I have a GT on order later this year (very jealous of all you a$$es getting their car already, but that is another issue... j/k, congrats)... but i can still change it... i was wondering what is people's opinion on the leather... is it cheap and uncomfortable, maybe turn into a hard sliding junk in a couple years?? i live in orange county, CA, so heat might accelerate the process as my work has uncovered parking... so guys who have sat in the leather a couple days, in this summer heat, response will be appreciated...

i also would like to hear the views of the cloth guys as well.. i just like the look of leather interior, but if cloth is just as comfortable, and looks nice, i might opt for that...

i know its picky, but i like to be comfortable in my seats for a long time.. everything else looks great and love your reviews... i am goin gto test drive later next week...

 

on my way going into the dealership, i was nearly stuck on the leather seats because of the looks... i must say, as great as the leather looks, i suprisingly fell in love with the cloth seats. my main reasons were because i felt more stuck to the seat on the cloth and the cloth looked just as sexy. it looked as the cloth had the much more performance look and the leather was luxery. i drove with the cloth seats and it felt GREAT! with the leather, i didn't get a chance to drive in it but i got a chance to sit in it...i would think that in a few years, it wouldn't be as stable as it was when it was new. i went from leather to cloth and im sold. now, it's the cloth 6mT with Touring package. however, i don't think u can go wrong with either, the cloth or leather.

 

So far so good (leather) and I have a spinal chord injury. Most cars are horrendous for me.

 

I just passed my dealer to check out a car they had in the shoeroom and the leather seats were much better then I saw in the pre-productions.

 

the leather seats are very comfortable and very supportive
________
Bmw 801 History

 

The 8's seats are much more comfortable than the Mazda6 loaner I have. The 6's seats, though covered in leather, are hard and flat and actually hurt my back. The 8's on the other hand have good side bolsters and have more cushioning. Most should be satisfied with them.

 

That's a relief to hear. I have a chronic slipped disc in my lower back that occasional acts up about 1-2 times a year. That lumbar support will be a godsend.

 

when i test drove the 8 today, i was really transfixed on the cloth. In fact, i had to actually touch it a few times to make sure it wasnt leather b/c they did a fine job with the way the cloth looks.

I drove in the leather and it was nice. Although i belive the leather has more appeal and style to it than the cloth. However, as was mentioned in an above post, you can't go wrong with either.

I live in So Cal also and the heat is horrendous here huh but we are almost halfway done with summer anyways so you wont have to worry too much about it.

 

I have sat in both and test drove in the leather.

The cloth tends to breath better in hot weather and IMO, shows less aging than leather. But the leather power seat has more adjustments. It's easier to find a comfortable position. As is, the cloth position adjustments are fine. Although for me, another half an inch raise in the thigh support area would have been perfect. Once I have the car in my possession, I'll have more time to fine tune it to my liking.

 

I believe the uk spec leather seats are heated?

have any of the current owners got this option, if so is it any good?

I've was running around in a saab while my MX-6 was off the road, and on those cold mornings it was a really nice way to start the day (particularly when glasgow traffic delays the engine/heating system from warming up)

 

all of the gt cars (leather) have the heated seats,after you have this creature comfort you will never go back(unless you live in like arizona )that is a big reason for me to chose leather over cloth.

 

Hey- I'm in virginia beach and while driving home i stopped in to a dealer when i saw an RX8 inside. I sat down and i barely fit!!! I've been waiting for this car for a long time. I'm about 6foot 2. The dealer told me that the car is taller without a sunroof! anyone have any help?

 

make sure you pumped down the seat (not just one pump). the non-sunroof models do have about 3/4" more head room. work the seat for a while. my first impression was, "yikes, i don't fit." after about 10 minutes i found several good positions.

 

After driving most of the day I feel a little different about the seats. They aren't bad just not as good as I first thought. I am a little sore and numb right now. The lumbar adjust is really nice. It feels like the whole lower part of the seat (about 1/2 the seat back) is expanding. It's not just a hard pad that gets jabbed in your back like on some cars.

My deal BTW is a broken neck (C5-6) about 7 years ago. Permanent chord damage so there is no hope of me ever being comfortable. I live in different levels if discomfort. My 97 Z28 was the worst, 97 Eclipse Spyder the best.

 

took the 8 for a spin friday... didn't love the seats or hate them.. i did take a few turns at higher than normal speeds to test the grip of the suspension/tires and I found myself holding on to wheel for support.. unlike my s2000 where the seats are more of a bucket feel... so i donno, for me I'm going to wait for a bit for all the complaints to come out so mazda can make fixes in the '05 version.. plus getting the car will be A LOT easier and cheaper then.

 

Just spent 330 miles in the RX-8 GT, and here are my & my passengers impressions.

Leather quality is superb. Lumbar adjustment was made once by me. I took that as a good sign, since I also have back issues which make it hard for me to stay comfortable. Passengers did well. A 6' 4" teenager and a 5' 10" teenager switched between front and back during the trip, and neither had any complaints about comfort.

Snug, yes but not uncomfortable. We stopped 3 times for potty breaks & lunch. I was quite pleased with the level of comfort for the long haul.

There was one problem to report. I found it quite difficult to finish drinking my Coke, as there was not enough head room to let me invert the bottle enough !

 

You allow drinks in the car?!?!?! :D

 

You should have ordered the moonroof!

 

I have the cloth, and wish I got the leather. The leather is fully adjustable and has adjustable LUMBAR support. The cloth seat is very hard on your lower back. The seat height adjustment does not move the back, so if you're short (5'-7") and like the seat up, the back support hits you in the wrong place. Go leather, plus the 2 tone looks hot!

 

I have the black/chaparral leather, my car is almost two years old and has 30,000mi...absolutely no reservations/regrets about leather. I like the way that thye have worn, in fact the chaparral looks better as it ages, like a baseball glove... I got the leather mainly because i have a dog and the cloth grabs onto the hair and lint for miles around...I left dog hair on the test drive and I wasn't covered in it.....

 

My seats have held up well. Decent bolsters and good lumbar support. Overall = very good.

 

I don't know about the leather seats, but the cloth ones are good...not great. I'm left wanting more lower back support and a bit more cushion on the seat...but overall, it's good.

As far as going by looks alone...the leather seats seem to "look" more comfortable.

 

I wouldn't trade the leather for cloth or anything else. Very comfortable.

 

holy hell, this thread was bumped after 2 1/2 years... incredible.

I find the leather seatts comfy FWIW.

 

Got the cloth, Like it just fine.
I think the leather is easier to keep clean and just looks nice. But last car had Leather and I was always sliding around when driving in a spirited manner.
So far the cloth does provide me with more "Butt grip" and across the shoulders too. After all not fighting to stay in one place allos you to concentrate on the corner better. I would have liked the side bolsters to be firmer akin to a Recaro SRD.