Quality of leather seats....

[ImInPA]

crhbobby,
I have an S80 and I will say that in my honest opinion, the seats are simply fantastic. The leather is veryhigh quality and the seat heaters (front and rear) are the best seat heaters I have ever experienced...but you know this from your S60.

 

[jchao]

I am having problems with the stretching of the leather on the drivers seat.
Has anyone taken their Genesis in for this?
I am ready to take her in. I am putting her into hibernation till spring.
I have a few minor repairs that is needed.

 

[dataguy]

I am having problems with the stretching of the leather on the drivers seat.
Has anyone taken their Genesis in for this?
I am ready to take her in. I am putting her into hibernation till spring.
I have a few minor repairs that is needed.

I reported this on my last service and the dealer had to contact the Hyundai rep to see whether they could or would do anything about it. Still pending.

EDIT: Per the service department, Hyundai rep says nothing can be done because the leather is soft and will bunch like that.

 

[jwaters943]

I have an S80 and I will say that in my honest opinion, the seats are simply fantastic. The leather is veryhigh quality and the seat heaters (front and rear) are the best seat heaters I have ever experienced...but you know this from your S60.

Volvo has some of the best leather seats in the business IMO.

From my experience the leather in the Genesis is above average in terms of durability/feel, but not exceptional.

 

[dond13]

Here are some photos... the latter 2 in the gallery, are the front passenger seat.

edit: and I forgot the link http://yfrog.com/6rimg4504rjx

The two photos that you say are the back seat are so much brighter than the others that it looks like different seats from different cars. Is it the lighting or is there that much difference? Have you taken it back to the dealer?

 

[glopez1021]

The same thing is happening in my genesis to the back of the seat, the lower part, little threads have been coming out of the chair, not sure what to do about it.

 

[BocaDave]

Re: Quality of leather seats.... Leather Cleaners

http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

I had a wear and tear problem with my prior car, a Toyota Avalon with Grey Leather.

Had it replaced twice under warranty, but it still looked worn after 12-15 months of usage.

Someone then suggested I switch from my leather cleaner to (beleive it or not) Lemon Pledge (same stuff you use on wood furniture).

No problems ever since, and I have the added plus of less dust collection on the dashboard (must be something in the Pledge).

I also use it on my leather sofas at home.

 

[VivienM]

From my experience the leather in the Genesis is above average in terms of durability/feel, but not exceptional.

Interesting...

A friend of mine claims the Genesis leather seats are cheap leather. Not 'full-grain leather' he says...

I have no idea if he's right, or if he's just being silly because he absolutely hates the car (or its ethnic origin, at least).

 

[moose66]

Interesting...

A friend of mine claims the Genesis leather seats are cheap leather. Not 'full-grain leather' he says...

I have no idea if he's right, or if he's just being silly because he absolutely hates the car (or its ethnic origin, at least).

And your friend drives what?

 

[VivienM]

And your friend drives what?

Mostly Saabs. Or Lincolns, which seem to be his new thing...

He claims the leather in both is far better than the Genesis. I, honestly, don't know enough about leather to be able to say.

But I do find it remarkable that he thinks the Genesis is an overpriced Chrysler 300 competitor. *sigh*

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[jwaters943]

Mostly Saabs. Or Lincolns, which seem to be his new thing...

He claims the leather in both is far better than the Genesis. I, honestly, don't know enough about leather to be able to say.

But I do find it remarkable that he thinks the Genesis is an overpriced Chrysler 300 competitor. *sigh*

*sigh*, your friend has just discredited himself.

All mass-produced cars under $100k+ use finished or pigmented leather. Finished leather has a flexible coating (somewhat similar to paint) applied to the top that gives it its color and uniform texture. Lexus has optional semi-aniline leather that is a bit higher grade, but truly, the things that make the biggest difference in terms of durability are the backing material and the seat cushioning (firmer seats give the leather less room to "stretch" and thereby hold up better). Some expensive luxury cars have full-leather interiors, but even most cars under $60k have matching vinyl on the sides/back of the seats w/ only leather on the seating surface itself. I've owned many cars with leather seats (BMW, Land Rover, Cadillac, Acura/Honda, Lexus, Mitsubishi and VW) and find the V6 non-premium leather in the Genesis to be above average in terms of appearance/feel and about average in terms of durability. I cannot speak as to the durability of the ultra-premium leather, but I will say that it feels amazing. Much nicer than any Chrysler 300 I've been in. LOL

More on the different types of leather: http://www.rodenleather.com/faqs.html#Non-Pigmented-Leather

 

[ASHDUMP]

I have an '09 V8 with dark brown/orange leather seats and I've noticed the fibers coming though the perforated seats. I only have 5K miles on her too and the seats look stretched out and loose. I only weigh 185lbs and I'm pretty soft getting in and out of the car.

We'll see what they look like at 10K

 

[VivienM]

*sigh*, your friend has just discredited himself.

All mass-produced cars under $100k+ use finished or pigmented leather. Finished leather has a flexible coating (somewhat similar to paint) applied to the top that gives it its color and uniform texture. Lexus has optional semi-aniline leather that is a bit higher grade, but truly, the things that make the biggest difference in terms of durability are the backing material and the seat cushioning (firmer seats give the leather less room to "stretch" and thereby hold up better). Some expensive luxury cars have full-leather interiors, but even most cars under $60k have matching vinyl on the sides/back of the seats w/ only leather on the seating surface itself. I've owned many cars with leather seats (BMW, Land Rover, Cadillac, Acura/Honda, Lexus, Mitsubishi and VW) and find the V6 non-premium leather in the Genesis to be above average in terms of appearance/feel and about average in terms of durability. I cannot speak as to the durability of the ultra-premium leather, but I will say that it feels amazing. Much nicer than any Chrysler 300 I've been in. LOL

That's not what he's upset about. He's upset about the leather seating surfaces not being "full-grain" leather (i.e. thicker?) like on his Saabs, Lincoln Town Car/MKS, Audis, etc. Not the fact that there's vinyl on the sides/back/etc.

As I said, I have no idea about the merits of this. I don't know much about leather types... and yes, comparing the overall car to a Chrysler 300 is ridiculous.

 

[jwaters943]

Lincoln, Saab, and most Audis (outside certain high-end models like like the R8 or A8/S8) do not have full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is prohibitively expensive and found in rare cars like Aston Martins. It's typically used in expensive handbags, shoes, etc. Top Grain and Semi-Analine, etc. are leather types typically found in luxury cars.

Full grain leather can be dyed whatever color you want, but it does not have a stain/scratch resistant finish applied on top to hide imperfections in the grain and create a low-maintenance, easy to clean surface. It's simple to tell full-grain leather apart from other leathers. On full-grain leather if you take your fingernail and scratch it, it will leave a lighter mark on it (see pic below). Full-grain will also develop a nice patina as it ages and it DOES hold up much better than other leathers. It is very durable and will not tear, crack or scratch easily if properly maintained.

Your friend is free to dislike the Genesis, but he should do so for valid reasons. I *HATE* when people spread false information as fact and use it as an excuse to bash a car they seemingly don't know the first thing about. If he dislikes it for not using full-grain leather, then he must dislike 95% of the cars on the road w/ leather interiors.

 

[VivienM]

Your friend is free to dislike the Genesis, but he should do so for valid reasons. I *HATE* when people spread false information as fact and use it as an excuse to bash a car they seemingly don't know the first thing about. If he dislikes it for not using full-grain leather, then he must dislike 95% of the cars on the road w/ leather interiors.

Okay, so then, what is the difference between the leather he approves of (e.g. on the high-end Lincolns) and the 'normal' leather on the Genesis (or other leather he doesn't approve of, e.g. on lower-end GMs)?

Other than the Hyundai badge on the steering wheel of the Genesis, that is.

The thing is, at the end of the day, other than complaining about material quality (he also hates how the Genesis door armrest is too soft) and maybe the lack of an AWD option (this is Canada after all), I don't think he can come up with "valid reasons" to dislike the car. Other than "it's a Hyundai!.", which I don't think is particularly valid either. In all fairness, he hasn't driven it, so if he had (especially an 09), he might find a few more things wrong with it...

 

[sandy]

Two points:

1. I'm sure Vivian's friend is a nice guy but who cares about his opinion of the Genesis, especially as he's never even driven one.

2. Thanks to JWaters' tutorial on leather, I now understand why the black leather jacket I bought 20 years ago with my first motorcyle is now brown.

 

[VivienM]

1. I'm sure Vivian's friend is a nice guy but who cares about his opinion of the Genesis, especially as he's never even driven one.

Oh, don't mind me, it's just me venting.

See, I didn't even know about the Genesis sedan until Sept./Oct. 08 or so. I knew about the coupe and the launch in NYC with the hot female stunt drivers, but didn't realize there was a sedan too... Then this friend tells me (was shopping for cars at the time, though didn't get one) about the "Hyundai that people say is as good as an MB S class". I mention the car to my dad, and HE ends up getting one. Canadian-spec (i.e. no leather dash )V6 with tech in red/cashmere.

Then said friend sees my dad's car, and basically thinks it sucks and is a huge disappointment. He basically refuses to see it as a bona fide luxury car. On the basis of the (allegedly-low) quality of the leather, mostly (which is how this relates to this thread)!

 

[knight]

On the 2010 4.6 w/Tech I just purchased the drivers seat has some slack in the leather. I'm not heavy (under 150 pounds) so can't imagine it has anything to do with stretching. I'm just not sure what I should expect as "normal". My Camry seats were tight as a drum. I guess I can go to a few dealerships and inspect several seats, but thought I might as well ask here. Is having slack (not enough to folder over or pinch and lift) a sign of an improper upholstery job? See picture below:

 

[ttsig]

On the 2010 4.6 w/Tech I just purchased the drivers seat has some slack in the leather. I'm not heavy (under 150 pounds) so can't imagine it has anything to do with stretching. I'm just not sure what I should expect as "normal". My Camry seats were tight as a drum. I guess I can go to a few dealerships and inspect several seats, but thought I might as well ask here. Is having slack (not enough to folder over or pinch and lift) a sign of an improper upholstery job? See picture below:

Wow! That looks a lot worse than mine and I was planning to ask about mine the next time in. My opinion is that's really bad, but this is my first car with leather seats so I don't know much about these things.

 

[moose66]

Wow! That looks a lot worse than mine and I was planning to ask about mine the next time in. My opinion is that's really bad, but this is my first car with leather seats so I don't know much about these things.

I agree, that does look bad. Looks like it is too much leather. Needs stretching and re-setting. May be enough after re-doing to make a matching belt!