Damn.... Over 100+ views and not one input, opinion? 🤔

 

Damn.... Over 10+ views and not one input, opinion? 🤔

I have Nappa myself and love it, but have never compared it to Marino. I do like the quilting (texturing) in the photos above. I only have that sort of texturing on my seats (not on the center console or armrests). I like that color also. I have always preferred lighter color interiors (not black) for temperature reasons in the summer.

Make sure you look for factory window tint if you live in Texas!

 

We went with the Marino Leather, no idea how it compares to the Napa. 2020 745e. The vehicle was used so we did not have any configuration options

 

I've had Nappa and Marino. I put 118k miles on the car with Nappa, and currently have 79k miles on the car with Marino.
Both wear and both stretch. The Marino has a much smoother surface. I ended up with Marino because I like a color with which it was available.

For smaller, cheaper BMW's, Sensatec has the feel of Marino and the durability of... well... Sensatec.

 

I've had Nappa and Marino. I put 118k miles on the car with Nappa, and currently have 79k miles on the car with Marino.
Both wear and both stretch. The Marino has a much smoother surface. I ended up with Marino because I like a color with which it was available.

For smaller, cheaper BMW's, Sensatec has the feel of Marino and the durability of... well... Sensatec.

What? Sensatec has the feel of Marino? No way! Sensatec has the feel of Dakota.

I think that Marino and Nappa feel pretty similar. I have the Nappa with the Leather dash (which feels like Nappa). I would have gone for the full Marino in Caramel Black but didn't have the time to wait for a special order (I had sold my prior BMW back to BMW and asking the company to wait the extra months before doing the replacement was more than I was willing to ask).

You get more and better color choices with Marino.

Now if the decision was on Dakota or Vernasca, I would say Sensatec.

 

More specifically, the full same color interior option that is specific to the Individual model.

I'd like owners of Merino and Nappa to chime in on softness and durability of both...?

I believe Merino has no coating whereas Nappa has a light coating. As @Autoputzer mentioned, both will show wear and Merino is smoother. I had a 750i loaner with the Tartufo Merino interior and it was already showing wear on the driver's seat at 8K miles.

It's a big difference between Dakota and Nappa, but not as much between Nappa and Merino. To me, the biggest difference was that Full Merino Leather includes the lower part of the door panels, which would otherwise be soft plastic.

What leather do you have in your 750i and how is it holding up? Are you trying to decide between Cognac Nappa and Tartufo Merino?

 

I have had Black Sensatec which looks ok, and impressive durability. I believe you could drive sitting on sand paper and not damage the surface.

I had Black Dakota which had good feel, took minimal up keep and was resistant to most abuse.

My current vehicle has Silverstone Merino. Very impressive feel, breathes well and is wonderfully soft - impressive to anyone who rides with me. But it does take more delicate care. The leather does mar and dent with relative ease. Seat bolsters and high wear areas show the effects more than any of the other surfaces.

For what it’s worth, this link does explain the leathers for BMW and Alpina. Know Your Leather: Here are the different types of BMW Leather Options

 

Thanks guys.

@ Robin.... I currently have Nappa cognac.
This car is over a decade with only 70k miles. The Drivers seat literally shows no sign of excessive wear.
Super impressed!
I must have that Tartufo! 🤤

 

@ Robin.... I currently have Nappa cognac.
This car is over a decade with only 70k miles. The Drivers seat literally shows no sign of excessive wear.
Super impressed!
I must have that Tartufo! 🤤

I think you're probably going to be fine with the Merino leather.

The problem is going to be how the previous owner treated the interior. It's easy for Merino to look worse than Nappa, even on low mileage cars. M5s often get optioned with Merino, so you can also take a look at some listings to get an idea how it'll look over time.

 

The thing about me...

I am meticulous AF!
All of my belongings are treated with TLC.
Especially my rides.
I'd like to point out too that M5s have way more aggressive side bolstering and even thigh support than 7s. Certainly a factor in excessive wear.
I treat my car and home leather a few times annually with a plethora of products. 👍

I'll certainly keep you all updated on my next ride.... It's been a looooong time coming. I insist on the perfect replacement.

 

The standard interior in the X7 40i is now "Sensafin."

 

What is sensafin exactly? 🤔

 

Back when Mercedes-Benz cars would last 1,000,000 miles, the M-B diesel-1,000,000 mile cultist would demand their cars had M-B Tex seating surfaces instead of leather.

 

I sat in a SensaTec equipped 4 Series and I mistook it for Merino leather. It didn't smell like a leather-equipped BMW, though. In contrast, I mistake Dakota and Vernasca leather in BMW's for vinyl.

I suspect there's a shortage of leather, or the price has gone up and BMW's looking to save a few Euros every place they can.

 

Check out the below link.

Know Your Leather: Here are the different types of BMW Leather Options

When buying a new BMW, there are quite a few different leather options that can be had, depending on the model.

www.bmwblog.com

 

OP, buy what you want and be happy, spend as much time cleaning it as you want/plan to and I’m sure it will last reasonably well.

That said, I hate leather and vinyl in car interiors, give me a cloth interior any day. I get that high end cars should have matching high end interiors. But leather and vinyl are always the wrong temperature when you get in the car on a hot or cold day. They each wear much faster than high quality cloth, vinyl will even crack on really cold days, they hate sharp objects, so child car seat or boxes can become a problem. BTW everyone understands that any of the vegan leather stuff is a plastic, (vinyl -PVC or something very much like it) right?

 

Nobody has mentioned Alcantara.

This is a synthetic material that came as standard as seat & door inserts in my 2012 E70 X5 M50d. It looks & feels like real suede made from leather & is comfortable in hot or cold weather. It's needed little maintenance & wears well - mine shows little wear in 10 years & 90,000 Km. I'm not sure if it now is available as standard or an option on any newer BMWs.

 

That's interesting. I've never seen it cover the entire seats like that. I will admit though, I'm not a huge fan of this material except in the roof. I absolutely love the look, feel and smell of supple leather! 🤤

 

While performance came first, having Merino leather in my M4 Competition was a huge sales point. It is of the highest quality--does require care--I use Maguire's Leather Conditioner every 2 months or so, but looks, feels and smells great. It's the best BMW offers and shows it. Anything less is...less. Damp cloth to get the dust off and then the conditioner. Takes 10 minutes and worth it. Cheaper Nappa and other types have a coating so using conditioner is really a waste of time and money. It doesn't penetrate. When the coating wears off, like on the bolsters, wear happens very quickly. Conditioner helps reduce wear by keeping the leather supple. Black car and black interior. Looks like what it is: powerful luxury. At least to me.

 

If the new Sensifin (vegan leather) holds up well and has a nice feel (as some new BMW owners that have it say it is)…it may change many owners minds and may become acceptable (much like the fake suede “Alcantera”…that most owners never balk about).

For those that have small children or pets…or those that live an active life style …or those that really are not into maintaining/cleaning a “good” leather properly…may end up preferring this over the lesser leathers (Dakota//Vernasca).

I guess time will tell.

 

Sorry to be late to the party, TX...

I have a '20 M760i with black nappa leather and alacantra headliner and have two thoughts/perspectives.

Seating comfort
Concurrent with a role change I recently drove from the metroplex to New Hampshire in 48 hours - during daylight hours. The seats, while seemingly a bit stiff on local quick trips, are the most comfortable I've experienced at 400 miles per leg. I cannot speak to the durability (25,000 miles in 3 years) nor the ability to withstand stains (meticulous, like you).

Alacantra headliner
It's off-white and absolutely stunning, UNTIL someone with dirty hands decides to experience the softness. This material does not clean well (or I have not found the best way to remove finger trails!).

You can PM me for images/video if you're still deciding.

 

Good stuff. I'm actually adding a 760 to my short list of 2020 LCI. Definitely would like to discuss. I'll send you a pm.

 

That's the thing about Alcantara. I've never seen a proven way to clean it and renew the feel and look. It is fake--just a next generation of the velour of the '80s, imo. Some one said it is expensive to produce. Even if true, it is still a man made plastic. Leather is leather, and the top quality types--as Merino certainly is, have a prestige nothing else can touch--again, imo. The look the feel and the smell. To each his own of course.

 

anyone have a suggestion on what to use to condition Nappa leather? My local BMW dealers stopped carrying the their leather cleaner, so I'm at a lose on what's best to use now.

 

Chemical Guys is a good choice too, the leather cleaner can be diluted if you don't have heavy staining.

You can also try to find the find the BMW leather cleaner online as well, for example Pacific BMW has an Amazon store.

 

I used Mother's on my 12 year old Nappa. They make a foam cleaner and a.moisturizer that come in a kit at auto parts stores.

 

I've used Maguire's conditioner on my 3 Vettes and now M4C, so cheap to expensive. Mothers makes good products, too--as does Griots, although they are much more expensive.

 

^^^^^^This is supposed to be a good product. I currently have Adams interior/leather cleaner which is also great stuff which leaves a hint of a new car smell that I like.

 

My Vernasca Leather although an adulterated form of a highly processed lower level split thickness hide is great stuff and I am extremely happy with it. It does not wrinkle, stretch, or deform in any way that I can see and it is maintained by a quick damp cloth wipe down once every 6-9 months.
Hard for me to really understand men who place a huge priority on a silky soft, smooth as a baby's ass leather for a vehicle. You can say the same for the ridiculous "soft close" doors also. The door of a BMW can be shut with one finger, how much help does any one need with that.

 

I have 90k miles on my car with it's white Nappa leather and it looks and feels great. My 5-series with 80k on it looks immaculate with it's black Nappa interior. The material holds up quite well, I think, provided it's maintained.