[BK1017]

I just test drove the 3 today, and man was it sweet! Anywho, I picked up a brochure on the 3, and while looking at the options, the leather option was asterisked. Here is what it says:

"Seating surfaces upholstered in leather, except for leather-look vinyl on seat side panels, rear sides of seat backs, and other minor areas" (Mazda 3 brochure, 4th pg from back).

Hope this answers everyones question (s) once and for all!

 

[gtibri]

yeah, you can tell. the side panels are smooth versus the bumpiness of the surfaces. why, is someone complaining? looks fine to me.

 

[Inno]

Well cuz if u're not getting full leather, it seems like u're not getting ur money's worth!!!

 

[BMM3]

No one puts complete leather seats in their cars, save for Bentley, Maybach, etc. The 3's leather seats are just like every other manufacturers, leather where you sit, vinyl where you don't.

 

[DJ Spencer]

It's not leather because or airbag issues. In the Protege, the airbag was in the seat. I don't recall if they put any in these seats, noe that they have the side curtain.

 

[Inno]

The protege has airbag in the seats??
How do they deploy then? The side airbags u mean?

I dun think we have side curtains here in NA

 

[olorin]

Yah. There is apparently some problem with the side airbags deploying if full leather is used in the side compartments of the seats (although having leather elsewhere should be ok). Because of this, AU specification cars don't have the leather options because they all _must_ have the side air bags.

But since I didn't care about the side air bags...

 

[DJ Spencer]

USA has Side curtains in both the front and the back, if you took the ABS package. If you look at the seat cushion, there will be a tag with bright orange letters that says "AIRBAG".

However, the seat has to break away fast, so they use a different, thinner material for the airbag. It deployes towards the door and front of the car. But I think this design changes to the curtains on the 3.

 

[Inno]

WUT DUH...

how come canada doesn't get any of those Xenon/ side curtain--side airbag??

That just SUCK

 

[olorin]

no idea...

AU spec cars "supposedly" (i.e. according to the dodgy dealer prattle) have to meet "high" australian safety standards. hence the higher end mazda3's (the 2.0L sport and 2.3L) come with 6 airbags - driver/frnt passenger, 2xcurtain airbags, 2xside airbags.

we don't even get the moonroof/sunroof option unless we sign a waiver for them to cut out supporting struts in the roof... and no fear! we also don't get the xenon option...

 

[DJ Spencer]

America gets the 6 aigbags.

 

[Bombadil]

The primary issue in the recent thread on leather had more to do about the quality of the leather. It was noted that the leather used in the 3, and nearly all other lower-priced cars, is of much lower quality than that used in expensive sedans. A couple of people noted that the "real leather" used in cheaper cars was not as nice as the good quality leatherette used in Audi's and other European makes.

I don't remember anyone claiming that Mazda was using fake leather on their "leather option" seats.

Anyone who has sat on the leather seats of a high-end car should have noticed it's thicker, higher-grade leather. All leather is not equal.

 

[olorin]

I agree with you Bombadil, and if this is the case then why can't we have leather as an option here?! (Especially as DJ Spencer points out that NA gets 6 Airbags) _and_ they get leather as an interior trim option.

Btw, what is the difference between Leather and Leatherette?

 

[DJ Spencer]

real leather, and blended or fake leather.

 

[Slalom]

America gets the 6 aigbags.

cuz US drivers crash more!

sorry had to say it... :twisted:

actually more accurately US drivers are far more likely to be t-boned, especially by larger vehicles...

 

[Bombadil]

Leatherette is usually a form of vinyl, but it might have some ground up leather mixed in. This is possible. The quality varies considerable from manufacturer to manufacturer. The good leatheretter, as found on Audi's, can be as good or better than the cheaper real leather as found in a number of economy cars. The top leatherette material is perforated and can be very difficult to tell apart from cheap leather.

Bad leatherette is nasty stuff that you stick to in the summer and ends up splitting in several places over the years.

Just as in shoes, coats, and furniture, not all leather used in car seats is alike. If you get leather in a Kia, it is not the same as getting leather in a Mercedes, although both may be real leather.

 

[olorin]

Thnx for the explanation. Learn something new every day

 

[Bjgmazda3s]

actually we get 8 airbags....

 

[Bjgmazda3s]

and for you people crying about the leather seats that arnt completly done in leather, you should have done what i did...get mazda aftermarket leather...its leather all the way around the seats