Premium cloth or leather

[alphalife9]

When you select leather for a Rubicon it includes the following:

INCLUDES:

Leather-Wrapped Park Brake Handle
Leather-Wrapped Shift Knob
Premium Door Trim Panel
Premium Wrapped Instrument Panel

What does premium wrapped instrument panel include? And how about door trim panel?

The door trim panel difference can be seen in the pictures. Cloth interior has a hard plastic armrest on the door with a horizontal crease. The leather interior has a nicer type of covering on the door armrest with stitching on the horizontal crease, similar to how the park brake handle is wrapped. I haven't been able to identify any visible difference on the instrument panel on any pictures of the two interiors and am curious as well.

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[drheim]

I know this might not be popular, but I am not a big fan of the red plastic bezels on the dash that come with the cloth/black leather seats. They might be alright if you get a red Jeep, but on the Rubicon it looks like you can get a silver bezel if you get the beige leather seats, instead of cloth. It looks like the Sahara has a leather covered bezel and if that option came with the leather seats, I would absolutely go for it. It does not show that option on the Rubicons.

 

[BDJeep1]

When you select leather for a Rubicon it includes the following:

INCLUDES:

Leather-Wrapped Park Brake Handle
Leather-Wrapped Shift Knob
Premium Door Trim Panel
Premium Wrapped Instrument Panel

What does premium wrapped instrument panel include? And how about door trim panel?

I was able to look into a Rubicon with leather (it was sold) and then sit in a Rubicon with premium cloth. Premium Wrapped Instrument Panel is the red stitching that is on the dash. I don't think the dash was leather but I only had a brief look.

I liked the premium cloth seats (sorry no pics). And just to confirm: the seats have red stitching and red 'Rubicon'. There is red stitching on the shift knob and transmission knob. There is red stitching on the steering will. The parking brake is black rubber material.

The door trim and center arm rest have a black vinyl textured material. It was soft vinyl feel or leatherette in some other manufactures. It felt fine.

I am going with premium cloth. I have leather in my current Rubicon Hard Rock and it is ok quality and I think the JL leather is about the same. If I had a dog I might get leather but the cloth feels very nice and is more comfortable when cold (even with heated seats) and with the top down where my black leather seats are very hot.

 

[JHJLUR]

I was able to look into a Rubicon with leather (it was sold) and then sit in a Rubicon with premium cloth. Premium Wrapped Instrument Panel is the red stitching is on the dash. I don't think the dash was leather but I only had a brief look.

I liked the premium cloth seats (sorry no pics). And just to confirm: the seats have red stitching and red 'Rubicon'. There is red stitching on the shift knob and transmission knob. There is red stitching on the steering will. The parking brake is black rubber material.

The door trim and center arm rest have a black vinyl textured material. It was soft vinyl feel or leatherette in some other manufactures. It felt fine.

I am going with premium cloth. I have leather in my current Rubicon Hard Rock and it is ok quality and I think the JL leather is about the same. If I had a dog I might get leather but the cloth feels very nice and is more comfortable when cold (even with heated seats) and with the top down where my black leather seats are very hot.

Thanks, good to hear, haven’t got a ton of feedback on the Rubi cloth interior but I went with it as well.

 

[Gus]

HI Guys,
I test drove a Sahara with leather seats and a Rubicon with premium cloth seats.
The leather looks much more elegant in the sahara but not sure about how it would be in the Rubicon rough look?
The main thing that caught my attention was, the rear seat foldable armrest/cup holding sis not available with etc cloth seats, seem like it only comes with leather for some reason. I checked two different Rubicons with cloths seat and non of them had the foldable armrest, only the sahara with the leather seats had it, which is something to take into consideration.

The following pics are Rubicon with premium cloth seats, the red dashboard is not that bad at all.

My only question is, if I decide to go with a Rubicon with the leather seats, how uncomfortable are they in the summer under the sun , when top is down?
With cold weather package, which include heating seats and remote start, one might be able to handle the cold leather seats , but the summer is my concern with the leather seats. any feedback with JK owners with leather seats would be appreciated.

Both leather and cloths have their pros and cons I guess, but not having the rear armrest with cloth is disappointing in a way.


I look forward for your comments and feedback

Thanks

 

[galleywinter]

Leather. 8 wranglers from 97 TJ up to 15 JK. I've had leather and cloth. Maybe the 2018's are better but the cloth shows wear after awhile. My leather on 2015 Hard Rock still looks new after 40k miles. Now I use Maguires leather cleaner/conditioner on it.

 

[Gus]

Leather. 8 wranglers from 97 TJ up to 15 JK. I've had leather and cloth. Maybe the 2018's are better but the cloth shows wear after awhile. My leather on 2015 Hard Rock still looks new after 40k miles. Now I use Maguires leather cleaner/conditioner on it.

Thanks for your feedback

 

[Jrbrannan]

How do the two hold up to the weather? I am not going to be too rough on it for the first couple of years but ideally the top and doors will come off at the beginning of summer and will not go back on until fall with the exception of some type of bikini top. So rain, mud and dirt for the leather and cloth options? Anyone have any feedback?

 

[JHJLUR]

How do the two hold up to the weather? I am not going to be too rough on it for the first couple of years but ideally the top and doors will come off at the beginning of summer and will not go back on until fall with the exception of some type of bikini top. So rain, mud and dirt for the leather and cloth options? Anyone have any feedback?

Just my experience bit in 30 years of wrangler ownership I’ve never been let down by the cloth.... I do like the leather but mud, dogs, rain... I’ve found the cloth to be more resilient.

 

[Jrbrannan]

Just my experience bit in 30 years of wrangler ownership I’ve never been let down by the cloth.... I do like the leather but mud, dogs, rain... I’ve found the cloth to be more resilient.

That was my thinking as well, but the better half was really like the leather in the Sahara we drove today.

 

[JHJLUR]

That was my thinking as well, but the better half was really like the leather in the Sahara we drove today.

No wrong choice, mainly preferences .... honestly I do think the cloth is a better
Long term play... but... my wife doesn’t mind the cloth either... if she wanted leather, I’d order leather... my wife is no ball buster, but happy wife, happy life. Hahaha

 

[Jrbrannan]

There is a lot of truth to that. At the end of the day she does not care that much and I am not sure how leather will hold up long term. I read so many posts on here about people with kids and pets, my 70 lb lab made me think of leaning towards cloth I would think that she would be more likely to scratch or puncture leather. With those who make that argument, what are your thoughts when it comes to leather and pets?

 

[word302]

There is a lot of truth to that. At the end of the day she does not care that much and I am not sure how leather will hold up long term. I read so many posts on here about people with kids and pets, my 70 lb lab made me think of leaning towards cloth I would think that she would be more likely to scratch or puncture leather. With those who make that argument, what are your thoughts when it comes to leather and pets?

I wouldn’t have anything but leather with pets. My dogs climb all over my leather seats in my suburban. I can’t imagine what cloth would look like after their abuse.

 

[JHJLUR]

I wouldn’t have anything but leather with pets. My dogs climb all over my leather seats in my suburban. I can’t imagine what cloth would look like after their abuse.

The dark cloth holds up great to pets, you can throw a cover on for good measure, but my two dogs and a toddler have put the cloth on my JKs through hell and they still look new.... also, Im a bit more comfortable with the cloth getting wet from a rainstorm if the top is down then the leather... that could be an unfounded concern, but mentally it just seems like the cloth holds up better to water.

 

[Jrbrannan]

The dark cloth holds up great to pets, you can throw a cover on for good measure, but my two dogs and a toddler have put the cloth on my JKs through hell and they still look new.... also, Im a bit more comfortable with the cloth getting wet from a rainstorm if the top is down then the leather... that could be an unfounded concern, but mentally it just seems like the cloth holds up better to water.

The water and leather was my concern as well, just something in my mind says leather and rain do not work together. Ironically I put a set of WJ loather seats in one of my old TJ and beat that thing like a rented mule, no top all summer, rain, mud etc, I only had it about 2 years but those seats always looked new... so maybe leather is okay for rain and mud?

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