Hi guys - I have a showroom condition '87 C4, and are considering upgrading to a C5. I'm looking at 2000 to 2002. From what I've looked at in the C5 it seems like the seats are done with cheaper leather, has poor workmanship and just don't hold up. Has anyone else found this to be the case? Are some years better than others?

 

My seats are great ! nice and soft and look great

 

Nope, I've got sport seats and the leather, looks, feel are great. I've got the shale interior, not sure how the black holds up.

 

The seats wear about the same but you do have to pay attention to how your enter and exit the car just the same way you do with the C4. I went from an 86 C4 and I always had to watch the seats to be sure they didn't wear. The wear on them was on the driver's side seat bottom and the seat bolster from getting in and out of the car. When I took delivery of my C5 I thought I was done with the C4 entry/exit but after catching my pants pocket and wallet on the seat bolster on entering the car I realized my pants and the seat were not going to last. The C5 seat frame is different than the C4 frame and has wings on it for the bolsters. The seat foam and leather/vinyl fit over the wings and that is what most people catch on when entering the car. On the C4 the bolster on the seat bottom and the back were all foam with no inserts.

With the 97s wear was evident within days of getting the car and the leather side of the bolster would rip as the inside frame cut the foam and leather from the inside. GM had my seat repaired and the shop put some padding on the wing and replaced the side piece of leather with vinyl as vinyl is tougher and is the same color all the way through. That solved the problem on my car but I did adopt the method I used for getting in and out of the C4 which is to face away from the seat, sit down and then swing the legs in.

In 2000 GM started making all their seats with this piece of vinyl instead of leather on the side of the bolster so only the seating surface was leather.

Other than that the C5 seat is more comfortable on a long drive as it allows you to move your butt around. The C4 seats cup the butt more and actually hold you in place when carving corners at an autocross or at an HPDE.

Bill

 

My seats are in great shape and great form, dont know about other c5 seats

 

I like the 6 way feel and workmanship seats in the C5 a lot better than the C4. Not sure what you are seeing, But they are really nice.

 

That is why I now have VE leather seats!

 

From what I've read here, GM pretty much admitted to using cheap leather to keep costs down and make these babies affordable for us. Yup, my bolster is already ripped. Partly because I didn't know how to get in and out at first and also because the adjustable bolster panels inside are like a friggin' KNIFE. Stooopid.

I have the sports seats and they are VERY comfortable....and I've learned how to get in and out without rubbing the bolster. But it's still inferior leather and I'm okay with that. I figure if want better, I'll either get them re-upholstered or get some after-market seats.

So don't worry about the seats....the rest of the car makes up for them.

 

when I had my 69 I was 30 years younger and my butt hurt after a couple of hours in those seats. I was amazed how comfortable these sports seats are! Even the wife stated how comfortable they were during our trip to Colorado last year.

When she's not happy, no one is happy.

 

C5 seats maybe cheap but,compared to the C4's I had,it's like night and
day,the bolsters were so thin you could strain paint through it.

 

I've got an 88 and a 99...The C4 leather on the seat bolster is just pathetic..I have not seen a C4 that has been driven that did not have driver seat bolster wear...Not as bad on the C5.

 

I cant say from personal experience how well the seats hold up, but I would probably suggest a seat cover? Perhaps one from VE, they do great craftsmanship.

 

thanx for your input I love the look of the C5

 

The stock C5 leather seats are comfortable, but not top quality in terms of the leather. However, install a set of covers from a quality vendor like Vette Essentials and you'll see a world of difference.

 

Same here,,compared to my shark these seats are HEAVEN!! The wife and I did an Atlanta trip,,550
mi. each way! Did each way in 1, 9 hour day, and she loved the seats,,said they were more comfortable than anything we've ever had,, and the FRC has a basic manual seat!!

 

My seats are 10+ years old now...and holding up well...and I take the seats out for track events, and they still have held up well.

 

I've got a C5 with sport seats, and I had a 95 C4 with sport seats.. so it is an apple to apple comparison..

I prefered the C4 seats by a bit for comfort and feel. The C5 seats look and feel higher quality however. If I had to choose one over the other, Id choose C4

 

My 2000 C5 seats came apart at the driver's side bolster seam at 11,000 miles! So many people have had problems with the interior quality. I understand keeping the price down on the car so you can get the performance, but come on! GM should do better and slowly they are, but now it is becoming unaffordable. GEEEZ!

I now have a Vette Essentials interior. WOW! What a difference in quality.

 

The sport seats are a big improvement over the standard seats. Even so the leather is quite thick and grainy. Probably hard wearing but not as good for looks as many seats I've seen. The bolsters are vinyl which again, probably wear better but don't look as good.

Mine have worn OK with one exception. The seam at the rear outside on the drivers seat at the base has split. Also many have trouble with the bolsters wearing out through constant use.

There are many new covers available so don't let it put you off. As mentioned, Vette Essentials have a whole interior replacement. Top quality work but a tad pricey.

Best of luck in the hunt for a Vette

 

If you "understand", why do you still complain? Like I said, if you want better...buy better. You've contradicted yourself here.

No offense, just pointing out the obvious. Cheerio!