2014 CX-5, steering wheel already worn out

[Unobtanium]

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/are-your-car-seats-actual-leather-20140330-35sre.html

Mazda and Honda said they use faux leather on side bolsters, head restraints and seat backs, though neither company gives a public breakdown of where the fake stuff is used.

Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver said there was a simple reason behind the use of “Maztex” man-made replica materials.

“We use Maztex because ultimately it is a harder wearing material than leather,” he said.

“It’s for durability.

“The stuff that your body is in contact with is real leather.”

Yeah, it's shaved thin and mounted on fabric, basically. It's more "skin" than "leather". Basically, a weasel-way of being able to legally call it "leather", but what it really is, is cloth with skin and a tiny bit of leather glued onto it. Not real leather. Not something I'd want to put "conditioner" on. It would be like rubbing lotion on a prosthetic limb almost.

Notice the CAREFUL way they state "the stuff your body is in contact with is real leather"...yeah, even if it's only a few atoms thick, lol. But technically true. Like the kid with his finger a centimeter from his sister's nose saying "IM NOT TOUCHING YOU IM NOT TOUCHING YOU!!!"

I'm not bagging on Mazda for it. Everyone in the economy class does it. Hell, my Z06 had it. I'm simply saying...I'd pass on putting chemicals meant for REAL leather on skin-plated cloth.