Agreed. I drove a Lexus sedan before I had kids. I loved that car. Never had a problem and when it's time for basic maintenance, you get a loaner, they bend over backwards to keep you happy. Definitely go with leather. Cloth never holds up and it retains stains, smells.
I lease and I am currently in a Jeep Cherokee and really like it. No issues so far and I will be on warranty until the lease expires and I will likely get another one.
If you get into a car with leather seats that has been in the sun for a while on a hot day while wearing shorts you need to put a towel or something on the seat first or risk a major scorching,
This is absolutely the truth. My Expedition has air conditioned seats, which I love, and even though I don't love heaters, the heated seats do come in handy in North Texas a number of times during the winters here.
And that's you speaking from California. Imagine sitting on leather that's been baking in the 110 degree Texas sun for 8 or so hours. I've screamed in severe pain more than once when wearing a dress or skirt.
I prefer cloth seats because they breathe. Leather and vinyl don't breathe and your back and seat stay clammy. I put some cheap covers on them when I'm camping or doing other wise dirty work to keep them clean. And I put Scotchguard on new cloth seats. it really helps with spills and such.
But you've not had to transport children across country with cloth seats. No amount of Scotchguard will protect against things like your three-year-old vomiting all over the back seat after smelling the sea air in Galveston, for instance. Or nosebleeds driving through the mountains in Arkansas, for another instance.
