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Leather vs base seats

31K views 43 replies 31 participants last post by  matto  
#1 ·
I'm searching and finding very little discussion about the leather seats. Are people happy with them? Any comfort differences?

I'm looking at the Canyon all terrain. The base seats look reasonably nice to me. I feel like the leather might be more supportive than cloth in the butt area?
 
#2 · (Edited)
A GMC Canyon All Terrain is like a Chevy Colorado Z71. The leather is only a trim piece and the seat is a tougher cloth unless the leather seat has been added as an option. I really like the All Terrain seats with the red stitching. There are basically three different types of seats in these trucks. Leather, cloth, and the Z71 or All Terrain seat. They have cloth and fake leather. I really like my Z71 seats as they are a very tough cloth in the center and are stiffer, which feels great on my old back on long trips. You now can add leather seats as an option to the Z71 or All Terrain.
 
#3 ·
well for me, I prefer the leather seats. I drive a '17 colorado WT with the fabric seats for work, and I have a '16 colorado z71 with the leather/fabric seat thing for my personal vehicle. I like my truck's leather/fabric seats but the LT trim leather seats are better though. Admittedly it did take me some time for my butt to get used to the leather seats in this truck when i bought it... so really its up for debate which is better. the base fabric seems tough but not 'soft' like the leather.. I dont think i can put to words to what I mean by that though. (im sure it would create some misunderstandings how I phrased that...)
 
owns 2016 Chevy Colorado Z71
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#5 ·
I have leather seats in my 18 ZR2 and I like them a lot mostly for appearance, however if they were not standard I would be perfectly happy with cloth assuming they would have saved a substantial amount of money. I have owned 4 Vettes that all have leather and I have owned dozens of daily drivers that had cloth, and honestly my ass can't tell much difference. Appearance is quite nice though.


These trucks are more luxurious today than Cadillacs were years ago.
 
#6 ·
Last two vehicles before my '18 Z71 were a C6 and a C7 both with the 3LT trims. The "leather" on the seats left something to be desired, so when I got the truck I was more than happy with the cloth/leather trim combo. Plus if you are a fequent user of the seat heaters there is a night and day difference. The cloth lets the heat flow oh so much better.
 
#7 ·
oh hahaha funny JBT. i was right lol
 
owns 2016 Chevy Colorado Z71
#8 ·
I have leather in my slt and had cloth pleather combo in my prior z71. There is no comparison. The leather is much more firm, easier to clean, and I feel like the seat warmers work better with the leather. I also didn’t like the weave type material they used on the z71. Very difficult to clean.
 
#9 ·
Here on Antarctica, the leather with heat is good. But when I go to the southern states, like Texas, on the hot days hitting 100 degrees F the cloth is favored so your arse doesnt get baked.
 
#10 ·
I have an 18 with leather. it was kind of a mix up that I was supposed to get cloth (and the better stereo), that said it was a good mix up because dog hair does not come out of clothe easily - with leather, it's just a wipe (after washing that silly stuff they spray on it to make it look good at the dealership)
 
#13 · (Edited)
I have both Z71 and LT w/leather.
The leather is firmer, and the base contour is flatter with less front rise.
The Z71 combo seats have accentuated bolstering, and the backed and bonded geometric cloth keep you more planted from sliding in the seats for rougher terrain.
The leather, you sit more "on", while the Z71 you sit more "in", is best I describe it.

And being in the south, air conditioning and ceramic window tint keep both equally comfortable, parked or travelling long term.
 
#14 · (Edited)
The leather is easy to clean and looks better. But they seats in general could use a little more side bolster. Also the leather seats take a little time to settle in or you just get used to them.


I never did like the material of the cloth seats. The pattern print is a little odd. But that is nothing new to GM.


I wish they offered the fake suede and leather seats I had in my SS. They were comfortable, easy to clean and wore well. I have the same in my Malibu too.


The real need in all these trucks is more contrasting color options. That would really make the interior look a lot less cheap.


The Coco in the GMC is not my favorite color but it look much more expensive than the jet black.
 
#15 ·
Sit in the various trucks.

All cloth, the basic, is usually pretty comfortable. The cleaning issues can be a pain.

Leather seats like I have are comfortable, sure a bit hot in summer sun. If I was to consider the Denali, the only reason would be ventilated seats. (Wife did not like ventilated seats on our Mustang rental a few weeks ago.) Our 2011 Camaro we got rid of had perforated seats. Not as good as ventilated, but better than straight leather for cooling. However, the perforations trapped dirt and probably negate one of the nice things about leather.

The Z71 seats are different: When I was checking out trucks, I vetoed the Z71/All Terrain because I found the Z71 seats very uncomfortable.

There may be an aftermarket/accessory solution, but factory you can only get heated seats with leather or Z71/All Terrain seats.
 
#16 ·
When you mention "base seats", don't forget to check out the vinyl seats on the base trucks if that is an option for you. I was surprised to find them to be the softest and most comfortable of all. Of course there are no seat heaters on them though. I have the SLT with leather. I have harshly criticized them in the past. Two years later now, I find the seat bottoms to be very nice and the seat backs good for the most part. I found the cloth seat to be brutal but I would imagine they will break in nicely as well.
 
#17 ·
.... I found the cloth seat to be brutal but I would imagine they will break in nicely as well.
The question is, do the seats break in, or does your back and butt conform to the seats?:surprise:

I always say, you don't train a dog, the dog trains you. (and I have a cocker spaniel that will prove my point.) In much the same way, do we "train" the seats or do the seats "train" us?
 
#19 ·
I love the seats in my 2016 All Terrain, the seats are firm, yet still comfy for me. As for cleaning, I have no issues cleaning them and the seat heaters get hot faster than in my wife's car with heated leather seats. I feel that the seats will not break down over time as much as they have in the wife's car that is now 6 years old, the seats don't look or feel as supportive now. I had cloth seats in my 98 Ranger which held up very well and still looked and felt good after 18 years of driving the truck. Time will tell with the seats in this truck, but I really like them, red stitching and all.
 
#21 ·
When I was looking for a truck, I just wanted an LT with the G80, but happened into a Z71 that was the right price.

The Z71 seats have been a very happy accident for me. Love the super tough center ‘perforated’ cloth that doesn’t get hot and sticky in the summer. And the pleather is good enough where everyone who gets in thinks it’s leather. Seems Plenty durable and maybe even less maintenance than leather too. The center cloth doesn’t have dirt and hair stick in it like normal cloth, so it’s almost wipe clean too. Very happy.

Drove a cloth seated 18 LT for a few days. Those seats are fine too. They felt like mine, although they might soften up a bit more. Only difference I saw there is cleaning and appearance.

To my eye and butt, the seats are all the same underneath, so pick the surface and appearance that works best for your use/wallet.
 
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#22 ·
I have leather in my ZR2 it’s just ok, rather hard. I always get leather in all my vehicles but usually aftermarket is the way to go. “Katzkin” is one of the most popular brands. Best part when you have it installed you can customize the seats a bit. Obviously more expensive way to go but if you can not take leather option from factory then maybe the way to go
 
#23 ·
I have leather in my ZR2 it’s just ok, rather hard. I always get leather in all my vehicles but usually aftermarket is the way to go. “Katzkin” is one of the most popular brands.
Interesting. Any idea how much they cost ballpark? The stock leather seats are a grand.

I drove a canyon with leather seats today and yeah, they were fairly hard. They weren't bad, but I wouldn't say they were good either.
 
#24 ·
Leather looks and smells nice, is more upscale and is easier to clean, BUT, it feels hot and cold to the skin, stretches more, sweats more and seems to scratch and rip easier. It should be maintained occasionally so it doesn't dry out and crack (check out the leather on some of the older cars). I have both but personally I prefer cloth for year around comfort. :cool:
 
#26 ·
I think the real answer is how the seats are constructed. You can put the finest leather over a piece of plywood and most of us would say that leather seat is uncomfortable. The art to building a well built, solid, comfortable seat where 80% are happy is the key to success.


Once you've got that 80% figured out you add the ability to adjust the front/back, up/down, lumbar/recline and heat option to bring that total to a 90% approval rate. Finally, is the fabric. I'm willing to bet for most of us if the initial butt in seat experience is a smile the type of fabric is mostly a non-issue The type of seat fabric will only become relevant if driving around in your underwear. :smile2:


Gusto!
 
#27 ·
Just to update this thread: I drove a Z71 with non-leather and a ZR2 (leather) back to back and I strongly preferred the leather. It seemed firmer to me, but it was still comfortable. And the key was that the bottom was flatter. The leatherette bump around the z71 seat is too tall and was bothering my hamstrings. I think it would give me numb legs on long rides.
 
#28 ·
Leather for me was one of the non negotiable items on my list in what I wanted in my Colorado. I'm really not a fan of the aesthetics of the leatherette with the cloth in the center, nothing to do with comfort I just don't like the looks of it. I've only had my truck a week but I find the leather quite comfortable and the adjustable seats let you play with the seat height and lumbar support to get it just right.
 
#32 ·
LT seats with cloth are lacking lumbar adjustment FYI... Colorado seats generally kinda suck compared to my previous Silverado but, I've gotten almost used to them now.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Does anyone know if the non-z71 leather seats (and non-all-terrain leather seats) are different than the leather z71 / all terrain seats? Or are all twin leather seats identical from a comfort point of view?

I ask because tonight I rode in an all terrain with non-leather seats, followed by an SLT (leather but not all terrain). And this time I found the non-leather all terrain seats more comfortable. The leather seats felt like I was sitting on top of something and I was going to slide off. I don't remember feeling that way in the leather all-terrain seats but now I don't know if I'm imagining things.