I'm needing to fix some of my interior and I need some of this leather (the black ribbed leather part). I've called several upholstery shops and they can't find any. Does anyone know where I can get some of this?

Thanks in advance!

 

I have the front OEM leather seats with the black ribbed leather if you want.

 

VERY interested. Is it just the leather for the seats or the seats themselves? Just the leather would be GREAT!

 

Haven't heard back from Element...Still needing some of this leather. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated

 

i believe the ribbed part is rubber?

why not check with a dealership?

 

If I were you I'd look into getting it replaced with something else, like real leather. It will cost more but might look better too. Just a personal preference.

 

yea, the ribbed part in not leather. Think it 06 and up they replaced the ribbed vinyl with real non-ribbed leather.

 

Actually...the ribbed part is leather. At least on my '04 it is. Take you index finger and push on it...if it creases with little vains, it's leather. If you push on it and it just makes a round divot (like when you push on fabric) it's vinyl. Learned that from an upholstery shop a few years ago. Plus my upholsty guy that has been doing cars for years said it was leather...and he can't find any with the ribs from his contacts either.

I checked with the dealership...I can get the entire SEAT, but not just the leather for the seat...which sucks

 

Negative. The ribbed side bolsters are NOT real leather. They are vinyl. Only the seat inserts (the seat back and bottom) are real leather. It's customary for all car companies to do that. If you want all real leather on your seat--well, that's not even an option on the RX8 (all years), if not most cars out there--you'll have to pay big buck. I know that Mercedes Benz and BMW used to do that. Not sure if they're still offering that option. If you got that option, even the door panel inserts are real leather.

By the way, to test and see whether something is real leather, just try to pinch it with your thumb and index finger. Vinyl is always thicker and harder to pinch (harder, less pliable material). Real leather is easier to pinch. Another technique is look at the leather grain. Some vinyl has imitation grain. But if you know what you're looking at, you'll spot it right away.

 

ribbed...for her pleasure.

anyways, how can someone be positive that we don't have say: a all leather seat on a '06 and up non-ribbed leather seat? does it say somewhere on the brochure or something?

i think we may have a lower quality of leather...but if its not all leather, its ALL fake. my wife's TL's leather looks/feels much better.
what grade leather do we really have?

sorry to jack this thread.

 

You can believe what you want to believe. Like I said, it's a standard practice for car companies to put real leather inserts on seating surfaces only. The side/thigh bolsters and door panels are always vinyl. Be it your wife's Acura TL, Acura RL, BWM 5-series, MB E-class, Lexus GS, or any car in the sub-$60K range. Heck, the Lexus LS doesn't even come with an all-real leather interior. Car companies don't have to specifically disclose that their leather seats are "half-leather, half-vinyl." What do they choose to say? "Leather-trimmed!" The average buyer can't even tell leather from leatherette (as demonstrated in this thread), so he/she can understandably overlook the "leather-trimmed" part (or some other similarly vague language) in the brochure. Heck, he/she may not even know the exact meaning and does not even think to ask...

Not all leather interiors have to be all real leather or all fake, although the latter does exist. BMW and Audi do offer leatherette (read: vinyl) upholstery in their 3-series and A4 respectively.

 

Still looking for this ribbed material :D

 

If you read Mazda marketing material it insinuates that it is ribbed leather. Usually only the non-seating surfaces are vinyl--lower sides, upper sides and back.

 

An old fashion bump...