Differences in seat leather?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 4,980
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From: Bainbridge Island WA
Differences in seat leather?
Your two seat leather choices are:
1.) Perforated NAPA leather seating surfaces (3LT)
2.) Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts
Apparently the latter comes with a slightly different steering wheel. Can someone explain what the differences are here? Is one considered "better" or more wear resistant than the other? Which would you recommend?
Edited to clarify the question and reflect info from sTz and OWC6 below
1.) Perforated NAPA leather seating surfaces (3LT)
2.) Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts
Apparently the latter comes with a slightly different steering wheel. Can someone explain what the differences are here? Is one considered "better" or more wear resistant than the other? Which would you recommend?
Edited to clarify the question and reflect info from sTz and OWC6 below
Last edited by mschuyler; Oct 25, 2016 at 07:52 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Chirper Island
Napa is whole leather.
Mulan is a sort of leather "spam".
In both cases, in Corvettes, they are plasticized with a coating; no leather surface is exposed.
BTW, Napa/Nappa are both considered acceptable spellings.
Mulan is a sort of leather "spam".
In both cases, in Corvettes, they are plasticized with a coating; no leather surface is exposed.
BTW, Napa/Nappa are both considered acceptable spellings.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
I don't know if "mulan" is actually leather. So, let me ask a question: do you think "bonded" leather is leather? It has the word leather in it. It even has some leather pieces in it to make it. But is it leather as most people understand the word to be "leather"? Because from what I've read mulan is a form of bonded leather. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-leather.html
How will it last compared to Nappa leather? I don't know. So far, there are few failures of mulan leather, and nappa is the real thing. I'd think they'd both last a long time with the possible edge going to mulan because it's man-made (maybe "space-age" synthetics?).
I think you'd have to go to a car seat place or leather shop to get the real info on which is better for wear and longevity. JMO.
How will it last compared to Nappa leather? I don't know. So far, there are few failures of mulan leather, and nappa is the real thing. I'd think they'd both last a long time with the possible edge going to mulan because it's man-made (maybe "space-age" synthetics?).
I think you'd have to go to a car seat place or leather shop to get the real info on which is better for wear and longevity. JMO.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6,140
Likes: 2,745
From: Northeast
Call it spam, pleather, faux, bonded... or whatever, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality, feel, appearance, and wear- thus far, of my lowly 2LZ interior, which I still consider leather by BTW.
Edit:
Edit:
Last edited by sTz; Oct 25, 2016 at 08:04 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 4,980
Likes: 3,826
From: Bainbridge Island WA
OK. Thanks to your replies I now understand that Napa is better than Mulan. Mulan is offered in the 1LT and 2LT trim levels and Napa is offered in the 3LT trim level. It' an upgrade.
BUT at the all trim levels the "other" option is:
"Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts."
If you choose that option you ALSO get a "three spoke sueded microfiber steering wheel" for an extra $695. I was curious what the difference was between "Napa Leather" and "Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts"
Thanks for allowing me to clarify my originally muddled question.
BUT at the all trim levels the "other" option is:
"Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts."
If you choose that option you ALSO get a "three spoke sueded microfiber steering wheel" for an extra $695. I was curious what the difference was between "Napa Leather" and "Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts"
Thanks for allowing me to clarify my originally muddled question.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 6,140
Likes: 2,745
From: Northeast
OK. Thanks to your replies I now understand that Napa is better than Mulan. Mulan is offered in the 1LT and 2LT trim levels and Napa is offered in the 3LT trim level. It' an upgrade.
BUT at the all trim levels the "other" option is:
"Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts."
If you choose that option you ALSO get a "three spoke sueded microfiber steering wheel" for an extra $695. I was curious what the difference was between "Napa Leather" and "Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts"
Thanks for allowing me to clarify my originally muddled question.
BUT at the all trim levels the "other" option is:
"Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts."
If you choose that option you ALSO get a "three spoke sueded microfiber steering wheel" for an extra $695. I was curious what the difference was between "Napa Leather" and "Leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts"
Thanks for allowing me to clarify my originally muddled question.
Last edited by sTz; Oct 25, 2016 at 08:13 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2016
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2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C7 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
My car is a 3lz with microfiber insert seats and a leather steering wheel. I just installed the microfiber steering wheel I purchased from trunk monkey.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2016
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From: Bainbridge Island WA
Well, when you use the configurator at chevy.com and choose the 'microfiber insert option' it forces the steering wheel in there at $695, but I can't find it in the RPO codes. There's a lot to wade through and I might have missed it.
Team Owner
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From: Arizona
I think you have to have the Jet Black package.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: Bainbridge Island WA
Drifting
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From: Austin, TX, U.S.A.
Team Owner
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From: Arizona
Of course the color is gone, but I never saw it offered in Brownstone. I have thought from the start that my wheel should be brown.
Instructor
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From: Santa Rosa California
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I ordered my '16 3LT in Kalahari with suede microfiber seat inserts. The car was delivered with a leather steering wheel with Kalahari stitching, but a black suede shift **** and boot with black stitching.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 120
Likes: 18
From: Miami FL
Colored leather
I ordered my '16 3LT in Kalahari with suede microfiber seat inserts. The car was delivered with a leather steering wheel with Kalahari stitching, but a black suede shift **** and boot with black stitching.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 249
Likes: 191
From: Santa Rosa California
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2024 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2022 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C1 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2018 C1 of Year Finalist
2016 C1 of the Year Finalist
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 752
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From: Charlotte NC
I ordered my '16 3LT in Kalahari with suede microfiber seat inserts. The car was delivered with a leather steering wheel with Kalahari stitching, but a black suede shift **** and boot with black stitching.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.
I ended up switching out the **** and boot to match the wheel and then added some color to the air bag cover to match the dash trim.