[KUweatherman]

Haha, people are sick of me talking about this car too. Sad thing is I'm not even getting one in the near future.

[blackpanther]

See the color of KUweatherman's e46? That's the color they should have offered for the e90 instead of the Monaco Blue!

[bozo5521]

i WAS going to go leather, until I realized the Type 162's were going to cost me over 3 grand...Yikes!

Anyway, I may still go for premium sound, but I running a little thin at this point...2 more weeks!!!!

[bozo5521]

I dont feel so bad now...The worst part is, I dont know if my obsession with the E90 is worse than the guilt I feel for getting rid of my E46 next week...I love that thing so much !

..I just feel like the E90 will help me into my mid-life crisis..(Im 30, so Im sure it will be here soon )...But the E90 has transformed the apperance of the 3 series..Its much more "grown-up" now, which is what I was waiting for for so long..

[KUweatherman]

Originally Posted by blackpanther

See the color of KUweatherman's e46? That's the color they should have offered for the e90 instead of the Monaco Blue!

Orient Blue would definitely have been a better choice for a blue than Monaco Blue.

[NuovoTech]

Is the E90 leatherette interior that's available in the USA Sensatec(as in Europe)? My 1996 318ti has a cloth leatherette that's held up well. So the USA 3-Series is using a leatherette that looks like leather(from a distance) & is not really cloth-like(as in this foto), correct?

[A61]

i was just at he dealer again today to check out the leatherette. imo, the e90 leatherette is much better quality than the e46 leatherette. both beige and black looked and feels nice. not rough like on e46's. i will be ordering mine with black leatherette.

[fusionnv]

Originally Posted by tim916

Exactly. Spend your money on the options that are really going to be useful and fun, like NAV and premium sound.

Of course, if you've got the cash, then there's nothing wrong with getting the real thing, but don't feel compelled to get leather just because it's a BMW.

No shame in that, that is how I got navi. Too bad I coiuldn't give up something else to get the sports package. ARGH!

[akhbhaat]

My E46 has sand coloured leatherette. After five years and almost no maintenance (aside from very occasional cleanings), it looks like new. No cracking, no creases, no stains or warping...after five years, as I mentioned. Brilliant material in most regards. I wouldn't hesitate to order it in the E90; in fact, when I replace the E46 in two years or so (most likely with the E90), I will order leatherette again. Absolutely no regrets.

Only disadvantage that I can see is that it does not breathe as well as leather and certainly not as well as cloth (BMW, at least per the 318ti that I drove, uses a very solid feeling fabric in their cloth interiors). That's really about it.

[CC 330i]

I ended up with leatherette mainly by default. The color I wanted (SG) was hard to find and the only car I could locate in the state was a 330i in SG, Manual, Sport package with black leatherette and aluminum. Satellite prep. Very basic car, but when I thought about it, that is all I REALLY had to have in the car. Now I am kinda glad I didn't get sucked into a bunch of pricey options. I want the car for DRIVING. I will just think of my car as the "stripped down" lean sport model. The seats support you the same with leatherette as with leather, so I guess I don't mind as long as my back doesn't sweat too much. (We will see). As a 330i, it comes standard with Logic 7, and that is the only other option I would have insisted on if it were not standard. The sound quality of most satellite radio isn't worth the cost IMO right now (maybe later it will be). I got the car for just under $39K. Not bad.

I spend too much time at a computer at work to care about Navigation and Idrive, and as far as leather goes, it is a lot more maintenance and it can wear out pretty fast. My friend has beige leatherette in her e46 325 and she thinks it is fine. I honestly could not tell if it was leather in the first minute or so, and hopefully the e90 leatherette is better. (haven't delivered my car yet). My last car had leather, and it was nice, pretty durable and breathes well, but that $1500 is better spent on Sport Package in my opinion. I could have afforded it, but I would have had to order a car to get the colors I wanted, so I have made peace with the fact that the car will be leatherette. Leatherette may hurt resale somewhat, but then again, you paid $1500 less for it, so no biggie.

It is kind of sad that BMW doesn't make leather standard on the 330i, but maybe that is for those people who don't feel comfortable with leather (morally) or don't like the smell.

[bimmerchild]

Hey...thats so funny...I bought the exact same car (sg, black leatherette, sport package, heated seats)...congrads...I love the simplicity and sportiness of the car...
althought I miss not getting leather...I have been thinking about it and know think I should have gotten leather...
also...you know what...the side door panels are not leathereet....if you really examine them ...they are leather...so essentially we have a mix leather/leathereete e90

[Mauricio]

I have TiAg/black leatherette. I like everything about the leatherette and I don't regret it at all. At first, in the middle of summer, I complained about the seats making your back sweat and the leatherette changing to a whitish color when wet. But after getting tints and driving it for over 4 months, it doesn't bother me at all. I think is looks great and feels very durable.

The only reason I would reconsider getting the leather is if I could have found my car with the premium package because of the bluetooth and BMWAssist. The leather would've been a bonus, but the bluetooth is what I really wish I had.

If you're considering getting the premium package, decide if you'll possibly regret not getting these things, but if you're simply ordering leather as an option, I think you'll like better off getting leatherette and getting the sports package instead. I love the sports package. It drives great and looks great too.

[bimmerchild]

yeah...sport package is a must on the e90...the wheels are the bomb

[stressdoc]

I agree 100% w/ akhbhat. I have had ette for 7 years on my E46, and it is great, like new despite 3 kids, camping, windsurfing, sand v-ball. That said, I am definitely ready for the shadow blue alcantara in my E91 (hope, hope!)!

[JET515]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Hi, my name is Nathan, and i'm an e90-oholic as well.

I think i have you guys beat. I have four flat panel monitors and two notebooks, and have e90 pictures on every one of them as wallpaper. My wife and friends are fed up of me talking about it.

Why can't June 1 be here already!

Nathan

lol my friends are the same way too and thx god i only have to wait a long 13 days after it comes out to buy it when i turn 18 so far yet so close

[montreal_bimmer]

leatherette doesnt crack, so in 10 years itll look a lot better than leather

[Rover]

Leatherette on '01 325ci coupe...after 118,000 miles...looks near new. Easy to care for...doesn't crack. Tolerable in 100+F days.

Ordered same on my '07 e92.

[M3ti Compact]

Originally Posted by NuovoTech

Is the E90 leatherette interior that's available in the USA Sensatec(as in Europe)? My 1996 318ti has a cloth leatherette that's held up well. So the USA 3-Series is using a leatherette that looks like leather(from a distance) & is not really cloth-like(as in this foto), correct?

That doesn't look like leatherette at all! I think that's actually a cloth seat...

I've always found BMW's real leather to be tough and rough anyways- so real leather wasn't even considered when ordering. Either way, everyone i've given a ride to thought it was real leather.

After seeing how the badly the leather has worn and cracked on my 318ti...I would definitely go for leatherette and save the grand or so. BTW...if your 318ti was the sport package, the sport seats were cloth with real leather side bolsters.

[Gripster]

I got leather because I thought a car of this caliber would be ill served with anything less. I would contend that with proper care it will last as well as leatherette, but time will tell. It's probably one of the easier compromises to make if you're prioritizing options.

[IndianPoweredE90]

i had the option of getting leather if i picked to get the car like right away instead of waiting 3 weeks for it to come to usa. but iam glad i chose leatherette because its awesome.. holds up nice and doesnt stain. The normal leather does look like shit after a few year... mines is dark leatherette so its not even noticiable if its leather or leatherette.

[NuovoTech]

BTW...if your 318ti was the sport package, the sport seats were cloth with real leather side bolsters

Nope, I ordered a base model, with only 1 option(traction control). After almost 11 years & 57k miles the cloth interior looks like new. My red paint is something else tho & I'll have that repainted. I still like my little 318ti, gets 36mpg on trips with my 5-speed manual tranny. Can't beat the hatchback also, I once hauled a full sized dryer with my rear hatch door closed.

[RGB]

I like leatherette very much. I don't find it any hotter in summer time than the true leather -as my other car- and, I can tell you, Seville is very, very hot in summer time.

Mine is black and at first it didn't look very real to me, untill 2 professional upholsterers thought, touching it, that it was real leather (!).