[sarends]

We have 5 kids. :thumb:

All but two are out of the house. We have two girls still at home ages 10 and 12 who have been pretty hard on interiors in the past - it is my wife's car and she allows them to eat and drink in her car (eating and drinking is not allowed in my M5!). Anyway, we are somewhat considering cloth for our Enclave as the girls are getting older and spill less (hmmmm, just how long has it been since a milkshake went onto the seats??).

Anyone else choose cloth with elementary/middle school age kids?

We are only considering clotrh as a tradeoff vs other options (moonroof, NAV, rear entertainment, lux package, etc) while trying to keep to a certain budgeted payment.

Thx! Steve

 

[Zenclave]

I would consider leather because it is easier to clean - i mean if someone spills something just get a wet napkin and wipe it off - with cloth it is not the same it will stain the cloth

 

[BuicksRbetter]

The leather is perforated. So much for "just wiping it off" clean. I know I'm sick of leather here in cold Wisconsin. I've had it for a long time now and I'm done with it. It also shows ugly wear marks after a few years. The cloth in most newer cars is of excellent quality and is just as easy to clean as leather, and is far more comfy IMO. I would strongly suggest getting the black interior like I did. The light interiors will show everything...probably more so with cloth. I did exactly what your thinking in ordering a CX. Doing so allowed me to get the #3 nav, conv. pkg, tow pkg, cargo net & shade, and 2nd row bench for $34,600.

 

[tuberosa]

I have to side with the leather over cloth proponents. I have three kids: 16,13,11 and their mother also uses our Trailblazer as a dining room due to crazy schedules. I have leather in my Saab 9-5 and have never had a problem with cleanup. I can't say the same with the crusty cloth seats that now adorn our 03 Trailblazer EXT. When leather wears it looks broken in and can be brought back to shiny life with a plethora of products. I have tried everything on the cloth and they just look worn and feel crusty where spills have accumulated. As for the cold winters, we have a few here in New England which is why the heated seats on my Saab are another plus over the TB. I do agree that perforation may introduce some other challenges. But in the end, my wife agreed that cloth in the TB was a mistake (that never happens!) and that the Enclave will absolutely be leather.

 

[axiama]

I think leather is uncomfortable in extreme heat or cold. I spent 6 years driving a car with leather seats. I remember driving in the hot sun with sweat dripping down my back and the air conditioner on high. Or burning my legs on a hot seat. However, you get used to it.

When I went to replace that car I planned to get leather seats again but I got hooked on the new Honda Civic - leather is not an option on this car. After about a month of driving it I realized that I was much more comfortable in the cloth seats than I was with leather. So, when I went looking for a replacement for the Civic I wanted cloth seats again.

I have two kids - almost 6 and almost 2. I had no problems with stains or damage to the cloth on the Civic (granted there were in carseats and I only drove it for 18 months). The cloth seats today are much better than they were several years ago. And the spot cleaners are better than they used to be also.

For the nit pick list: Many cars today are using microfiber for their cloth seats. I really wish the Enclave cloth was microfiber. The comfort of suede that's super easy to keep clean.

 

[osli]

Perforations in leather prevent the cleanup from being a ten second wipe... turns it into a thirty second spray and wipe. Still easy to keep clean year after year. Just beware of cheaper leather that allows belts and such to rub through in spots from entry/exit. How the Enclave leather holds up over the years is still to be seen!

 

[sarends]

AXIAMA,

Txhx for your comments on the cloth seats - we are still thinking about this option. I also noticed that you have the machined aluminum whels on your Enclave - do you like them? Could you post a closeup picture?

Thx, Steve

I think leather is uncomfortable in extreme heat or cold. I spent 6 years driving a car with leather seats. I remember driving in the hot sun with sweat dripping down my back and the air conditioner on high. Or burning my legs on a hot seat. However, you get used to it.

When I went to replace that car I planned to get leather seats again but I got hooked on the new Honda Civic - leather is not an option on this car. After about a month of driving it I realized that I was much more comfortable in the cloth seats than I was with leather. So, when I went looking for a replacement for the Civic I wanted cloth seats again.

I have two kids - almost 6 and almost 2. I had no problems with stains or damage to the cloth on the Civic (granted there were in carseats and I only drove it for 18 months). The cloth seats today are much better than they were several years ago. And the spot cleaners are better than they used to be also.

For the nit pick list: Many cars today are using microfiber for their cloth seats. I really wish the Enclave cloth was microfiber. The comfort of suede that's super easy to keep clean.

 

[axiama]

Here ya go - I added it to my gallery too.

I do like the rims but I must confess that this is something I usually don't notice on a vehicle. I will say that after reading this forum I was expecting my 18's to be small compared to the 19's on the CXL and the upgraded 20's but they certainly don't feel small. In fact, these wheels dwarf the 17's on my husband's Envoy. (He's jokingly complained about that several times.)