Are seat covers the same as the Limited?

[tech10002]

I searched for the answer and couldn't find it, so I figured I'd ask you guys.

The wife and I are looking for a new car and have pretty much narrowed it down to the SHO, Audi S4 Quattro, or Acura TL SH-AWD 6MT, though the S4 is a sorta/maybe thing since it costs 10k more than the others. I've always wanted an SHO since I was 16 years old in the early 90s. I just loved those things and still would love to find one as a project some day. I can't tell you how many times I stopped at the Ford dealer to sit in SHOs. The dealer was probably really sick of me. LOL

We haven't gotten to even sit inside a new SHO since there are none available in our area, but I've looked at a lot of pictures, and they look really sweet except for those fake suede seat inserts. Has anyone successfully gotten rid of those? Katskin sells replacement covers for the regular Taurus that are perforated, so the A/C seats should still work. It's just not clear if they will fit an SHO. We might drive up to Ohio to take a look at one next week sometime. I'm really anxious to drive it, but it would be nice to know if we could get rid of the suede.

Thanks for your help.

 

[shooters]

When I was trying to decide on the SHO or the Acura TL AWD, I just went and test drove both. The Acura is a damn fine car but when I got it on the freeway and pegged the gas, it VERY slowly accelerated. Fit and finish on the Acura is top notch but I couldn't get over the lack of power, and to be quite honest, I was really disappointed as I had pre-decided that I was going to buy the Acura before having drove it. Well, I changed my mind in a big way when I test drove the SHO. The SHO has more to offer in terms of features, is slightly less money and has more power and is definitely faster off the line and top end speeds.

One thing. You mentioned that you were having a problem finding a new one due to availability. I too had the same issue and ended up doing my own research and locating the car I wanted, equipped how I wanted almost 600 miles away. I took a road trip one Friday morning and bought the car.

Regarding the seats; I'm not sure how you can get them. I know they have some two tone brown on black that I thought was horrid but I'm sure someone here can advise you on the seats. One of the members here actually works at the plant where they build the cars so he probably can tell you exactly what you can and cannot get in terms of standard options or accessories.

It's your money and you decision but personally I don't regret my purchase.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

 

[Crash712us]

No, I believe the limited are perforated leather, not suede. Suede is Not favorite of mine either.

 

[Billm0066]

I love the suede. All leather looks better, but it wont burn you on a sunny day. If you wait until next spring you can get a SHO with all leather and darker interior (headliner and pillars).

As far as Katzkin goes the seats should all be the same. The cost of the leather, and then installation will probably set you back $2,000-$3,000 easily. I would go to the dealership and look at a regular Taurus to make sure the seats are the same. I sat in a limited and thought they looked identical minus the suede.

 

[SHO U UP]

If you can wait, get a 2013 SHO. The seats are all leather IIRC and there was no suede inserts.

 

[Wardawg]

At first I was a little put off by the sueded as well, but now I actually prefer it. It provides extra grip when going into corners and such. I've actually contemplated haveing sueded put in my mustang, as I slide all over the place in those seats.

 

[mjhpadi]

I wasn't over impressed that the car had the suede inserts and still not sure of my opinion of them will be after spending a few years with them, I would have preferred all leather. But the suede seems to he holding up fine and still looks almost new (except for a few wrinkles from my fat butt), so I have to say they are OK. However, the heated/cooled multi-contour seats get 2 thumbs up from everyone in my family and all who have used them in my car.

 

[markathome]

I prefer the 'suede' inserts as well. They hold you in place, and don't get hot/cold like leather.
My guess is that in 7-10 years, they will look better than the cracked/broken leather you see in some vehicles.
I think the product is actually Alcantara. (http://int.alcantara.com/#/en/menu/applications/automotive)
I know this product was used on the dash/trim/seating surfaces of the Subaru SVX back in the early 90's. Though they are rare, if you find one, take a look at the material, in these cars, it's like new, 20+ years later. Of course, the material is also used in high end super-cars too.

 

[SpoolinX2]

I think it's defined as "micro-suede". I know it's not Alcantara...I had that in my STi and it's a different feel.

As for comparison of the three cars. I don't know much about the Acura, other than I hate what they did to the TL. The TL's from a few years back look so much better.

I've had my SHO for a few months now, and I love it. It's all around a great car, and can easily be driven year round. I came from the power and performance of an '11 GT, and while the SHO isn't as fast, it's still got plenty of power (and room to grow ). And honestly, it's twice the car the GT was. The quality and comfort is great for the price.

Now, I have to admit, I do have a thing for a nice looking Audi, and I almost bought one before I bought the SHO, and the new S4's are hot! My fiance has a new A4, black on black leather, with the LED headlights, and when it's clean, it's one of the best looking cars made to day I think. Of course, the S4 bears resemblances to the A4, except it just looks more...muscular. In terms of quality, the quality of her A4 is unmatched. Fit and finish on the whole car is perfect, and not a detail is over looked. It truly does have a high luxury feel. I know, the S4 IS different from the A4, but I would imagine a lot of the similarities carry over. I believe the new S4's are supercharged V6's (even though the badge on the side says V6T), so no doubt performance is not an afterthought.

NOW, I will say this. What's more comfortable, her Audi, or my SHO...the SHO wins it. The seats in the SHO are much more comfortable, while the Audi seats feel more...solid. I've driven 5 hour road trips in each, and after getting out of the Audi, I felt beat. When comparing options and luxuries, really, there's not much the SHO doesn't have when looking at higher model cars. I will say, the Audi does handle better. It feels more nimble and solid in turns, but I think the 8-speed auto it has shifts a little too much.

Overall, I think the TL doesn't hold up to the standards set by the others. Options, price, and comfort...go with the SHO. Performance and looks...S4.

 

[SHOSKER]

After 53,000 miles no wear at all.

 

[LittleMichael]

I like the SHO seats and they wear slowly. The grip is great on them too, esp if it's a rainy day. My Jeep Grand Cherokee has leather seats, and I slide all over them on a rainy day.

 

[LittleMichael]

When I was trying to decide on the SHO or the Acura TL AWD, I just went and test drove both. The Acura is a damn fine car but when I got it on the freeway and pegged the gas, it VERY slowly accelerated. Fit and finish on the Acura is top notch but I couldn't get over the lack of power, and to be quite honest, I was really disappointed as I had pre-decided that I was going to buy the Acura before having drove it. Well, I changed my mind in a big way when I test drove the SHO. The SHO has more to offer in terms of features, is slightly less money and has more power and is definitely faster off the line and top end speeds.

One thing. You mentioned that you were having a problem finding a new one due to availability. I too had the same issue and ended up doing my own research and locating the car I wanted, equipped how I wanted almost 600 miles away. I took a road trip one Friday morning and bought the car.

Regarding the seats; I'm not sure how you can get them. I know they have some two tone brown on black that I thought was horrid but I'm sure someone here can advise you on the seats. One of the members here actually works at the plant where they build the cars so he probably can tell you exactly what you can and cannot get in terms of standard options or accessories.

It's your money and you decision but personally I don't regret my purchase.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

My brother has the Acura 2010 TSX and we swapped cars for a few days. I agree - when accelerating onto a highway, the SHO blows the TSX out of the water. There is construction in our area, so the highway merge is actually a stop sign, and then you need to accelerate onto the highway. The TSX- not so much fun. I LOVE doing this with my SHO. I go from like 0-80 is like 6-7 seconds lol.

My brother did not want to trade back haha. He could not afford the SHO, but I told him he should have looked at the Fusion Sport. It's a better bang for your buck in my opinion there.

 

[tech10002]

I agree completely on the TL. We drove a loaded 2012 TL SH-AWD, and it SUCKED. It felt totally gutless. The Hyundai turbo Sonata we drove actually felt more powerful. It's a beautiful car, but I could never live with the way it drives. The seats were not the best, either. It's definitely out of contention.

I finally found an SHO to sit in, and you guys are right. The suede isn't bad in person. It looks a lot better than in the pictures. The main issue I had with the SHO was the B pillar. It has a cutout in it about shoulder height, and I'm very wide at the shoulders. It poked me and was really unpleasant. The car was inside the showroom, and the dealer was a *******, so we didn't get to drive it. Maybe I could find a seat position where the B pillar thing wouldn't poke me if I got to drive the car a little. I found a used one online about an hour away, so we're gonna go try it Wednesday.

We did, however, find an Ecoboost MKS and drove it, and WOW--These things are FAAAAST. I've had several fast cars over the years, and it was definitely among the best. The salesman was an old guy, and I floored it around a corner not expecting it to leap off the line like it did. I think the guy wasn't too happy. LOL

The MKS has different B pillar trim that does not have the cutouts, and it didn't poke my shoulder at all. We are considering an MKS now. They're just so much more expensive than the SHO, and it would have to be one with the appearance package. The regular ones look too much like grandmas car. Unfortunately, the appearance package ones are really hard to find, and ever more expensive than just an ultimate.

I'm wondering if maybe the MKS B pillar trim would fit on an SHO. That would be the perfect solution. I think I'll post a new thread and see if anybody else has tried.

 

[mjhpadi]

Just a short follow-up to bdp1151's post about replacing seat inserts. I replaced the leather in my F-150 seats with a set of Roush leather seats and the shop that did the replacement charged me $750.00 to do front and rear seats. That did not include the price of the new leather. I was lucky to get the leather replacements for only $300.00 but I believe they had a retail price of about $1500.00 without installation. Not inexpensive to do replacement seating covering.