tobey457

New guy here - probing auto websites and dealer websites for a 2nd gen TSX. Still undecided on if I'm going used, leftover 2010, or a new 2011...

One thing I keep seeing, which is one of my biggest pet peeves, is that the driver's side seat leather on a lot of the used vehicles I'm looking at appear to be cracked. Most of the time it's the door side bolster, but now I'm seeing quite a few with buckles where each of your legs would drape over the seat... Granted - most people don't take care of their cars, even when they pay $30k for one. Not sure why that is, and that's your prerogative whether or not you do, and not really the topic of this discussion. Nor do I want to discuss Acura vs. BMW leather quality or X brand auto maker that you love - go troll somewhere else.

Just wondering if you guys are seeing similar results? And if you are seeing a lot of cracking and wear, have you been constantly (like from day 1) been treating your leather? Looked back through about 6 months worth of threads and didn't see many complaints.

If a little extra TLC is the answer then I'm ok with that; but if the leather is doomed from the start then I might look elsewhere. I also read somewhere that the 2011's got an upgrade in leather? If so a 2011 might be the only option that I'll be happy with...

Insight is much appreciated - thanks.

ed_423

i dont think the 11' upgraded leather, but rather different stitching.

my leather has some cracks

KillerG

it looks like a fat asshole has been sitting in my drivers side seat.

I have no idea why.

MrOtocinclus

I have an '09 and the leather has been great, but I do treat it occasionally, I'd say every 6 months or so, when I feel like it's starting to get dirty. I still get the new leather smell when I get in the car, especially after a long time without having been in it. It's one of my favorite things about my car.

One summer day I wore some shorts with a zipper back pocket, and I scratched up some of the bolster while getting into the car, but that was completely user error on my part. I make sure my ass doesn't brush the bolster when I get in now.

Euronoob

I'm very paranoid of getting in and out of my car myself. I want to keep the leather in as best condition as possible for as long as possible. I have a MY11 and have only owned it for 2 weeks but each time I get in and out, I try not to put my weight on the edge near the door or else it'll wrinkle/crack there in the future? I get even more paranoid when my friends/family sit in the car!

Are there any ways to keep the seats in a great condition? Does polishing the leather every now and then do anything or is that just for shine/clean?

b.ike

I hear ya buddy. Same with me, I actually find myself watching very carefully how someone gets into my car lol.
And I too did the hop right onto the seat thing as I didn't want to put weight onto to the seat ridges haha...But 3 months later (and a few rock chips later) I think my OCD has lessened. It might have to do with fact that now Im throwing around the car a bit more and revving the engine harder =p (can't baby it and enjoy it at the same time!)

tobey457

Thanks for the replies.

I do the same getting in and out, and my previous car's (2008 Legacy GT Limited) leather looked like day one when I got rid of it almost 3 years later. The bolsters are high wear points, and people tend to sit on them and rub against them getting in and out. Subarus aren't known for great quality leather, but I found a little extra care went a long way.

I'm just hoping that being cautious and taking good care will keep the leather looking good for a long time in the TSX. Some of the used examples I have found have under 15k and the leather is gross, so just want to make sure I know what I'm getting in to!

010tsxcbp

My car is a little over a year old with about 9500mi, and the leather is still in pretty good shape. There are some wrinkles (cracks, whatever you call them) on the seat, but it holds up pretty well!

MrOtocinclus

I think there are two steps to keeping the seats in good condition:

1. Keep the leather clean as much as possible.

2. Condition the leather.

Leather is basically animal skin. Just as we use hand lotion or whatever to keep our hands soft, the same can be done with leather. There are products out there made specifically for car leather, to protect against hot/cold, UV, and whatever else that affects only car leather. My (meaning my opinion, since I don't know if they use 2 cents in AUS!)

TheGoodGuy

2009 with 58000 miles, leather is holding up, but yeah the front seats have small cracks, but then I love Leather CPR. I find the steering wheel has some scratches, I have to leather CPR it.

So far so good!

fallacy

When I first got it the leather was so soft, and not shiney.. Now it's getting hard and my ass has put a nice shine on it

Leather conditioner does not solve this issue .. it sucks, it'll look like a 10 year old used lexus in no time.

KillerG

fallacy, try a leather cleaner and a leather brush instead of a conditioner like lexol

hornyleprechaun

Post is confusing.. do you mean use lexol or lexol is a conditioner?

KillerG

im assuming hes using lexxol leather conditioner, the most common stuff out there, dont use the 'conditioner'. try the lexxol cleaner instead is what i meant.

tobey457

Nice - keep the info coming!

I found on my Subaru that a little caution and regular cleanings and conditioning kept it looking great. But that was also on tan leather - black might be much harder to keep.

Still haven't seen anything about the '11 model having different leather - I think that was just a rumor.

nj2pa2nc

If this helps-I own a 06 tsx and the leather still looks great. This is after 120K+miles. I do leather cleaner and also wipes. It also is garage kept with no tints. Just what came with the car.

nshahzad

A lot of the used cars are off-lease too, most people, I presume, don't really care about it since they're getting rid of them anyway.

adversary

I got my car back in July 2010. I clean my leather once every 3 months and my car's leather is still in pristine condition. However, the driver's seat has some wrinkles on the bolsters.

My dad has a 2003 Volkswagen Passat with only 33k miles. His car is garaged and the leather in that car is fantastic. He only cleans his leather maybe like once every 1-3 years lol.

If your TSX is garaged you should still clean and condition your leather maybe once every 3-4 months.

If your TSX is not garaged, like mine, I suggest tinting your windows to protect the leather as much as possible. For my interior plastics and dash, I use 303 Aerospace. I just use Lexol for the leather. I feel that it is good enough. If you live in extreme temperature, I suggest conditioning your car once a month or two. If you've spent 30k on your car, you should baby it.

MrOtocinclus

^ Excellent post, and I'll add that I'm one of those few people leasing but still taking care of the car.

hornyleprechaun

How often do you apply the 303 Aerospace &/or Lexol?

Do you use the Lexol Cleaner & Conditioner?

Euronoob

Blahblah

nj2pa2nc

good information-BUT- Your car is less than a year old so I would hope the leather would still look excellent. My tsx on the otherhand is 4.4 years old and I must say the interior still looks new. It still has the leather smell thanks to No Smoking.

hornyleprechaun

Sigh I'm such an idiot.. never posting before 9am again.

rgoldd

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallacy

When I first got it the leather was so soft, and not shiney.. Now it's getting hard and my ass has put a nice shine on it

Leather conditioner does not solve this issue .. it sucks, it'll look like a 10 year old used lexus in no time.

I second this!

adversary

i like to take precaution. i am also OCD when it coms to caring for my car.

adversary

i clean and condition my car with lexol products for my front seats.

since no one ever sits in the backseats, i just condition them with the lexol conditioner. i dont really find it important for me to use the cleaner on it. my windows are up 90% of hte time and since i have 20% tints in the back, i feel like i can skip the cleaner.

hornyleprechaun

Thanks for the info.

goddsmack

I third this, I've tried the lexol, Zaino bro's products, and some off brand from Costco on my '05 TSX, black leather. No luck on keeping it soft, too dry. But no cracks.

I have an '11 rental right now and damn that new leather is so nice and soft, miss that..

TPac

Any opinions on wipes vs. spray for the Lexol products?

sr20bet

Leather is not ideal for any climates which are 'too' dry.

If it's not well taken care of it's just a matter of time before it starts to wear.

Leather is more luxurious and easier to clean and holds a higher social standing.

Cloth is more comfortable.

tvac

I have a 2010 that's coming up on a year old and the leather is beginning to show the tell-tale signs of cracking on the outer bolster. I had an '02 TL S-Type and it had the same problem. I used Luxol regularly on it and that seemed to slow the process down somewhat. What I did with the TL was wait until the warrantee was about to run out and had Acura replace the driver seat leather.

hornyleprechaun

I bought the spray because I think I'll get more uses out of the spray than the wipes. JMO

nj2pa2nc

I use both-I do prefer the spray but since I travel alot I have a supply of wipes in the car.

mphilleo

How difficult is the arbitration process if you need your leather seat cover(s) replaced under warranty? I've got about 2,500 miles on my '10 TSX and the bolsters are already showing deep valleys in the seat bolsters. So far, careful entry and exit, along with religious cleaning and conditioning of the leather has done little to help and I think it's only a matter of time before I'll need to have it looked at. What bothers me most is that there's such shoddy materials in a $30,000 car - something cosmetic that could affect the trade-in or resale value.

hornyleprechaun

I would think the sooner the better.. that way it won't fall under wear and tear.

tobey457

See this is what scares me - sounds like you have been proactive and have taken preventive measures to ensure your leather doesn't look like crap, and it's still failing. I'm the same, I don't mind going above and beyond to make sure it looks good for a long time, but if that doesn't work than nothing will.

I've found several CPO TSXs with under 10k and they all show the same condition that you're noting. It's actually driving me away from buying one, knowing that even if I get a 2011 it will look horrible within a year.

mphilleo

I know it probably sounds superficial on my part but, honestly, if I knew the leather in the TSX were so poor, I don't think I would've bought mine. It looked great and felt great when I sat in it. I know leather wears, but things aren't looking good for me. The best part is (my fault, I know) is that the closes Acura dealership is about 6 hours away from where I live. Sure, I can get it serviced at the Honda dealer, but for warranty claims I'll have to drive about 480 miles.

Does anyone, from their experience, or others', know what sort of window I have to get this looked at? I've only had the car for about 1.5 months or so. If the leather is going to go bad in say, another 2,500 to 5,000 miles, this could become troublesome and expensive on the travel necessary alone. Finally, has anyone actually heard of Acura denying a claim for premature leather wear? If so, I might have to debate between taking a hit and trading it in now versus taking a possibly bigger hit 2 years later when the bolsters are blown out.

sr20bet

The Acura leather is average, however all leather will age with enough use. Taking care of the leather will prolong it's service life and let it age well, but it will still age. All materials age, I guess it depends what your are looking for from your 'surface' materials. You want to feel special? impress your friends? feel comfortable? have better aging? etc....it depends what you want. Each materials have it's pros and cons.

I would prefer seats that are cloth with the option of having different types of covers, leather....etc....That way it's more flexible and easier to maintain in the long term....more options.

I wish honda would come out with a type r tsx and outfit it with Recaro seats. That would be bomb a$$

tobey457

Of course all materials age, but from what mphilleo is saying even going above and beyond with proactive care and maintenance (from the beginning of the service life) has still not shown positive results. And that's only after ~3k miles.

I'm not looking to impress anyone, but if I'm buying a 30k automobile I expect the leather to look new well past 3k miles. I go far above and far beyond what is expected for regular care and maintenance of my automobiles. If even that will not net positive results I may have to look elsewhere for my purchase. I can't imagine owning a sparkling, dent free, scratchless, well running Acura with 20k miles and torn leather seats.

It's a shame because I've owned several Honda products, and I'm sold on the 2nd gen TSX, but the leather is the only thing that has me questioning the purchase. If I buy CPO I'm going to have the dealer throw in an extra lower driver's seat cover ($450 ouch). Or I may have a local shop make full exact replacement covers for the front seats, but made out of better materials (double ouch).

I'd hate to change my purchase based solely on the quality of the leather, might just have to come up with a plan B instead.

tobey457

I don't think it's superficial, I think you have certain expectations with the purchase of a 30k automobile. I've seen a lot of threads about 2nd gen leather quality, and from my shopping experience I've noticed the same.

I would bring your concerns to the dealer so it's documented, and snap a few pics. If they don't fix it, at least you're building a case. You won't be the first or last to complain about it, but if they won't work with you on a warranty issue then escalate it. You're under warranty, give it hell.

I wonder if there are aftermarket solutions out there. Would suck to get rid of a great car for this, and would probably cost just as much to replace the leather as it would to trade for something else.