[mister c]

Well this might be a topic that's been discussed before, but not in a while...and DEFINITELY NOT BY ME.

What's the general opinion of the durability of the leather seats?

I've noticed that in the creases that develop over time in the lower seat bolsters, the actual ebony color is flaking off! The creases are not bugging me, (they add character) just the fact that the undyed leather is starting to show through...nice, real nice.

This reaffirms my opinion that the leather is not tanned or dyed to the kind of standard one would expect on a $40K vehicle.

And while I'm on a rant, has anyone got any complaints regarding the incredibly non-scuff resistant plastic chosen for the interior panels?
My dash has permanent scuffs from LIGHT contact from a passenger's shoe while crossing her legs. The door panels have scratches from incidental contact with my FINGERNAILS (I'm a guy...and keep 'em trimmed short).

And of course we don't have to mention the disaster on the plastic where the seat belt buckle contacts the pillar when retracted! I can't imagine what kids could actually do to this car.

What were the Honda engineers thinking? My last vehicle, an '89 Dodge Caravan w/5-sp turbo (cool car) lasted 12 years in my care and had NO visible scratches AT ALL on the interior surfaces. That's value. And I could get 20mpg while towing my boat!

All this and more, but of course I knew that first year vehicles were something of a crap shoot, so I have no one to blame but myself for my impatience...still love the handling, performance, heater/ac, most of the looks etc...
mister c

 

[CIC53]

Beloved Dodge Caravan

Maybe, with perserverance, you can track down that Dodge and
flim-flam the owner into a straight across trade for your MDX
which you bought in a temporary lapse in judgment. Finger nail
scratches? C'mon, what is really bugging you?

 

[mister c]

I know exactly where to look for the
Dodge, I sold it to one of my best friends, and guess what, he still is.

Sorry if is seemed like I was going too far out on a limb with the fingernail scratches and all, but it was just to show that in my opinion, the interior surfaces are kind of a weak spot in the MDX design.

Hopefully it won't happen to you, but if the leather in your car starts to self-destruct at just over a year, you might agree.
Cheers,
mister c

 

[Robyjo]

mr. c,

I agree. I really would expect a bit more in the way of refinement wrt the leather and finishing. But it's a trade-off that was worth it to me when I initially looked at the interior--you really can't beat the whole package...

 

[CIC53]

...leather & vinyl troubles.

mister c........

We have two rambuctious dogs (one 70 lbs) that scramble in and
out and we shove a large carrying crate through a tight opening
and across the leather seats. I thought their toe nails would
certainly scratch something but so far the interior is mark free.
Of course we have only had the X for 8 months or so. Knock on
wood. I have used Lexol on the leather a couple of times and
Meguiars Vinyl and Rubber Protectant on other surfaces which,
if anything, are improving with age. The leather is beautiful and
it certainly hasn't been babyed. I wonder if different production
vehicles have different materials???

Anyway, I hope your interior troubles don't detract too much from
your enjoyment of this fine vehicle.

 

[toby267]

I think I read a response from tim a few weeks ago about leather durability in which he stated the seats are covered by the same 4 yr/50K warranty as the rest of the car. You might consider taking your 'X back to the dealer and voicing your concerns.

 

[DBUFF]

Yes - the leather quality in our MDX stinks. It is too thin. I think Acura knows this is issue. My 2 yr old son who weights all of 30pounds walked across seat and a tear appeared in perforated leather. The dealer replaced skin no questions asked.

And yes the plastics does scratch too easily. With all the developments in plastics this should not be a problem. Like I
have said before the interior is cheap for this expensive a car.
I think they have made trade offs in plastic look vs durability.

Before you say I am whining - I agree it is a very good vehicle.
We'll see if it holds up long term like other Acura products.
This leather / plastics problem is just plain annoying.

 

[Pauls MDX]

NO PROBLEM HERE

MY 2002 BLK/EBONY INTERIOR LEATHER IS JUST PERFECT NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. TRY THE ZAINO PRODUCTS, THAT'S WHAT I USE AND ITS GREAT!!!

 

[ubik]

No problems here either

My 1 year old X still has the baby skin. I'm 220 lbs and besides few (normal I'd say) wrinkles, the black leather looks and feels just as new. I probably used leather conditioner only 4-5 times so far. And a tip: I use leather conditioner on the dashboard, door panels and steering wheel as well - looks and holds much better than silicone.

ubik