bob m

What the heck? Side bolsters on the door side, leather and the other side of the driver's bolster - plastic? How did they come up with that one? And I'm going to assume all leather is coated anyhow?

VipinLJ

I don't get that logic either. If the bolster on the left in the drivers seat and right on the passengers seat were made of real leather, and the other leatherette, I "might" have understood since those two bolsters would be susceptible to more wear (due to ingress and egress) and leather would be more resistant(?) (or is it leatherette that is more resistant?). But the drivers side on the passenger seat is real but the one near the door is leatherette doesn't make sense

wdimagineer

No. Leather on the driver's door side bolster, leatherette on all the others. The only vinyl parts are the armrests and the sides of the center console.

Leatherette tends to hold up better longer term.

bob m

Sooooo, it seems that the driver's side bolster would get the most wear out of all the bolsters, why leather on that one, if leatherette holds up better?

wdimagineer

First impressions are everything. It looks better! Every oem has little tricks like this. BMW has some great ones.

Leather wears fine, too. It'll hold up.

bob m

I really wish Audi offered and interior leather package it would go a long way with such a useful upgrade.

wdimagineer

It's plausible but I am aware of the fundamental shift in the buying patterns of consumers. Many are wanting to move away from animal derived products like leather, instead substituting them for alternatives like alcantara, microfiber, and leatherette. Science has made these materials hold up to wear and tear better than their animal counterparts, many times offering the same look and feel as the real thing. It also enhances quality controls, and means a more consistent product and output at all stages of production. This leads to reduced costs.

I'm personally not bothered by the lack of a full leather interior. Having had full leather in many other vehicles, I find it difficult to keep clean and if you damage it in someway, costly to repair. What Audi is doing is a nice trade-off.

VipinLJ

I love alcantara. If there was an option, I'd have gone the alcantara route.

adg44

Not quite. It is actually leather that on a bolster which is subject to a lot of abuse holds up better. As there is always a driver that is why the driver one is leather and the passenger one is not. It is important to note that some vehicles have additional bolsters in leather on either seat, including the leg bolster.

wdimagineer

We can ageee to disagree. There are many variables, including the type of leather, how it's processed, the dyes used, fabrics and other substances it comes in contact with, etc.

I've never had leatherette components replaced in any vehicle, including my Audis. I have had leather components replaced, including a $6K seat repair in my previous BMW X5 M due to premature wear and in my Golf R for similar reasons.