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JL Leather trimmed seat option - what exactly are you buying?

BruceFL

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I just watched a video that said the "leather-trimmed" seat option is not really leather, but some sort of imitation leather. I've tried looking it up and really can't find much about it. One article said that leather-trimmed only actually used some leather in the seat bottom cushion and everything else is vinyl. I'm finding this hard to believe, and I'm not sure the dealer will tell the truth. Does anyone know what's what?
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NewJLU2019

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I bought my Sahara in 2019. Used some nice Leather protectant and conditioner. It stayed oily and rubbed off on your pants and shirt. Everywhere you sat you can see where its rubbed off.

Real leather will absorb this product and found out later most of the seat is not real leather.

When I ordered my 2021 Rubicon this year I went with the premium cloth seats. I really like them. My Sahara seats are nice but still went with cloth for my Rubicon.
 
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BruceFL

BruceFL

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I bought my Sahara in 2019. Used some nice Leather protectant and conditioner. It stayed oily and rubbed off on your pants and shirt. Everywhere you sat you can see where its rubbed off.

Real leather will absorb this product and found out later most of the seat is not real leather.

When I ordered my 2021 Rubicon this year I went with the premium cloth seats. I really like them. My Sahara seats are nice but still went with cloth for my Rubicon.
Any idea which parts of the seat are actually leather?
 

NewJLU2019

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Googled this. Leather trimmed means the seating surface and the seat back are leather (and possible the bolsters), all other sections are vinyl.

I believe its different type leather. Its not true leather, there is a name for it but not sure yet.

I had same seats in my Ram and used conditioner but they still started to crack. Good true leather want do that,
 

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NewJLU2019

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Found it Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine whether a vehicle’s seats are made of leather or a high-quality leatherette. However, to figure out which is which, look closely at the pores of the material. Real leather will have inconsistently spaced pores while leatherette will have perfectly spaced to repeating pores.
 

NewJLU2019

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I thought long and hard before I selected Premium cloth for my Rubicon. I conditioned my Ram seats all the time but by 2 years it showed some cracks and sags where you sat. I had the top end Laramie Ram. Thought seats would be better over long run.
 

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To actually get the full leather seats (not leather trimmed), you have to get either the Perforated Leather Black by Mopar option or Stitched Leather Black by Mopar option. These two options don't come with the leather trimmed parking brake handle, knob shifter, or premium door panels though.

Currently, the Mopar leather options are $1,750 and leather trimmed option is $1,695.

I sat in both styles and opted for the perforated leather seats on my 2019. These are actual leather and better quality than the leather trimmed seats.
 

aldo98229

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To actually get the full leather seats (not leather trimmed), you have to get either the Perforated Leather Black by Mopar option or Stitched Leather Black by Mopar option. These two options don't come with the leather trimmed parking brake handle, knob shifter, or premium door panels though.

Currently, the Mopar leather options are $1,750 and leather trimmed option is $1,695.

I sat in both styles and opted for the perforated leather seats on my 2019. These are actual leather and better quality than the leather trimmed seats.
The Mopar leather options don’t come with the rear fold down center console, either.

I honestly don’t understand what FCA is trying to do offering so many different leather choices, when the more expensive options actually get you less stuff.

The entire thing seems rather Mickey Mouse to me.
 

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limeade

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The Mopar leather options don’t come with the rear fold down center console, either.

I honestly don’t understand what FCA is trying to do offering so many different leather choices, when the more expensive options actually get you less stuff.

The entire thing seems rather Mickey Mouse to me.
Yeah, I forgot about the fold down console.

They've been offering these options since 2018.

My guess is the leather is more expensive because it's all leather, unlike the leather seating surfaces. I preferred to have all leather surfaces vs. the lesser stuff, even though the interior looks nicer with the lesser cost package.

The two leather options appear to be seat covers (maybe made by Katzkin??) which are put over the cloth optioned seats. I don't know for sure, as I haven't taken the leather covers off. But they have MOPAR tags on the sides.
 

Mikester86

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I simply use a damp cloth to wipe down the leather seats and a mixture of water and cleaning vinegar for the hard plastic parts. Works fantastic.

From my 2020 manual regarding cleaning of interior leather:

Leather Parts
Mopar Total Clean is specifically recommended
for leather upholstery.
Your leather upholstery can be best preserved
by regular cleaning with a damp soft cloth.
Small particles of dirt can act as an abrasive
and damage the leather upholstery and should
be removed promptly with a damp cloth.
Stubborn soils can be removed easily with a soft
cloth and Mopar Total Clean. Care should be
taken to avoid soaking your leather upholstery
with any liquid. Please do not use polishes, oils,
cleaning fluids, solvents, detergents, or
ammonia-based cleaners to clean your leather
upholstery. Application of a leather conditioner
is not required to maintain the original
condition.

NOTE:
If equipped with light colored leather, it tends to
show any foreign material, dirt, and fabric dye
transfer more so than darker colors. The leather
is designed for easy cleaning, and FCA recommends
Mopar total care leather cleaner applied
on a cloth to clean the leather seats as needed.

My wife's Cherokee Trailhawk has cloth with the leather trimmed seats. They are very comfortable. But I am not sure if the trim is real leather or not.
 

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Yeah, I forgot about the fold down console.

They've been offering these options since 2018.

My guess is the leather is more expensive because it's all leather, unlike the leather seating surfaces. I preferred to have all leather surfaces vs. the lesser stuff, even though the interior looks nicer with the lesser cost package.

The two leather options appear to be seat covers (maybe made by Katzkin??) which are put over the cloth optioned seats. I don't know for sure, as I haven't taken the leather covers off. But they have MOPAR tags on the sides.
My Sahara came with cloth seats; I hated it. Everything stuck to it: hair, dirt, chocolate... They looked filthy no matter how hard I vacuumed.

I got the seats re-covered in Katzkin leather. I am missing the rear center console, but the nice thing is all Saharas come with the leather covered door armrests, console and shifter boots, so everything inside matches now.
 

pnut

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It's a very standard practice for the OEMs to use a combination of vinyl and real leather.

Generally speaking unless you get a very high end luxury car ($120k plus) or the best trim level of a near luxury vehicle, the seats and such are rarely all leather. This goes for doors, seats, floor console, etc.

The vinyl is so good these days you can hardly tell the difference, plus leather is shockingly expensive by comparison.

Not saying which is right or wrong but that's the way it is. I deal with this often in my job in the auto industry for future vehicle launches.
 
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pnut

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My Sahara came with cloth seats; I hated it. Everything stuck to it: hair, dirt, chocolate... They looked filthy no matter how hard I vacuumed.

I got the seats re-covered in Katzkin leather. I am missing the rear center console, but the nice thing is all Saharas come with the leather covered door armrests, console and shifter boots, so everything inside matches now.
LOL so funny. On my 392 I had no choice but to get leather and I hate it. Cold in winter, sweaty in summer, lose the matte finish quickly and looks cheap. Planning to get some kind of cloth seat covers and keep the original 392 leather underneath.
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