Alcantara seats

[boss2k]

How comforable are they ? what is the material ?

how do you clean them ?

Is nappa fine leather much better than that ? I know it looks better

[Kandiru]

Very! Material is a breeze to clean, i have silver and funny how
every non-Audi driver at work keeps asking me how much i paid
for the "premium Recaros" :)

Alcantara is nice in that you just spray TuffStuff automotive cleaner
into it and don't think twice, the nastiest xxxx just wipes out fairly easily,
it never overheats and makes a fantastic partnter the OEM brushed alu
inserts.

[DannyDeez]

How comforable are they ? what is the material ?

how do you clean them ?

Is nappa fine leather much better than that ? I know it looks better

Pretty comfortable and the material is alcantara like the name suggests. Havent had to clean them yet. I personally like the alcantara over all leather for a couple reasons. 1) The alcantara holds you in place during turns instead of you sliding in the seat like leather and 2) It doesnt respond to temperature the way leather does. Meaning you wont burn yourself when you sit on it in summer and it doesnt feel cold during winter.

[laakness]

You should go check both out at the dealer. I always do full leather but to each their own.

I don't feel any sliding around in the S4 seats.

[boss2k]

I have and really like nappa leather more but unfortunately the car I am looking at doesnt have nappa leather and has everything else i want

To me the nappa leather looks great

[Doc Brown]

Had alcantara before. Wore well. Nearly got in my current S4, but went for the black/magma instead. If they had a black/magma alcantara I would have gotten it in a heartbeat.

It is a bit grippier than the leather - which brings up the wedgie issue if you wear boxers and drive in a spirited fashion, but maybe that is too much detail.....

http://www.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/applications/automotive

[isles1]

I've driven both. The napa leather is certainly a nice feel, but the way the Alcantara holds you in the seat is the reason I opted for the inserts. I imagine the winter/summer temps of the material will be an added bonus.

[queue]

Alcantara definitely has its benefits and I'm a big fan, but also, having this car as a DD and having kids I believe full leather is not only easier to clean and maintain, but also repair (if needed). I can't say I agree with the temp differences mentioned but YMMV. You can't go wrong with either and as others mention - try them both & you'll probably have a preference. Funny how you say nappa looks better - I feel the opposite - here's to opinions :)

[kooltechie]

my girl friend and I went to test drive and compared the nappa and alcantara seats before making the decision on what to get on my S5.
the alcantara seat definitely held me better in tight turns, and seemed sportier and exotic.
also, I did not experience the "wedgie" issue at all [:D]
after taking the test-drives, we were both sold on alcantara.
nappa leather is very nice as well, but after having the leather seats in my previous rides for so many years, I'm loving the alcantara now and will most likely get it again on my next ride if offered as an option [drive]

[FrankO]

Both are great. Love my alcantara...easier to keep clean than I thought.

[stactum]

I would pay extra for alcantara.
I have silver alcantara and 2 kids; I just used back seat cover to cover it and stitching, works great.

[RickFLS4]

I have Nappa and never slide around in the seat, so personally I don't see a functional advantage to Alcantara, even though everyone that has it swears it helps prevent them from sliding around in the seat. If anything the Nappa may make it a little easier to pivot in and out of the driver's seat when entering and exiting the car. My perception was that the Alcantara would be more susceptible to uneven wearing (like cloth interior) than leather and harder to keep clean than leather (e.g. a drop of coffee that spills) but I don't know if either perception is true or not. I also think the leather that accompanies the Alcantara is a different grade than Nappa and personally I really like the Nappa. I think Alcantara is imitation suede designed for durability that suede doesn't have or something like that. I do think it looks good and it probably wouldn't stop me from buying a car if it had everything else I wanted.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Alcantara is pretty awesome stuff however in high wear areas it tends to ball up, and eventually will wear thin over the life of the car.

[Kczach]

I have the alcantara and really like it. Comfortable all year round. It's also easy to clean up. I had a salad with some vinegar/oil dressing that spilled. I toweled it off before it soaked in and you couldn't even tell there was a spill. My wife has leather in her A8 and likes leather better. To each his own.

[sicklyscott]

I LOVE my alcantara seats. I have an e46 M3 with black nappa leather and I have to admit I like the seating surfaces of the alcantara better. It does hold you in place better and it's more comfortable with extreme temperatures (not so cold in the winter and not so sweat inducing in the summer). I originally wanted the black leather in the S4 but once I tried the alcantara it was all over.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8207/8198278816_2d543c5659_z.jpg

[Ray Khan]

There is a discussion on QW about seat heaters and it seems that some people with nappa find the heaters don't get very warm while everyone with alcantara is happy with the seat heaters. Both look great to me.

[boss2k]

Thanks everyone for the great info, this is exactly what I was looking for

[Moose201]

There is a discussion on QW about seat heaters and it seems that some people with nappa find the heaters don't get very warm while everyone with alcantara is happy with the seat heaters. Both look great to me.

Have Nappa, my heated seats get plenty hot.

[ModBargains.com]

Alcantera is actually pretty easy to maintain. I have custom Alcantera and Nappa leather seats on my 335i. Rule of thumb is obviously don't eat in the car to prevent chances of stains! I usually use warm water on a microfiber towel and just rub lightly to get stuff off. Here are some shots for you guys to check out [up]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640208&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640209&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640210&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640211&d=1328406186

[Seinsmeld13]

I am the expert here. I had a 2010 S4 with alacantara seats. I sold the car with 85,000 km. the seats look brand new. Not once did I clean the alcantara however I did carefully clean the leather next to the alcantara twice a year. These alcanatra seats are superior in three ways to the nappa. 1) cool in the summer 2) warm in the winter and 3) really hug you when you are driving aggressively. My 2013 has black/red nappa as alcantara is not available on the premium model here in Canada. Nappa pros 1) they look amazing 2) they feel amazing and 3) very easy to care for. Alcantara cons 1) harder to care for 2) look cheap in comparison to dual colour nappa. Nappa cons 1) f&@king cold she first sitting in them in freezing conditions and 2) f&@king hot when first sitting in them in hot humid conditions. Anyway......

[Louge]

How comforable are they ? what is the material ?

how do you clean them ?

Is nappa fine leather much better than that ? I know it looks better

Alcantara is composed of about 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane giving it increased durability and stain resistance. The appearance and tactile feel of the material is similar to that of suede and it may be incorrectly identified as such.

For cleaning, depending on the type of stains, you can use water, lemon juice or pure ethyl alcohol as a stain removal agent.

Silk Nappa leather is a premium option, thus will cost more.

[FrankO]

Alcantera is actually pretty easy to maintain. I have custom Alcantera and Nappa leather seats on my 335i. Rule of thumb is obviously don't eat in the car to prevent chances of stains! I usually use warm water on a microfiber towel and just rub lightly to get stuff off. Here are some shots for you guys to check out [up]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640208&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640209&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640210&d=1328406186

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=640211&d=1328406186

Nice Alan. I love the quilted look....it seems the current A6 designers saw your car.