[neilobe]

Wat are your views , is it worh spending the extra £350 on Lounge Leather?, Was going to then i been told the that seats especialliy in the Cooper S 'hold you better' with punch leather, when cornering fast..Spend the £350 on something else..
Wat do you think,??

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Yes.

[I love MINI, Laura]

The lounge leather is the same as the Park lane seats and the leather doesn't bag or spread at all like the flat panel leather sport seats due to its smaller multiple panels of leather. I love my english leather sport seats and they hold me in very well in my Cooper S, oh and they look better too!

[M111 CGC]

Once you've contemplated the Lounge Leather and compared cars with it fitted against those with standard leather there's little comparison. We weren't initially interested in the full leather seats when we started to spec the Clubman, for all the reasons Laura describes. However we then saw a Sidewalk convertible and a dealer demo 'S' fitted with the red lounge leather and we couldn't bring ourselves to settle for only the half (!) leather we originally planned. Now we have the car the seats are fantastic.

Chris

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

If you want something that "holds you well", go for cloth.

If you want something that's cool in the summer and warm in the winter, go for cloth.

If you want something that's fabulous to look at, is brilliantly easy to keep clean / dog hair free, removes all dust problems (if, like Eeyore, you suffer from asthma) and looks better and better the older it gets (if you look after it properly) get decent leather.

The Lounge Leather is just so much nicer than the standard leather and (as Laura says) will be so much less prone to stretching. Many manufacturers perforate their leather to make it more like cloth to use. However, it will help it to stretch quickly, make it more difficult to clean, ensure the seats hold dust and it will make it look like a tea bag into the bargin. Please don't do it!

[neilobe]

Yes i do notice the punch leather does look tea bag like.. there are so many tiny pin holes in it.. and from looking at it yesterday it looks thin too...

[kevkbuk]

As a Punch owner I'd say the only real difference is in looks.

After 15,000 miles and daily use in my MCS the Punch leather is in practically as new condition and the seat itself holds you nicely, there's no slippage I sometimes read about.

To me the Punch leather looks sportier than the Lounge version somehow.

[KPKalle]

My view is Punch is sportier and Lounge more luxurious. Your choice although I admit I went for Lounge

[I love MINI, Laura]

Its in the names isn't it really. Punch is a exciting more sporty name and lounge just symbolises luxury and class, executive lounge etc.

I've got English Leather - lounge came after. The only real difference - I've got black with grey piping not beige!

[I love MINI, Laura]

Sorry cream not beige piping.

[hpaco]

I think it is more a question of pric, It´s always tempting to have the "thing" that cost more. In mexico there is not price difference between punch or lounge, I chosed punch.

[stuvoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by neilobe (original)

Wat are your views , is it worh spending the extra £350 on Lounge Leather?, Was going to then i been told the that seats especialliy in the Cooper S 'hold you better' with punch leather, when cornering fast..Spend the £350 on something else..
Wat do you think,??

When I was in Mini Dealership, Salesman said it would be more cost effective to get cloth seats and get leather seats added after market - that way you could get style / colour you wanted an not just the Mini few

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by stuvoi (original)

When I was in Mini Dealership, Salesman said it would be more cost effective to get cloth seats and get leather seats added after market - that way you could get style / colour you wanted an not just the Mini few

Have you priced up aftermarket leather seating?

What do you think the dealer's reaction would be if you went to trade such a non standard car back in a year or two's time?

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by stuvoi (original)

When I was in Mini Dealership, Salesman said it would be more cost effective to get cloth seats and get leather seats added after market - that way you could get style / colour you wanted an not just the Mini few

Brilliant, another Mini sales person who needs firing immediately..

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by neilobe (original)

Wat are your views , is it worh spending the extra £350 on Lounge Leather?, Was going to then i been told the that seats especialliy in the Cooper S 'hold you better' with punch leather, when cornering fast..Spend the £350 on something else..
Wat do you think,??

Hi, had a Cooper with half-leather, now have an S with full leather (both 1st gen).

The full leather is better in every way (quality, fit, to sit on) and just looks better and better - 16k currently.
I just use Sonus leather cleaner and leather preserver every few months - its a doddle to look after.

Cold in winter "oh yes", but I would never own a car without heated seats so not an issue.

Not sure about perforated leather on the Mini, a Mercedes yes, but the Mini I'd have to go with the Lounge Leather as a safe bet.

Cheers, Geoff.

[stuvoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

Have you priced up aftermarket leather seating?

What do you think the dealer's reaction would be if you went to trade such a non standard car back in a year or two's time?

I had already bought the car <g> - was talking about it when we were looking at the Clubman at the launch party, so not looked at the price difference. I think there was probably a few hundred pound difference, but the main thing was that you could get colour / design you wanted

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by stuvoi (original)

I had already bought the car <g> - was talking about it when we were looking at the Clubman at the launch party, so not looked at the price difference. I think there was probably a few hundred pound difference, but the main thing was that you could get colour / design you wanted

That's fair enough then. Do you know what sort of colour / design you're going to go for?

[CC07ERS]

Punch leather need botox after about 2 months

[callerio68]

I always feel ok with my red lounge leather choice. Easy to clean (much more than the punch leather) and wonderful to see each time I look at my car from inside and from outside. People's opinion is very influenced by the interiors: they like it and the car is surely enriched.
Go for it with no doubt (piano black is the correct companion for ellipsis and dashboard, imo)!

[dangerman]

Hi. FWIW, i've just picked up my Clubman with Black Lounge Leather and i can confirm that paying the bit extra for Lounge Leather is well worth it. I hadn't seen it in black before I actually ordered it, as the dealer only had the brown in the showroom, but I took the chance.

It's very comfy and seems to hold me in the seat very well. It's also great to look at - the light piping looks really nice.