Suede Or Alcantara For QP V Steering Wheel

[Bourekoue]

Hi everyone.

I'm getting my steering wheel re trimmed from leather to either suede or alcantara.

Does anybody have any experience or opinions on the merits of either and how they measure against each other.

Suede is a natural leather and alcantara is a man made material from what I gather and from what I've read suede is more prone to ageing and deteriorating than alcantara and suede is less UV resistant but there are so many conflicting reports on the web it's hard to know who to believe.

Thanks in advance.

 

[StuartW]

Mine is alcantara, apparently. I say apparently as it was worn down to a flat shiny material with very little nap. I may well have it re-furbed one day but it's fine for now. Mine is late 2008 car and has done 50k miles to give you an idea

 

[VMSRTI]

I remember reading about this some time ago and you are correct, the alcantra (the brand name of a man made material) has a higher rub wear rating than suede.

Why do you want to change frim leather?

 

[StuartW]

I remember reading about this some time ago and you are correct, the alcantra (the brand name of a man made material) has a higher rub wear rating than suede.

Why do you want to change frim leather?

I wouldn't change, it came as an option when new but if I was to have it refurbished, I would have alcantara again as I like the feel of it (when new!) and it would match the inserts on the seats too.

 

[Bourekoue]

I too like the look and feel of the alcantara and that's why I'm ready to re trim the steering and gear lever in alcantara and as I do so few miles in it I think the alcantara should hold up pretty well. The original purchaser chose full leather everywhere as a no cost option as alcantara was standard on the QP Sport GT S and I'm currently debating to go the full hog and do the seat inserts and door cards in alcantara too.

 

[Bourekoue]

 

[StuartW]

That looks fantastic

 

[Bourekoue]

That looks fantastic

Agree 100%.
Do you think I should get the seat inserts and door cards done too. My interior is Sabbia so the alcantara I would choose would be a colour match for the Sabbia.

 

[Bourekoue]

Something like this.

 

[Andyk]

Alcantara just is much better to hold than leather...Would not imagine there is much difference to the feel of Alcantara and Suede.

 

[Bourekoue]

Alcantara just is much netter to hold than leather...WOuld not imagine there is much difference to the feel of Alcantara and Suede.

Andy my friend I have two samples,one of each and you would be surprised how different they are but I agree alcantara is much better to hold than leather.

What do you think of replacing the leather in the door cards and seat inserts with alcantara ?

 

[Andyk]

I love that look Adam.....Not everyone does but I think it marks out the Sport GTS over the other QP's........PLus the more sportier edge suits the Alcantara

Does the suede feel more hard wearing that the Alcantara.....The only problem I found when I had an Alcantara steering wheel on my M3 CSL was the wear and it started to bobble.....Still would go for it though ......

This one is for sale and looks good to me with he alcantara.....Again the two tone is an acquired taste but I like it.

 

[StuartW]

Something like this.
View attachment 30300View attachment 30301

That does look a bit special

 

[Bourekoue]

I love that look Adam.....Not everyone does but I think it marks out the Sport GTS over the other QP's........PLus the more sportier edge suits the Alcantara

Does the suede feel more hard wearing that the Alcantara.....The only problem I found when I had an Alcantara steering wheel on my M3 CSL was the wear and it started to bobble.....Still would go for it though ......

This one is for sale and looks good to me with he alcantara.....Again the two tone is an acquired taste but I like it.

Andy I would say the opposite. That the alcantara is more hard wearing and durable than the suede and the trimmers agree.
The suede also has more visible piling and will suffer from bobbling more than the alcantara.
I really like the alcantara interior on the QP Sport GT S but I prefer it to match the colour of the leather like on the awards edition so I think that's what I'm going to go for.
I really wanted a sabbia interior and I also really wanted an alcantara interior but have never seen one with matching sabbia alcantara even though it was an option so I suppose mine will be quite rare if not unique when it's done.

 

[Bourekoue]

That does look a bit special

Absobloodylutely !!!

 

[TridentTested]

Alcantara is fantastic stuff.

We have it on our sofa at home, used and abused for twenty years, including being attacked by kids, and it still looks like new when you give it a quick clean with a damp cloth.

It was the same story with the interior of my old Lancia Y10 - Lancia have used it since the early '80s - it's just a brilliant fabric for car interiors: tough, hard-wearing, washable, grippy to sit on, grippy on a steering wheel, warm to touch in the winter and not too sweaty in the summer. So much better than leather.

 

[Colossus]

The Alcantara will be much easier to clean than suede, all it needs is some warm water and a soft cloth and you can get virtually all grime off it. it then dries and feels like it was when new, really good stuff and way better to hold than a leather wheel.

 

[StuartW]

I do like the alcantara but it's longevity is not the best. Mine has worn considerably and I will be getting a refurb done at some point as it one of those things that just jumps out at me each time.

 

[Colossus]

Stuart

Is this wear or is the material just matted? It is quite unusual for these to wear badly but if you have a high mileage car I guess that is possible. More likely is that over time and use the oils from your hands get absorbed by the alcantara and make it become smooth and matted, often giving the impression that it is worn. The good news is that they are incredibly easy to clean. The method I have used with great success in the past is to get a bucket of warm water, a soft cotton towel and get the towel wet but not soaking with the water. Very gently rub the towel around the wheel, rinsing the towel regularly. You will be amazed to see the dirt transfer from the wheel to the towel. As alcantara is a synthetic material the dirt comes off very easily, much more so than suede or leather. Once the whole wheel has been done, use a fresh cotton towel to gently take any excess moisture off and to raise the pile and then let it dry out naturally.

The above has worked very well form me and if particularly dirty yours may need a second go but hopefully this will help avoid a full refurbishment.

 

[StuartW]

Stuart

Is this wear or is the material just matted? It is quite unusual for these to wear badly but if you have a high mileage car I guess that is possible. More likely is that over time and use the oils from your hands get absorbed by the alcantara and make it become smooth and matted, often giving the impression that it is worn. The good news is that they are incredibly easy to clean. The method I have used with great success in the past is to get a bucket of warm water, a soft cotton towel and get the towel wet but not soaking with the water. Very gently rub the towel around the wheel, rinsing the towel regularly. You will be amazed to see the dirt transfer from the wheel to the towel. As alcantara is a synthetic material the dirt comes off very easily, much more so than suede or leather. Once the whole wheel has been done, use a fresh cotton towel to gently take any excess moisture off and to raise the pile and then let it dry out naturally.

The above has worked very well form me and if particularly dirty yours may need a second go but hopefully this will help avoid a full refurbishment.

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely try that as looking at it, it may well just be matted. The car has done 50k so hardly space shuttle mileage so I hope that does the trick & sounds well worth a go.
Cheers