Bonded leather?

arunka007 · May 24, 2016

Is the leather on The GT trim leather-leather or bonded-leather? Asking because it feels more like pleather (harder and plasticky) at times. My 2008 Accord EX-L had much softer leather in comparison.

If it's because of the thick synthetic coating, does it even make sense to use leather cleaners/conditioners on it?

velcrodog · May 24, 2016

I believe it is a leather trimmed seat; the part your butt and back touches is leather but the sides and back are not. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure.

arunka007 · May 24, 2016

What about the bolsters? Even the perforated pieces feel pleather-y to me at times.

Unobtanium · May 25, 2016

arunka007 said:
Is the leather on The GT trim leather-leather or bonded-leather? Asking because it feels more like pleather (harder and plasticky) at times. My 2008 Accord EX-L had much softer leather in comparison.

If it's because of the thick synthetic coating, does it even make sense to use leather cleaners/conditioners on it?

I highly doubt Mazda puts real leather in anything.

mpkav · May 25, 2016

Unobtanium said:
I highly doubt Mazda puts real leather in anything.

I've been trying to dig around a bit online and all I can find are reports that Mazda, at least a couple of years ago, maintained that they used real leather on anything that touched your body and synthetics for things like seat backs.

I wonder though if it is just for bragging rights, I have to think that the genuine leather in cars at this price point, assuming it is indeed genuine leather, is probably lower quality than similarly priced synthetics.

Unobtanium · May 25, 2016

mpkav said:
I've been trying to dig around a bit online and all I can find are reports that Mazda, at least a couple of years ago, maintained that they used real leather on anything that touched your body and synthetics for things like seat backs.

I wonder though if it is just for bragging rights, I have to think that the genuine leather in cars at this price point, assuming it is indeed genuine leather, is probably lower quality than similarly priced synthetics.

They use leather FACED seats. That is common weasel-wording, what you heard. Yes, "real leather" touches your body, and on the backside of that "real leather" (more like skin, it's shaved so absurdly thin), is fabric/vinyl or whatever.

I am unaware of many vehicles at this price point that use real leather. I believe my 370Z did on the seat bolsters, but I would not swear to it. I think the lowest bidder to actually do so in any real quantity is Porsche. I know my Z06 was "leather faced", and I know my Infiniti G20 was leather faced. I know my Grand Jeep Cherokee was leather faced. This is because all of them (except the Z06) cracked and showed their true colors in places over time. Real leather, if taken care of properly, lasts a LONG TIME. this fake stuff, doesn't. That is why I have kindof migrated back to liking cloth on a vehicle I will use a lot/keep a long time, and it was actually a selling point for me on my Touring.

mpkav · May 25, 2016

Unobtanium said:
They use leather FACED seats. That is common weasel-wording, what you heard. Yes, "real leather" touches your body, and on the backside of that "real leather" (more like skin, it's shaved so absurdly thin), is fabric/vinyl or whatever.

Gotcha. Thanks.

Going back to the OPs question for a moment, what should we use to clean/care for the surfaces? I have always used leather care products, assuming it was animal hide not plastic.

Unobtanium · May 25, 2016

mpkav said:
Gotcha. Thanks.

Going back to the OPs question for a moment, what should we use to clean/care for the surfaces? I have always used leather care products, assuming it animal hide not plastic.

I would recommend water and a soft cloth. Don't put "product" on it.

dblgoat · May 25, 2016

The most important care you can give you leather is to keep it clean. 99% of automotive leather (in the cars we can afford) is coated and dirt can accelerate removal of the coating so wipe it down often with a mild all purpose cleaner or even plain water.

Don't use any oil or cream based products as they can't be absorbed into the coated leather and will just attract dirt.

Optimum Leather Protectant (AKA Protectant Plus) was designed for coated leather--it contains mild cleaners and a protectant formulated for coated leather. It is also very good for the vinyl portions of the interior so makes the job very easy. It is a thin liquid that you spray onto a MF towel or applicator and wipe on to the leather.

I've used it since day one on my 10 year old Passat and the leather looks like the day I picked it up.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/optim...l#.Vz9rkyHH8_4

CX-5um · May 25, 2016

mpkav said:
I've been trying to dig around a bit online and all I can find are reports that Mazda, at least a couple of years ago, maintained that they used real leather on anything that touched your body and synthetics for things like seat backs.

I wonder though if it is just for bragging rights, I have to think that the genuine leather in cars at this price point, assuming it is indeed genuine leather, is probably lower quality than similarly priced synthetics.

This was discussed a long time ago. Short story- Mazda (or any company) would be sued for advertising the word Leather if it does not meet a certain % amount. "Bonded" "Pleater" "V-tex" leather have much lower % amount of real leather hence they cannot be advertised as simply leather. Something about those U.S. government tags we see on furniture that say against the law to remove. All materials have to be made transparent for the public and government. That said imho Mazda's current cars use either lower tiered real leather on some stuff and high grade synthetic stuff on others. The synthetic leather in my Mazda6 seats is really good. Soft, supple,and a lot more breathable than others I've felt. I'm assuming its used in the CX-5 as well.

craigo · May 25, 2016

CX-5um said:
This was discussed a long time ago. Short story- Mazda (or any company) would be sued for advertising the word Leather if it does not meet a certain % amount. "Bonded" "Pleater" "V-tex" leather have much lower % amount of real leather hence they cannot be advertised as simply leather. Something about those U.S. government tags we see on furniture that say against the law to remove. All materials have to be made transparent for the public and government. That said imho Mazda's current cars use either lower tiered real leather on some stuff and high grade synthetic stuff on others. The synthetic leather in my Mazda6 seats is really good. Soft, supple,and a lot more breathable than others I've felt. I'm assuming its used in the CX-5 as well.

It's leather, but it's probably split leather. Most autos use this, except for lux vehicles where semi-aniline is an option (and costs thousands extra), or exotics. Eventually the coating will wear down on it, so at first any cleaner will do but in the long run a leather product is a good idea to maintain suppleness.

Ride92 · May 25, 2016

Any Leather that is in the mazda is bonded leather, this is a good thing as non bonded leather is a pain to care for and wears rather easily. I think it's something like 60-70% of all Mercedes are sold with their fake leather MB-tex. Why? Because it still feels nice, looks nice, and lasts a lot longer. Others are correct that anything that touches your body is leather, mainly the seat bottom on the back rest, the sides of the side bolsters and seat back or Pleather, mazda doesn't have a cool name like MB-tex or anything for it.

That being said, the bonded leather will is still some one porous and applying a quality leather conditioner will help keep the leather surfaces looking fresh and supple. I was just reading a post on Meguiars online from Bob Stoops (the Meguiars Guru who works for Meguiars) and he confirmed what I just said. Leather protectant and conditioner is a good thing to use on the seats as it will help stop the wear of the "plastic" layer on top and eventually work it's way into the leather underneath. I just picked up Meguiars Ultimate Leather balm and was really impressed with the results it gave the seat, it even smells like pina coladas! Just be sure to apply very thin coats and not press hard into the perforated seat areas as it will fill the holes with product. Any protectant or conditioner is a good bet. 303, Megs low shine interior protectant, Mothers VLR, Ultimate leather balm, Lexol twins are all good products and you should use them on the leather seats, even if they are bonded.

CX-5um · May 25, 2016

I use 303 once every 6-8 months.

I've been meaning to try 100% organic raw unrefined coconut oil though. It provides natural UV inhibitors (used by pre-colonial Polynesians as sunblock and treating burns) to protect from sun. It gives a sweet smell that dissipates, no toxicity, and no silicone. Don't have to worry about getting it on your hands and stuff.

craigo · May 25, 2016

Ride92 said:
Any Leather that is in the mazda is bonded leather, this is a good thing as non bonded leather is a pain to care for and wears rather easily. I think it's something like 60-70% of all Mercedes are sold with their fake leather MB-tex. Why? Because it still feels nice, looks nice, and lasts a lot longer. Others are correct that anything that touches your body is leather, mainly the seat bottom on the back rest, the sides of the side bolsters and seat back or Pleather, mazda doesn't have a cool name like MB-tex or anything for it.

That being said, the bonded leather will is still some one porous and applying a quality leather conditioner will help keep the leather surfaces looking fresh and supple. I was just reading a post on Meguiars online from Bob Stoops (the Meguiars Guru who works for Meguiars) and he confirmed what I just said. Leather protectant and conditioner is a good thing to use on the seats as it will help stop the wear of the "plastic" layer on top and eventually work it's way into the leather underneath. I just picked up Meguiars Ultimate Leather balm and was really impressed with the results it gave the seat, it even smells like pina coladas! Just be sure to apply very thin coats and not press hard into the perforated seat areas as it will fill the holes with product. Any protectant or conditioner is a good bet. 303, Megs low shine interior protectant, Mothers VLR, Ultimate leather balm, Lexol twins are all good products and you should use them on the leather seats, even if they are bonded.

I'm not sure it's bonded leather. Can you back that up?

Natey · May 25, 2016

Captain here.
Bonded leather IS leather. Top-grain leather is the hide from a cow. Bonded leather is what's left over after making top grain leather. They glue (BOND) the scraps together to make the material out of the little bits. It's still leather, but not a cow's hide like you'd get in a Rolls Royce, etc.

I don't know what Mazda's using, but yeah. Bonded Leather really is from a cow.

*flies off*

mpkav · May 25, 2016

dblgoat said:
The most important care you can give you leather is to keep it clean. 99% of automotive leather (in the cars we can afford) is coated and dirt can accelerate removal of the coating so wipe it down often with a mild all purpose cleaner or even plain water.

Don't use any oil or cream based products as they can't be absorbed into the coated leather and will just attract dirt.

Optimum Leather Protectant (AKA Protectant Plus) was designed for coated leather--it contains mild cleaners and a protectant formulated for coated leather. It is also very good for the vinyl portions of the interior so makes the job very easy. It is a thin liquid that you spray onto a MF towel or applicator and wipe on to the leather.

I've used it since day one on my 10 year old Passat and the leather looks like the day I picked it up.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/optim...l#.Vz9rkyHH8_4

Thank you! I will check this out.

Now that I think of it, I don't recall ever using care products in my CX-5, it was my 3.

arunka007 · May 25, 2016

Looks like the consensus is that it is bonded leather with synthetic coating to prevent wear. If that's the case, isn't 303 better than a leather conditioner for protection?

Can anyone with leather seats on older CX-5s comment on how they've held up over time?

craigo · May 25, 2016

Natey said:
Captain here.
Bonded leather IS leather. Top-grain leather is the hide from a cow. Bonded leather is what's left over after making top grain leather. They glue (BOND) the scraps together to make the material out of the little bits. It's still leather, but not a cow's hide like you'd get in a Rolls Royce, etc.

I don't know what Mazda's using, but yeah. Bonded Leather really is from a cow.

*flies off*

Bonded is more like a composite, like particle board is to wood. There's variable amounts of plastic to leather depending on the product. This is used for chotchkeys, books and some cheap furniture. For advertising purposes, best practice is to label bonded leather as bonded because of this. See also: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/new...-vs-genuine-leather-whats-the-difference.html

EDIT: I think its more likely corrected grain leather. That process adds a coating and even pattern to it. I don't think its top grain because the pattern doesn't have blemishes and its obviously not the same grade of cow as a Bentley would have.

CX-5um · May 25, 2016

Ride92 said:
Any Leather that is in the mazda is bonded leather

24.2 Deception as to composition.
It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, the composition of any industry product or part thereof. It is unfair or deceptive to use the unqualified term “leather” or other unqualified terms suggestive of leather to describe industry products unless the industry product so described is composed in all substantial parts of leather.1 This section includes, but is not limited to, the following:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...rgn=div5&view=text&node=16:1.0.1.2.14&idno=16

By U.S. law you can only state and publish the single word "Leather" if it is real leather to describe a product. If you check Mazda's website, the GT models have the single term "Leather" for certain sections of the car. That said anything else cannot use that single term. They can mention the word Leather as part of the description such as "Bonded-Leather" but only if they contain some % amount. But never the single term "Leather".

The goal was to make the law transparent so that:

Description name Leather = 100% Leather (of varying grades of course)

Description name XXX-Leather, XXX, = not 100% real leather

That said now I'm questioning the leather in Mazdas since the CX-5 brochure says for the GT:

Leather-trimmed sport seats
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Leather-wrapped shift knob
Synthetic leather door trim

I wish they would just say Leather sport seats vs Leather-trimmed. Then again they mention Synthetic leather door trim which is a different description.

craigo · May 25, 2016

CX-5um said:
24.2 Deception as to composition.
It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent, directly or by implication, the composition of any industry product or part thereof. It is unfair or deceptive to use the unqualified term “leather” or other unqualified terms suggestive of leather to describe industry products unless the industry product so described is composed in all substantial parts of leather.1 This section includes, but is not limited to, the following:

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...rgn=div5&view=text&node=16:1.0.1.2.14&idno=16

By U.S. law you can only state and publish the single word "Leather" if it is real leather to describe a product. If you check Mazda's website, the GT models have the single term "Leather" for certain sections of the car. That said anything else cannot use that single term. They can mention the word Leather as part of the description such as "Bonded-Leather" but only if they contain some % amount. But never the single term "Leather".

The goal was to make the law transparent so that:

Description name Leather = 100% Leather (of varying grades of course)

Description name XXX-Leather, XXX, = not 100% real leather

That said now I'm questioning the leather in Mazdas since the CX-5 brochure says for the GT:

Leather-trimmed sport seats
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Leather-wrapped shift knob
Synthetic leather door trim

I wish they would just say Leather sport seats vs Leather-trimmed. Then again they mention Synthetic leather door trim which is a different description.

IIRC, the back of the seats are synthetic and possibly the headrest.

Bonded leather?

arunka007

velcrodog

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Unobtanium

mpkav

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Unobtanium

mpkav

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Unobtanium

dblgoat

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CX-5um

craigo

Ride92

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craigo

Natey

mpkav

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arunka007

craigo

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