Interior help -- oyster leather or beige leatherette? - XBimmers

MrT-Man · 01-07-2013, 11:12 PM

I'm about to order my X1, & have picked out everything except for the interior. I've narrowed it down to oyster leather or beige leatherette. We've got a baby on the way, & I'd be interested in any thoughts in terms of which would be a safer choice for maintenance/upkeep.

On the one hand, leatherette is obviously more durable than leather; but on the other hand, with the oyster, you get black seat backs, black carpet, black base at the doors, etc., which are the parts that are the most likely to get dirty anyway.

I realize that both are going to require more maintenance/upkeep than black, but I've had an all-black interior for the last few years & I feel like it's time for a change... Between the two options I'm considering, what do you think would be safer? Beige for the indestructability, or oyster for the extra black bits?

宝马.e90 · 01-07-2013, 11:18 PM

Leatherette. Considering you're expecting a kid, it would really come down to how much time you're willing to spend to maintain/clean the oyster leather. At times I wish I had leather because the feel is that much better but when I clean the car (which is often) I'm glad I have leatherette.

nospam · 01-08-2013, 12:40 AM

Sorry, I'm just not a fan of leatherette. The beige leatherette have had dingy edges on the loaners I've gotten (from blue jeans I presume). The leather BMW uses on the lower end Exx vehicles is pretty durable and cleanable (I had grey leather on my E90). The black bits are a plus, but I would never get Oyster with kids (my ex-boss had Oyster in his E92).

Based on other cars I've seen, the headliners get dingy with kids. We are expecting in June so we ordered an M-Sport partly for the anthracite headliner (w/Coral Red leather for contrast).

If I hadn't ordered red leather, I would have chosen terra over beige or oyster to be kid friendlier.

drp90210 · 01-08-2013, 01:32 AM

I got the beige leatherette and am buying charcoal X1 carpet mats to hide floor dirt. I don't like the busy look of the black handles, etc - to me the beige leatherette looks great.

tahoe_bound · 01-08-2013, 02:06 AM

I went with beige leatherette and very happy I did. I just put in black floor mats to protect the light carpets. For what it is worth they had an Oyster interior at the car show and it was looking pretty grey, albeit I attended the final day.

M3tallicar · 01-08-2013, 01:19 PM

Aside from not loving how leatherette feels I can appreciate the appeal of the fact it's plastic and therefore harder to damage. That said I personally do not like the tan hard plastics that go with the sand leatherette, not only do i prefer the black but having had it in a BMW before I found they got scuffed up and hard to clean. So if it were me I'd go oyster, terra or red if you are sick of all black (which I understand )

lynyrdskynyrd803 · 01-08-2013, 04:36 PM

go with the beige leatherette. Thats what i choose. Its very easy to clean and will also last a lot longer than real leather.

Grovsnus · 01-08-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynyrdskynyrd803

go with the beige leatherette. Thats what i choose. Its very easy to clean and will also last a lot longer than real leather.

I have a 70 year old overstuffed leather chair that disagrees with your opinion...

MrT-Man · 01-09-2013, 11:18 AM

Thanks for the feedback -- I mean I'll either end up having to clean the leather (if I go oyster) or otherwise the carpet, doors & seatbacks (if I go beige leatherette) so I suppose it comes down to what I want to spend my time cleaning...

From what I've read it certainly seems like the oyster gets dirty easily, but I get the impression that the stains shouldn't be too hard to get rid of, as long as I don't let it sit, & use the right cleaning products (& ban grape juice from the car!).

Grovsnus · 01-09-2013, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrT-Man

From what I've read it certainly seems like the oyster gets dirty easily, but I get the impression that the stains shouldn't be too hard to get rid of, as long as I don't let it sit, & use the right cleaning products (& ban grape juice from the car!).

If you go with leatherette, ban bananas from the car. The amyl acetate will stain pretty much any non-PTE plastic, to the point that it's probably the most common cause of dark stains on visors, oh-shit-handles and car seats.

M3tallicar · 01-09-2013, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrT-Man

Thanks for the feedback -- I mean I'll either end up having to clean the leather (if I go oyster) or otherwise the carpet, doors & seatbacks (if I go beige leatherette) so I suppose it comes down to what I want to spend my time cleaning...

From what I've read it certainly seems like the oyster gets dirty easily, but I get the impression that the stains shouldn't be too hard to get rid of, as long as I don't let it sit, & use the right cleaning products (& ban grape juice from the car!).

You might want to consider banning eating and drinking in the car anyway, especially a moving car - I've read about and seen photos of injuries to kids from loose objects that become projectiles, even a child partially scalped by his sippy cup

Kids do come with messes though

two-five boy · 01-09-2013, 12:30 PM

Have you considered getting seat covers? They'll certainly keep your seating surface lasting longer and cleaner. I would NOT get leatherette simply because the seat backs are not black. Your kid WILL kick and dirty the seat back in no time once he/she gets old enough to sit forward and able to reach with their little legs.

Grovsnus · 01-09-2013, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two-five boy

Have you considered getting seat covers? They'll certainly keep your seating surface lasting longer and cleaner. I would NOT get leatherette simply because the seat backs are not black. Your kid WILL kick and dirty the seat back in no time once he/she gets old enough to sit forward and able to reach with their little legs.

I thought that was what this was for...

popopine · 01-09-2013, 05:58 PM

I have oyster and i used some leather master barrier on it. It holds up nicely and looks great. Black wheel wells make a huge difference.

TheGuru2You · 01-10-2013, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrT-Man

I'm about to order my X1, & have picked out everything except for the interior. I've narrowed it down to oyster leather or beige leatherette. We've got a baby on the way, & I'd be interested in any thoughts in terms of which would be a safer choice for maintenance/upkeep.

On the one hand, leatherette is obviously more durable than leather; but on the other hand, with the oyster, you get black seat backs, black carpet, black base at the doors, etc., which are the parts that are the most likely to get dirty anyway.

I realize that both are going to require more maintenance/upkeep than black, but I've had an all-black interior for the last few years & I feel like it's time for a change... Between the two options I'm considering, what do you think would be safer? Beige for the indestructability, or oyster for the extra black bits?

Leatherette is really the best option. I have a '86 325 with leatherette and I can use a scrub brush on it. However, if leather it must be then go with oyster for the black parts. Maintenance is the same as beige and I think the thing you will be most surprised about is wearing blue jeans. They tend to rub off onto the light leather colors (depending on the jeans).

MrT-Man · 01-22-2013, 05:25 PM

So I went ahead & ordered it with the oyster. Maybe I'm making a horrible mistake considering that there'll be a baby in the car, but in the end the oyster is what I really really wanted, so I just went ahead & did it! All the promo pics with the fineline matt wood & the oyster really sold me on it, & I'm wiling to do the extra cleaning/maintenance that's involved. Hopefully this leatherique stuff is as good as everyone says for removing stains...

As an aside, I'm a little surprised that oyster seems to be pretty rare as an option on the used X1s I've seen listed. Maybe everyone is also worried about its practicality.

drp90210 · 01-22-2013, 07:25 PM

I honestly don't know why the leather/leatherette combos and colors are so tied to certain packages. I was told by a dealer that for 2014, BMW's X1 options are supposed to open up and not be so restricted to lines.

As an example, I personally prefer an all-beige interior over the oyser/black contrast, but the sport package I wanted does not offer ANY light interior, beige, oyster or otherwise. So I was forced to get the x-line, which looks great, but then I am stuck with the chrome kidney grills which, on a black car, are not my favorite, so I may ask the dealer to replace them with the black sport-line kidney grills. All this is probably TMI but exemplifies the problems with these restrictive lines which BMW will hopefully modify for the 2014 model.

Congrats on your car - mine comes in a month.

FL1051 · 01-22-2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drp90210

I honestly don't know why the leather/leatherette combos and colors are so tied to certain packages. I was told by a dealer that for 2014, BMW's X1 options are supposed to open up and not be so restricted to lines.

As an example, I personally prefer an all-beige interior over the oyser/black contrast, but the sport package I wanted does not offer ANY light interior, beige, oyster or otherwise. So I was forced to get the x-line, which looks great, but then I am stuck with the chrome kidney grills which, on a black car, are not my favorite, so I may ask the dealer to replace them with the black sport-line kidney grills. All this is probably TMI but exemplifies the problems with these restrictive lines which BMW will hopefully modify for the 2014 model.

Congrats on your car - mine comes in a month.

Not TMI

it's exactly how I felt. I loved the oyster/black contrast, but wanted the sport package and the black kidney grills. I ended up with the sport line, and I'm stuck with the black interior. Oh well...looking forward to it. I also should have mine in about a month.

nospam · 01-23-2013, 12:20 AM

Keep Maguires leather wipes in the vehicle.

manicm · 01-23-2013, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drp90210

I honestly don't know why the leather/leatherette combos and colors are so tied to certain packages. I was told by a dealer that for 2014, BMW's X1 options are supposed to open up and not be so restricted to lines.

As an example, I personally prefer an all-beige interior over the oyser/black contrast, but the sport package I wanted does not offer ANY light interior, beige, oyster or otherwise. So I was forced to get the x-line, which looks great, but then I am stuck with the chrome kidney grills which, on a black car, are not my favorite, so I may ask the dealer to replace them with the black sport-line kidney grills. All this is probably TMI but exemplifies the problems with these restrictive lines which BMW will hopefully modify for the 2014 model.

Congrats on your car - mine comes in a month.

Trust me, you don't want an all beige interior if only for the fact you'll NEVER keep the carpets clean! My car is all beige and I promptly got a black carpet set, as well as a rubber set for holidays and cycling.

JL350 · 01-24-2013, 07:00 AM

I have black Nevada leather, sunroof and tinted windows. I had reservations that the black leather would be too dark, ie get hot in summer, and gloomy. Sunroof stops the gloominess and the tinting stops the heat. It has been a year and the leather is still looking good, despite the family, and I am really happy with the combination of black leather, tinting, and sunroof.

nospam · 01-24-2013, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JL350

I have black Nevada leather, sunroof and tinted windows. I had reservations that the black leather would be too dark, ie get hot in summer, and gloomy. Sunroof stops the gloominess and the tinting stops the heat. It has been a year and the leather is still looking good, despite the family, and I am really happy with the combination of black leather, tinting, and sunroof.

Grey or Anthracite headliner?

01-07-2013, 11:12 PM	#1
MrT-Man New Member Drives: BMW X1 28i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Toronto Posts: 29 iTrader: (0)	Interior help -- oyster leather or beige leatherette? I'm about to order my X1, & have picked out everything except for the interior. I've narrowed it down to oyster leather or beige leatherette. We've got a baby on the way, & I'd be interested in any thoughts in terms of which would be a safer choice for maintenance/upkeep. On the one hand, leatherette is obviously more durable than leather; but on the other hand, with the oyster, you get black seat backs, black carpet, black base at the doors, etc., which are the parts that are the most likely to get dirty anyway. I realize that both are going to require more maintenance/upkeep than black, but I've had an all-black interior for the last few years & I feel like it's time for a change... Between the two options I'm considering, what do you think would be safer? Beige for the indestructability, or oyster for the extra black bits?
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01-08-2013, 04:36 PM	#7
lynyrdskynyrd803 Private Drives: 2013 BMW X1 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: SC Posts: 92 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW X1 [0.00]	Beige leatherette go with the beige leatherette. Thats what i choose. Its very easy to clean and will also last a lot longer than real leather.

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01-07-2013, 11:18 PM	#2
宝马.e90 Major Drives: E90 325i, R56 MINI Cooper Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 1,273 iTrader: (0)	Leatherette. Considering you're expecting a kid, it would really come down to how much time you're willing to spend to maintain/clean the oyster leather. At times I wish I had leather because the feel is that much better but when I clean the car (which is often) I'm glad I have leatherette.

01-08-2013, 12:40 AM	#3
nospam Captain Drives: X1 x28i; 128i; S2000 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 627 iTrader: (0)	Sorry, I'm just not a fan of leatherette. The beige leatherette have had dingy edges on the loaners I've gotten (from blue jeans I presume). The leather BMW uses on the lower end Exx vehicles is pretty durable and cleanable (I had grey leather on my E90). The black bits are a plus, but I would never get Oyster with kids (my ex-boss had Oyster in his E92). Based on other cars I've seen, the headliners get dingy with kids. We are expecting in June so we ordered an M-Sport partly for the anthracite headliner (w/Coral Red leather for contrast). If I hadn't ordered red leather, I would have chosen terra over beige or oyster to be kid friendlier.

01-08-2013, 01:32 AM	#4
drp90210 New Member Drives: X1 sDrive Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 22 iTrader: (0)	I got the beige leatherette and am buying charcoal X1 carpet mats to hide floor dirt. I don't like the busy look of the black handles, etc - to me the beige leatherette looks great.

01-08-2013, 02:06 AM	#5
tahoe_bound New Member Drives: 2013 BMW X1 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 5 iTrader: (0)	I went with beige leatherette and very happy I did. I just put in black floor mats to protect the light carpets. For what it is worth they had an Oyster interior at the car show and it was looking pretty grey, albeit I attended the final day.

01-08-2013, 01:19 PM	#6
M3tallicar Second Lieutenant Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: norcal Posts: 299 iTrader: (0)	Aside from not loving how leatherette feels I can appreciate the appeal of the fact it's plastic and therefore harder to damage. That said I personally do not like the tan hard plastics that go with the sand leatherette, not only do i prefer the black but having had it in a BMW before I found they got scuffed up and hard to clean. So if it were me I'd go oyster, terra or red if you are sick of all black (which I understand )

01-09-2013, 11:18 AM	#9
MrT-Man New Member Drives: BMW X1 28i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Toronto Posts: 29 iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the feedback -- I mean I'll either end up having to clean the leather (if I go oyster) or otherwise the carpet, doors & seatbacks (if I go beige leatherette) so I suppose it comes down to what I want to spend my time cleaning... From what I've read it certainly seems like the oyster gets dirty easily, but I get the impression that the stains shouldn't be too hard to get rid of, as long as I don't let it sit, & use the right cleaning products (& ban grape juice from the car!).

01-09-2013, 12:30 PM	#12
two-five boy Private Drives: 2011 X5 35i Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: New York Posts: 60 iTrader: (0)	Have you considered getting seat covers? They'll certainly keep your seating surface lasting longer and cleaner. I would NOT get leatherette simply because the seat backs are not black. Your kid WILL kick and dirty the seat back in no time once he/she gets old enough to sit forward and able to reach with their little legs.

01-09-2013, 05:58 PM	#14
popopine Private Drives: Black X1 X-line Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North East US Posts: 55 iTrader: (0)	I have oyster and i used some leather master barrier on it. It holds up nicely and looks great. Black wheel wells make a huge difference.

01-22-2013, 05:25 PM	#16
MrT-Man New Member Drives: BMW X1 28i Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Toronto Posts: 29 iTrader: (0)	So I went ahead & ordered it with the oyster. Maybe I'm making a horrible mistake considering that there'll be a baby in the car, but in the end the oyster is what I really really wanted, so I just went ahead & did it! All the promo pics with the fineline matt wood & the oyster really sold me on it, & I'm wiling to do the extra cleaning/maintenance that's involved. Hopefully this leatherique stuff is as good as everyone says for removing stains... As an aside, I'm a little surprised that oyster seems to be pretty rare as an option on the used X1s I've seen listed. Maybe everyone is also worried about its practicality.

01-22-2013, 07:25 PM	#17
drp90210 New Member Drives: X1 sDrive Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 22 iTrader: (0)	I honestly don't know why the leather/leatherette combos and colors are so tied to certain packages. I was told by a dealer that for 2014, BMW's X1 options are supposed to open up and not be so restricted to lines. As an example, I personally prefer an all-beige interior over the oyser/black contrast, but the sport package I wanted does not offer ANY light interior, beige, oyster or otherwise. So I was forced to get the x-line, which looks great, but then I am stuck with the chrome kidney grills which, on a black car, are not my favorite, so I may ask the dealer to replace them with the black sport-line kidney grills. All this is probably TMI but exemplifies the problems with these restrictive lines which BMW will hopefully modify for the 2014 model. Congrats on your car - mine comes in a month.

01-23-2013, 12:20 AM	#19
nospam Captain Drives: X1 x28i; 128i; S2000 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 627 iTrader: (0)	Keep Maguires leather wipes in the vehicle.

01-24-2013, 07:00 AM	#21
JL350 New Member Drives: 2.0d X Drive X1 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 25 iTrader: (0)	I have black Nevada leather, sunroof and tinted windows. I had reservations that the black leather would be too dark, ie get hot in summer, and gloomy. Sunroof stops the gloominess and the tinting stops the heat. It has been a year and the leather is still looking good, despite the family, and I am really happy with the combination of black leather, tinting, and sunroof.