Does Honda Use Real Leather? (Read This First)
Apart from Honda’s guaranteed reliability, there are other conditions you should consider while purchasing a new Honda. The vehicle’s interior is one of the factors you should consider.
Although your choice is personal, I insist that a car with a nice interior is commendable.
Honda vehicles’ interior might not be as luxurious as some newer cars, but it is not spartan. It offers many features for your comfort, such as the soft covering on seats.
Most auto-makers are in the trend of making leather seating surfaces, but this luxury is currently giving way to newer inventions like cloth and faux.
Yes, Honda, like most cars, uses genuine leather. But the leather is only used to cover areas where your skin is likely to touch; such areas include your vehicle’s seats. However, only the seating surfaces have leather and not the backsides.
Does Honda Have Real Leather Seats?
Of Course, Honda has real leather seats, but not every obvious Honda leather seat or leather surface has a genuine leather coating.
The Idea of using leather helps in making the seats very comfortable.
However, you can notice that the various “leather” surfaces have different feels. Some areas are considerably softer than others, which should ignite you to ask, “where is the real leather applied?”
Some people maintain that the leather used was mostly considered original in past years. Still, as time went on, variations of leathers became rampant due to the market demand and supply shortage.
And of course, you should expect different grades of leather; vinyl-coated leather, and vinyl throughout the cabin according to the application and usage.
Honda’s way of minimizing the use of leather is for the better so that it would be sold at a pocket-friendly price.
Honda had used vinyl-coated leather and still does.
The vinyl-coated leather is more durable than the genuine leather because the real leather is not as tough and is more prone to suffer quick damage when not specially maintained.
So if you were wondering whether vinyl is healthy, understand that vinyl is not harmful. Read our post to know if Honda can add Heated Seats?
Leather is used on surfaces you frequently touch, such as the shift knob and steering. Where you rest your arm (Armrest) is vinyl coated; the same applies to inserts, consoles, and doors.
Other car brands like Toyota have since begun the production of a material that imitates leather to cover their interior upholstery.
This practice saves customers’ maintenance costs since leather is expensive. Vegan leather or faux stands as an alternative to such car brands, which utilize leather mimicry.
To this end, the only part where Honda real leather is used in your car is in the coated penetrate surface.
The perforated section in the middle, where your backrests, and the middle of the seat, just by mere observation, you can tell that the leather there is different.
The rest of the space on the seat is covered in vinyl and faux.
On the contrary, Honda is still struggling to adopt the trend of using vegan leather.
Moreover, apart from the specific use of real leather, vinyl, and a cloth or faux, Honda has discovered a new way of reducing or minimizing the application of leather.
It is by incorporating natural and fake leather. This method is commonly but technically referred to as leather trim.
As do other manufacturers, Honda is also working on their trim and would share their patented trim sooner than later to the public, so it would be a Honda leather trim or whatever name they choose to call it.
Which Honda Models Have Pure Leather Seats?
It’s worth mentioning that not all Honda cars have real leather in them despite the claims of Honda uses leather in their upholstery.
The Honda Accord is an example of a Honda model with Honda real leather.
Honda web site reveals that you can find real leather in Honda Accord, Pilot, Civic, and CRV. Does Jeep Grand Cherokee Have Leather Seats? (Must Read)
Notwithstanding, there are still other packages made of vinyl or leather trim in the above vehicles. While most car brands feature cloth seating, others feature leather-trimmed seating.
Leather is expensive, and for this reason, if Honda vehicles’ upholstery and other parts are authentic leather products, it would be a tough bargain.
And would, of course, be challenging to maintain since leather requires special maintenance. Most Honda models use vinyl and faux in their seats.
Honda uses these materials in its upholstery, and with the help of the leather trim, it can maintain a balance on the price of a new Honda car.
Does Honda Use Vegan Leather?
Yes, Honda uses vegan leather, but what exactly is “vegan leather?” Are you aware that leathers come from removing the hair or fur from animal skin?
Yes! Because now you know.
However, vegan leather is a product that imitates leather, which does not need animal skin or any parts of an animal.
Vegan leather is commonly made from a polyurethane blend.
Like other materials used in a car’s upholstery, Vegan leather is not harmful and is therefore very comfortable and reliable.
It is not new to most manufacturers; only Honda sees it as something new.
Honda has since remained determined to uncover the mystery so they can begin to participate in it, which would indirectly reduce the price of Honda vehicles.
I have mentioned the word “faux” a few times in the above paragraphs – it is another way of referring to vegan leather.
Because faux is a direct mimicry of leather, and it offers almost the comfort leather offers, little wonder some manufacturers have replaced it with leather.
One of its benefits is how cheap it is as opposed to leather. Does Ford F-150 XLT Come With Leather Seats? (Must Read)
Conclusion
Vehicle seats made of real leather are the most desirable due to their comfort. However, leather is expensive and factors into the high price of vehicles manufacturers announce for sales.
As a result, automakers like Toyota, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, and others have switched to producing leather-free seats and many features.
However, Honda still relies on leather, vinyl, and leather trim. Of course, leather allows for more comfort and swiftness, but vinyl is more durable since it is easier to maintain than leather.