leather at the back of the rear left seat. It cannot be seen from the inside, and in fact, you have to look closely through the rear window to spot it. Its along the seam of the seat back just slightly above the rear shelf. It could be a tear or an installation defect. Anyhow, my question is how do I repair (ie: close) it?

mdames

I have a 2000 Honda Accord. I have been protecting the vinyl dashboard with a Zaino leather care product that is supposed to be good for vinyl or leather. Recently I noticed that parts of my dash looks like when clearcoat paint turns opaque and starts to peel off the paint. There are several areas where what appears to be a coating on the vinyl dash can be scraped off with my finger. Underneath the dash is very shiny. I can't tell if this is some sort of build up that is coming off or if it is a coating on the vinyl that is flaking off. I think its the latter due to the shiny surface underneath. It should not be shiny. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? What could this be? I always park in the garage at night, and park in a covered garage at work. The dash has been well cared for. Any input will be appreciated.

pblevine

I left another post in the Accord topic. I'm not sure, but it sounds like a manufacturing defect. I've also used the Leather In A Bottle (Zaino) on my '98's vinyl parts without any problems. Maybe you should consult with Honda (ie: your dealer) and Sal Zaino too. Examine those spots closely and determine if: 1. they are all over or just in one spot, and 2. Is the vinal coating actually removed or is there something on top of it?

traderalex1

I have a 2000 Audi A6, with black leather. The rear seatbacks have a few very light scratches that seem to fade away when moistioned, but they reappear after drying. Any idea as to cause, and how to correct for these scratches?

Also, are there any touch-up kits of some sort out there that would allow one to touch more serious scracthes in black leather?

Thanks.

traderalex1

Reviewing all of the posts, I have seen a number of discussions raised, regarding which region of the world has the best quality automotive leathers. The answer is that there is no clear, black and white answer. I can speak from some some expertise. I have been a trader working in the rawhide business for fifteen years. By rawhide, I mean literally the commodity that is pulled fresh from the cow's carcass, cured in a salt or brine solution, and then delivered
to tanneries around the world for leather making.

While it might have been true 20 years ago, there is really no longer any regional "best" quality automotive leather. Just like automobile manufacturing, production of automotive leathers has become globalized. Automotive leathers have become brand named in the industry. Tanneries are following specific formulations and specifications for automotive leather production that are exclusive for specific automobile manufactures. So in the trade, automotive leathers are referred by brand, as "Toyota Leather, "BMW Leather", "GM Leather", and so on.

No single leather tanning company has any exclusive relationship for supply to any one auto manufacturer. The auto makers all have their automotive leather requirements sourced out to multiple vendors (per their specific spec, of course), and these vendors can be located anywhere in the world. So the best you can do to try and determine which leather you think is best it to first compare it on a brand by brand basis, and then on a model to model basis. The actual country of vehicle manufacture has little to do with it.

The three biggest American automotive leather producers are Eagle Ottawa Leather, Seton, and Garden State Tanning. Eagle Ottawa is the largest automotive leather producer in the world.
All three American companies have multiple tanning operations worldwide. Eagle Ottawa is is tanning automotive leather in the U.S., Germany, England, South Africa, and Argentina. With regard to one's thought about whether his/her German car has American leather or European origin leather, the answer may really be yes or no.

There is one attribute to American (company produced) automotive leather for which many in this industry will say the American tanning companies excel over their European or other foreign rivals. Auto makers have these days very clear and specific requirements that automotive leathers fade over time at rate that is equal to the fading that can be expected from dash components, wood trim, and other interior finishing of a given car model. In other words, auto makers do not want the leather seats to look alder than other interior appointments, say 5-7 years down the road. For reaching this objective, it is generally said that the Americans are without rival. Their automotive leather tanning technology and formulations are quite good.

In terms of barb wire damage from American hides, there is really limited risk due to how the American tanners are buying their hides. The Americans generally buy hides that are referred in the trade as Heavy Native Steers, and Heavy Native Heifers. While they do take some hides in rawhide (untanned form, with hair on), the tanners are buying most of their hides in a partially tanned form referred to as "wet blue". At this stage, the hair is off the hide, and one can then inspect the grain quality of a given hide. The biggest suppliers of wet blue hides to the American automotive tanners are Prime Tanning and IMP (the meat packer). The steers and heifers used are all what is referred to as "Big Packer" material, from huge feedlot operations, where the opportunity for damage to the hide while the animal is still wearing it is minimal. These hides command a premium price in the rawhide market. And while the hide is a by-product of the meat packing industry, revenue derived from it is vitally important to that industry. There is ample motivation to take steps in order to prevent degradation of hides, whenever possible.
Otherwise, the hide value with drop.

Garden State Tanning has some percentage of BMW's business, and is producing leather for them in the US. The information I have heard, however, is that this leather is not used in the upper end BMW models (7 series, 8 series). Garden State also had some percentage of Toyota's leather business, but lost it about ten days ago to Eagle Ottawa. Seton does work for a lot of GM models.
The business is all globalized, and goes back and forth from one vendor to another. So you can never absolutely certain just where the leather came from, that was used in your fine, European sport sedan. The only thing you can be sure of is that it was tanned to the stringent specfication required by that auto maker of its multiple vendors.

Mr_Shiftright

Thanks, traderalex, this is all very interesting!

May I ask you a few more questions about this, I am very curious.

Do you think the heavily dyed leathers are weakened, as opposed to "natural" leathers? What I am driving at is that I have noticed that some very very old leathers (50-75 years old) are remarkably durable on original vintage cars I've seen.

Also, why do you think certain leathers of the 1980s, like from Saab and Volvo, were so bad and dried up and deteriorated so quickly? Did they just buy a cheaper grade of leather?

Thanks for responding

Mr. Shiftright
Host

luphy

Wow, always nice to have someone with such nice inside info on the business contribute.

I'm curious though. If automakers each have their own requirements as to how the leather is tanned...what exactly determines the quality and grade of a leather between a top-end Merc, versus, say the Daiwoo? You did mention that certain hide suppliers command more of a price....but it seems automakers can get their leathers from different suppliers, tanned at different tanneries.

So is the only reliable way to guess at how good a leather seat we have is to look at the price we paid for the car?

Oh, another question: what tends to last longer... perforated or non-perforated leathers?
And is it accurate to say that the thicker the leather, the longer it'll last?

traderalex1

Thank you for for your interest in my post. Let me take this opportunity to answer the questions posed by Mr. Shiftright and Luphy:

With regard to the antique automotive leathers, Mr. Shiftright hit the nail on the head exactly, when he described these as "natural" leathers. Those old time leathers were almost always "vegetable" tanned, opposed to the "chrome" tanning that is used today (the chrome is the reason why hides in the "wetblue" stage of tanning are blue in color). There are two generally good reasons why automotive upholstery tanners are not using vegetable tanning, today:
a) it is very expensive, and b) in order for the "veg tanned" leather to survive through the sands of time, it requires a substantial commitment of care and attention by its owner. Generally, the veg tanned leather has to be oiled on a regular basis; otherwise, it will begin to rot. Aside from cost considerations (and you know the ways of car maker bean counters), it is not very practical to imagine the typical car owner to spend the time needed to properly maintain a veg tanned seat. For the antique car owner, this is obviously a labor of love.

On the Saab/Volvo 1980's saga-remember this was still during an era in which leather seats were still considered something of a seldom-seen luxury item, not as commonly found in automobiles then, as compared to today. The most likely culprit is that Saab and Volvo were using tanner vendors that provided leather upholstery with a tannage that was not terribly resistant to degradation by constant exposure to sunlight. The result is that the leather will dry out and crack, rather rapidly. There is a logic to how this all came about. Even 20 years ago, before leather auto seat upholstery became as popular as it is now, many car seat makers used leather upholstery that came directly from standard furniture leathers. Your typical leather couch sitting in your living room obviously does not receive the level of exposure to sunlight or temperature shifts that will be suffered by a car seat. The result, during this period, is that a lot of car seats aged prematurely.

The American tanners Eagle Ottawa and Seton are the companies that are generally credited as being the companies that perfected "dedicated" automotive leathers, which were later copied by others. To meet current auto maker requirements, automotive leathers must be able to age gracefully while constantly exposed to sunlight, dramatic temperature swings, and of course constant flexing.

Regarding durability of perforated vs. non-perforated leather: If the leather was properly processed, whether the leather has been peforated or not should yield no comparitve advantage for durability. To perforate or not is a marketing decision, a bid to make the leather feel more comfortable or cool. Yes, punching holes into the leather does reduce strength. A fabric backing has to be applied to perforated leather in order to restore that strength. But if it is properly assembled, it should not impact on the leather's overall durability.

Regarding thickness, and whether thicker leather will last longer-there is no clear yes or no answer. Generally, automotive leathers are all within the same thickness range. The overall durability will likely be impacted in a more meaningful way in terms of the quality of tannage and finish, than actually thickness. With that said, however, most in this industry should agree that American raw hides typically can permit a thicker cross-sectional split of the hide (the splitting is done during the wetblue stage). The top part of that split is what is known as the "grain" or "grain split". The bottom part is known as the "drop split", and that is used for suede and other leather products.

Finally, how do you know you have a superior piece of leather in your car? In the end, it probably does come down to the price you paid for the vehicle. The reasons are very complex, and pages can be filled trying to provide the answers. But here are some basic thoughts:

The higher end vehicles such as a Merc, for example, are likely installing leather seats derived from hides that yield what we would refer to as a full grain leather. Something one would expect to see from a premium, IBP Heavy Native Steer hide, for example. While many automotive leathers are still "printed" (this includes high end models) with an enhanced visual grain "effect", full grain leathers will feature few to no natural defects that require various tanner tricks to correct during the finishing of the leather. On typical way to fix or eliminate damaged grain is to "buff" the leather, a sandpaper-like process that literally takes the surface right off the top of the leather. The leather finisher then proceeds to in effect place a new surface on the buffed leather, by coating it with a propietary process of lacquers, coatings, plastic-like fillers, etc. The list of what can be done to improve the appearance of leather with poor grain characteristics is endless. So a high end vehicle is likely to receive full-grain leather for its seats, the quality of leather that one can expect to be yielded from a U.S. Big Packer hide or equivalent.

A vehicle from a lower tier market niche will likley have seats with leather that was generally of a lower grade, requiring various applied techniques to make it look more visually appealing. This does not mean that the leather tannage itself will be less effective, but that the hide came from a less expensive source of supply.
The overall finishing of the leather also impacts heavily on its price. Car makers have specific requirements for how they want leather to look and feel for their specific car model, and how long they want those leather seats to last. Just like anything else in life, you can have complex, expensive finishes for leather. And then you can have simple, inexpensive finishes. Feel, appearance, and texture are important attributes, and the price scale will follow, accordingly. I believe one aspect that is probably consistent in the automotive leather world is the way the leather is dyed. A cheap or inexpensive way to dye leather is to just spray the dye on the surface (typical for shoe leather, for example). The more time consuming and more expensive application of dye is to "drum dye" the leather. Tumbling leather in a drum with dye always allows for fuller penetration of the dye into the depth of the leather. A good way to tell whether a given leather has been drum dyed or not is to examine its back side. If the back side appears to match the surface color, the leather has probably been drum dyed due to penetration. If the back side looks uncolored or lighter than the surface color, it is a good bet that the leather has been sprayed. I don't think I have ever seen any samples of automotive leather that has not been drum dyed. But that is no guarantee that someone out there is not merely spraying on the color.

Mr_Shiftright

Well thanks for all this. Much of what you said gives me some better data for my suspicions and intuition about what is going on with leathers, but I also learned quite a bit about how leather is prepped, especially the inferior grades.

I had often suspected that it was in the prep work, tanning and dyeing that degradation could take place to such an extent as to affect durability.

Regarding old vegetable-dyed leather, I have seen original leather in very good shape on a few cars dating back to 1910 era. This leather was, I believe, what they call Moroccan leather (very soft, reddish color, thick---really gorgeious stuff)...which is what...goat? Or did I just dream this part up?

drew_

Wow, thanks for all of your posts! As Mr_Shiftright wrote, I too have learnt a lot from your extremely informative posts.

Perhaps you can answer a couple of questions that I have asked in the past. Mercedes-Benz offers something called "Nappa leather" on their higher end or special edition models. I have found this leather to be very significantly softer, more luxurious and of higher quality (heck, it even smells nicer) than the normal full grain leather, which is already very nice. Do you have any idea what "Nappa" means, or is it just a brand name like "Connolly"? Is this softer leather more prone to creases since it is well, softer?

My second question is regarding sheepskin covers. I know of a couple of people who fit sheepskin covers to their vehicle's front leather seats (if it makes any difference, it's a late model MB). I have read in a couple of articles written by long time automobile restorers that sheepskins covers are generally not a good long term idea for leather seats since they can cause the leather to dry out (or something along those lines) due to the fact that they do not promote good air circulation. Therefore they were generally not recommended especially during the warmer months of the year. Do you have any comments on this?

Thanks in advance for your response,

Drew
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traderalex1

Thanks all for your comments. Regarding Drew's
questions:

We have come across the term "Nappa" leather before. We have tried looking it up as a definition in trade journals, and asked around. Nobody, at least nobody that we know, in our trade can really give a definition of what "Nappa" leather is, or how it might be different from other leathers. If anything, we can say it is used more as a nickname or marketing term for leather. Generally, what we can say, is that leathers called "nappa" seem to be full grain, and soft.

In case of Mercedes, and let's consider their S class line which I believe begins at $78K+, it is a safe bet that are instructing their seat vendor to use very high grade, full grain leathers. It has happened in the trade more than once in which an auto maker has rejected entire lots of fully assembled car seats supplied by the vendor, because the leather did not meet their stated requirements. It get's to be a very expensive undertaking, if things are not exactly to the auto marker's liking.

Regarding whether softer leathers will wrinkle or crease more easily, this has also no black and white answer. Much of this tendency will come down to the quality of the tannage. Good quality soft upholstery leathers of excellent tannage will actually peform the opposite of what you might expect: Soft leathers have a very good natural "bounce", meaning they literally bounce back to shape after being depressed. So a well made soft leather is actually more difficult to wrinkle or crease than an upholstery leather of firm tannage.

Aside from the quality of the tannage, I believe the durability of the leather's appearance is also impacted dramatically by the manner in which the leather seats are being constucted, and the application of specific leather patterns to make the seat and seat back. Much of how to lay down a leather seat must be derived from a marketing decision based on a balance of how much comfort the seat should afford vs. how it should appear, physically. Certain leather patterns and seat constrution techniques yield better wear results than others. I feel pretty certain about this premise, and I can share some personal experience. Before my Audi A6, I drove an Infiniti G-20 for years, nearly 77,000 miles before I traded up to the Audi. I had the light grey leather interior. The leather was smooth, and obviously of the "buffed" variety. But the seats were also rather rigid, and could hardly be described as the most comfortable leather seats in the world. All of the leather panels were very well supported. In the case of this model, by firm padding underneath. Except for a very light brown haze in the center cushion of the driver's seat, those seats looked every bit as good and crease-free as they did when I drove the car off the show room floor. Noted, I did care for this car extensively, always garaged out and of the sun, and treated the leather.

In the case of the Audi A6, the leather is obviously of superior quality compared to what was in the Infiniti. But Audi does a funny thing with the leather patterns, depending on which leather color you buy. The seats have a generally soft tannage feel. But for lighter colors (ie: melange, or even the tungsten grey), the center area of the seats and seatbacks are made up of a pattern of leather bands of about 5-6 inches wide that are created by stitching cross-wise on seat cushions. In the case of the dark colors (black, blue-when they still offered it, etc), the seat centers are patterned with a stitching of multiple bands of about 2 inches wide that run length-wise on the seat and seatback. I have the black leather. It has been my experience with my car and all the other Audi models that I have seen with the same leather pattern that these length-wise narrow bands develop a drepression at the point of pressure from Day 1. And then they stay that way! I have no idea why Audi has the different stitching pattern for the A6 black leather, but I truly wish that it matched the cross-wise pattern I see in the cars with grey and melange. The seats in those cars wear and look so much better, over time. If you look at an A6 with the length-wise black leather pattern in the show room, you will actually see the beginning of the fold in the seat, just from driving the car off the assembly line. No kidding...

So it is not just the quality of the leather that is going to determine its attributes for wear. The seat construction technique will have an impact, also.

Finally, regarding sheepskin covers on leather seats, I do think this a poor idea. The sheepskin covers are very popular in Europe, but the drivers are putting them generally on velour or vinyl seats. By placing these on leather seats, you will run the risk of trapping humidity under the cover, which will likely have some negative impact. I tend to think that the leather itself would not be easily harmed. Automotive leather being what it is, has use-specific protective finishes. The appearance of the finish that is on top of the leather, however, may be compromised. You might develop a fog or a hazy look over time, as a result. A second consideration, it will depend also on how the sheepskin cover is constructed, and what kind of backing it has. If it has a natural leather backing, you are going to end up with leather rubbing on leather for the long term. This will cause surface abrasion damage. Sheepskin covers also defeats the purpose of spending the extra money for the leather interior, in the first place.

haspelbein

Since we were talking about German cars...'Nappa' stands for the outer layer ('Narbenhaut') vs. the lower one ('calfsplit') of split hides in the German language. It refers to high-quality soft, smooth leather and is not even restricted to the hides of any specific animal, e.g. the kind of leather you'd use for gloves or clothing.