I saw on NBC this morning that Mercedes will now offer a cloth interior in their model line. Supposedly this is a concession to the Tree Huggers that are appalled at having leather seats and upholsery in automobiles. Sounds like MB's are still slowly evolving into Chryslers. Gee, I wonder why sales are plummenting?

 

All mercs in Europe come with cloth as standard, most dont' come with alloy wheels either.

 

This is probably going to sound strange to most...but I actually prefer the look and feel of a great cloth seat! I have never been a fan of leather...either on my furniture or in the car (except on the doors!). I probably would never go the cloth route because of resale value, but would love to see how it looks!

 

I don't know if it's still available but when I lived in Germany in the mid-70's, you could get magnificent upholstery that looked like Mohair. I believe that it cost the same as leather. It was an option on the S-Class and was probably wool.

Because I'm as old as dirt, it reminded me of the upholstery in the 1948 Chrysler New Yorker.

 

Giving customers more choices isn't likely to send M-B sales "plummenting." To the contrary. Fabric is historically the upholstery material of choice for luxury cars as well as inexpensive cars, at least outside of the UK. It's only in recent decades that Americans have decided that it's classy to ride around on the skin of a dead cow. Now that $20,000 KIAs and Hyundais come with leather "seating surfaces", it's about time for cloth to make a comeback.

 

Here's the news blip...I'd really be interested in what the option looks like:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6930506/

Mercedes-Benz to offer 'leather-free' seats

Updated: 7:45 p.m. ET Feb. 7, 2005
BERLIN - Mercedes-Benz has agreed to offer "leather-free" versions of all its luxury cars to pacify an animal rights group that says thousands of cows are slaughtered each year for leather car seats and interiors.
After complaints from the German chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, DaimlerChrysler said its Mercedes subsidiary will offer fabric or synthetic leather as options. Daimler spokeswoman Ursula Mertzig-Stein said that far from wanting leather-free cars, "our customers ... are more likely to want even more leather at the premium end. But we'll make cars without leather on demand."
PETA officials, who had threatened protests at the carmaker's Stuttgart headquarters, said they were delighted.
"When you consider that the skins of four to 15 cows are needed for each car this means thousands of cows will be spared," said PETA researcher Edmund Haferbeck. "This is a huge victory for animal rights."

 

No indication that the cloth will be offered in the North American market; what the announcement amounts to is that M-Bs in Europe that don't presently have cloth as standard or optional (say, the S-Class?) will have that option. The animal rights movement isn't the force in the US that it is in Europe. If MBUSA wanted to placate the movement in the US, it would probably offer an all-MBTex interior instead of fabric upholstery. A lot of US M-Bs with supposedly "leather" uphostery are almost all MBTex anyway.

 

Hi Terry,
I think we have to be careful what we say when we state that 'ALL' Mercedes-Benz in Europe come with cloth as standard. This is the E-class 211 forum and I can only speak for Northern Ireland as well as the rest of the UK. Indeed the smaller E-class have cloth seats, apart from Avantgarde which I believe has half leather. Then the E500 and E55 have leather as standard with optional nappa leather. I would assume that CL and S have leather as standard plus some of the SL and smaller models.

Edit: This new dictum by Mercedes-Benz will include artificial leather being available. As well as the cloth.

Sorry to contradict you,
Take care,
John

 

Here was my other thought...that I'd have to pay extra just to have the "option" of cloth seats!! Plus, it sounds like it would be a special order...just image that charge...

I'd choose the leather over the MB Tex any day...

 

Well, in Germany Leather was an upgrade on most models. In the US, you could get MB TEX up to the late 80s (I think). I now wonder if the car price guides will now add Leather as an option again. Or, as stated, since cloth might cost more money, it might be an upgrade??

When I lived in Germany, I could never get over the ugly hubcaps that otherwise nice cars had. S classes with hubcaps look cheap.

Steve

 

i knew a kid that had mb tex in his 95 w202 back in the day and i knew another kid with an ml that had cloth seats and no factory tints. real bootleg if you ask me

 

Had MBTEX in several of my older Es and it was OK. In late '80s and mid '90s models it looked and felt like leather. Cloth? No thanks - too EURO TAXI for me!

 

I actually prefer the fell of a nice velour-type cloth as opposed to leather. It's so much softer and a lot warmer in the winter months. Of course they'd have to be ventilated for those hot summer months.

I am looking forward to seeing what MB will offer as their cloth seats.

 

Mouse fur is cooler in the summer and it has a firmer grip in corners. In Audis, it used to be a no cost option when replacing the standard leather.

 

PETA sucks, so does cloth.

 

I don't think its going to hurt the MB brand by offering cloth seats, after all they've done so much decontenting that even offering cloth seats sounds good to me...

By the way if animal rights activists have a problem with leather seats in cars, maybe they should opt for riding the bus, I hear their vinyl seats are great in the summer...

 

Agreed... Don't those PETA people have anything better to do besides threaten other people or companies with protests? If they don't like leather in cars, then don't buy it!

 

Its killed for the steak and burger.

Should we just throw all that cowskin away? A cow is honored when becomes an OEM part in a Mercedes.

Besides, burgers, steaks, and leather seats don't kill cows, they create cows. The beast would have never been bred or born and would have never had the chance to enjoy the "farm-life", had the industry not given them life.


mmmmmmmmm STEAK

 

I was just going to point this out, but you beat me to it.

Steve. Steak sounds GREAT!!

 

Actually, leather is a multi-billion dollar industry and if everyone in the world were a vegetarian cows would still be killed just for their skin.

BTW, I'm a member of PETA but most certainly not an animal rights activist. I'm only a member for the free vegetarian recipes they send out every month in the newsletter.

 

Burn Samoan at the stake!

Haha, just messin', bro.

 

Hmmmm.... I always thought leather came from animals, not trees...
I never thought a "tree hugger" and "animal rights activists" were the same.

 

I hate to admit it but I think I understand what your saying.

Take care,
John

A slightly overcast afternoon in Torquay

 

I think that you statement is correct (about the leather industry), however, you need to understand that the world does not have enough farmland to support everyone as a vegetarian lifestyle. On the other side, the world does not have enough resources to have everyone eat beef/meat either.

The main issue here is that there is not one part of a slaughtered animal that is not used. That is not entirely bad. Hats off to you for following your own convictions Brian. Vegetarian, JUNKeterian, Carnivorous or Human-Disposal that is your right in the end!

Steve A

 

You do realize that one cow eats more vegetation in a day than does an entire family of vegetarians in a week.