[108XT]

I'm looking at a new 2010 Forester 5 spd. tranny with the Touring model. I took one for a test drive and found the seats comfortable.( black cloth )
Now , my question is - are the cloth seats durable in the long run in regards to wear and tear or should I go with a Limited model with the leather seats.?

I'm asking owners of an 09 or 10 Forester with higher mileage to respond as to how the cloth seats are holding up to everyday wear and tear.

Thanks

 

[Jam-ehz]

32,000km and 10 months later, my 2010's cloth seats are holding up very well. I have a cover in the back for the dog, so they're pristine, but the fronts are in good shape as well.

Near the front edge of my seat are a few fibres sticking out, but I don't think they're loose threads coming apart. Gonna take a look at that today to make sure.

 

[Subaru2010]

Manual

For me it came down to manual vs. auto. And it was manual hands down - which meant no leather. However, for a under $2000 you can get leather installed by dealer or use Katzkin leather and have it installed. I'm going to wait about three years, then consider leather (planning on keeping my 2010 for a while).

Also, I find the driver's seat comfortable (I'm 6'1"). The power adjustable seat makes a huge difference as I can make small adjustments to seat pitch during long drives. The passenger seat could be a touch higher but not a huge issue.

 

[Papa_D]

I have the leather so I can't say about the cloth but I will say that the leather most manufacturers are using including Subaru isn't of a high enough quality to worry about cloth vs leather durability, however I do love the power adjustments of the driver seat as well so you may want to go for that option.

I have been around a while and have literally been in tens of thousands of different vehicles, many of them with leather, so I have seen the good and the bad and it seems to me that if you want high quality leather you have to buy a very expensive vehicle these days.

I would rank the Subaru leather as above average but certainly not high quality as you might find in a much more expensive vehicle but I would say good for the price compared to some others although if leather vs cloth were my only concern, like the previous poster mentioned, you could just get the cloth and then add a high quality aftermarket leather.

Good luck and remember, no matter what leather you get, care for it properly or it may not last as long as you would like.

 

[pleiad7]

Hard to say if the seats on the newer models will stand the test of time... it may still be too early to tell. If the SG generation is any indication, you will find many threads with complaints about the vinyl trim on the cloth seats cracking and splitting. The leather seats on the other hand wear like iron. I have 145k on my 04 XT and have owned it since mid-2003, and the leather seats don't even have wear marks yet.

 

[Bobiam]

I have the premium version of the XT which is a different fabric than the base model. I like it's pattern better.
I have had enough leather seats in my life and the problems with leather far outweigh fabrics. Fabrics will generally outlast leather easily, unless you are a smoker (synthetic fabrics burn easily). And with a little TLC they will also look better 10 yrs later.
I only wish that manufacturers would creat high end fabric seats that would look like high quality, instead of looking like "I couldn't afford the leather option".
There wasn't a wear spot anywhere on the 15 yr old Grand Cherokee that I just sold.

 

[Trainman]

52,000 kms in 21 months and my Touring interior is holding up very well. Lots of comments recently about how it still looks new.

I have found the fabric (I do not really want to call it "cloth" as it seems to be a bit different) very easy to clean up spills and dirt. This is important as I have the lighter colour and dirt really shows compared to black.

So no issues for me, so far.

 

[Trainman]

You may want to check out this discussion too (relevant to us Canadians and our weather):

Leather seats - tell me why.

 

[ArcadeTom]

Scooby is just about to have his second birthday (May 30th) and I have 27,000 and counting. Most of mine has been 1,000 mile round trips to visit my parents in West Tennessee and tooling around Arcade and Jefferson, GA. No problems yet and still as comfy as new.

 

[Papa_D]

I only wish that manufacturers would creat high end fabric seats that would look like high quality, instead of looking like "I couldn't afford the leather option".

Some manufacturers have created high end seats and although they are leather, I think most of us would be quite happy with them, however they are probably cost prohibitive for us since they likely cost as much as our whole cars do, lol.

If only all leather seats were like this...

YouTube - Bentley seat leather: inside story

 

[Nasarog]

Yup. Easy to remove stains from as well. I have the light grey cloth interior, and I easily removed chocolate stains.