Been thinking about this for a while and to be honest the quality of anything that Land Rover build is disgusting when you compare it to the price they ask and even more so when you compare it to the German counter parts.

So my 2011 has had some leather repair done on the seats I’m sure no one needs to ask why lol , my mother in law has a low mileage evoque and I offered to clean her leather seat today and I was shocked at the bolster wear all the way down to the lather which has gone fluffy and as I was cleaning the seat some more colour pulled off making the seat look worse than when it was dirty.

One of the customers I deal with is a billionaire and he has a 8 month old Range Rover hybrid amazing car but again the front seat bolster has got colour missing. This is a car which 8 mo the ago was more than £100k?!!

Wtf Land Rover sort out the quality.

My wife’s 2009 ml350 has half leather and half Alcantara and the leather bolsters look brand new. And she slides in and out of there without a care in the world.

I think it’s awful for the price of these cars. [/u] Regards

Daz

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2011 (61plate) 4.4 tdv8
sumatra black

previous cars

e46 m3
e53 x5

i've had a td6, 4.2 SC, 4,4 westie and now a L405 and i've had no problems with the leather wearing.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

I’m really surprised.

I think as a owner you can deffo help the situation in terms of the way you get in and out of the car and the way you keep it clean. But as a whole they are one of the worst brands I’ve seen for leather quality.

You look on auto trader and 95% of the cars seats have cracked leather paint Regards

Daz

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2011 (61plate) 4.4 tdv8
sumatra black

previous cars

e46 m3
e53 x5

Just to second Stan, the leather on my 200k 2004, my 100k 2012 and my 60k 2016 is top notch. These days the 2004 is used heavily on the farm and doesn't get any special treatment - can't say the leather has suffered at all in any of them. Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)

This has confused me big time lol.

I’m so shocked that my mother in laws evoque has lost colour and scuffed so bad and it’s a 2015 car. Again with a 8 month old hybrid rangy on the bolster its worn.

Wonder if it’s the different type of leathers? Oxford or what ever else they do?? Regards

Daz

-------------------------
2011 (61plate) 4.4 tdv8
sumatra black

previous cars

e46 m3
e53 x5

Different trim levels and different models will have different quality trim. The leather quality and grading on an Evoque won't be the same as the RR.

I also think black is harder wearing that ivory or cream and certainly my earlier mid-90's Jags, the lighter interiors always seems to wear slightly more than the darker leather seats. Black seems to hide the wear better for longer than the lighter ones, although once black starts to significantly deterioate it looks worse.

Certainly the BMW era RR's seem to have much thicker leather than the newer ones for instance. Also usage (lots of getting in an out daily, way of getting in, size of driver, driver clothes and accessories eg jeans with heavy rivets, fabric army style trouser belts or heavy wool skirts etc - could all impact how the wear on the leather will be.

For a comparison on the lighter leather though, I have a mate with a 2012 Evoque with cream leather - he is a pretty big lad, the Evoque has done 80k mostly short trips, so lots of getting in and out so potential for lots of bolster wear but last time I was in that a couple of weeks ago, the drivers seat looked just fine. Current Fleet:-
2018 Discovery 5 3.0 HSE
2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrack
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8
1993 Defender 90 200TDI Pickup

Gone - not forgotten
2016 L405 4.4 SDV8 Vogue SE
2012 L322 4.4 Westminster
2004 L322 4.4 V8 Autobiography LE
2000 P38 RR 4.0 HSE (ex Clarkson test car)

I've only had 3 FFRR and the first two, 2007 and 2011 , both had worn drivers side bolsters, both were cream. I had a jeep Cherokee back in the day with 1 zillion kilometres on it and the leather was perfect , same with a high miler 320 cls mercedes. My 2015 is ok so far but only has 50k on it so time will tell.

Just my personal experience  2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

What techniques do folks recommend for rejuvenating worn bolsters? Modern leathers are very different to old car leather.
My understanding its dyed and then a clear top coat to seal it. Gone to a good home: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue with Ivory and clear glass = "Rory"
2025MY Defender D350 90 in Silicon Silver on coils
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
Many, many other Landies over the years
My preferred specialist: www.glenrands.co.uk
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I had my 2011 seats restored professionally, ( 3 weeks before i part exchanged it !!!!) He repainted and sealed them , took about 6 hours from start to finish. 2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

DrRob wrote:

What techniques do folks recommend for rejuvenating worn bolsters? Modern leathers are very different to old car leather.
My understanding its dyed and then a clear top coat to seal it.

2004 here with blue leather and I was only thinking the other day that they looked perfect still

62,000 miles here and all looking good

There’s definitely no comparison between the quality of the leather in my first Freeloader 2 and the current Fatty. Both have been hardwearing, but the FL2’s leather was more suited to the inside of a taxi!

The seats in my 2003 hse with 250000k`s are almost as good as new with hardly any signs of wear. The car is used daily, and I am in and out numerous times. I think the quality of leather is outstanding. I wish I could say the same as my garage Queen Mercedes SL. 2007 TDV8 VSE
2003 TD6 gone.
2002 P38a gone
1999 P38a gone
1997 p38a gone
1993 VSE gone
1992 VSE gone
1966 Series 2a with V8 conversion gone

I suspect those with wear issues have light coloured leather and those without issues have dark. In my experience the light colours need a lot of care/maintenance but if you your like light interiors enough it can be done.

Light coloured interior (Ivory) doing fine here