How Is Your Leather Wearing On Current Rav4?

February 7, 2008

Hi all

Thinking about what sort of RAV to go for.. looking at some pictures of secondhand RAV's (latest model/4.3?) the leather looks like it has stretched after about 10K miles on the drivers seat. Now it could be that the person who owned this car was a particularly tubby type, but the construction of the leather seats seems designed to stretch and wear, by comparison with a more traditional 'quilted' look.. as per your average Bentley, Rolls, Jag etc

so, for those of you who are sitting on dead cow skin, how is it looking? Saggy? How 'dirt proof' is it proving? Does it tear easily? I've put in a poll, with the thought that most new shape RAV4s will not have done many miles and you'd expect the leather to be good - so its not very scientific :D

Would appreciate your feedback, cheers!

J

February 8, 2008

James

(Poll added)

Mine has done 11k and the seat has some marking but not that concerns me. Funnily enough, there was an article in last weeks auto express about somebody who had one of the sporty Audi's and complained about sag/stretch after a few months. The first time Audi recovered the seats for him but when it happened again after a similar time, they refused and have done since. They argue it is normal.

I think the seats reach a certain level and then stabilise.

I'm not too concerned. I can take a photo if you wish?

Regards

February 8, 2008

Wait til you see the leather seats on my 1973 Jaguar XJS - shrunk!! The stitching gave way cos the previous owner never looked after the leather.

On the RAV 4.1 seat, the front drivers seat foam cushioning seems to lose shape - on most I've seen anyway.

Maybe the later models use better quality foam?

One of the things I can't understand is the lack of fire prevention on the materials used. The regs were always a shambles throughout the UK - eg carpets have no fire safety rating but lounge seats do. Curtains didn't have a rating, but wallpaper does...

the same exists with cars - when have you ever seen a car thats had a fire limited cos of fire prevention methods??? Probably on a race track! Leather burns as well - witness the burning of cattle at the time of foot and mouth...

February 8, 2008

Mmm, thanks Bothy & Anchorman for the info. I have a clapped out Alfa GTV with leather and although it has the typical Alfa reliability elsewhere, the leather seats are amazingly good for a ten year old banger.

This has definitely swayed me towards an XT3 as its the kind of thing that would irritate me as you would see it every time you got in the car.

February 9, 2008

James,

I've brought some leather care cream from Autoglym which helps maintain the leather, you only need to use it once or twice a year :thumbsup:

February 10, 2008

James,

Leather bearing up well in my RAV (this August will be 6 years old) all the travelling I do around this lovely country of ours....Found the RAV's seats to be the comfiest I've had the pleasure of sitting on...Family hate it when I treat the seats as they slide all around the, daughter likes to sit in the centre rear seat and is constantly sliding around....

Driver's seat is smother than the passengers..well I can only drive from the right seat.... :unsure: but nor signs of wear on the leather yet....Toyota must use some sturdy cow skins for there seats... :D :D :D :D :D :D