Standard LC vs HE Leather Seating Surfaces

[Heritage 2020]

Greetings All,
The standard Land Cruiser uses a semi-aniline and the Heritage Edition uses pigmented full-grain leather.

I’m in MT and was asking a dear friend who does leather works to explain what it all meant and he tipped me off to this.

He said my HE seats are pigmented full grain leather which is what he prefers for any high wear/high use surface.

Standard LC seats are more “luxurious feeling”, but he recommends old school full grain if sheer luxurious looks isn’t the primary objective.

Given that we do have dogs and high wear/durability is paramount—standard pigmented leather is best for us (which is Heritage Edition seating).

Semi-aniline is softer and has better “luxurious texture/feel”.

Note: I wouldn’t have minded a more durable synthetic leather if it had been an option. We have an MB with synthetic leather that wears like iron, and I like it.

Aniline vs Semi-Aniline vs Pigmented Leather | Castlery - https://www.castlery.com/us/blog/aniline-semi-aniline-pigmented-leather

 

[Madtiger]

See my thread: Semi-Aniline Leather...what is it? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/semi-aniline-leather-what-is-it.1189213/#post-13408252

Semi-aniline is in all high end Lexus, whether standard on higher end models or available as an option on middle-grade Lexus. Other brands uses semi-aniline on higher end models as well. I doubt that it is not durable given that high end models throughout car industry uses it.

Semi-aniline does crease because it is so soft. But it is very durable.

NOTE: i have never found out what type of leather HE uses…do you have your source??? Pigmented full grain? never heard HE had that.

My wife’s GX has Nulux. It’s great. But the feel is not the same as semi-aniline. So, yeah, you pay $$ for the “feel”.

 

[Heritage 2020]

See my thread: Semi-Aniline Leather...what is it? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/semi-aniline-leather-what-is-it.1189213/#post-13408252

Semi-aniline is in all high end Lexus, whether standard on higher end models or available as an option on middle-grade Lexus. Other brands uses semi-aniline on higher end models as well. I doubt that it is not durable given that high end models throughout car industry uses it.

Semi-aniline does crease because it is so soft. But it is very durable.

NOTE: i have never found out what type of leather HE uses…do you have your source??? Pigmented full grain? never heard HE had that.

My wife’s GX has Nulux. It’s great. But the feel is not the same as semi-aniline. So, yeah, you pay $$ for the “feel”.

@Madtiger

I am confident in my source as he has restored quite a few leather articles/vehicles for my family.

You pay for every characteristic you desire.

Toyota is a brilliant corporation.

 

[Madtiger]

@Madtiger

I am confident in my source as he has restored quite a few leather articles/vehicles for my family.

You pay for every characteristic you desire.

Toyota is a brilliant corporation.

According to some here, the leather in HE is similar/same as the leather in prior-2016 LC. Lexus LX570 has always had semi-aniline i believe. LC200 was upgraded to semi-aniline leather in 2016 as were other improvements made.

 

[Heritage 2020]

According to some here, the leather in HE is similar/same as the leather in prior-2016 LC. Lexus LX570 has always had semi-aniline i believe. LC200 was upgraded to semi-aniline leather in 2016 as were other improvements made.

My upholsterer says 100% full grain leather and I trust his assessment due to his expertise.

 

[TeCKis300]

Greetings All,
The standard Land Cruiser uses a semi-aniline and the Heritage Edition uses pigmented full-grain leather.

I’m in MT and was asking a dear friend who does leather works to explain what it all meant and he tipped me off to this.

He said my HE seats are pigmented full grain leather which is what he prefers for any high wear/high use surface.

Standard LC seats are more “luxurious feeling”, but he recommends old school full grain if sheer luxurious looks isn’t the primary objective.

Given that we do have dogs and high wear/durability is paramount—standard pigmented leather is best for us (which is Heritage Edition seating).

Semi-aniline is softer and has better “luxurious texture/feel”.

Note: I wouldn’t have minded a more durable synthetic leather if it had been an option. We have an MB with synthetic leather that wears like iron, and I like it.

Aniline vs Semi-Aniline vs Pigmented Leather | Castlery - https://www.castlery.com/us/blog/aniline-semi-aniline-pigmented-leather

I could be wrong too, but I'm not sure this is accurate based on my understanding and is potentially conflating some concepts.

The foundational leather (i.e. full grain, durability, quality) is an independent quality to how the leather is treated and colored.

Semi-aniline describes the process by which leather is treated and dyed. It is generally considered a more premium process to color the leather and impregnate it beyond just a top color coat. With less opportunity to hide imperfections and leaves the leather with a smoother and warmer feel. Because of this, they have to start with a higher grade leather and its generally considered better wearing. The less premium process is a top color coat which is leaves a slicker feeling with color that is only skin deep.

IIRC, the later LCs received the semi-aniline treatment, inline with what all LX570s get. It was an upgrade to the earlier model years.

That doesn't mean the Heritage doesn't get great leather. But it also doesn't mean it superior because semi-aniline is the more premium process. Then there's pure aniline that only the most premium handbags and exotic cars get.

 

[Heritage 2020]

I could be wrong too, but I'm not sure this is accurate based on my understanding and is potentially conflating some concepts.

The foundational leather (i.e. full grain, durability, quality) is an independent quality to how the leather is treated and colored.

Semi-aniline describes the process by which leather is treated and dyed. It is generally considered a more premium process to color the leather and impregnate it beyond just a top color coat. With less opportunity to hide imperfections and leaves the leather with a smoother and warmer feel. Because of this, they have to start with a higher grade leather and its generally considered better wearing. The less premium process is a top color coat which is leaves a slicker feeling with color that is only skin deep.

IIRC, the later LCs received the semi-aniline treatment, inline with what all LX570s get. It was an upgrade to the earlier model years.

That doesn't mean the Heritage doesn't get great leather. But it also doesn't mean it superior because semi-aniline is the more premium process. Then there's pure aniline that only the most premium handbags and exotic cars get.

@TeCKis300

Superiority was never mentioned.

Different processes yield different characteristics—which is what we pay for and Toyota developed.

Black full grain pigmented leather and semi-aniline are different—with characteristics that exist as a result of processing.

 

[Tex68w]

Semi Aniline feels nice but it shows wear quite quickly. The NuLuxe pleather leather stuff in the non-luxury trim Lexus products isn't as soft but it is extremely durable and looks new at 100K miles. That's what I'd want in a vehicle that see's dogs regularly. No clue if the HE gets a different and/or assumed "better" leather but there's no real evidence of it and it certainly doesn't show IMHO.

 

[Madtiger]

Semi Aniline feels nice but it shows wear quite quickly. The NuLuxe pleather leather stuff in the non-luxury trim Lexus products isn't as soft but it is extremely durable and looks new at 100K miles. That's what I'd want in a vehicle that see's dogs regularly. No clue if the HE gets a different and/or assumed "better" leather but there's no real evidence of it and it certainly doesn't show IMHO.

Here is a good article on Softex / Nuluxe: softex.pdf - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Q0bF6GXEKMUkNhSUtjZ1kyLVk/edit?resourcekey=0-SZWtP5DlDHeCaj87-xzX-g

So, while i like Nuluxe on my GX, the semi-aniline just feels so luxurious!! TPU is what Nuluxe/Softex is. Yeah it lasts, but it is not appropriate in a high-end car. Just my opinion. (TPU is what most phone cases are made of, esp the sides of the case…so ya know, it ain’t exactly screaming high class! Yes i am a snob.)

 

[32cls6speedmt]

@Eric Sarjeant. You have sold more lc and heritage than anyone else in the country. Can you please provide input?

 

[Tex68w]

Here is a good article on Softex / Nuluxe: softex.pdf - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Q0bF6GXEKMUkNhSUtjZ1kyLVk/edit?resourcekey=0-SZWtP5DlDHeCaj87-xzX-g

So, while i like Nuluxe on my GX, the semi-aniline just feels so luxurious!! TPU is what Nuluxe/Softex is. Yeah it lasts, but it is not appropriate in a high-end car. Just my opinion. (TPU is what most phone cases are made of, esp the sides of the case…so ya know, it ain’t exactly screaming high class! Yes i am a snob.)

Oh I agree, it's not proper for the Lexus name tag imho, but it's perfect in Toyota's as Softex. I'm just saying that if someone wants durability over anything else, that it's a great option and the fact that it almost never shows wear is a perk too.

 

[Zill]

The questionable item that I have to ask with the Nuluxe and Softex pleather is will the soft outer layer peal from the backing overtime? You commonly see this on those cheap pleather couches where the material starts to delaminate and it totals out the couch since you can’t fix it.

 

[mobi-arc]

I would have preferred cloth and no sunroof. Cloth wears FAR better than semi-aniline or full grain leather, and don't get me started on how super-dumb cutting a hole in the roof and inserting a mechanism that's guarateed to leak and break is.

 

[bloc]

This has been discussed a few times and there are outliers but the consensus over those threads is the heritage leather, which seems to be the same material as 2008-2015 base, is more durable than the 16-21 semi-aniline. Again, there are outliers, but the more people that have owned both and spoke up the more data there seemed to be saying so.

Not that that would convince me to buy a Heritage Edition.. there are plenty of other differences.

Now if they found just make the steering wheels half as durable as either leather..

 

[Heritage 2020]

This has been discussed a few times and there are outliers but the consensus over those threads is the heritage leather, which seems to be the same material as 2008-2015 base, is more durable than the 16-21 semi-aniline. Again, there are outliers, but the more people that have owned both and spoke up the more data there seemed to be saying so.

Not that that would convince me to buy a Heritage Edition.. there are plenty of other differences.

Now if they found just make the steering wheels half as durable as either leather..

My friend is a retired “leather whisperer” and has reupholstered tons of furniture and car interiors for my family over the years. We are having him do some work on our home in MT and I was quite curious about the HE seats. He played with them quite a bit and gave his assessment that it is “nice and sturdy full grain leather that should hold up really well for a long time.”

Pets don’t ride in the HE often, as they are F250 and Jeep passengers—but it’s good knowing the leather is good stuff just in case.

Thanks to our friend we’ve been fans of “Leather Honey” for many moons. We’ve been using it on every vehicle and piece of leather furniture that needs conditioning for decades.

This is the only thing I can find from Toyota (other than the 2021 Land Cruiser brochure which says the same thing).

NOTE: Perhaps pigmented full grain leather fits the “rugged” image that the HE seeks to represent, lol!

Toyota Land Cruiser Defines and Refines 65 Years of Brand Heritage - Toyota USA Newsroom

PLANO, Texas (November 30, 2020) – The Toyota Land Cruiser, a fixture of the brand’s vehicle lineup for more than six decades, remains the epitome of brand heritage. Along the road of its evolution into benchmark luxury SUV, the Land Cruiser inspired competitors, while the older versions also...

pressroom.toyota.com

 

[Madtiger]

My friend is a retired “leather whisperer” and has reupholstered tons of furniture and car interiors for my family over the years. We are having him do some work on our home in MT and I was quite curious about the HE seats. He played with them quite a bit and gave his assessment that it is “nice and sturdy full grain leather that should hold up really well for a long time.”

Pets don’t ride in the HE often, as they are F250 and Jeep passengers—but it’s good knowing the leather is good stuff just in case.

This is the only thing I can find from Toyota (other than the 2021 Land Cruiser brochure which says the same thing).

Toyota Land Cruiser Defines and Refines 65 Years of Brand Heritage - Toyota USA Newsroom

PLANO, Texas (November 30, 2020) – The Toyota Land Cruiser, a fixture of the brand’s vehicle lineup for more than six decades, remains the epitome of brand heritage. Along the road of its evolution into benchmark luxury SUV, the Land Cruiser inspired competitors, while the older versions also...

pressroom.toyota.com

Yeah i would imagine that Toyota would advertise special leather grade on the HE if true. It does not. It does advertise semi-aniline by specially mentioning it.

In 2016, here is what Toyota said:

“For 2016, new semi-aniline perforated leather is available in the customer’s choice of black or new Terra (brown). The black interior and Terra interiors are accented by Deep Wood trim. The high-quality materials complement a center console redesign that shows a more cohesive appearance and more intuitive controls.”

Source: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser: A Luxurious Bridge Between Civilization and Adventure - Toyota USA Newsroom - https://pressroom.toyota.com/2016-toyota-land-cruiser-debut/

 

[Heritage 2020]

@Madtiger

There is nothing special about pigmented full grain leather other than the inherent durability characteristics. No marketer/corporation would brag about the plain but solid stuff.

Semi-aniline and aniline are marketed for the “upper crust” folks who drool over the fanciest (but not most durable) of leathers.

Think “fine Corinthian leather.” Suckers lined up for that too.


Heck, the seats are going to wear out before the truck if you are lucky.

 

[Tex68w]

Which is why I'd like to put Scheel-mann seats in mine eventually, I just need to figure out a work around for the seat airbags.

 

[Heritage 2020]

Which is why I'd like to put Scheel-mann seats in mine eventually, I just need to figure out a work around for the seat airbags.

@Tex68w Agreed.

I’m more for durability and function than “fine Corinthian leather”.

 

[Madtiger]

@Tex68w Agreed.

I’m more for durability and function than “fine Corinthian leather”.

But whenever one pays $$$$ for a new LC, i want good freaking soft as butter leather for my sensitive bottoms!

If this was a 4runner, then sure pleather is great.

You want fake leather in something that costs $80-90k?? Heck no!! This is why i am always b!tching about the fake wood in the LC!! Now you guys want fake crap that is made from the same material as those one dollar iPhone case?!?!

What’s next? Fake skidplates?! Oh wait, Lexus LX600 have those. My bad.