Leather vs cloth

[FinnYyatt]

I’m sure the leather is more stain resistant but how about comfort? I’m going to be doing a good amount of distance.

what is your opinion on the adaptive cruise control. I had this in another vehicle and found myself traveling as fast as the slowest driver…

Also color. White is cheapest and probably the least hot in temp. How easy do scratches in blue and greys show?

Update:
1. I was told you can turn the adaptive off and use when needed for long trips.

2. I was told the adaptive is mounted to the windshield or something of that sort so broken windshields may be a factor.

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[Sandevino]

The cloth seats are softer than the stiff leather seats initially. After about 10k miles the leather seats break in and are just as soft. Both clean up easily if you clean up quick but liquid will soak into the cloth seats quick. Pull off the covers, throw them in the wash, problem solved.

Adaptive cruise is cute but you're right - as fast as the slowest SOB in front of you. I prefer old fashioned cruise or no cruise at all.

The color of the tub (body) is irrelevant if you've got a black hard or soft top.

 

[GladLad]

I've always liked cloth for comfort, leather for ease of cleaning.

I wanted ACC, but ultimately felt neither safety package was worth it. I wanted maybe 1 feature from each, but wasn't going to pay for both. I rarely use cc, so sticking to standard will do me fine.

Ha, you have the same questions as me in regard to scratches and colors. I asked in the respective color-club threads when deciding, and even searched those threads for the ones I was interested in.

Generally, lighter colors will fair better with scratches/swirls. White and silver probably the best, black and granite the worst. Gray is likely a good middle ground, and was my second choice. Ultimately went with blue, but don't know about scratches yet.

 

[bleda2002]

Deciding factor to me is leather gets the rear flip down cupholder/elbow rest, cloth doesn't. With kids that was a must for me.

Jeeps adaptive cruise control is probably the best I've used. If you don't pay attention you end up going as fast as the slowest driver, but not having to baby sit it up 1 down 1 over and over makes it a must for me as well. I love being able to set it to 80 and not worry if the guy Infront of me is going 78-79-80-77 since they don't have it and are following someone Infront of them in the line.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Several years ago my wife and I both decided on leather seats going forward. That's all we've had for a while now. I don't consider them stiff unless you are talking the 2018 Grand Cherokee and then those seats are stiff but it's not the leather - the foam is stiff, doesn't give much.
We've never had problems with leather and it's so easy to clean and care for.

what is your opinion on the adaptive cruise control. I had this in another vehicle and found myself traveling as fast as the slowest driver…

What? Why is that a problem of ACC? It's the driver's fault, you can easily move out and pass.
don't blame acc for your complacency and lack of desire to pass.

I use ACC exclusively. I've not looked back since I tried it in 2019. I use it on the interstates especially as all of the truck traffic would otherwise mean you constantly hitting the brakes, then resume, then brake, then resume. (or otherwise pressing the buttons to increase, then decrease, increase, then decrease)
With ACC, you simply watch for your chance, signal and move to the left lane and it accelerates to move past the slow vehicle. If it doesn't accelerate fast enough, you hit the gas pedal. Once you pass, you pull back over and let it take over again.
I never have understood why people think it means you get stuck behind slow vehicles because of ACC. No, you get stuck behind slow vehicles because the driver chooses to stay there!

 

[antwon412]

Personally, I can’t imagine having cloth interior in an off-road vehicle. Mine would be destroyed already. I have had so many deluges of muddy water, and pure goopy mud all over my seats.

 

[Rahkmalla]

katzkin leather was my preference. cheaper than OEM leather (unless you wanted customization like i did), and the upholstery itself is more padded than the OEM. I don't think there's a JL/JT seat out there more comfortable than a Mojave with Katzkins.

For avoiding pinstriping and swirls showing, my preference has always been a heavily flaked grey or silver. The darker the color, the more imperfections show, but also the more flat the color as well. If pinstriping were my main concern i probably would have chosen Granite Crystal. Sting isn't going to hide things like that very well.

 

[Hootbro]

Had leather in my first Rubicon and currently Rubicon with cloth in my WIllys Gladiator. I prefer the leather overall compared to the cloth. Leather has better side bolstering and is way easier to clean than cloth.

I know some that live in very warm climates in like the Southwest, complain leather is way hotter when first entry after sitting for awhile in the sun.

As to color and scratches, I would say in ascending order the colors would be white, gray and blue in terms of showing scratches more readily. A lot of trail rash from brush, trees and other vegetation is just clear coat scuffing but regardless of color, anything to the base metal is going to look nasty anyways.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Several years ago my wife and I both decided on leather seats going forward. That's all we've had for a while now. I don't consider them stiff unless you are talking the 2018 Grand Cherokee and then those seats are stiff but it's not the leather - the foam is stiff, doesn't give much.
We've never had problems with leather and it's so easy to clean and care for.


What? Why is that a problem of ACC? It's the driver's fault, you can easily move out and pass.
don't blame acc for your complacency and lack of desire to pass.

I use ACC exclusively. I've not looked back since I tried it in 2019. I use it on the interstates especially as all of the truck traffic would otherwise mean you constantly hitting the brakes, then resume, then brake, then resume. (or otherwise pressing the buttons to increase, then decrease, increase, then decrease)
With ACC, you simply watch for your chance, signal and move to the left lane and it accelerates to move past the slow vehicle. If it doesn't accelerate fast enough, you hit the gas pedal. Once you pass, you pull back over and let it take over again.
I never have understood why people think it means you get stuck behind slow vehicles because of ACC. No, you get stuck behind slow vehicles because the driver chooses to stay there!

One of the benefits of cruise is you do not have to watch your speed as much.

You've never had one of those "why am I still following this slow poke" moments when using ACC? It's happened to me before.

 

[jcarbs]

I upgraded my cloth seats with Katzkin on my 2014 JKU. I did find them to be more comfortable but taking off the freedom panels in Houston heat and humidity was not a great combination. After the initial I love the leather seats wore off, I decided that it was the worst upgrade I did on any of my Jeeps. So when I purchased my Gladiator, I purposely avoided any with leather on the lot.

Have had adaptive cruise and not a fan. I know that there are people who swear by it, but it drives me crazy.

But to each their own, by the Gladiator the way you want it and make it your own.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

One of the benefits of cruise is you do not have to watch your speed as much.

You've never had one of those "why am I still following this slow poke" moments when using ACC? It's happened to me before.

No, not really. Might take a minute to realize hey, we were going 77, it still says 77 is what I have it set at, but the speedometer says 75 - ok, lane change............... but it's literally seconds if it happens
With my extreme ADHD, if you are in my way, I WILL go around you. I don't do slow without huge frustration. My wife hates it. Luckily I've mellowed a bit over the years.
So if I find that there's something preventing me from going my set speed, it's extremely rare that I accept it. I slip into a slot in the traffic in the left lane that I might fit into, pass, and go back over.
I guess I'm surprised to see others blame the ACC for going slow.
It's the driver that determines where you are and how fast you go. ACC doesn't do it.
If someone was using standard CC - would they smack into the rear of the vehicle ahead of them?????? And if not - why not?
It's the same awareness, or should be - why aren't people blowing into the back of a slow vehicle with standard cruise? It's the same "attention" or awareness. If a person sees a vehicle ahead of them and realizes they are approaching it way too fast, they react and button down the cruise or tap the brakes to disengage cruise - why not realize that you've come upon a vehicle and slowed down?

I can't shut my brain down - a million inputs happening all the time, impossible to ignore.
Only when my EDS hits that I might not realize something around me on the highway and then it's time to pull over and power-snooze it off.
there is no ignoring a slower vehicle - it must be dealt with.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I upgraded my cloth seats with Katzkin on my 2014 JKU. I did find them to be more comfortable but taking off the freedom panels in Houston heat and humidity was not a great combination. After the initial I love the leather seats wore off, I decided that it was the worst upgrade I did on any of my Jeeps. So when I purchased my Gladiator, I purposely avoided any with leather on the lot.

Have had adaptive cruise and not a fan. I know that there are people who swear by it, but it drives me crazy.

But to each their own, by the Gladiator the way you want it and make it your own.

Fully understand heat and humidity. When you kill weeds and a week later they have not turned brown and withered but instead turned into a black goo - you know it's humid.
Corn sweat. (along with the gulf air brought up here)

I leave the HVAC on auto even with panels off.
Oddly, driving with panels off this weekend I saw an INCREASE in MPG, and an increase in average mpg. Totally counter-intuitive, IMO.

Maybe you just get used to being wet all the time. Having worked putting up hay and straw in this weather (wearing long sleeve shirts to protect your arms from being ripped to shreads), walking beans, whatever, you get acclimated to it.

More on Iowa's dew point and heat index related to the above.

Iowa tied that 91 degree dew point.

 

[aprez27]

Cloth if going topless. I rented a Wagoneer for a long trip I was taking and loved the ACC on it. Especially for a long trip.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

and loved the ACC on it. Especially for a long trip.

used the heck out of it when we took my JT on the 24 hour drive to FL last fall, especially in the heavy traffic of GA.
Then we took my wife's JLU to FL this spring and man did I miss that ACC and advance safety group going through those same places.

 

[jcarbs]

Fully understand heat and humidity. When you kill weeds and a week later they have not turned brown and withered but instead turned into a black goo - you know it's humid.
Corn sweat. (along with the gulf air brought up here)

I leave the HVAC on auto even with panels off.
Oddly, driving with panels off this weekend I saw an INCREASE in MPG, and an increase in average mpg. Totally counter-intuitive, IMO.

Maybe you just get used to being wet all the time. Having worked putting up hay and straw in this weather (wearing long sleeve shirts to protect your arms from being ripped to shreads), walking beans, whatever, you get acclimated to it.

More on Iowa's dew point and heat index related to the above.

Iowa tied that 91 degree dew point.

Many a time I've had the AC or Heat blowing with the tops off depending upon the weather. Love driving with the freedom panels off. That's why I went to the sunrider top so it's easier to do so.

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